Eating Local: Princeton

[Caralien]

On different posts I've read different rules about what is considered local--some say 50 miles, others same county, and then others, within a 7 hour drive.

The idea started here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5841...

Trenton's Farmer's Market & Halo Dairy Farm: 9 miles
Brooklyn's Porto Rico (coffee roasters): within 50 (though with beans from around the world; I consider them a small, artisinal, local company which also has fair trade, organic, bird friendly, and shade grown beans).
Fishing in the Atlantic: 40 miles away
Pumpkins, squashes, and peppers: assorted farms within 11 miles
Hopewell Winery: 11 miles (favourite: Rosso Della Valle, $15 & their white port, $17
)Triumph Brewery: 2.5 blocks away
Jersey Fresh crushed tomatoes
Griggstown Quail Farm: 8 miles
Laird's Applejack: 33 miles

I've found that there's even bison, beef, lamb and other locally raised meats can be had also, and would like to start a thread to help out those wanting to eat locally.

I've started browsing some older Pepin cookbooks, and local as well as seasonal is usually cheaper. Some of the farm prices for bison and beef are on par, pricewise, with the meat sold at the local stores.

I was amazed that everything I might want to eat (aside from certain French cheeses and my Greek olive oil) could be purchased or sourced locally.

Thoughts?

[Hillsborough]

What is "local" honey? When people use that term, they USUALLY are interested in RAW (i.e. unheated/unprocessed in any way) honey that contains all the ingredients present in the hive - pollen, enzimes, etc. The focus here is the pollen... since most people looking for "local" honey are interested in eating it daily (e.g. a teaspoonful) to control their flower pollen driven allergy symptoms. It is said that doing that is like taking a small injection of what ails you daily... and your body may start producing a defense against it. Many people say it works - including some doctors I have spoken to about this. So, "local honey" here means honey that contains pollens identical to what you breathe. Presumably, the closer to where you spend your time the better. As it turns out, in central/northern NJ for example, much of the flora in this weather zone is fairly much identical. So, for allergy sufferers, "local, raw, honey" can be from anywhere just south of Princeton all the way up to Bergen county. A related article can be found at http://www.bamboohollow.com/allergyre... last time I looked.

[Caralien]

Bamboo Hollow is one of the gatherers of local honey--they have hives set up in Princeton. I've also seen hives at Terhune Orchard, Honeybrook CSA, and Howell Farm. Corner Copia in West Windsor sells local honey, and Bamboo Hollow is sold at Whole Earth in Princeton.

Apologies for the delay in responding--I have not frequented Chowhound since late 2009.

[Caralien]

We stopped at the PA Dutch market to pick up a ham hock for our NYD Hoppin' John, and I just discovered that Smoker's Deli serves Leidy's Pork (http://www.leidys.com), which is both local AND certified by the American Humane Society with the Free Farmed Certification. Local, humane, antibiotic-free, and cheap (bacon: $3.99/lb). Yeah!

Edit:
It looks like the latest update from Chow has broken the links I have painstakingly added over the past year.

Here's the PA Dutch Market in Kingston: http://www.padutchfarmersmarket.com

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Pennsylvania Dutch Breakfast & Snack Bar
4437 Route 27, Princeton, NJ 08540

[Caralien]

We lucked out and inherited a friend's CSA share for the month of August (and found out that we weren't the first--Molly had given it to another person, who became a member this year!) August being one of the most bountiful months of the year is great for showcasing a place, and we didn't mind the fresh produce.

I was unable to get the "add site" link, so here's my review:
Honey Brook Organic Farm:
260 Wargo Road, Pennington, NJ 08524
[phone]
http://honeybrookorganicfarm.com/

We lucked out and a friend gave us their 1/2 family share for August (same as single share).

Stopped by this morning and didn't have a clue what to do, so asked. We signed in and it turns out that our friend has shared her share in the past. Nice people.

Picked up the following:
Many bunches of mint (1/3 used in this afternoon's mojitos
)1lb of Heirloom tomatoes
2lbs of cherry tomatoes
2lbs of regular tomatoes
head of cabbage or basil (donated, as we have basil plants at home)
1lb of shallots
1 head of garlic
2.5lbs of potatoes
2 funky yellow squashes (the flat version which is incredible)
6 odd okra which we'll fry up
2 bell peppers
1 small watermelon
there were tons of herbs to get, and next week I'll ask whether I can pick some of the zucchini flowers (they're better than the zucchini sometimes)

We could have picked flowers, and if we're more settled in, I just might. All sorts of things which would be great if I actually cared for flowers, but I don't. If it's not edible, I'm not interested. Tasted some horehound leaves (something to make cough drops with), and then went through the blackberry patch which isn't quite ready. We snacked as our stomachs were grumbling.

