…hundreds of locals would come out on a Sunday afternoon to sample, eat, and purchase the winter bounty of our state’s most resourceful and responsible farmers
By: Pat Tanner
To me the idea of mounting a farmers market in New Jersey at the end of March seemed counterintuitive, what with winter still cold on our heels and spring trying futilely to muscle its way in. Fortunately, that did not stop Jim Weaver, head of our local Slow Food chapter and chef/co-owner of Tre Piani restaurant in Forrestal Village. He first proved last year that hundreds of locals would come out on a Sunday afternoon to sample, eat, and purchase the winter bounty of our state’s most resourceful and responsible farmers.
This year’s event was organized and brought together by several important food communities, including members of the seasonal farmers markets in Lawrenceville and West Windsor, Slow Food-Central NJ, and NOFA-NJ. Sponsorship was provided by the Gale Company, owners of Forrestal Village, and among the participants were the Westin Princeton and Can-Do Fitness and Spa, both located in the village.
Jim Weaver estimates that as many as 700 people traipsed through his restaurant’s three floors that day, as did I, delighting in everything from cheeses from Valley Shepherd Creamery in Long Valley, artisan breads from Village Bakery, chicken pot pies from Griggstown Quail Farm, organic popcorn from Farmer Steve’s, farm-fresh eggs from Silver Forge, Cape May Salt oysters, pork from Highview Farm in North Hanover, wines from Hopewell Valley Vineyards, and ice cream from The Bent Spoon.
But Mr. Weaver and the farmers didn’t limit themselves to these locally grown, raised and prepared beauties, which, I told myself, are available most of the year (if not year-round), although never in one place like this. More surprising to me were big pots of verdant lettuces and delicate spring greens from Terhune Orchards and bright-red vine-ripened tomatoes, bursting with summer flavor, grown in South Jersey.
Tannwen Mount of Terhune later clued me in about the greens. "We have romaine, green leaf, red leaf and Boston, grown in pots in the greenhouse, thriving in the winter sun," she explained. "Customers can bring the whole pot home, harvesting a few leaves at a time. By keeping the plant watered and in the sun it continues to grow from the center. Or we can harvest the lettuce fresh for customers in the farm store and at our stand at the Trenton Farmers Market."
The tomatoes, served that day in a salad with Tre Piani’s fresh-made mozzarella, turned out to be the very variety that writer Carolyn Foote Edelmann had extolled here in Lifestyle just two weeks ago. I learned from her that these tomatoes are available on a limited basis at Homestead Farm Stand in Lambertville, which opens for the season right after Easter.
I still had the tomatoes and lettuces fresh on my mind as I sampled excellent fresh ham and roast pork from Linda Green of Highview Farm in Burlington County. Although she sells her meat by the half-animal, it occurred to me that I could get smoked bacon by the pound at two local farms. Bingo! I would have all the makings for a superb B.L.T. Together with locally made artisan bread and homemade mayo using a farm-fresh egg from the layers at either of these farms or Silver Forge, my sandwich would be an all-local harbinger of summer, months ahead of schedule.
Also on hand that day was Pam Schoenfeld of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a D.C.-based nonprofit organization that advocates returning to a traditional diet of whole, unprocessed foods from the land, air and sea. Hundreds of attendees signed her petition on behalf of raw milk, and I perused her copy of an impressive, full-spectrum cookbook and nutrition guide written by the organization’s president, Sally Fallon. From it I extracted the delicious recipe, below.
INGREDIENTS
FOR ALL-LOCAL,
PRE-SUMMER B.L.T.
Note: Call ahead for availability of the bacon, eggs and tomatoes, which are offered on a limited basis.
BACON: Cherry Grove Farm, Lawrenceville, (609) 219-0053 or Simply Grazin’, Montgomery (908) 359-6555.
LETTUCE: from the greenhouses at Terhune Orchards, Princeton.
TOMATOES: "Laura" hybrid, hydroponically grown at the Rutgers EcoComplex in Columbus and sold whenever available at Homestead Farm Market, Lambertville (609) 397-8285.
MAYONNAISE: homemade using eggs from Cherry Grove, Simply Grazin’ or Silver Forge Farm, Manalapan (732) 786-9056.
BREAD: slices of country boule from Village Bakery, Lawrenceville, or Witherspoon Bread, Princeton.
BLENDER MAYONNAISE
"The Gourmet Cookbook,"
Ruth Reichl, Editor (Houghton Mifflin 2004)
Note: The egg in this recipe is not cooked.
1 large egg, left at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 cup olive or vegetable oil, or a combination
Blend egg, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender until combined. With blender running add oil in a very slow, thin stream, blending until mayonnaise is thickened and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, the surface covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.
Makes about 1 cup.
ASIAN CELERY ROOT SALAD
"NOURISHING TRADITIONS"
by Sally Fallon (New Trends Publishing 2005)
1 medium celery root
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and grated
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into julienne
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 cup Asian dressing (recipe follows)
Peel and grate celery root and immediately mix with dressing. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill well before serving.
Serves 4.
Asian Dressing:
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons naturally fermented soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons scallions or chives, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed (optional)
1 teaspoon raw honey
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed peanut oil
2 teaspoons expeller-expressed flax oil
Place all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously.
Makes 1¼ cups.
Beginning on Friday, May 4, ‘In the Kitchen’ will be appearing in Friday’s edition of The Princeton Packet.