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The Spirit of Summer Cocktail Contest

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Do you have the perfect recipe that just screams “Summer in a Glass!”  Well, here is your opportunity to share it with the world (well at least Jersey) for a chance to be crowned “Spirits Summer Cocktail 2011.” Oh, and we’ll throw in a $300 Beach Cruiser just to sweeten the deal. Jersey Bites has teamed up with Spirits Unlimited and UV Vodka to bring you this exciting month long contest. We want to give you plenty of time to experiment. Whether you’re a professional bartender or an enthusiastic cocktail connoisseur or maybe you just stumbled on a winning taste that makes all your friends smile, you qualify.

We’ll be featuring some of our favorite recipes on the Spirits Unlimited Facebook page throughout the course of the Contest, so be sure to “Like” their page and keep an eye on the competition.

Here’s how to enter:

Step 1: Create an original and unique drink recipe using one of UV Flavored Vodkas.

Step 2: Leave your recipe in the comment section below. Make sure you include your email address or we will not be able to notify you of the winner.

Step 3: Hop over to Spirits Unlimited’s Facebook Page to Follow the Fun and see who we pick as featured entries.

3 Finalist will be chosen by our panel of judges after final entries are submitted August 31, 2011. The three final recipes will be judged on originality, taste, appearance and creative use of UV Vodkas.  The “Spirit of Summer Cocktail” winner (one winner only) will be announce Friday, September 2nd.  No purchase necessary and all entrants must be 21 years or older. Click Here for the Official Rules.

Good luck everyone. We can’t wait to start tasting.

Food Network Star Open Casting Call August 5th in NYC

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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The Food Network’s hugely successful culinary reality series, Food Network Star, is currently casting for season 8. Open casting calls are in New York City on Friday August 5th, 2011.

They are looking for people who are full of life, passionate about cooking, and knowledgeable about food to meet  in person at their open casting call.  Are you a chef, home cook, caterer or just plain old culinary enthusiast who might be interested in becoming the host of his or her own cooking show on Food Network?  Have you got the chops?

The details of our event are as follows:

Friday, August 5th 2011

9am-12pm

Sutton Place 1015 Second Ave, New York, NY 10022

e-mail: [email protected]

For additional information please visit Foodnetworkstarcasting.com.

Savory Spice Shop in Westfield

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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The growth of farmers markets, quality restaurants and upscale grocery stores throughout NJ make it easy to overlook the simple things in life. Namely, a straightforward, no frills place where you can find exactly what you need to make your home-cooked food taste that much more delicious.  Thanks to the opening of Savory Spice Shop in Westfield this past November, local residents now have exactly that.

Savory Spice Shop is operated by sisters Jackie Mittelhammer and Becky Solheim.  Though the sisters don’t have any formal food training, as self-proclaimed “foodies” they knew that they wanted to open a business that illustrated their passion for food.  The sisters might still be bouncing around ideas if Jackie hadn’t come across a Savory Spice Shop while skiing in Colorado.  Out of eleven Savory Spice Shops in the U.S., the location in Westfield is the only one in the Northeast. The location in downtown Westfield not only provides the store with ample foot traffic, but also the opportunity to pair up with neighboring businesses Alan’s Orchard and CoolVines on cooking classes and demonstrations.

For anyone who loves food, stepping into Savory Spice Shop is like entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory, with temptation around every corner.  Spice blends, flavor extracts, chile blends, barbeque rubs, curry blends, and cocoa line the shelves.  When vanilla extract is flanked by peppermint, butterscotch, coffee and key lime extracts it’s easy to feel a little giddy.  The store allows customers to purchase spices in any amount so people can experiment with unfamiliar products.   In the summer, BBQ rubs have proven to be a favorite for people grilling down the shore or looking to give a unique Father’s Day gift.  Once the holiday season rolls around people can pick up one of the store’s gift sets or customize their own.