A good place. There were some kids in the children's area who were bouncing on the tree branches, which worried me--would they kill the tree? Jim thought it was fine, as the kids are small, but I want the tree to flourish! Then again, I know very little about plant life since I haven't studied it since AP Biology in HS.

Being new to all of this, I thought it was great and next year we'll likely get a membership to supplement whatever we manage to grow on our own yard.

Note: take boots or crappy shoes, snips and lots of cotton bags, possibly some buckets for picking the berries. We have an excess of cotton bags leftover from our wedding (used instead of paper bags for gifts--trying to be eco friendly!) and these worked well. On this visit, we used 8.

Great place and we're looking forward to returning next week!

[The Professor]

Honey Brook is great...and yes, they are really nice folks. I split a family share with another friend for a few years running but sadly had to take a pass on it this year.

How are the tomatoes this year? The first year I was a member, the tomato haul alone was worth the price of the share..nothing short of incrediblem with a particularly nice variety of heirloom sauce tomatoes. Subsequent years brought a far smaller yield owing to blights, weather issues, and the like. But the variety of other goodies more than made up for it.

In any case, I may consider a membership again for next year if all goes well..

[Caralien]

the tomatoes are great! Although it seems as though we've been eating our body weight in the tomatoes this week (more to come on Saturday). I know one person who has complained that the shares are too small now, but I'm new to the CSA concept, and unless I were a raw foodist or relying strictly on the share for a week, there remains a ton of produce.

[The Professor]

I think that folks who complain about the shares being too small are way off base...I had 1/2 of a family share and always my fill had plenty to give away. Perhaps they would like a larger share of a particular item (one could never get too many of the great tomatoes or peppers...and the assortment of basil and herbs they grow is really great). Overall, I think the folks that run Honey Brook have done a great job with the concept. Hard to imagine anyone complaining about quantities..but yes, there were always some.

As for me, not being a member this time out I am sure missing those tomatoes this year...last year I was able to put up about 8 quarts of really great tomato sauce besides the tomatoes I just ate plain.

[Caralien]

Until last week, we had this place as Habanero Farm on our GPS because that is where we bought our habaneros (and squash!) last autumn. Corner Copia is the real name. they also do pet adoptions on the weekends, and sell topsoil, flowers, etc. Really a great place. Near Shiseido and Phyton Biotech (not related to either). At Princeton Hightstown Road and Old Trenton Road. LOVE THIS PLACE!

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Corner Copia
299 Princeton Hightstown Rd East, Windsor, NJ

[glutton]

I like the produce they sell from their impromptu farmers market. However, the plants they sell are really expensive. Just a few miles down Route 130, you can get much cheaper plants. We bought our garden herbs and vegetables from the places on 130 for about 30% less.

[Caralien]

good to know--thanks! I'm hoping to find some edible plants for our porch and/or the hothouse once I get to that project (soon, I hope!)

[glutton]

You might also consider Stults Farm on Cranbury Road or at the West Windsor Farmers Market. Their vegetable plants have proven to be very good quality.

[Caralien]

I just realised that the basil plants we have were from Route 130--they're very happy on our front porch!

I passed by Stults' Farm en route to Corner Copia today, and they didn't look open...weekends only?

I stopped at Corner Copia today and picked up the following:
Marigolds: 6/$1
Peppers: Habanero, Portuguese: 6/$1
Jalapeno: 4/$1
Marigolds in peat: $1.39 each
Pluots: $4/small crate (quart?)
Yellow potatoes: $2/small crate
Garlic: $.50/bulb
--all vegetable plants are $1 for 4-6 seedlings (some are 1' tall, others look sad, some mixed; I have a bag of Miracle Grow potting soil I purchased 2 years ago--never opened--which made the basil plants flourish, or so I believe, and have done the same with today's purchases; I am fairly certain it's NOT organic, but it's what I have--waste not want not)

Kingston Market didn't have marigolds, and I'm doing what i can to ward off the mosquitos. There was a large selection of Impatiens at Corner Copia, which I've heard grows well in shady areas such as our abandoned well; I don't know if they will prevent the neighbors' cats from continuing to use it as a litter box, but we'll see.

