December 15, 2009
Sweet Potato Latkes
Click on the picture below to be magically transported to the recipe.
Looking for other great Hanukkah recipes not featured on a Manischewitz box? More chowhound.com recipes with updated versions of your favorite classics, click here.
December 11, 2009
Fresh. holiday menu
If you answered the Fresh holiday menu you probably have esp.
Fresh. Holiday Menu
December 7, 2009
If you too find yourself wishing yourself somewhere equatorial, reading Bev Gannon's Hali'Male menu will actually physically make you warmer and probably in general give you the ability to run faster, jump higher & possibly give you x-ray vision (actual results vary).
Hali'imaile General Store
900 Hali’imaile Road
Hali’imaile, HI 96768
Phone: 808.572.2666
http://www.bevgannonrestaurants.com/haliimaile/index.html
November 28, 2009
Going Down Slow
Heard lots about slow food but dunno
Carlo Petrini from Chef Boyardee?
If you enjoy
cooking food, eating food,
the people who grow your food
or the history of food;
you'll find something they do you'll enjoy.
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From their site:
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
To do that, Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility, and makes them inseparable.
Today, we have over 100,000 members in 132 countries.
--------------------------------------------------
Slow Food Org Site - Click here
Slow Food Overview - Click here
Slow Food History - Click here
Central NJ Chapter - Click here
Slow Food Events - Click here
November 27, 2009
(also known affectionately as food porn)
If you answered, "Boy howdy do I ever..."
Check out foodphotoblog.com by clicking
on the mooncake below.
November 24, 2009
Old Timey Turkey Days of Yore
From NPR:
For many of us, Thanksgiving evokes memories of turkey and cranberry dressing. But a culinary review of the "other" American holiday finds that a rich variety of desserts have shared the table with sweet potatoes and stuffing. Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen talks with NPR's Renee Montagne about Thanksgiving favorites from days gone by -- and how to make them.
Click here for more.
November 19, 2009
Shopsins
For those of you that don't haven't heard of Kenny Shopsin,
here's a bit from NY Magazine:
"Plump, grouchy, and with his gray bouffant bursting out from beneath his Mets cap, looking a bit like a dyspeptic Shelley Winters, the inimitable Kenny Shopsin is back in business. 'Fuck!” he says one afternoon as the orders roll in. “I was getting used to not working—give me the ticket, asshole.'”
November 17, 2009
Winter Farmer's Market
Slow Food Central NJ Eat Slow Winter Farmers Market
Stockton, New Jersey
Sat, November 21, 2009
through Sun, November 29, 2009
10:00AM - 3:00PM
These indoor winter farmers markets bring out the best of Central NJ and easter PA producers to highlight the season’s bounty for Thanksgiving. Open both weekends before and after Thanksgiving, this winter market highlights an 80 acre llama and alpaca farm in Hunterdon County, NJ. Dates are as follows: November 21, 22 and Nov 27, 28, 29
A $2 donation is suggested. Call 609 397-2212 for more information or visit http://www.woodsedge.comNovember 14, 2009
Have a Slow Turkey Day
sourcing locally grown, organic and all natural turkeys.
Vote with your fork this Thanksgiving--have a locally sourced Thanksgiving Dinner
Here are some of the sources for local Turkey & Chicken.
And don't forget some Farmer's Markets are open until Thanksgiving--pick up some delicious fall vegetables and fruit!
TURKEY SOURCES Please call Brant or Jim at 973.538.9131
With a limited supply of Turkeys this year, please place your orders as soon as possible.
Pickups are available Mon, Tues & Wed before Thanksgiving in Chester or Morristown
Organic Turkey (Eberly Farm/Dartagnan) $4.49/lb (8-12lb, 12-16lb, 16-20lb, 20-24lb)
Turkey Traditional (Griggstown) $3.99/lb (12-14lb, 15-17lb, 18-20lb, 21-23lb, 24-30lb)
Heritage Red Bourbon (Griggstown) $8.99/lb(7-10lb)
OG Breast Bone In (Eberly/Dartagnan) $9.99/lb(4-12lb)
Boneless Turkey Breasts (Griggstown) $8.99 (3-4lb)
Also capon, duck, venison, goose & guinea hen. For side dish menu go to: http://www.thehealthshoppes.com
GRIGGSTOWN QUAIL FARM Call: 908 359-5218 All-natural, free-range White Broad-Breasted or Heritage Red Bourbon Turkeys.
