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Baked Apple Rings

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Quick, easy, inexpensive, healthy and delicious. Need I say more?

4 baking apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
Cloves (optional)Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Core and slice apples into 1/2 – inch rings. Place in shallow baking dish. In a sauce pan, combine and heat remaining ingredients. Pour over apples and bake for 15minutes or until tender, turning to baste once or twice.Makes 4 Servings


Delicious Orchards
The Country Food Market
Route 34
Colts Neck NJ 07722
732-462-1989

Win It Wednesday, A Free Bottle of Black or White Truffle Oil

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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We’ve got another great giveaway this week for Jersey Bites fans brought to you by MarxFoods.com.

But first, Drum Roll Please………the lucky winners of last weeks Pizza Hut Tuscani Pasta Giveaway are:

Sue said…

Tasty looking! My first job was at Pizza Hut a Million years ago!!!

Dee said…

oh what a great giveaway! I’d LOVE to try the Mac and Cheese with Bacon! It looks super yummy! Thanks for the chance!

Nanny A said…

I would love the meaty marinara for the kidlets. Less cooking one night for me! Too bad the kidlet doesn’t like cheese because the mac N cheese with bacon looks yummy!

Congratulations Ladies!! I know you’re going to love your free dinners. Please send me your mailing addresses so PH can send you your gift cards. jerseybites(at)gmail(dot)com.

Now, on to this Win-It Wednesday Giveaway brought to you by MarxFoods.com. Marxfoods is a long time supplier of high end, hard to find food to restaurants. Now, lucky for us, their virtual doors are open to the home cook. They’re also having a recipe contest, so be sure to check for those details before you leave.

Enter (by leaving a comment with your email address below) to win your choice of either an 8.4 fl oz bottle of black or white Truffle Oil imported from Italy. Each retail for $33.50.

Black truffle oil is simply fine olive oil infused with the flavor and aroma of black truffles. Black truffles have a subtle aroma and Truffle oil is commonly used as a finishing touch because heat can alter the flavor of the oil. You can infuse just about any dish with truffles by simply drizzling truffle oil over the finished dish.

MarxFood.com often hosts fun contests with great prizes on their own blog at MarxFood.com. Right Now You Can Enter your best comfort food recipe by November 17 for a chance to win a $250 gift certificate to MarxFoods.com.

While you’re shopping for the foodies on your list, check out the holiday gifts at MarxFoods.com. They have everything from corporate and green gifts to slightly edgy sensual gifts!

So best of luck everyone. One lucky winner will be selected using Random.org. This week’s giveaway will end on Tuesday, November 18th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 19th. Please, please remember to include your email address with your comment so we can contact the winner.

10 Inexpenive Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Foodie

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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It’s no secret that the gift buying season is upon us. I am one of the worst at gift buying because I’m just too darn practical. The things I like and the things I want to give have to be functional, durable, attractive and oh, yes, affordable. So, if you’re like me and want to give gifts that will really get used and appreciated for years to come, here are my top 10 picks for the foodie in your life. Or, maybe they’ll be going on your wish list, even better. There’s a couple here on mine.

Salt Celler This is my favorite cooking companion. It’s pretty and functional and makes me look so official. I keep my kosher salt right next to the stove and feel like a real chef when I’m pinching and tossing just like on TV.

Small Spatulas A set of small silicone spatulas makes a great stocking stuffer. I actually bought my set of three mini-spatulas at the dollar store and they’re great, heat resistant and dishwasher safe. Incredibly handy for getting the last bit out of jars, coaxing sticky ingredients out of measuring spoons and delicate cake decorating.

Prep Bowls Here is my favorite set of 5 Piece Measuring Prep bowls from Mario Batali The perfect gift for that anal retentive foodie who likes to play cooking show. This set sells for $9.99 and comes in four different colors. You will find a million uses for these bowls. I use the smallest size all the time for personal “dip” bowls for my kids’ chicken nuggets or carrot sticks with ranch dressing.

Manual Juicer When a recipe calls for fresh citrus juice, don’t cheat and use the bottled stuff. The real deal is so much tastier. I love using fresh citrus juice in recipes like Ina Garten’s Outrageious Barbecue Sauce but I’m not one for electronic gadgets cluttering up my counter space, so this manual juicer is my juicy tool of choice. MIU Stainless-Steel Juice Extractor


Stick Blender This is one of the handiest tools ever invented. I use my stick blender whenever I am making Spicy Corn Chowder or Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. If you have a soup lover in the house, they will love this gift. Cuisinart SmartStick Hand Blender CSB-76

They call this a Microplane Adjustable Slicer. I don’t have one of these, but I want one. (hint, hint Santa) From the reviews it sounds like a quicker, easier, more convenient alternative to a full size mandoline. Easy to clean and store as well. Next time I make Grilled Tomato and Cheese (for Santa) my tomatoes will be oh so pretty.


