Summer 2017 Issue

Last Updated May 01, 2017
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edible jersey summer 2017 cover

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

AT THE TABLE: THE FACE OF YOUR FOOD

"Are there farms in New Jersey?”

The question hung suspended for a moment. On the table spread out before us, beautifully presented dishes featured the flavors—the art—of farms by the name of Cherry Grove, Griggstown, Oak Grove Plantation, Honey Brook. The restaurant’s chef, who had been proudly describing the elements of his farm-to-table menu to our group, graciously answered the woman with a respectful nod.

“Yes, New Jersey has many wonderful farms.”

More than 9,000 farms, in fact. And, in the nation’s most densely populated state, that is no easy feat. A mere few decades ago, New Jersey was losing 3 farms a day to development. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of individuals within our Department of Agriculture and conservation groups, efforts to protect and preserve land for farming have made a major difference. New Jersey’s precious open and fertile spaces comprise some of the most valuable “real estate” in the country. We need to be vigilant in protecting our land and always stand ready to protect the other part of the equation: the farmer.

As precious as the land is the farmer. We need to know them, to look them in the eye, to understand their challenges and opportunities. Whether at a farmers’ market or a town hearing, we need to stand up and support our farmers because, truly, to know our farmer is to know our food.

In this issue, we spotlight a few of the issues that impact our farming community, including the challenges of growing the next generation of Jersey farmers (page 30). We share resources where you can learn more about supporting these initiatives (page 36) and we present our annual farmers’ market guide (page 43) to help you buy directly from farmers statewide this season.

In reviewing these pages for press, however, the pages that I find most fascinating, starting with the portrait on our cover of Jeff Tober of Fernbrook Farms, are the ones with the faces. In my role as publisher of this magazine, I have met so many farmers and heard so many stories and have developed such an appreciation for their precious art. These are the faces of our food.

It’s easy to forget and perhaps understandable that some people may not even be aware, but, yes, there are farms in New Jersey. Make sure you know our farmers and that you support them in some way each and every day. I hope this issue helps you find the way.

-Nancy Brannigan Painter, Publisher

Bluff City Barbecue: From Memphis to Montclair

BBQ ribs
Bluff City Barbecue, located in Montclair, serves Memphis-style barbecue with a touch of soul. Menu items include ribs, pulled pork and shrimp and grits.

Spice Up Your Summer with the Hop Sauce Festival

hot sauce
Long Beach Island’s Hop Sauce Festival features food, brews and some of the best hot sauce around. A portion of the proceeds go to the Jetty Rock Foundation.

Rhythm and 'Cue at Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck

Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck
Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck is gearing up for its second season where people can come to watch the sunset, listen to music and enjoy a bite to eat.

Simple Recipes for Asparagus

in season asparagus
This summer, we bring you several asparagus recipes to mix up how you enjoy this tasty veggie this season.

Garlic Scapes

garlic scapes
Garlic scapes may have a short-growing season, but many garlic lovers are also beginning to add scapes to their baskets, which can be used the same way you'd use regular garlic.

Grilled Fish with Charred Garlic-Scape Relish

grilled fish
This grilled fish recipe is courtesy of Guy Ambrosino and Kate Winslow of Lambertville, from their latest cookbook, Onions Etcetera: The Essential Allium Cookbook.

Story of a Dish: Seared Barnegat Inlet Scallops

Chef Corey Heyer
Chef Corey Heyer of the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, shows off his artistic side by utilizing ingredients that complement one another in his seared inlet scallops dish.

Seared Barnegat Inlet Scallops with Roasted Creamed Corn, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Leeks and Lemon Thyme

seared scallops
Chef Corey Heyer of the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, shows off his artistic side by utilizing ingredients that complement one another in his seared inlet scallops dish.

Roadside Farm Stand, Revisited at Profeta Farms

Place and Profeta at Profeta Farms
There’s something very endearingly New Jersey about the location of Profeta Farms in Readington. There’s an enormous barn looming on the horizon that operates as a massive farm stand-meets-food-...

Salt Life at Cape May Sea Salt Company

Salt Bar
For Lucas Manteca, founder of Cape May Sea Salt Company, salt is much more than a nutritional requirement and an essential kitchen ingredient.

Growing The Next Generation of Jersey Farmers

Misty Meadow Farm
Baby boomers are ready to pass the torch, but are today’s young Jersey farmers ready to take it?

True To His Roots at Hoboken Farms

Brad Finkel of Hoboken Farms
It may not be lightning, but Brad Finkel has definitely bottled nostalgia. The owner of Hoboken Farms, Finkel began his business as a twentysomething delivering a taste of the old neighborhood to...

Food Waste Gets the Respect it Deserves

fruits and vegetables illustration
Food waste fighter Ben Simon, who founded the Food Recovery Network at the University of Maryland in 2011, turned a kernel of an idea into a full-fledged campus movement–with chapters at 150...

In the Kitchen: Local Eating with Blue Moon Acres

Ashley, Jim and Kathy Lyons
Growing up, Ashley Lyons Putman’s lunchbox wasn’t quite like the other kids. When you’re the daughter of organic farmers Jim and Kathy Lyons of Blue Moon Acres, Lunchables don’t make the cut.

Dad’s Dashi

mushrooms for dads dashi recipe
Ask the Lyons to describe their family’s culinary philosophy in a dish, and it may well be Dad’s Dashi. Healthy and delicious, it nurtures the body as much as the spirit.

Road Trip: LBI Like a Local

beer flight
The story of Long Beach Island, better known among NJ local as LBI, is a story of the water. As you cross the Route 72 Causeway, the view opens up in stages. There are the salt-marsh homes of Beach...

Farmers Markets 101 for Kids

edible kids farmers markets
Farmers' Markets are great places to try fresh, delicious foods! Ask an adult to bring you to a farmers' market and see what you discover!

What to Do with the Endless Fruits of Summer

summer fruits
Wondering what to do with all the fruits of summer? Jam is not the only solution to summer's sweet abundance.

Tips for Shopping Farmers' Markets

Farmers’ markets aren’t just a great way to eat locally—they also offer the opportunity to get to know the farmers and artisans behind the products.

Food Truck-Turned-Restaurant is Jammin'

jammie crepes princeton food truck
Everyone knows farmers’ markets are the best place to pick up local goods. But behind the scenes, these community markets also double as incubators for many food-based businesses. That was certainly...

What’s happening near you

October 25 - November 29

Fall Fridays at Old York Cellars

Old York Cellars
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November 22 | 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Bourbon & Steak Dinner Event

Johnson's Locust Hall Farm
Jobstown