Jackie and Becky see their store as filling a gap, by providing people with something they need, when they need it.  They have an excellent understanding of all the spices and are always offering ideas on how to use them.  Each spice also has suggestions on the label so you can refer to that once you get home. Customers range from amateur cooks to professional chefs, echoing the sisters’ belief that anyone, with just the right spices, can whip up something delicious.

Savory Spice Shop

138 E. Broad St.

Westfield, NJ 07090

(908) 264-8947

Michelle Stavrou, the Union County regional editor, has hop-scotched across the Garden State, growing up in Bergen County, then moving to Hoboken (after a stop over in Queens) before finally settling in Cranford. After too many years stuck in tiny kitchens Michelle finally has a kitchen that can accommodate multiple batches of cookies. Her husband and her co-workers are probably even more thankful than she is. Michelle’s baking adventures are documented here: http://jerseygirleats.blogspot.com/.

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Elizabeth Norton
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Three Rice Cream Sandwiches
Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! I recently discovered an incredibly innovative new ice cream sandwich native to New Jersey- Rice Cream Sandwiches.

Creator Drew Christoffel said his mother made these treats as an after school snack for him and his brother in the 80’s. Combining rich ice cream with crispy rice cereal treats, she practically had a production line in her kitchen when word got out in the neighborhood. When Drew was looking to strike out as an entrepreneur, he turned to these creative summer treats, gave them a name and Rice Creams were officially born.
Eating a Strawberry Rice Cream Sandwich

Rice Creams ice cream sandwiches are all handmade in a large commercial kitchen in Clifton, New Jersey.

“The marshmallow and crisped rice wafer is the most time consuming part of the process,” said Drew. “We lay the sheets out like large pizza pies and cut them into circles with specialized cutters. The ice cream is then extruded onto a wafer, another top wafer is added, then off to a blast freezer it goes. They’re then packaged and placed into a deep freezer.”

There’s truly nothing like these ice cream sandwiches. I sampled strawberry and chocolate Rice Creams last week on a blazing hot day. The rice cereal and marshmallow treats make the perfect sandwich material for ice cream. They’re light, crisp and refreshing- the perfect snack to enjoy when you want to cool off. You can find them at amusement parks and ball parks throughout New Jersey (click here for a full list of vendors), with more venues to carry them in 2012.

“We’ve dubbed ourselves “New Jersey’s official ice cream sandwich,'” said Drew. “Although we’ve received no formal documentation from Trenton, I’m sure Governor Christie wouldn’t have any qualms about it!”

Alison Heller is the Jersey Bites Cape May County Regional Editor. She also writes for Examiner.com andTrendHunter.com. She grew up on the beach in Wildwood Crest and currently works in advertising. After earning her Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing in New York City (a place that was essentially Food Rehab), she stopped putting ketchup on everything and started experimenting with flavors. She loves sushi and cupcakes, sushi that looks like cupcakes, but never cupcakes that look like sushi. www.superalzy.com

Bites from the Editor

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Well, much like my garden right now, Jersey Bites seems to be bursting at the seems. We are welcoming seven new writers to our family of contributors this month. Please visit the Team page to learn more about all of our contributors.  In addition to our writers, we also have a new Advertising Sales Executive, Tracey Hall, joining us. If you are interested in advertising your business here, Tracey can walk you through all the options. We are also finally getting started on building our Jersey Bites Restaurant Directory. I am so excited to be fitting this missing piece into our puzzle. If you have any input into what you would like to see in a restaurant directory, drop us a line.

We are also thrilled to announce our  “Spirit of the Summer Cocktail Contest” sponsored by Spirits Unlimited and UV Vodka. Look for details this Thursday and make it a point to enter to win a Beach Cruiser and more importantly bragging rights to naming Spirits Summer Cocktail.