HAVENWOOD FARM 67 Henry Street Newton, NJ 07860
Ken & Nancy Hoffman 973-383-3630
havenwood@earthlink.net
Turkeys sold out, chicken and eggs are available! A pasture based operation that currently is producing pastured chicken and eggs. All feeds are non-certified organic. No Genetically Modified grains/grasses are used.
Email for availability and you will be sent an order form. |
November 9, 2009
Everything but the Bird.
THANKSGIVING MENU 2009.
Click here to save your holiday.
October 30, 2009
October 16, 2009
Tutto bene.
Should you find yourself longing to see photos of the trip - click on the picture below and you'll magically be transported to a mystical place where a bottle of wine at noon isn't a sign of a drinking problem; it's just Tuesday lunch. Tutto bene. Tutto bene indeed.
October 13, 2009
October 7, 2009
September 26, 2009
Fresh. Afield.
barnstorming Northern Italy & taking in Fall Harvest Action.
September 24, 2009
How about them apples.
"Of the 30 different apple varieties grown in New Jersey, the Winesap is the oldest, dating back to the late 1700s. Other popular varieties grown in New Jersey include Red and Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Granny Smith."
Which apples are best for pies?
What variety is the sweetest??
Click here for info on apples by variety.
September 22, 2009
September 21, 2009
edible Jersey
Visit their site here
September 17, 2009
Fundraiser Saturday September 26th
------------------------------------------
THINK YOU CAN HANDLE 5,
1 MINUTE WORKOUT STATIONS
THREE TIMES(x3)?
------------------------------------------
Saturday, September 26th
10am
Downtown Bernardsville
MORE INFO HERE
September 9, 2009
September 4, 2009
Fresh gets Reviewed on Pizza & Bagels' Urbanspoon Blog
Originally posted here.
Fresh.
562 Allen RdBasking Ridge, NJ 07920
www.iwantfreshfood.com
"Long time, no post. We haven't really been out to any new places. I know we've been eating out, but I can't even think of where we've been lately.
Anyway, today we wanted lunch out. I checked my handy dandy wishlist on urbanspoon and remembered I had wanted to try Fresh.
I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, which came with a slice of very fresh mozzarella, some tomato, arugala, and herb mayo. It was excellent, and too large for me to finish.
BAJ ordered a turkey reuben. He liked it a lot. Not a fan of reubens, it's not a surprise that I wasn't a big fan of it, but I'm not the one to go on here.
I really liked the vibe of the shop too. Their decor is very casual and, well, fresh. The staff was very courteous. It's a counter store, but they bring the food out to your table, and as we were leaving, we were asked how everything was--he seemed genuinely concerned.
They have cookies in jars on the counter, which caught the attention of The Boy. They looked so good, as did the many other treats. Maybe another time.
We were very pleased... it's a good thing that BAJ only has a short time for lunch and is too far from here, or he might be going to Fresh for lunch every week!"
September 3, 2009
Blink & you missed it...
in house? Turns out - so were a lot of you!
To all of those who didn't get a chance to chow down on our delicious
corned beef - never fear, we'll be doing it again soon.
Crazy as it sounds we've already had a few pre-orders, definitely the way to go
to make sure you don't get passed over by the delicious meats fairy.
August 25, 2009
Local Basil
MUCH THANKS to Harrison Brook Farm
for growing delicious basil we're using to make pesto.
If you live in or around Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner or Bernardsville, definitely check them out.
For more info, click here.
August 22, 2009
LOCAL PEACHES GROWN IN
BASKING RIDGE, NJ.
PICK YOUR OWN!
SEVERAL VARIETIES.
TOMATOES, APPLES & PUMPKINS COMING SOON...
FOR DIRECTIONS, CLICK HERE.
August 19, 2009
Corned Beef
It's a 14 day brine & despite lots of peeking - we're 6 days into the process. For all you non-math whiz people = we'll be ready to move to cook on August 27th.
Set your watches, mark your calendars & program the VCR...
COUNTDOWN TO CORNED BEEF HAS BEGUN.
August 5, 2009
Growing local-farm movement expanding to meat
FROM CNN.COM
ELBERTON, Georgia (CNN) -- In a parking lot in suburban Atlanta, customers mill in the summer heat, waiting for freezer bags full of beef, pork, chicken and other meats.