[cranrob]

Stults farm is open every day, but during the week, they don't open 'till the "evening rush":

MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Also, they actually have two locations: One on Cranbury Neck Road west of the Cranbury Neck / George Davison / John White Road intersection, and the other on John White Road, south of the intersection. Which location they're in depends on what season it is.

http://www.stultsfarm.com/

[Caralien]

thanks for the info!

I'll try stopping there after work on Monday (instead of during the lunch hour).

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Stults Farm
62 John White Rd, Cranbury, NJ

[Caralien]

Farm to Fork Week in South Jersey 7/19-25
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/631761

[MercerChow]

Along these lines don't forget this weekend:

East Coast Food & Wine Festival at Hopewell Valley Vineyards in Pennington
http://www.slowfoodandwinefestival.com/

Also in a few months Outstanding in the Field will do an event at Cherry Grove with food by Scott Anderson (@$180/person!
)http://www.outstandinginthefield-rese...

[Caralien]

I will be at the East Coast Food & Wine Festival on Sunday!

[Caralien]

my photos from the event are here:
http://jimandcaralien.phanfare.com/41...

It was a great day, and I tasted many wines. NJ has a long way to go (why won't someone produce a decent rose that doesn't taste like a white zin???), but there's so much promise. I left with a case of blueberries that reminded me of my childhood (1" berries!) and 4 bottles from Alba--2 Chambourcin, 2 Ice wines (Forbidden). From what I heard from Donna, all of the wineries, restaurants, and farm market purveyors are planning to return. Wegman's, who provided the loaves of bread, also plan to make a better contribution next year. 900+ on Saturday, a similar amount Sunday (I heard 736 by 3:30).

It really was a nice event. Everyone behaved--vendors included.

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Alba Vineyard
269 Route 627, Milford, NJ

[ambrose]

Hey, Caralien, I just read that you can eat locally at the Griggstown Quail Farm next month and it will cost you only $145 each! As an added plus, you get to eat "in the green field" at the farm. I've been to the farm but I'm not sure what this means.

The five course meal will be prepared by the former executive chef from The Pluckemin Inn. I'm afraid I will be sending my regrets!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/even...

[Caralien]

There's a PBS show which showcases groups organizing local purveyors for dining events, usually set in someone's field, vineyard, etc. A cooking tent is usually set up, and a long row of tables for dining, plus a meet and greet time with cocktails.

This looks like a great event! More details here:
http://www.sustenanceevents.com/

[Foody4life]

Saw the same show and we're also intrigued. Kind of strange the Griggstown Farm dinner is from 4-7pm. A bit early, don't you think?

[Caralien]

Outdoors, a Sunday in this neck of the woods, an early dinner which includes (some) drinking, driving, and getting home via smaller and less lit roads?

The timing seems right to me.

[shabbystorm]

Visited The Trenton Farmers Market and Halo Farms for the first time ever.
It was a great experience! They should sell Ice Cream there!

Drove to Princeton to the Halo Pub and tried this ice cream for the first time. Gotta say Caralien, you are right that is some Amazing Ice Cream - Had the Stawberry Heath Bar and Peanut Surprise!

[Caralien]

I believe that the only single-serve ice cream is from King's at the Trenton Market, but it's from a soft-serve machine. :(

It would be great if Halo had an ice cream stand somewhere in the market or the parking lot!

[Caralien]

Has anyone eaten lamb from High View Farm (within 25 miles of Princeton)? We spotted some sausages from them at Whole Earth foods, but no unseasoned pieces. I know their site is under construction, and had to do some research to find the correct one (there's a different High View Farm in NJ with Monster Truck rides). Here is the information from Hotfrog.com:

High View Farm
166 Monmouth Road 085, Jacobstown, NJ 08562
http://www.highview-farm.com

About High View Farm:
High View Farm is an independent, agricultural farm specializing in the raising of pigs, chickens, sheep.

-----
High View Farm
166 Monmouth Road 085, Jacobstown, NJ 08562

[pablissima]

My family owns this farm (though I'm a west coaster) and the site is up and running, though we're always working on improving it, including updating the high view farm recipes and new photos of the livestock and farm.