As always we have some fun, fun stuff coming up from our writers. Cape May County’s, Allison Heller, celebrates “National Ice Cream Sandwich Day” tomorrow with a new crispy twist to a family favorite. Morris County’s, Deanna Quinones, takes the role of super-spy secret taster on the Dessert Team for the Star Ledger’s Inside Jersey magazine, seeking out New Jersey’s top dessert spots (Tough job. Once again she finds herself right in the gooey thick of things). Our new Wine contributor, Bart Jackson, author of Garden State Wineries Guide, takes us to Hopewell Valley Vineyards for a taste of their Merlot and more. And another newcomer to the JB team, Union County’s, Michelle Stavrou, turns us on to a spicy new shop in Westfield that is a foodie find from heaven.  As always, we will have some great Jersey recipes straight from the garden including my stuffed zucchini that was D-lish. We have a new recipe contributor, Kate Morgan Jackson, from FramedCooks.com, who is not only a great cook, she is a great food photographer, so I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us this month.  And, finally, we’ll be doing a compilation piece from our writers on their Favorite Seafood Joints. They can be high-brow, low-brow, take out or eat in, its up to them. What is you favorite Seafood spot? Maybe we’ll pay a visit.

Speaking of seafood, stop by the Judges Tent at the The Fifth Annual Crab Cake Festival & Shore Chef Cook-Off and say Hi to me. I’ll be judging. Look for the sweaty woman in the red Jersey Bites polo.  If you miss the Crab Cake Fest, the following week I’ll be a judge at Rib Rock at the PNC Bank Arts Center. If you’re there, please stop by and say Hello. Once again, I’ll be the sweaty woman in the red Jersey Bites Polo.  And, lastly, always remember, we’re a friendly bunch of Biters, so don’t be afraid. Join in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. We like to get to know our readers. Happy humid August.

Deborah Smith , Founder and Executive Editor of jerseybites.com.  Launched in 2007 as a home for her growing collection of recipes, Jersey Bites soon grew into a hub for all things edible in the Garden State. Deborah is also the owner of Parents With Nannies, Inc. which operates a network of nanny employment websites established in 1999.  In her spare time, (Ha) she works as a Social Media consultant and speaker.  You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com

New Jersey Nick’s Pick: Time to Eat Diner in Somerville

Pamela Dollak
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My name is New Jersey Nick, and I’ve been scouring the Garden State looking for all the best Good Food That’s Bad For You; Burgers, Fries, Dogs, Burritos, and anything else that you need to jog off the next day. No fancy places for me. Just burger joints, diners and haunts favored by adventurous eaters and carnivores alike. I find the best places, and I hope you go give them a shot. This week, I check out the burgers at the Time to Eat Diner in Somerville.

Continue

Shuck, yes! It’s sweet corn time in New Jersey

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Sweet corn season is in full swing in northern New Jersey. At Farm’s View Roadstand in Wayne (945 Black Oak Ridge Road) they’re picking their own, and by the looks of it, there’s more than enough to go around.

This is excellent news for the sweet corn-obsessed. One such customer declared it the happiest day of the year. “And that day in October, when they tell you it’s over? That’s the saddest.” he added.  For those of us who love it, nothing but fresh-picked local will do. We know there’s nothing sweeter. From the moment it’s picked, it becomes a race against time to get it from farm to fire to palate, before all that lovely sugar turns into tasteless starch. Farm’s View is doing their part, harvesting the ears every morning; it’s up to you to cook it by day’s end for the best flavor.

When corn season starts I’m thrilled, like many, to simply shuck, boil and butter. After a week or two, I turn to the grill. Three weeks in, and I start looking for recipes to change it up a little. In a month, I start getting really creative. It’s not that I get tired of it; it’s that I want to enjoy it as many different ways as I can before the endless corn-free part of the year begins in the fall. Here are a few ideas to keep the fresh corn experience exciting all summer long:

To boil corn, Farm’s View recommends bringing a large pot of water to a boil, and cooking the corn for three minutes. And seriously, when corn is this fresh, you’re only boiling it to heat it—it doesn’t need to be cooked.

