For the Host Who Has Cooked Everything
On the day before Thanksgiving, please accept these recommendations of what you can give in thanks to the cook that might either serve to supplement all that home-cooked fare or be something useful, thoughtful and/or delicious to indulge in at some point after the party’s over.
Pasta e Fajioli
A most beloved friend cooks for you the most comforting of Italian soups. That’s not just amore; it’s a reason to be thankful for those who turn to the kitchen when it’s time to soothe.
Colorful Cauliflower
Pretty and more flavorful in purple and orange, two members of the current crop of the cruciferous vegetable don’t need a force field-strength shield of seasonings and sauces to make them lovable. Go accent-free, and appreciate their natural charm.
Brussels Sprouts
Once again, it’s time to tout Brussels sprouts. Only this time, let’s not proclaim it the vegetable of the new year, but one we need to get to know better as we shed preconceived notions and experiment with its versatility like some of our favorite chefs have been doing for decades.
Kiwiberries
Uncommon and uncommonly refreshing in a zesty-sweet way, this vine-grown fruit is now being cultivated by a handful of Garden State farmers. One bite is all it takes to make a fan.
In Good Company
Should beans of all stripes find their way into your kitchen, there’s a tie that can bind them into an entrée fit for right now.
Sugar Snap Peas
Leading late spring into high summer is the sweetest little pea-’n’-pod in Mother Nature’s vast repertoire. Eat raw, and be happy. Or consider other options if you snag a large quantity grown on a Garden State farm.
Mulberries, Vintage ’25
At Stone Circle Farm in Middle Township, Cape May County, a giant mulberry tree is shedding its fruits into waiting hands. It’s a treat for June and a harbinger of harvests to come during the weeks ahead in farther-north parts of our Garden State.
Bok Choy, the Farmers’ Favorite
Garden State farmers are high on this spring’s harvest of the ancient Chinese cabbage that’s a member of the mustards family and known for its two-part harmony of crunchy, juicy stems and tender green leaves. Use it now to make a bowl that celebrates a prime vegetable and its many friends.
Sportsmanlike Conduct
For the Super Bowl, a Cheesy Corn Bake is a diplomatic solution to the problem of what to serve to a crowd that might be on opposite ends of the rooting game. Or, merely inconsolable – until this dip is set before them.
Cassoulet de Bayshore
With respect for traditions as well as a true love of hometown culinary culture, a stew of justifiable renown gets a perk-me-up at an award-winning restaurant in Keyport.
The First Day: An Argument for Lobster
Fit for a New Year’s Day supper (and amenable as well to a New Year’s Eve tete-a-tete far from those madding crowds) is the granddaddy of malacostraca, which is at its flavor peak now.