[Caralien]

We've now been to Shrimp King 3x, primarily for their excellent (and dirt cheap) fry fry, but have also picked up scallops (local Jersey scallops: $12.95/lb for 2"x1 1/2" delicious morsels), and more recently, catfish (do not know the origin, but will check next time). It is a restaurant, but has fresh seafood to take away also (the name is a little misleading).

Far more reasonably priced than our local (within walking distance) fishmonger in Princeton, and better quality than what we picked up from the Garden State Farm Market on Route 1. The scallops really are divine, and I've been making my dried wild Grigsstown mushroom mix barley "risotto" with it recently.

-----
Shrimp King Restaurant & Seafood Market
1111 US Highway 130, Trenton, NJ 08691

[Paul N]

I've driven by Shrimp King and wondered about it.... Thanks for the rec. I'll give it a shot.

[MercerChow]

On the subject of local fishmongers, don't overlook Hillsborough Lobster Dock on Rt 206 (in the midst of that highly congested area). Unfortunately I rarely get up there. My take is extremely high quality, though not always the widest selection, and the love of fish shines through everywhere. It's the place to go if you want to talk about/learn about fish. If it were closer to home I would go nowhere else.

[The Professor]

Thank you for this...I have been hoping to find a decent seafood market close to Somerset where I live. Can't wait to check this one out!

[Caralien]

thanks for the recommendation! We'll definitely try it out soon!

edit: This place has closed. :(

-----
Hillsborough Lobster Dock (closed)
424 US Highway 206, Hillsborough, NJ

[Caralien]

FYI: What: EAST COAST SLOW FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

When: June 27 & 28, 2009
Time: Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Road
Pennington, NJ 08534
Tickets $25/advance, $30 at the gate

http://www.slowfoodandwinefestival.co...

[MercerChow]

You can download the PDF of the Edible Jersey article here:

http://www.ediblejersey.com/content/p...

Happy to see Brothers Moon in Hopewell get some recognition. Although the Princeton area now has several fine restaurants with a local focus (e.g., Eno Terra, Blue Bottle, Elements), Brothers Moon was out there years ahead of the rest.

[choco_lab38]

Thanks! Glad to see Brothers Moon and Valley Shepherd featured.
I've been waiting patiently for Valley Shepherd's ricotta to come into season (addicted to the stuff!) Some day I am going to enroll in one of their cheese-making classes!

[Caralien]

I received an email from Edible Jersey with the following winners:

Edible Jersey's Local Heroes for 2009 are:

Farm: Gravity Hill Farm, Titusville
Beverage Artisan: Flying Fish Brewing, Cherry Hill
Food Artisan: Valley Shepherd Creamery, Long Valley
Restaurant: The Brothers Moon, Hopewell
Nonprofit: Arthur & Friends' Greenhouse Project

-----
Valley Shepherd Creamery
50 Fairmount Rd, Long Valley, NJ

Flying Fish Brewing Co
1940 Olney Ave 100, Cherry Hill, NJ

Gravity Hill Farm
67 Pleasant Valley Rd, Titusville, NJ

Brothers Moon
7 W Broad St, Hopewell, NJ 08525

[Caralien]

Today we stopped at Howell Living Farm and River Horse Brewery.

The farm was nice, but we were disappointed that they were out of popcorn. What we did see was how to tap a sugar maple (7/16" drill. 1/5"), tap, and 2.5 gallon pail--the sap is reduced 40:1 (40 gallons of sap=1 gallon of syrup). They also sell their own honey, flour, cornmeal. If you have/like kids, go on Saturdays. If not, try Sundays during the season (closed now on Sundays). Lots of animals to pet, the largest ducks and fattest chickens we've ever seen.

We stopped at River Horse brewery on the way back--the polar opposite of Weyerbacher. Light beers which are simply great. As much as our preference for strong and molasses-like beers are, it's nice to have something light in comparison. Even their IPA is smooth, unlike most which are way too hoppy for anything; pork would be a good accompaniment.

On the way back, we saw a happy pig sign and had to stop. The farmer was leaving as we were heading in--they did good business on turkeys this past season, and will be taking orders for the next growing season. Very nice people, and I'll add a link once we get better information from them.

