Summer 2022 Issue

ON THE COVER: Garden State Cake by Andrea Lekberg, The Artist Baker, Morristown. Photo by Paul Temmerman

The box arrived on a super-hot day in June 2007. I still remember my husband, Ray, cutting through the tape and opening the flaps to pull out our very first issue of Edible Jersey. A luscious photo of blueberries taken by Carole Topalian graced the cover. Inside, there was an interview with a 20-something Mikey Azzara of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (who would go on to found Zone 7). One article looked at the struggles of the Delaware Bay oyster. Another shared a Jersey Blues–inspired visit to Big Buck Farms in Hammonton. There were New Jersey wines, peach recipes from New Brunswick’s The Frog and The Peach, oyster recipes from Jim Weaver—then with Tre Piani in Princeton—and our first-ever Farmers’ Market Guide, compiled in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

The issue was a summer feast. And to us, after many months of preparation, it was magic.

Over the years, and 76 published issues later, I’ve come to the conclusion that putting together a magazine is something like preparing a wonderful meal: Many choices need to be made; potential ingredients must be tasted and blended together. One wants a few hearty dishes, nourishing entrees with heft and consequence, balanced by lighter helpings of appetizing news and inspiration. A sprinkle of spice to keep people’s attention and a dash of humor now and then for good measure. Color, texture, proportion, and flow all play a role. (Thank you to our amazing design director, Debra Trisler!)

Then, after all the effort by everyone involved, there remains the most important ingredient of all: the people who join you at the table.

For this—our 15th anniversary issue—we’ve tried to create a meal that pays homage to our past while looking ahead to the future of our food community. You’ll see photos from earlier days (page 30) as well as a collection of favorite farmers’ market recipes that have stood the test of time (page 56); you’ll find stories about a new farmer (page 70) and an innovative restaurateur (page 60), as well as this year’s roundup of community farmers’ markets (page 41).

Speaking of the future, in this issue we’re also honored to share a conversation with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (page 32). We met the Senator at his Washington, D.C. office in April and came away with a renewed sense of hope regarding the upcoming Farm Bill and with a better understanding of why we all need to be active on the food front. We’re grateful that our Garden State Senator is taking the lead.

As we serve up our 76th issue, I am filled with gratitude for the many, many people who have joined Ray and me on this incredible 15-year adventure and allowed us to share the stories of New Jersey’s food community: our readers, our advertisers, our creative and sales teams, our writers and photographers, and everyone who cares about NJ food and farming.

Fifteen years on, I remain steadfast in my belief that New Jersey has the best food story in the country and a food community and culture that need to be championed and sustained. As Anthony Bourdain once wrote, “New Jersey, it is my contention, was amazing all along.”

Thank you for joining us at the table. Cheers to the next 15 years!

With Special Thanks to:

Debra Trisler
Eric Derby
Teresa Politano
Joy Manning
Jared Flesher
Laura Sayre
Martha Keavney
Christopher Painter
Tracey Ryder & Carole Topalian

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SUMMER 2022 FEATURES