September Musings
It’s the Thinking Cook’s month, prime time of a Garden State year to let the confluence of summer and fall harvests inspire. In other words, take advantage of having it all at once and put noggin to bounty.
Grains Field Day
The hub that River Valley Community Grains created is in full force at an educational celebration for stakeholders in a movement that took hold not that long ago and sprouted benefits beyond wildest dreams.
Grounded Hands Farm
Bec Guilloud watches over the 60 chickens she raises every month like, well, a mother hen. All that love, plus continual fresh pasture, freshly ground grains and an abundance of fresh air, makes for 60 extraordinarily tasty, lucky birds.
Ehoumaki, for Good Luck
Thick sushi rolls containing seven ingredients are eaten whole and in contemplative silence on a day that toasts the coming of Spring in Japan. At Mitsuwa in Edgewater, Setsubun is celebrated with a class that’s decidedly family-style.
The New Eye-Openers
Danny Childs sees use and beauty in the natural world, training his keen ethnobotanist's eye on what he can turn into beverages that defy norms. In "Slow Drinks,” he shares the secrets that will revolutionize how we drink.
Peaches and Dreams
A heaping helping of heritage went into a just-released brandy that showcases a fruit from a centuries-old farm and the craft of a determined distiller. It’s just the start of what Melick’s Town Farm and 3 BR Distillery can do together.
Jersey Crude
It's much more than mere sweet talk: A USDA-funded project emanating out of Stockton University seeks to document the economic and environmental sustainability of maple-sugaring in the South Jersey environs. Not at all coincidentally, a community is forming.
Raw Material
Got milk on the market in the Garden State? Then it’s pasteurized; can’t buy it straight. Why? Kelly-Jane Cotter explores many sides of an issue that has spawned a hodgepodge of laws nationwide and a percolating movement to change them here.
The Salad We Need
Garden State farmers and chefs, this one’s for you. And lovers of mesclun? Hop on board and join the charge for a mix of greens we can make our own.
The Cider House That Rules
Melick’s is the king of apples in the Garden State. So it follows that when the family whose farm dates back to 1728 decided to make hard cider, they’d bring home not one but two “Double Gold” medals from a prestigious competition.