When you find yourself with leftover corn, just cut it off the cob and toss the kernels with some halved cherry tomatoes, julienned fresh basil and some salt and pepper for a great cold side salad. Add a splash of your favorite vinegar if you think it needs a little lift.

When you grill corn, do yourself (and your fingers) a favor. It may look cool to grill the ears in the husk, but just think about peeling back those leaves and picking off all that silk while they’re still too hot to eat. Shuck the ears first, brush them with canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap them in aluminum foil. Grill over medium-high heat, turning every five minutes, for fifteen minutes, and serve with a compound butter. Try adding to a stick of softened butter the zest of a lemon, lime or orange; 2-3 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs and/or finely chopped shallots, or even 4 tablespoons of maple syrup.

Serving corn off the cob just adds to the possibilities. Here’s one idea. Cut the kernels off four ears. In 2 tablespoons canola oil, sauté a chopped sweet onion until softened; add corn kernels and sauté one minute; add juice and zest of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and season with salt and pepper.

Are you ready for corn off the hook? How about sweet corn ice cream? It’s good enough on its own, but it’s magical with Jersey blueberries. Try it with fresh blueberries, a blueberry compote, or on top of a warm blueberry cobbler.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream (adapted from Claudia Fleming’s book The Last Course, Random House, 2001)

Yield: about 1 quart

Ingredients:

4 ears corn, shucked

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cups sugar

9 large egg yolks

  1. Cut the kernels from the cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break cobs into thirds and add to pan along with milk, cream and ½ cup of the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring, then turn off the heat. Remove cobs and puree the mixture with an immersion blender. Set aside to cool for one hour.
  2. Bring mixture back to a simmer, then remove from heat. In small bowl, whisk yolks with remaining ¼ cup sugar. Whisk a cup of the hot corn mixture into yolks, then add yolk mixture to corn mixture, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7 minutes.
  3. Pass custard through a sieve, pressing on the solids. Discard solids. Let custard cool, then cover and chill four hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cynthia Lynch can’t remember where her love of food began, but she does recall when it turned into a career. After several years of writing about food, wine and travel for a local publisher, she got bitten by the bug, went to culinary school in New York and started cooking in New Jersey restaurants. Eventually she was able to bring her food and writing experience together as the executive editor of Art Culinaire Magazine. A Passaic County native, today she spends most of her time with her four-year-old son looking for the best food the state has to offer—and the closer to home, the better.

Foodie Things to do This Weekend and Beyond

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival:  July 28 – 31. Too much great info to list. Check out the events, personalities and details

Bands, BBQ & Bowling at the Barrow Mansion,. unday, July 31, 3pm Barrow Mansion 83 Wayne Street, Jersey City. Maintained entirely by volunteers, the Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery is working towards a matching $50,000 grant, as well as trying to maintain the grounds. This benefit will help the cemetery reach its goals.  BBQ by Lucky Sevens Meat (choose one): Pulled Pork Sandwich, dressed with coleslaw, served on seeded brioche roll; Beef Brisket Sandwich, served on toasted roll; BBQ Ribs, choice of Memphis Sweet or Carolina Gold. Sides (choose one): Mac-n-cheese; Corn-on-the-Cob. $25 Donation includes BBQ plate.  $20 Donation w/o BBQ. $5 discount with two non-perishable food donations for St. Matthew’s Food Pantry. For more info visit www.jerseycitycemetery.org

Cooking Class: Entertaining for Foodies Tuesday, August 2, 6-10pm Culinary Arts Institute 161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City. A class designed for all those who are “foodies” – people who are passionate about food and love studying it, preparing it, savoring it, and especially sharing and serving it! Learn about preparing simple but delicious canapes for special, intimate dinners for two and get togethers of all sizes.

Extreme Cupcake Tasting at The Cookie Cab in Toms River on Saturday, July 30th. Taste the unexpected when ingredients like Curry Powder, Potato Chips, Chili Pepper, Bacon and Absinthe find their way into some of the most interesting and delicious confections around. We’ll be sampling all of our extreme creations (and a few of our classic favorites), and we hope that you’re inspired to re-imagine what you thought a cupcake could be. Go beyond Chocolate, Vanilla and Red Velvet – and try something extraordinary! Check out their Facebook Event for more info.