Cooking Magazine Subscription Every foodie on the planet loves to dive into a monthly collection of new ideas and inspiration. One of my favorite inspirations is Cooking Light Magazine. If your favorite foodie has his or her own fav, buy them an issue and tuck in a year or two year subscription.

Specialty Food Products

Food enthusiasts always get giddy with unique and hard to find sauces, relishes and jellies. Pare your specialty food product with crackers or a nice serving utensil in a pretty basket. Serving suggestions are always appreciated too.


Recipe Organizer If your foodie is like me, he or she has stacks of recipes looking for a stylish home. I love the look of this organizer from Bon Appetit, not too frilly or silly like so many others.

One of a Kind Finds
This Soup Tourine was hand crafted by Jorge Quevedo an artist in Mexico who sells his masterpieces on one of the coolest websites for unique gifts, Novica.com. Novica, in their own words “unites you with more than 2,000 extraordinary master artists around the world. Read about their lives, explore their fascinating cultures, and select from more than 20,000 handcrafted works of art.” You can find everything from exotic table runners and placemats to serving bowls and candle sticks. If you want to make an impression and show your food lover how much you lover her, or him, Novica is the place to go.

I hope my list of gifts has given you some ideas for your favorite foodie. If you have gift suggestions or want to send a letter to Santa here on the site, please leave a comment below.

Sweet Potatoes Candied with Cider

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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It’s count down time to Thanksgiving as we all know. It’s also that time of year when the great Yam vs. Sweet Potato debate surfaces once again as folks scurry to candy, bake, broil, puree and mash these spuds into every side dish known to man. So, lets put the debate to rest once and for all, shall we?

Even if the grocery store has a sign that says “Yams” over something that looks like what you see on the left below, it is not a Yam, it is a sweet potato. Will the real Yam please stand up? Ah, yes, its the fellow on the right.

Here is more information then you ever wanted to know from WiseGeek.com about how Sweet Potatoes and what we know as “Yams” came to be. “The issue with yams, sweet potatoes, and potatoes began when sweet potatoes were first brought to Europe, and called potatoes. When true potatoes entered Europe, Europeans realized that they were entirely different plants, and they created a retronym, “sweet potato” to describe the plants they previously called potatoes. The trend of referring to some sweet potatoes as “yams” emerged in the American South, where growers started referring to soft-fleshed sweet potatoes as yams to differentiate them from the firmer, less sweet varieties grown in the North.”

It is really not our fault that we are so confused by all this. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that the label “yam” always be accompanied by “sweetpotato.” So even they can’t make up their minds. Shocking, I know. I think it is fair to say that most of us have never even tasted a real Yam which are native to Africa and Asia. I know I never have. It seems we have adopted the name in this country and it is not going away any time soon. And so be it. It’s just a pet peeve of mine, so now I feel so much better. Thank you for allowing me to get up on my big box of Sweet Potatoes and lecture you.

So call them what you will, Yam or Sweet Potato, they’re still delicious. And, speaking of delicious, here is a great recipe from Delicious Orchards just in time for the holidays.

 
Sweet Potatoes Candied with Cider

INGREDIENTS

3 large Sweet Potatoes
3/4 cup cider
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour

In a saucepan cook 3 large Sweet Potatoes in water to cover for 25-30
minutes, or until almost tender. Peel the potatoes and halve them
lengthwise. In another saucepan combine 3/4 cup cider with
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar and 2 tablespoons
butter. Bring the liquid just to the boiling point and simmer for
10 minutes. Arrange the potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour the syrup over them and bake in a preheated moderately hot oven at 375 degrees. Spoon the syrup over them 3 to 4 times for 45 minutes. In a small dish mix 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar with 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour and sprinkle he mixture over the potatoes. Increase heat to 400 degrees and bake, basting them frequently for 15 minutes more.

Makes 6 servings.

Sweet Potatoes
3 sweet potatoes approximately 5 X 2 = 1 pound
1/2 pound sweet potatoes = 2 cups grated
1 pound sweet potatoes = 1-1 1/2 cups pureed

Delicious Orchards
The Country Food Market
Route 34
Colts Neck NJ 07722
732-462-1989

Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and Escarole

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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This is a healthy dish with an outrageously tasty sauce. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta and enjoy seconds.