-----
River Horse Brewing Co
80 Lambert Ln # 120, Lambertville, NJ

Howell Living History Farm
70 Woodens Ln, Lambertville, NJ

[Caralien]

I just found out that Maple Syrup is made in NJ!
http://www.newjerseymaplesyrupfestiva...
The only place which carries the product (which I could find) appears to be in Lake Hopatcon:
Healthy Home Store / 706 Rt 15 S Suite 110 / Lake Hopatcon NJ 07849 / 973-663-0400

Grover's Mill Coffee & Tea I've recently seen! Apparently WF Princeton (Brunswick Pike) now carries their coffee too, but it's en route to work so I should pick up a bag soon to test.

-----
Grover's Mill Coffee and Tea House
295 Princeton Hightstown Rd, Princeton Jct, NJ 08550

Healthy Home Center
709 State Route 15 S # 110, Lake Hopatcong, NJ

[Foody4life]

Also, check out the Howell Living History Farm just south of Lambertville.

http://www.howellfarm.org/products/fo...

Check out the "calendar of yearly events" link on their site, if you're interested in seeing how the syrup is produced. Next maple syrup event is Feb 28.

[Caralien]

thank you! That sounds like a great plan for next week, and it's a lot closer than Lake Hopatcon!

-----
Howell Living History Farm
70 Woodens Ln, Lambertville, NJ

[ambrose]

Here's a food blog that should be of interest to those reading this thread. It's written by Faith Bahadurian, who often writes restaurant reviews for The Princeton Packet. It covers a lot of ground but many of the topics relate to the subject under discussion.

http://www.packetinsider.com/blog/njs...

[mschow]

Purely by accident, this morning I came across this link to Pick your own places in NJ. Lots of good information. If you click in the middle of the page, you can check out what's available in all the NJ counties.
http://www.pickyourown.org/NJcentral.htm
http://www.pickyourown.org/NJsw.htm

[mschow]

One more locally brewed beer: Flying Fish Brewery in Cherry Hill:
http://www.flyingfish.com/

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Flying Fish Brewing Co
1940 Olney Ave 100, Cherry Hill, NJ

[Caralien]

thanks!

[Caralien]

NJ Orchards & Farms (Apple based) with varietals:
http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard...

[mombaker247]

River Horse Brewery in Lambertville, not a pub but you can taste and purchase bottles.

[Caralien]

added--thanks!

[Caralien]

I've added a NJ Brewery list here:
http://www.chow.com/lists/1087

[JessKidden]

A quick review and it looks like for true "brewpubs" you're missing the two (unrelated now) Basil T's (Red Bank and Toms River), Krogh's, Egan & Sons and Long Valley . Joshua Huddy's long gone.

Note that the NJ ABC regulations for "brewpubs" are quite different (and more restrictive than in many other states) than it's rules for true breweries. So, it might be wise to separate the two listings since the names of the companies don't always designate if it's a "brewpub" which serves food or a packaging (bottles, kegs) brewery. The latter of which usually only offers tastings and tours, but *can* sell beer IF the brewery chooses to get the correct license for retail sales.

[Caralien]

JK:

I did actually add those, and just tried repeatedly to add them again. Grrr. It's still in beta.

I'll see what I can do another time, possibly adding "restaurant" to those which serve food (if not already in the name)

[Caralien]

success!

[Caralien]

S. Maresca & Sons fine meats, recommended butcher, and Rutgers Garden Farm Market, expected to reopen early May 2009

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S Maresca & Sons Fine Meats
763 Sergeantsville Rd, Stockton, NJ

Rutgers Garden
112 Ryders Ln, New Brunswick, NJ

[Caralien]

Has anyone tried the honey from Bamboo Hollow?
http://www.bamboohollow.com/

http://njbeekeepers.org/BeeProducts.htm

[ambrose]

I have not been to Bamboo Hollow but I wanted to mention that if you head north again (Buffalo Farm, Valley Shepherd Creamery, etc.) you should include Tassot Tapiaries on your itinerary.

http://www.tassotapiaries.com/

[Caralien]

I thought it was time to update the post with links to the places mentioned so they'll be easy to search for. Also started a list:
http://www.chow.com/lists/edit/1040

Enjoy!