BBQ and Blues in the Park in Mount Holly on Saturday.  This event will be free to the public this year. No $5 entrance fees! Take your friends and family to enjoy the BBQ & Blues Festival at the municipal parking lot in Mount Holly, NJ on Park Drive. The festival, to be held on Saturday, July 30, 2011, promises to be a blast for the whole family. The event begins at 11am and finishes at 5pm. The finest quality beer and wine will round off some of the best Blues and Rock music the area has to offer. This year we will have over 40 BBQ teams competing for 5K+ in prizes. The kids area will have a rock climbing wall and the chance to win a new bike with several minute to win it games! The beer tent will supply plenty of beverages and have a great view of the stage. If you are looking for a great place to stay, the Best Western Westampton is conveniently located off exit 5 of the NJ Turnpike and only 5 minutes from our event. http://bbqandbluesinthepark.com/

Hudson Restaraunt Week Continues! Through August 5th. Make your reservations here.

Annual Peach Festival, Mount Laurel Friends Meetinghouse. The festival will be on August 6 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Mount Laurel Friends Meetinghouse, located at Mount Laurel Corner, the intersection of Moorestown-Mt. Laurel Road (Route 603) and Hainesport-Mt. Laurel 
Road (Route 684). The outdoor festival features homemade cakes and pies topped with fresh, locally grown peaches and homemade ice cream churned on premises with an old-fashioned ice cream machine.  Guests will also be treated to balloon animals and tricks by Pretzels the Clown and a classic car review. Volunteers will offer informal tours of the historic building to interested visitors. Tickets to the Peach Festival are $5 for adults, $3 for children, and free for children under 4. For information about the Mount Laurel Meeting Peach Festival, contact the Moorestown Monthly Meeting office at 856-235-1561 before August 4.

STELLEKAYA South African Wine Dinner. Friday, August 19, 2011 – 7:00pm at Branches Catering in West Long Branch. About Stellekaya…Stellekaya means “home of the stars” and is a privately owned boutique wine producer situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands. The cellar is located in the famous town of Stellenbosch and all grapes are sourced from producers in this appellation. South African cuisine is very diverse with English, Dutch, Indian and other Southern Asian influences not to mention the rich food culture of the indigenous people of Africa. This dinner reflects the diversity of the culture. Click Here to view full Menu

A Mid-Summer Crab Feast August 18th, at the Elan, 111 Rt 46 W, Lodi, to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Lodi. The all-you-can-eat, sit-down, family-style menu includes appetizers, Dungeness crab, roasted potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, coleslaw, jalapeno cornbread, homemade doughnuts, seasonal fruit salad, wine, and beer. 6 to 8 PM; adults $54.95, teenagers $44.95, children ages five to twelve $39.95; plus tax and 20 percent gratuity. For reservations, call 973-777-0503.

The Fifth Annual Crab Cake Festival & Shore Chef Cook-Off August 20th and 21st. Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Ave, Oceanport. The event will feature New Jersey crab cakes and seafood from NJ restaurants, with chefs competing for Best Crab Cake and Best of the Rest. Along with thoroughbred racing there will be live entertainment and crafts to buy. Noon to 5 PM; $3 grandstand admission allows admission to the Cook-Off area. Advance tickets are not required, and food prices will range from $5 to $15. Check out the fun on YouTube.

