The Midwife of Mount Salem Vineyards
Peter Leitner thinks of himself and his team at the winery in Hunterdon County less as winemakers than as midwives who assist Mother Nature in making sure the grapes they pick and deliver to their wine barn are made into wine with as little intervention as possible. This wine-grape farm, you see, is where engagement, not entertainment is paramount, and the proof is in the glass.
Jasmine: Desi Asian Grill
Come with patience enough to read a lengthy menu, earmark dishes meant for diners eager to explore, and dive into those that go beyond what’s found at ho-hum Indian eateries. For here is a suburban-swanky spot with a kitchen that aims to soar – and does.
Burlington County Ag Center’s Farmers’ Market
If you hold it, they will come: That’s a maxim proved by this now-annual pre-season food-shoppers’ bazaar that takes place twice in March and twice in April at BurlCo’s mecca for farming in Moorestown.
Taking a Chance
The folks behind each of these winning dishes are taking pathways that diverge from the norm. In the process, they up their games – and diners’ experiences at their tables.
Pardina Lentils-Carrot Stew
It’s time for a party. Let the inspiration come as it may, for all that matters is you gather a crew and feed them something hearty, yet healthy, and roundly flavorful. This no-talent-needed stew is an option for you to exercise.
Debunking Misconceptions
Interesting, isn’t it, how veritable myths of the food industries are fostered. That’s why we asked a cadre of culinary pros to explore and explain some of the most common they encounter with answers to this question: What’s the greatest misconception the eating public has about your job?
Grits & Grace
Today’s Restaurant Revue column posts with hope in our hearts and faith in the folks who have created this welcoming eatery in Bayville that’s aimed at feeding locals the kinds of lovingly prepared and warmly served foods every community would be honored to have in their midst. For late Monday night, an accidental fire caused damage and partial collapse of its building, leaving an extended family of diners firm in the conviction that their gathering place will rise again to serve its hearty and heartfelt dishes. In the meantime, this column posts exactly as written soon after eating lunch last week at Grits & Grace.
Aleppo Lavash Crackers
Unadorned crackers may have their place in the eating world, but one speckled with a flaky red pepper that’s fruity, tangy, smoky and packs a bit of heat is a cracker that merits contemplation. It’s new in the bakery at Windy Brow Farms in Fredon.
Sunchokes
Don’t hesitate if you come across this tuber that looks a little bit like ginger and will taste, after roasting, like a nutty version of a potato. It’s a vegetable that looks more difficult than it is to prepare and offers major rewards in the taste department.
Short and Sweet
Maple-sugaring season in the Garden State comes as the last of winter stretches into the start of spring. At Happy Day Farm in Manalapan, the Stockel family makes the most of those weeks by showing the public how sap from maple trees is turned into syrup at their very own Sugar Shack.
Lady and the Shallot
Long shoehorned into a high-traffic space inside Trenton Farmers’ Market, this vegan eatery now makes its home in a brighter, bigger space on the edge of the campus of The College of New Jersey. It’s still dishing out lessons in cheerful plant-based fare.
The Problem with Pickiness
A new book about how America’s kids became history’s all-time fussiest eaters raises questions about what we need to do to reverse course. Give that mission a jump-start by permitting “picky” a graceful, but certain exit and allowing a sobriquet with a different attitude a seat at the table.