This is an original Food Network recipe. Click the link to read the reviews.

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
  • 1 head escarole (about 1 pound), coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup grated pecorino (about 1-ounce)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Lay the chicken skinned-side down in the skillet, and brown, in batches if needed, over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until slightly soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that cling to the pan. Add the beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and Italian herbs and bring to a boil. Return the chicken along with any collected juices to the pan. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Return the pan to the stovetop over medium heat, stir in the escarole and cook until the greens wilt, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the chicken among 4 plates. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Win It Wednesday, Pizza Hut Tuscani Pasta

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Welcome to our first ever “Win It Wednesday.” I’m hoping to make this a regular weekly feature, so if you have a food related product that you’d like to offer free to one or more lucky fans of JerseyBites, email me at jerseybites (at) gmail (dot) com.

This week’s “Win It Wednesday” is brought to you by Pizza Hut. The people at Pizza Hut would like you to try their new Tuscani Pastas and are providing 3 gift cards for a free 4 person portion of pasta plus delivery where available. (say that 3 times fast, I dare you.) I told the people at Pizza Hut (I’m just enjoying the P’s today, sorry) that I couldn’t offer a giveaway unless I tried their pasta first. So, last Monday the boys and I sampled the new Mac and Cheese with Bacon. Yes, you heard me correctly. And it was very good, too good actually. I was thinking, boy this would be an easy cheat along side a ham and some veggies for the holidays. Or, a nice dish for a football party. Shhh, don’t tell. They also offer a Meaty Marinara and Creamy Chicken Alfredo.

So, please, if you’d like to partake in this Pizza Hut promotion just leave a comment below and email address if your name doesn’t link to a way to reach you. We’ll select three lucky winners next Tuesday, November 11th using Random.org.

Best of luck.

This GiveAway is over. Please check for the latest Win It Wednesday by following the link in our Content Section

Happy Halloween and a Brandied Pear Crisp

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Happy Halloween Everyone,

It’s funny how people either love Halloween or hate it. I personally love it. I’ve been a theater geek since I was a little girl, so give me the opportunity to dress in costume and I’m all over it. I also had a mother who could sew just about anything and made some pretty fabulous costumes for me when I was a kid.

The picture on the left was taken two years ago at a annual Halloween party put on by our friends, Jason and Nancy. I was a Black Widow Spider and Peter was a Fly. My kids came up with the idea of wrapping him in a web, which I loved. The only downside was he kept sticking to everyone he brushed up against.

I had my chance this past weekend to express my inner Goddess as you can see below.

I’m getting an early start to the day here. I’ve got nerd pants to hem for my son and a pork shoulder to get in the crock pot for Pulled Pork later tonight. The kids and I made “Pigeon Poop” (don’t ask) the other day for their class parties. So, we’re ready to get on with the festivities.

Here’s another gorgeous picture and recipe from Delicious Orchards. I’m not in charge of desert tonight, but if I was, this is a perfect fall dish. Enjoy.


Brandied Pear Crisp

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 pounds firm-ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Vanilla ice cream as an accompaniment (optional)

In a bowl blend together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, butter, and 2 tablespoons of the brandy.

In another bowl toss the pears with the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy, lemon juice and the granulated sugar. Turn the mixture into a well buttered shallow 14 by 12 inch gratin dish.

Spread the oat mixture evenly over the pears. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the pears are tender and the topping is crisp. Serve the dessert with ice cream if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Delicious Orchards
The Country Food Market
Route 34
Colts Neck NJ 07722
732-462-1989

Chicken, Butternut Squash and Cabbage Soup

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Here’s a great recipe for a chilly Hallow’s Eve. In my little town by the shore, we go all out on Halloween. There is one street in particular that looks like Mardi gras, sans the drunk naked people. (We save that for home. 😉

Seriously, this street is so well known (and has been for decades) that kids from other towns get dropped off to trick or treat. My best friend lives at one end of this craziness, so her house is command central. Everyone brings a dish, and while the kids divvy up their loot, the grownups enjoy a smorgasbord of chili, soups, wings, and this year I’m making pulled pork. Some of you may have the same kind of get-together in your neighborhood, or maybe you just like something simple on the stove after your door to door with the kiddies. This soup is all that. The Butternut squash gives it the appropriate color of the day and the soup is both healthy and hearty.

This is a basic chicken soup recipe with bite-sized pieces of butternut squash and about one quarter of a head of cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces. If you have a favorite way to make chicken soup, by all means, have it your way and then in the last half hour of cooking, add the squash and cabbage.