Rib Rock Sunday, Aug 28 7:00p

A five-course Farm to Table Dinner sponsored by Slow Food Northern NJ August 21st, will be held at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Rd, Morristown. Chef Andrea Carbine from A Toute Heure in Cranford will prepare a dinner centered on Fosterfields’ heirloom vegetables, grass-fed meat, and poultry. Chef Diane Pinder of Donna & Company Artisan Chocolates will present dessert. Sustainable and organic wines will be paired with each course. Live music will be provided by the Cabin Jazz All-Stars, and farmer Rob Kibbe will conduct a horse-drawn hayride tour. The proceeds from this Sustenance on the Farm Dinner will benefit Fosterfields’ educational farm programs for schoolchildren and the Slow Food Northern NJ School Garden Program. For more information, call 908-451-0051, and for tickets log on to www.sustenanceevents.com.

Rib Rock at PNC Bank Arts Center August 28th.  Headliners:  The J. Geils Band, B. B. King and Gary Clarke Jr. Action on the Festival Stage starts at 3 p.m., In between acts, emcee Chef James Conroy, from QVC, will be entertaining the crowd with “low and slow” barbecue techniques and cooking demonstrations, interviews with the chefs, and audience participation contests and activities. Among a wide array of crafters and vendors, Jersey Shore-centric attractions in the festival arena include fortune telling by Madame Marie, meet and greet with the team from Weird NJ, and trims by the Shore’s Bikini Barbers, “Where it’s Summer All Year Round.” Jersey Bites will be serving on the Judging panel, so stop by and say Hello.

Jersey Long Hots for this Scorching Summer

Colleen Wood
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When trying to cook in season some of the hardiest riders on the produce truck are peppers. One of my personal favorites with an exceptionally long growing season, March to about September or perhaps October with this year’s weather, are long hots. They are a great addition to any dinner but beware. While they don’t have the guaranteed heat of their capsaicin filled brethren the habaneros or heaven forbid Scotch Bonnets, long hots are (in the paraphrased words of Forrest Gump) like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

When cooking in season you have to be a bit fluid with your dish ideas since there is no guarantee what will end up at the market. Likewise, you might set out with one dish in mind for long hots but if while handling them your very fingertips begin to tingle and burn you might have to shift gears to keep from sending your dinner guests into a fit of tears!

Thus in the Wood household we have two stand-by recipes to handle the long hots roulette—Long Hots Jersey Style and Stuffed Long Hots.

Long Hots Jersey Style (to tame the heat)
This is one of those recipes that are a bit more like instructions. I’ll give you the building blocks; you adjust for taste/heat.

– Preheat the oven to 375° Cover a cooking sheet in foil and put a nice glug of vegetable oil (don’t want to smoke out the kitchen with scorched olive oil. You can add that for taste to the finished dish.) Put your cleaned, dried, and de-stemmed peppers on the sheet and toss to coat.

– The roasting can take up to 40 minutes. Gently turn the peppers every 15 minutes, taking them out when they are softened and just beginning to get some brown edges.

– Move the roasted peppers to a bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Let cool.

– With your hands (if they begin to burn, please do use plastic gloves!) remove the loosened skins. Split down the middle of the pepper. I use my thumb to rub down the length of the inside vein to get rid of the majority of the seeds where a lot of the heat lives. Discard the skins and seeds.

– To taste: add a nice, simple marinara sauce (I recommend Don Pepino), diced tomatoes, grated garlic, salt, and pepper.

– Serve with toasted bread.
Stuffed Long Hots
Long hots
Prosciutto (you’ll need about 1 slice per two peppers, but I always buy extra and use it to fold up around the plate for snacking)
Provolone cheese, grated
Olive oil

– Preheat the oven to 350.

– Cut down the length of each pepper, removing the seeds and ribs while leaving the stem attached for easy serving. Coat with oil and place in a glass dish.

– Pull a piece of prosciutto in half, stuff inside the pepper, and follow with a nice stuffing of the sharp provolone.

– Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the peppers start to wrinkle and soften.

– Let cool slightly before serving. The juices and cheese can do a number on the roof of your mouth!


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Bikinis and Martinis at The Chelsea | Atlantic City

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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The Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival has arrived and what better way to kick it off than with a sexy, summer pre-party hosted for the second year at The Chelsea’s Cabana Club.  (Shhhh, Use the code “Martini” and get $7 off the ticket price.)