Tim Young raises cattle, pigs, chicken, turkeys and more on his "beyond organic" farm.
"By supporting local farmers, we are essentially voting to support the local economy," said Anthony Chan, a member of a group that gets its meat monthly from Nature's Harmony Farm in Elberton, Georgia.
Nature's Harmony is a member of a growing local-food movement, often referred to as Community-Supported Agriculture. Watch video of Nature's Harmony »
The CSAs, as they're called, are a model in which consumers pay for their food in advance and receive it directly from the farmer. Working much like a magazine subscription, customers pay for a period of usually at least six months and receive packages either at the farm or at established delivery locations like the one in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Although thousands of farms have sprung up over the past two decades selling fruits and vegetables using the system, experts say there are probably only a few dozen that, like the Georgia farm, offer meat.
Farmers Tim and Liz Young raise cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys and lambs on their 76-acre farm in northeast Georgia, near the South Carolina state line.
The couple describes their farming technique as "beyond organic," saying they use no artificial fertilizers, growth hormones or antibiotics and don't keep their animals penned up.
Life on their property -- where cattle and sheep graze in open fields and chickens follow along to clean up after them -- looks much like the classic image of a family farm. But the couple say they consider themselves healers to both their customers and, according to their Web site, a food system that "had become a machine with little regard for food safety, food taste and animal welfare."
"People are becoming very disconnected from the food system," Liz Young said. "Buying from a local CSA or just shopping at a local farm, you can see where it's coming from. You can talk to the farmers and figure out how the animals or the produce is raised."
The couple has 50 subscribers, plus a waiting list, and say 2,000 people receive a newsletter on the farm's activities.
Members of the nation's handful of meat CSAs, and the thousands of others, offer a list of reasons.
The food is healthier and tastes better, they say. They like supporting their local economy. Eliminating cross-country delivery is better for the environment, as are the sustainable farming techniques the farmers tend to use.
"Being part of a CSA means that I know the first names of the people who are raising the meat I eat," said Andrew Johnson of Kansas City, Missouri, a member of the Parker Farms meat CSA in Richmond, Missouri. "Whereas, with the meat I buy from the grocery store, I don't know where it came from or who raised it."
Others say they appreciate that animals from the usually small family farms don't spend their lives in processing plants, conditions that advocates call inhumane.
Because CSA members deal with the farmers directly, they are able to visit the farms and see exactly how their food is produced. The transparency, they say, creates an incentive for farmers to raise their animals as naturally as possible.
"If we have any questions about how it is being grown, we can simply visit the farm ourselves," said Kristen Johnson, Andrew's wife.
Robert P. King, a professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota, said that although community-supported agriculture "provides a good opportunity for farms that want to use sustainable practices to actually do well in the marketplace," it's nowhere close to challenging conventional agriculture's domination of the food market.
King said geographic availability can be limiting to CSAs. Generally, they require a rural area suitable for farming near an urban area that provide enough customers to make it work.
And then, King said, there's the cost. Operating on a smaller scale and avoiding mega-farm practices designed to cut costs and improve yields almost always mean higher prices.
A six-month Nature's Harmony membership ranges from $360, or $40 a month, for a poultry-only delivery to $840, or $140 a month, for 20 pounds of a variety of meats.
"Is it as cheap as the lowest-price chicken in the grocery store? Absolutely not," Tim Young said. "But with our prices and the prices of any sustainable farmer, you've got everything baked in: the cost to the environment, the cost to the health care system, the cost of producing that animal [in a humane way]."
Johnson said that any difference in prices at the Missouri farm, which charges a $1,150 annual fee, are worth it.
"I don't think it is significant, but if it does end up costing a bit more, it is still important to us to make this a priority," he said. "There are other expenses I am willing to give up rather than give up a safe, trusted food source."
The Youngs hope more people will get the chance to choose.
"There's a big, burgeoning demand out there for local meat, for local food, for organic foods and we'd like to see more famers step up to fill that demand," Tim Young said. "We're trying to do that but we can never meet the demand that's out there.
"We'd love to see more farmers try to do what we're doing."July 3, 2009
Summer Grilling
the grill is hot & they're hungry.