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Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Rd, Pennington, NJ 08534

Porto Rico Importing Co.
201 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012

Weyerbacher Brewery
905 Line St, Easton, PA

Trenton Farmers Market
960 Spruce St, Trenton, NJ

Whole Earth Natural Grocery
360 Nassau St, Princeton, NJ 08540

Griggstown Quail Farm
986 Canal Rd, Princeton, NJ

Triumph Brewing Co
138 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542

Cherry Grove Farm
3200 Lawrenceville Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Readington River Buffalo Farm
937 County Road 523, Flemington, NJ

Halo Farm
970 Spruce St, Trenton, NJ

Valley Shepherd Creamery
50 Fairmount Rd, Long Valley, NJ

Olive May Natural Foods
255 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ

Simply Grazin Organic Farm
1932 US Highway 206, Belle Mead, NJ

Simply Grazin Organic Farms
Hopewell NJ, Hopewell, NJ

Long Valley Pub & Brewery
1 Fairmount Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853

River Horse Brewing Co
80 Lambert Ln # 120, Lambertville, NJ

Terhune Orchards
330 Cold Soil Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540

Lee Turkey Farm
201 Hickory Corner Rd East, Windsor, NJ

Di Paola Turkeys
883 Edinburg Rd, Trenton, NJ

Hinck's Turkey Farm
3930 Belmar Blvd, Neptune, NJ 07753

Ship Inn Restaurant & Brewery
61 Bridge St, Milford, NJ

Cross Country Nurseries
199 Kingwood Locktown Rd, Stockton, NJ

JJ Bitting Brewing Co
33 Main St, Woodbridge, NJ 07095

Kingston Farm Market
4428 Route 27, Kingston, NJ

[JessKidden]

re: "Weyerbacher Brew Pub"

Weyerbacher closed their brewpub a few years ago and are now simply a brewery.

http://www.weyerbacher.com/cwo/History

[Caralien]

We were there for an extensive tasting last weekend; open Saturdays 12-3:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/590601

I just tried changing the listing to reflect this.

[Caralien]

Although not in NJ, my husband's new favourite beer is Old Heathen by the Weyerbacher Brewing Company in Easton, PA, just under 50 miles as the crow flies

http://www.weyerbacher.com

[Passadumkeg]

Try JJ Bitting brew pub on Main St. in Woodbridge is worth a try if ever north on rt 1. Good Thai across the street and Hungarian and Spanish and others on Main as well. Close to Woodbridge Mall if you care.

[Caralien]

I actually do have to head up there soon, thanks for the tip!

[JessKidden]

I stopped into JJ Bittings a few weeks ago. My first time up that way in years- when they first opened the food was very "upscale" for a brewpub but it quickly devolved to typical "pub grub" and I moved further south.

The bar was empty when I arrived around noon but it didn't help with the service. The bartender seemed more interested in her little electronic toy (ipod, cell phone, blackberry? I don't know.). I specifically asked if they had malt vinegar before I order the fish 'n' chips. And then I asked if the "chips" were regular french fries or were they those seasoned and/or coated abominations. I was served some rather nasty ammonia-scented oil-laden fish on a bed of limp "seasoned", unnaturally colored red/orange "waffle fries". Both pretty much inedible.

After my food was served, I had to get her attention again to ask for the malt vinegar, ketchup and salt and pepper. The bartender rolled her eyes and stomped into the dining room for one of them (forget which it was now). When she returned I pointed out that the condiments I requested were stacked under the register behind the bar, about 4' away from me. She left to go back to her electronic gizmo and I noticed she had given me two salt shakers but no pepper (clear, square glass shakers- not hard to distinguish between 'em).

The beer's OK- but as the bar filled up I noticed I was the only one drinking beer.

[Passadumkeg]

I had a great time at JJ Bittings this past summer with my sons and again w/ my brother and family from Las Vegas and cousin and daughter from San Francisco in October celebrating my mom's life the day she was buried. We had excellent service both times; in the bar and in the restaurant. The food is pub grub, but considering the dearth of micro breweries in central NJ, the beer was a treat. We had a great time both times. I would recommend, however, eating across the street at Mai Thai, pretty good chow and BYOB.

[Caralien]

I highly recommend going to the Weyerbacher Brewery (open Saturday 12-3)--you can taste as many beers as they have on tap (we tried 10!) and even their growlers are cheaper than I've found elsewhere ($3 for the bottle as opposed to $8-12).

We plan to head back to Easton for the Crayola Museum, stopping back at Weyerbacher to refill the growlers. This place has replaced Dogfishhead and Magic Hat as my favourite brewery.