SAVOR tasty treats from Iron Chef Jose Garces, while you mix and mingle with other Food Network stars including Darryl Harmon, Ron Duprat and J. Geoffrey Johnson. SIP on complimentary cocktails, including the “Montini”, Gary Monterosso’s signature beer martini.

SOAK in the pool-side scene while you groove to the beats of the Cabana Club’s DJs. SNEAK a peak of the summer’s hottest new swim wear from Nicole Miller. Plus, the first one hundred guests will receive an exclusive Chelsea Hotel SWAG bag full of treats.

Thursday, July 28

5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

$55

The Cabana Club, Chelsea Hotel

Remember use Coupon Code: Martini for a $7 discount. For tickets: http://www.gourmetshows.com/caesars/bikinis_and_martinis.html

A Visit to The Ramsey Farmers’ Market

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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It’s Sunday morning in Bergen County and the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the breeze is blowing. What a beautiful day for a visit to the Ramsey Farmers’ Market, now in its 2nd year.  One of the things I like most about the Ramsey Farmers Market is the live music. Each week they have music by different local bands. On the day I was there, 15 year old, Matt Roy, was playing his guitar and singing. I stopped and listened while he sang a couple of good Springsteen songs, then started on my quest to find the best fruits and veggies to make dinner for my family, especially my vegan daughter who was coming home from a music festival weekend.

My first stop was at JD Gourmet Balsamic where I picked up another bottle of his 25 year aged balsamic that is naturally sweet, fragrant and incredible. It enhances any recipe and goes particularly well with the golden beet salad I had in mind.  JD also sells olive oils, truffle oil and flavored balsamics.

Next on my list was a big beautiful bunch of sunflowers for my table from the fresh flower vendor and then straight to Bloominghill Farm to buy his just picked organic veggies and blueberries. Guy (the proprietor) was as pleasant as ever as he instructed everyone on what to do with zucchini flowers and the variety of greens he was selling.  “Just put these on the grill”  he explained while a customer listened carefully. On this day he had organic baby portabella and shitake mushrooms, along with many leafy greens and lots of beautiful fresh veggies and berries.

Last but not least I stopped at the regular farm with beautiful conventional not organic veggies and fruits and found my favorite lavender seedless eggplants, just picked, along with corn, yellow and red tomatoes, herbs and more.

There is something for everyone at the Ramsey Farmer’s Market, even homemade dog biscuits for your furry family members. The mozzarella man is always there with his beautiful homemade breads, cakes, and other goodies, along with crab cakes and other surprises. People are usually lined up, it’s just that good. There was a woman selling goat cheese in many varieties, a jelly man, another homemade baked goods vendor, a man selling organic eggs and more. Check the Ramsey Farmers Market website for more details. There will be guest chefs doing demos throughout the summer. I did one July 4th weekend and hope to be featured there again in the near future.

Ramsey Farmers Market is a great addition to our neighborhood. I am looking forward to creating some beautiful meals out of what I got today straight from the farm to my table like the Eggplant dish below. Enjoy.

Grilled Sicilian Eggplant with Tomatoes Basil and Organic Baby Bellas, Balsamic Vinaigrette

This recipe feeds 4 people

INGREDIENTS

Two medium Lavender Sicilian eggplants if possible-slice about 1/4 inch thick (Can use regular eggplants too.)

The best Tomatoes in a variety of colors cut up (Plum and cherry). Take about five or more plum tomatoes, split them and remove seeds. Roughly chop up in a bowl with split cherry tomatoes.

Fresh Basil-a small bunch..cleaned and chopped

Fresh Oregano, Thyme approx 1 teaspoon each

One package Baby Bella Mushrooms-cleaned gently and sliced

Sea salt, black pepper

Aged Balsamic Vinegar– 1-2 tablespoons (I love the JD brand they sell at Ramsey Farmers Market..a little goes a long way, and it’s not too strong.)

