New Friend for Frisee
The workhorse chicory so popular in Europe is in high season right now in the Garden State. Do with it what classic recipes dictate, but then give it an Asian twist and find new delight.
Mustards, the Forever Green
Think you don’t like this yin-yang of a green? Well, maybe you just haven’t tried mustards in a way that makes them downright lovable.
Jasper’s Whispers
All hail a Jersey guy who took a love for food born and bred here and transplanted it to another place, but kept his respect for inherent terroir intact.
Spiced Dried Squid
Don’t know much about the slices of cephalopods that are dried and served as snacks in Asia? Grab and go with a brew, and be delighted. Be just as delighted to make a sauce for them and turn nibble into dinner.
Peas Please in Pesto
Morphing spring’s first peas into pesto shows just how creamy this common vegetable can become after a whirl in a food processor with the right companions. Though its parts may be humble, the result is anything but.
A Fabulous Four
Benchmark’s country loaf, Chickadee Creek’s arugula rabe, Valley Shepherd’s smoky butter and a tin of anchovies (of all things): Can this be supper? Yes. And many other meals coming your way.
Smadar’s ‘Beets in the Limelight’
A sturdy, reliable root vegetable gets a star turn with an unexpected and exhilarating accent. It’s a how-to developed by one of the faithful at the CSG at Genesis Farm.
French Sorrel’s Sunny Disposition
As soon as the lovely spring herb rears its pretty head, snip and clip and let those lemon-tart-sour leaves play in all sorts of dishes. Especially simple white beans.
Burnt Leek-White Bean Dip
At first glance, leeks are sandy and coarse members of the allium family. In American cooking, they’re easy to avoid. When given a little extra time to roast in their own husks, leeks can be incredibly sweet, smooth and evocative of early spring flavor.
Spinach & Soy Eggs
Treat the loveliest of from-the-farm spinach leaves as you would the choicest of embellished Easter bonnets and anoint the verdant petals with hard-cooked eggs soaked in a jazzed-up soy marinade.
Lively Chives
Early to sprout and easy to incorporate into first-of-spring dishes, the wispy allium can star in a hearty salad that can go entrée or holiday side dish.
A Baguette and a Jar of Pickles
Sometimes the most important things in life – essentials for a proper picnic, for instance – come to you without asking, These are the gifts you will cherish the most.