Wanna grill like a champ but don't know your flank from your shank?
We offer up some universal grilling truths
from the masters to help you obtain grilling zen.
Gas vs. Charcoal? HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT'S DONE???
How hot is too hot? & Secrets to Perfectly Grilled Corn.
Bobby Flay from SeriousEats.com
Flay on Gas vs. Charcoal: "I am on record many times as saying that I prefer the ease and consistency of gas grills. However, that doesn't mean that I don't use charcoal grills myself from time to time. Charcoal burns hotter than gas, allowing for a better sear and more flavor from the smoke; but I have never had a problem getting a really good sear on the gas grill and I also like to add flavor to my food when it's grilling (with spice rubs and glazes) and after it comes off the heat (with vinaigrettes or salsas)—so for me, it's a wash."
Testing for Doneness: "I prefer the touch test, which is really easy and makes total sense. As meat cooks, it becomes firmer and firmer to the touch. Rare meat feels spongy, medium meat feels springy, and well-done feels taut. This is true for pork, poultry, and steak-like fish such as tuna, salmon, and swordfish, too."
DETERMINING GRILL TEMP from HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM
How Hot Is It?
Your recipe says to heat the charcoal grill to 375°F. Like most cooks, you probably guess and then hope for the best. But there is a pretty reliable way to gauge the temperature of the coals without resorting to ripping the thermometer off the deck railing.
A quick and easy way to estimate the temperature of the coals is to hold the palm of your hand about four inches above the coals. Count the seconds you can hold your hand there before the heat forces you to pull it away. Then use the handy chart below to determine the temperature.
Seconds | Coal Temperature |
2 | 375°F or more |
3 | 350° to 375° |
4 | 300° to 350° |
5 | 200° to 300° |
GRILLING YOURSELF SOME CORN.
Grilling corn is easy. The trick is to not let it burn so don't walk away from the grill once you start, at least not for too long. Here is a great way you might want to try at home.
FROM RELUCTANTGOURMET.COM
June 18, 2009
Fresh Salmon
Get yours now or regret it for the rest of your life. Totally up to you.
May 28, 2009
Cherry Grove Farms BBQ
In our ongoing efforts to bring you all things local and foodie friendly,
here's some info from our good friend Mikey Azara on an upcoming
BBQ at Cherry Grove Farms.
Sustainable Lawrence and Cherry Grove Farm present…
BBQ & Brew
A Post-Memorial Day Celebration of Sustainable Food!
Enjoy an amazing BBQ menu featuring Cherry's Grove Farm's sustainable meats, cheeses, and eggs... and beer tastings from Flying Fish Brewery! Live acoustic music too!
Where: Cherry Grove Farm
(3200 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ)
When: Friday, May 29
Time: 5:30 - 8:00pm
Cost: $20* (with half the proceeds benefiting Sustainable Lawrence )
Charter Day redux
Unfortunately we did not win The Battle of the Bands - big time bummer.
Turns out you have to enter with a band to be considered.
May 11, 2009
Charter Day
Come join us this Saturday at Charter Day in Basking Ridge.
We'll be grillin' & Chillin. Stop by & have some Fresh. street food.
What are we serving? Great question.
We'll be serving:
Sausage sandwiches and chef lou's texican chix sandwich.
Q: What's Charter Day?
a: Charter Day commemorates the anniversary of the May 24, 1760 granting of a Charter by King George II of England, establishing Bernardston Township.
April 22, 2009
Local Food Event t his Friday
Wine & Cheese Event
at
Cherry Grove Farm
Friday April 24th 7-9pm
Wine from
Hopewell Valley Vineyards
Bread and Live Music from
The Village Bakery
Appetizers made from
Cherry Grove Farm Products!
Try the following cheeses:
Asiago
Toma Primavera
Herdsman
Gouda
Shippetaukin Blue
Cherry Grove Farm
3200 Lawrenceville Rd
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
(609)219-0053
Website:www.cherrygrovefarm.
e-mail:cherrygrovefarm@
April 13, 2009
make us #1 in Basking Ridge on UrbanSpoon.
Haven't voted yet? It's all good. Still plenty of
room on the Fresh bandwagon. Vote here.
April 9, 2009
Dear loyal readers, you read it here first!
in lieu of bon mots during witty drawing room repartee.
Sundaes.