[Passadumkeg]

I worked my way through college at the Easton Children's Home. No micro brewery, just good chile dogs. Head to Allentown for Yacco's hot dogs w/ pierogies. Enjoyed by the Passadumkeg family for 75 years. Take a tour of the Yuengling Brewery (tell John I said Hi.) and go eagle and hawk watching at Hawk Mountain. A beautiful area.

[Caralien]

here's my review of Weyerbacher:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/590601

[Caralien]

Cooking the bison from Readington Buffalo Farm:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/588790

[Passadumkeg]

Take a trip to Hot Little Farm in Rosemont, especially if you want to add a little spice to your life.

[ambrose]

Are you referring to Cross Country Nurseries?

http://www.chileplants.com/

[Passadumkeg]

yes, sorry, cool place.

[Caralien]

ooh...but they're closed until April! At least I still have my 2 pints of slivered habaneros in the fridge (salted then dosed with olive oil, and we've used 1/4 pint so far...hope it keeps me until April!)

[MercerChow]

This seems a suitable thread for this FYI: The Slow Food Central NJ group is having a "Winter Farmers' Market" at Tre Piani on Sunday, January 25, from 11-3. Visit this link and scroll down for details:

http://www.slowfoodcentralnj.org/Wint...

[njchowgal]

mercerchow- i checked out the website for the farmers market, and it looks good. are you sure the time is 11-3? the website did not mention times for the event. thanks

[MercerChow]

Yes, I picked up a printed flier for the event and those are the hours, 11-3.

[ambrose]

I'm sure you already know this (since you posted the web site) but others should be aware that the February market will be held in the late afternoon/early evening and is NOT at Tre Piani. The March market is back at Tre Piani.

[choco_lab38]

Just went to the Winter Farm market and was disappointed that Griggstown poultry wasn't there. I became addicted to their turkey burgers and sausage during my summer trips to the Rutgers and Lawrenceville farm markets. But Valley Shepherd Creamery is there, Cherry Grove Farms, Village Bakery, a salumeria (selling delicious, nitrate-free pepperonis), and another vendor selling polish food--kielbasi, pierogies and stuffed cabbage, etc. Terhunes is there (seemed like they were only selling pies), as is an Indian food vendor and other vendors selling teas, etc (which doesn't interest me).
I got some great cheeses, the aforementioned pepperoni (including wild boar), kielbasi and stuffed cabbage and bread. The only drawbacks are some of the wacky Princetonian-type clientele you have to deal with. They will monopolize the vendors for ages and not buy anything--or buy one inexpensive item. One woman was having the guy explain, for example, exactly how pepperoni is made (she couldn't get past the idea that it is uncooked-I guess she's never had pepperoni before in her life, or thought about what it is). Meanwhile, I'm standing there, ignored, just wanting to give them my money and get a pepperoni!
I realize this is something of a learning experience for some, but some of us have been on the slow food bandwagon for years and just want to be able to buy local foods with a minimum of pomp and circumstance. I guess if it were a more frequent event, it wouldn't be a major weekend outing for some people.
BTW, if you join the Central NJ slowfood organisation, they will email you info. about upcoming markets.
It's nice that it's in Tre Piani--there is a wine bar open and serving sandwiches.
If anyone goes, please put $2 in the donation boxes at the entrance (the suggested donation) As many people as were there, I didn't see many making a donation :(

[Caralien]

Your review reminded me of the Farmer's Market in Union Square NY, 1989, so we're happy we didn't go. We've been taking weekend jaunts to the farms as well as bi-weekly trips to the Trenton Farmer's Market--it really is a gem, and there's no snobbery to be had. It's really nice to meet the farmers, even though right now it's mostly potatoes and cast iron pans (but then there's Halo next door for fresh milk and ice cream!).

-----
Trenton Farmers Market
960 Spruce St, Trenton, NJ

[choco_lab38]

You've got the right idea! And I agree--the Trenton Farmer's market really is a gem! I work 5 minutes away from it and have been going there for years. The atmosphere is definitely better than the suburban summer markets that have cropped up. It's all business and the customers have much better manners (money doesn't buy class!) :) I'm happy that the slow food movement is becoming more recognized and people are beginning to appreciate the importance of eating/buying local... but with that comes the madding crowds...