Extra virgin olive oil– about 1/2 cup for brushing on eggplant for grill.

Fresh garlic-chop up 2 cloves, crush and chop

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat grill to medium high. Brush the eggplant with a mixture of olive oil and herbs (thyme and oregano) on both sides. Brush with more olive oil when you turn over.

Grill carefully a few minutes on each side approx 3-4 till you see grill marks, then turn over, and let cook till tender.

Chop and seed tomatoes, put in a bowl with crushed fresh garlic, sea salt and black pepper, a drizzle of balsamic and EVOO. Add lots of chopped basil. Stir together.

Take off eggplant and lay out on a platter.

In a grill top wok (brush with olive oil or spray), add sliced Baby Bella mushrooms (I used the organic ones from Blooming Hill Farm). First marinate the mushrooms in a mixture of thyme (a teaspoon or so) , EVOO, and 1 TBS Balsamic. Cook on medium, stirring once or twice a few minutes till done.

Pour tomato mixture over the grilled eggplant and add mushrooms and more chopped herbs. Fresh basil to taste.

Add another drizzle of that great Balsamic Vinegar.

LauriLee has been passionate about food her whole life. She spent many years in the travel business and always enjoyed dining out at many ethnic restaurants here and abroad. She is a self motivated foodie who has been cooking for over 30 years. Her recipes are based on fruits, vegetables, herbs, vinegars, various healthy oils, citrus , seafood and organic chicken and turkey.  LauriLee also cooks for her daughter who is a Vegan, so we can look forward to some healthy vegan/vegetarian dishes from her kitchen. To learn more about LauriLee’s cooking classes and personal chef service, visit her website at LauriLeesHealthyCooking.net

Munch Catering at the Nutley Farmer’s Market

Terry Krongold
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Our Passaic County Regional Editor, Terry Krongold, visited with Munch Catering at the Nutley Farmer’s Market. Although it was a rainy day, Matt & Jessica persevered, and offered samples of two delicious recipes – Fresh Berry Smoothie and Summer Sugar Snap Pea Salad – both made with Jersey fresh summer produce! Check out the video below and then follow the links for the recipes.

Click for the Video: Munch Catering at Nutley’s Farmers’ Market

Summer Berry Smoothie

8 oz POM Blueberry Juice
4 oz strawberries, stemmed
4 oz blackberries, washed
4 oz blueberries, washed
3 oz vanilla yogurt
2 oz honey
5-6 ice cubes

Add berries, juice, and honey to blender. Set to highest setting and blend until smooth.

Add yogurt and ice cubes to blended mix and continue to blend until smooth.

Pour into two tall glasses and enjoy!

Try blending in a few basil leaves for a wonderfully subtle floral note. In addition to flavor, basil provides a rich source of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Summer Snap Pea Salad

1 lb sugar snap peas, cleaned
2 radishes, washed
2 oz Ricotta Salata
4 slices bacon, sliced across
1/2 C Chimichurri (recipe below)

Place cut bacon into frying pan over low heat and allow fat to render out. When rendered, drain onto paper towel.

While bacon is rendering, slice snap peas in half and place in bowl.

Slice the radishes thin and place into bowl with peas.

Crumble Ricotta Salata into bowl with peas and radishes.

Add bacon and chinichurri to bowl and incorporate all ingredients together.

Chimichurri

Combine 1/2 bunch parsley, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 2 garlic cloves, and 1/2 C olive oil into food processor. Once incorporated, squeeze a lemon into the mix and season with salt and pepper.

Terry Krongold is a life-long passionate baker. In addition to a full-time job in the pharmaceutical industry, Terry has been involved with food for many years, including co-ownership of a dessert catering company in the late eighties called I Love Cheesecake, specializing in fine cheesecake and unique desserts. Terry is the author of The Cook’s Tour, a blog focused on food, baking, and travel. When not working, writing, or baking, she spends time planning vacations around restaurants to visit. She can be reached at [email protected].

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