For those of you who need a chicken soup recipe, here’s how I do it.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BROTH
Left over chicken carcass, picked clean of meat
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly cut
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 chicken boullion cube
salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything into a large soup pot and fill with tap water up 2/3 the way up the chicken. Bring to a boil on Med/High heat then turn down to simmer, uncovered, for a few hours. Remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to pour through a strainer into a second soup pot or large heat resistant bowl.

Return the broth to the stove.

SOUP INGREDIENTS

2 Frozen or fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, or 1/2 large onion, chopped
2 Celery stalks, sliced fine
2 Carrots, sliced fine
2 cups Butternut Squash cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 Head of Cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
A pinch or two of poultry seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts whole into broth. (If you have the meat from the whole chicken saved, use that and omit the chicken breasts.) I always end up with a chicken picked clean from previous meals. Do not cook the carcass with meat on it, however. The meat loses all its flavor into the broth. Pick the meat before boiling and add later.

Add onion, celery and carrot and bring to a simmer. Add poultry seasoning. Cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred. Place back in soup with Butternut Squash and Cabbage. Allow to cook for another half hour or until squash is tender. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have any recipe recommendations for Halloween, please send them in or leave a comment with your favorite Fall meal. Happy Halloween!!

Wat-Aah, Bottled Water with Attitude?

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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As you can see, I chose two very skeptical young men to test out the latest in bottled water called Wat-Aah. (As you can also see, we’re a family of hams.)

So, what the heck is Wat-Aah anyway? Well, according to the company literature “Wat-Aah aims to help combat childhood and teen obesity by offering a healthy drink alternative, with attitude, not sugar.” Attitude works well in our house. (We are from Jersey after all.)

Wat-Aah is not just water, it comes in 4 varieties targeting key elements of the healthy body: Bones, Brain, Energy and Body. Water for Bones has added calcium. Brain has added electrolytes. Energy has added electrolytes and oxygen for increased metabolic function. And Body, well, is actually just plain old water in a cool bottle.

When the box arrived from Let Water Be Water, LLC, my kids were instantly excited by the look of the bottles and wanted to try it immediately. They did expect the water to have different flavors but got over it quickly. I found the design of the bottles did exactly what the product aims to do, it targets kids and motivates them to choose the water over other sugar laden drinks. The boys had two friends over who also asked for the Wat-Aah water.

So, there you have it. We all know we’re supposed to be drinking more water. Geez, I got a lecture from my personal trainer just the other day on this very topic. Getting the kids to choose water over other sugary drinks is another story. Wat-Aah’s goal is a noble one and I like noble causes.

Right now, you can purchase Wat-Aah in Whole Foods stores and other fine retail outlets in New York City and at www.drinkwataah.com. Wat-Aah is pouring into to Jersey as we speak, so be on the look out for this guy in stores near you.

Cooking with a Jersey Girl, Book Review and Recipe

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Yesterday was my favorite kind of day. I spent most of it in my kitchen cooking up a pot of marinara sauce and then putting together this scrumptious Eggplant Parmesan from Cooking with a Jersey Girl by Joyce Ann Staples. Now, you know the minute I saw the title I would be asking the Author to let me review her book. How could I resist?

It’s only a little over 100 pages, but Cooking with a Jersey Girl is filled with recipes handed down through Joyce Ann’s large Italian family. Everyone from her Mother, Grandmother, Aunt’s and Uncles have helped the author compile all her family’s favorites.

The Author in her own words, “My purpose in telling these stories is that I feel all this will be gone with my generation. My daughters do not have the memories I have of their great grandparents. I feel I keep their memory alive in every recipe, every story, and every delicious bite.”

As many of my readers know, I am profoundly envious of people who have recipe rich family backgrounds. I live vicariously through stories of these families and love to learn from them as much as possible. So, with this in mind, I dove into Joyce Anne’s book and plucked out “Frank’s Eggplant Parmesan.”

The one surprise in this recipe is the Swiss Cheese. I’ve never used Swiss in Eggplant Parm. Oh, wait, I take it back, that’s not the only surprise, it also calls for putting Parmesan in the eggs before dunking the eggplant.
This was a new one for me also.

You can tell when reading the recipes that Joyce Ann knows her way around the kitchen. This sometimes results in the omission of detailed instruction that the novice cook might need like how thick to cut the eggplant slices. It also doesn’t say if she salts and sweats the eggplant to remove the bitterness. I always do this, so I did. And lastly, the recipe calls for “a handful of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.” Since the recipe is from Frank, a male, I figured I’d better use two handfuls.