Banana split - bananas, hot fudge, caramel and walnuts over vanilla and chocolate ice cream
Fruit cobbler - fresh baked cobbler topped with soft serve or frogurt
S'more - hot fudge, marshmallow and graham cracker pieces
Hot mess - brownie, hot fudge, caramel and walnuts
Frankenstein - create your own monster
Hand spun shakes.
Vanilla
Chocolate
Strawberry
Grasshopper - homemade mint syrup, hot fudge, oreo pieces and vanilla soft serve
Peaches & cream - homemade peach preserves and vanilla soft serve
Dirty monkey - hot fuge, bananas and vanilla soft serve
Blueberry pomegranate - fresh blueberries, pomegranate syrup and frogrut
Berries & cream - house made jam with your choice of soft serve or frogurt
Nutella - nutella and chocolate soft serve
Mocha - house blend coffee, chocolate syrup and soft serve
MYO - make your own
Mix ins.
Hot fudge
Caramel
Rainbow sprinkles
Seasonal fresh fruit
Granola
Bananas
Vahlrona chocolate chips
Walnuts
House jam
Oreo pieces
Peanut butter cups
Carob chips
Gummy bears
April 1, 2009
Al Freshco Dining
A: Dear Freshniks; as Oprah, The BBC and The Associated Press have all reported we will be opening our very own outdoor cafe here in The Hills. Outdoor seating begins April 2nd and runs through the fall.
March 31, 2009
a: they're all on our new ice cream menu.
What's a Dirty Monkey? How did they get themselves a Frankenstein?
Where do they keep him?
What does he EAT???
All in good time, my dear Freshniks. All in good time.
Stay tuned. Or better still, come on in and let us show you.
March 30, 2009
Zone 7
Mikey Azzara, Friend of the Farmer & Friend of Fresh.
Five years ago Mikey Azzara, then director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association and now owner of Zone 7, began holding meetings to bring organic farmers and chefs from fine dining restaurants together.. “There was a lot of networking,” says Azzara. “We did something like speed dating. Each farmer would have two minutes with each chef.”
The two groups are interdependent, especially as diners increasingly scrutinize menus in search of fresh, locally grown ingredients. The chefs know that they need the farmers, and vice versa. But Azzara found that the connection was not always being made.
Read more here
March 27, 2009
Taste of the Chamber
Lots of fun seeing so many familiar faces and converting new Freshniks.
Missed us last night??? No sweat. We'll be at Healthy Kids' Day in Pleasant Valley Park on Saturday April 18th and Charter Day in Downtown Basking Ridge on May 16th. After that we're off to do Lollapalooza.
March 23, 2009
Team Fresh?!?!? Coming to a baseball diamond near you.
Fresh is a proud sponsor of our very own Basking Ridge Little League Team.
After finishing Spring Training they're barnstorming north playing
in the Coastal Prison League before a season debut in mid April.
Look for us in the Fresh Corporate Box.
March 19, 2009
and More...
Many of you are familiar with Michael Pollan,
Omnivore's Dilemma, and In Defense of Food.
What many of you may not know is that he's written
lots of other good articles - all of which are free to read on his site.
Definitely check them out here.
March 15, 2009
March 13, 2009
Mount Prospect School
COMMUNITY GIVING FAIR
Donate Your New or Gently Used:
Books, Clothing, Cell Phones, Eye Glasses, Sports Equipment, Pet Supplies & More...
SATURDAY MARCH 28TH
9am - 1pm
111 Hansom Road
Basking Ridge, NJ
Click Here for a Map
Get a jump start with spring cleaning &
make someone's life better!
March 11, 2009
March 2, 2009
February 25, 2009
February 23, 2009
Fresh Family Night at the YMCA
(3ft of ciabatta, 4 Lucky's Tomatoes,
1.5 lb mozzarella, 3 table
spoons of sea salt = love & goodness)
WHO ROCKS FAMILY NIGHT?!?!
We know people love a good climbing wall. And if there's anything
people love more than a climbing wall, hands down it's gotta be Snow Dogs.
Still...it was the Biggest crowd EVER
for Family Night!!!
Definitely good fun for all.
Much thanks to all the
Freshniks that represented.
Watch out for Family Night Part II
Coming this Spring!
Also keep your eyes peeled for
Family Day in Pleasant Valley Park.
Coming this Spring....