This dish was delicious and I am so looking forward to trying many more of the Author’s family gems. I’ve already bought the head of cauliflower to make the “Cauliflower with Carmelized Onions.”

I should also mention that Ms. Staples’ “Penne, Pesto, Tomatoes and Gorgonzola” recipe was just selected as a winning entry in a contest put on by Jersey 101.5’s Big Joe Henry Show. So, congratulations JoyceAnn. I will be making this one for sure.

Frank’s Eggplant Parmesan
1 – 2 firm eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
1 pound swiss cheese
1 pound mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced
2 cups grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 -2 quarts marinara sauce

Heat oil in large skillet. Beat eggs and milk together, add cheese. To breadcrumbs, add dry seasonings, salt, and pepper. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then into breadcrumbs, placing them carefully (a few at a time) into the hot oil. Fry until golden or both sides and tender. Drain on paper towels. When all eggplant has been cooked, start assembling by spooning a ladle of sauce into bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Place first layer of eggplant on the sauce. Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella, a handful of grated cheese, and a single layer of Swiss cheese. Spoon sauce over top and start the layering again until all the eggplant has been used. Top with Swiss cheese and sauce. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees or until bubbly and hot. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Market in the Middle, Asbury Park

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Well, as my friend, Dani, said on Friday night, “It was bound to happen.” And, I guess she’s right. As you probably know, when I do a restaurant review there’s no one ponying up for the bill but me. (Actually, Peter does most of the ponying.) So, I try to make my dining choices good ones. Consequently, I am usually writing glowing reviews. Unfortunately, this is not one of them and I actually feel bad that I have to do this.

Friday night was my first visit to Market in the Middle in Asbury Park. I had heard a lot of great things about the restaurant and felt it was about time we paid them a visit. It’s located right next door to one of our favorite places, The Brick Wall. Market in the Middle gets its name from the, yes, you guessed it, market in the middle as you can see in the picture. One side of the restaurant is a deli, the other side a bar and restaurant. Tables bridge the two sides in the back.

So, first impressions were good. Cute place, friendly staff.
Actually, the menu (which came on a clipboard) sounded really fabulous. I was immediately drawn to the Chicken Liver and Bacon Fritters with Balsamic Onions and Roasted Shallot Cream Sauce. Oh so decadent, I had to try them. In addition we ordered the Grilled Apple Sausage with French Green Lentil Salad and Spicy Mustard Sauce and the Quesadilla with Pepperoni. All three appetizers were disappointing. The fritters were dry and tasteless. There were only four fritters and we left some on the plate. Actually, we didn’t finish any of the appetizers.

When ordering the entrees, Dani wanted to order the Grilled Rib Eye with Sun Dried Tomato Basil smashed potatoes. She was told they were all out of the steak. This was at 7:30pm on a Friday night.

Peter and Dani opted for the Hoison BBQ Baby Back Ribs with sweet potato fries and curry mayonnaise. I ordered the Spaghetti Squash Pasta with spiced pumpkin sauce and apple chicken sausage. (See left photo) And finally, our last companion ordered the Braised Pork Shank over Barley Risotto, Cabbage, and Honey Bourbon Apple Jus. It all sounds wonderful doesn’t it? Well, some of it was pretty good. My spaghetti squash was tasty, loved the sauce. The sweet potato fries were killer. I could have eaten them all night. Unfortunately, the ribs were dry. I can only think they were cooked very early on in the day and sat around. Maybe I’m wrong, but they were very dry, none-the-less. The Braised pork shank was not cooked to perfection either but the sauce was tasty.

All in all, the food was disappointing. And I was so disappointed to be disappointed. I was really looking forward to a great meal. I know others have had great experiences there, so if you’re one of them, feel free to leave a comment. Were they just having an off night? Do they have a new chef? Did aliens invade and take over the kitchen? Please, solve this mystery for me.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Here’s one for the pocketbook. I think my kids will love this.


INGREDIENTS

8 carrots, scraped and sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small bay leaf
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk, beaten

Combine the carrots, celery, bay leaf, chicken stock and salt
and pepper to taste in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer
until the carrots are tender. Do not overcook. Remove the bay leaf.
Force the mixture through a food mill or puree in an electric blender
or food processor. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream and egg yolk, Reheat, but do not boil.
Serve immediately.

Delicious Orchards
The Country Food Market
Route 34
Colts Neck NJ 07722
732-462-1989

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