I love Halo! During the summer, we sometimes make "Halo runs" from my office to grab assorted pints of ice cream for an afternoon treat--I remember when they used to be $1/pint, but they are still a great deal and the ice cream is premium quality! Just as good, if not better, than Haagen Dazs IMHO.

[njeggy1]

I went there as well. Terhunes was selling pie, cider donuts, cider, and apples. The indian food vendor was selling grass feed beef ghee. Also, Bent Spoon was there selling gelato, and a portion of the sales went to slowfood. The donation box was not visible upon entry, that's probably why people did not donate. I only saw it when I went into the bar area and then out again.

[choco_lab38]

The flyer advertising the event mentioned a $2 suggested donation, so anyone who learned about it via the flyer or email should have been prepared. However, there should have also been more people at the door to explain the donation and how things were laid out. When I walked in, there was no one at the door and I had to ask someone descending the stairs where the vendors were (I did notice the donation boxes in front of me). When I exited, there was one person at the door, but that's not enough if more than one group enters at once. A few signs and/or a map of the layout would be nice. I didn't notice that bent spoon was there, but I frequent their shop more often than I should, anyhow :)
Tonight's dinner was stuffed cabbage and pierogies that I purchased--very good!
I didn't see Readington River Buffalo there, but perhaps I overlooked them?

[MercerChow]

I swung by, too. Very happy to see the size of the turnout. Spent way more than planned :).
Apples, tea, mushrooms, ghee, bread, cheese, lamb sausages... Cooked the mushrooms in the ghee for supper. Nice. Would have been happy to see more farms as such (root vegetables-must be some?) but for mid-January this was not bad. Lavender ice cream from the Bent Spoon was a treat.

[glutton]

I went because I am starved for farmers markets, but I was thoroughly disappointed. If it's a farmers market, then shouldn't there be some actual farmers? Beyond Terhune (apples) and the mushroom guy, there were not any actual fruits or vegetables for sale. I know it's winter in NJ, but I thought there might be some potatoes, carrots, beets, other root vegetables, dried fruits/veggies, winter greens (from greenhouses), or some winter citrus (from greenhouses). Thankfully, there were apples and mushrooms because I bought those.

The cheese, eggs, and salumi folks were all selling good stuff, so I don't mean to suggest that I was not grateful for their presence. Indeed, I bought stuff from them.

I think I need to simply make more of a point to go down to the Trenton Farmers Market.

[Caralien]

It's a great place--we've been there every other week since September. Potatoes, shallots, onions, plus Terhune with apples, pies, cider doughnuts, cider by the cup or jug, meat and charcuterie stands...haven't been to the fish guy recently (he's in a separate shack on the same property), but should.

Whole Earth Natural Foods also has locally sourced produce, but they're a lot more expensive. I haven't seen winter citrus, but did purchase some greenhouse romaine yesterday.

-----
Trenton Farmers Market
960 Spruce St, Trenton, NJ

Whole Earth Natural Grocery
360 Nassau St, Princeton, NJ 08540

[Heatherb]

Whole Earth had a really tasty roasted eggplant dip that I bought at the farmer's market. I used it as a "sauce" for some mini pizzas though instead of as a dip:-) But I suspect they are too expensive for me to visit regularly.
My new plan is to start going to the Trenton Farmer's Market. And maybe the one in Lawrenceville - the mushroom guy said he went there.

[Caralien]

FYI: The Trenton Farmer's Market is either in Lawrenceville or Trenton--same address. I'm sure it's related to rezoning, but it remains confusing. I'll look for the mushroom guy when we next visit.

[Heatherb]

Actually, the mushroom guy said he goes to the one that is actually in Lawrenceville off of 206 near the school, on Gordon Street. Trenton Farmer's Market is in Trenton/Ewing right off of Olden on Spruce Street. I didn't know there was one in Lawrenceville, so I'm looking to check it out.

http://www.lawrencevillemainstreet.co...

Don't bother trying to figure out the community boundaries around here - it's a ludicrous patchwork. My mother had three diffferent addresses at the same time when she was living in one residence off of Federal City Road. I live in the middle of Hamilton now, but my address generally comes up as Trenton. It's a mess!

[Caralien]

Wow--didn't know that one even existed! And it's open Sundays 9-1, June-Nov. I can't wait to try it out once they reopen!

Thanks for both the farmer's market and update on the community boundaries. It's very confusing, but part of the fun of locating a place!

-----
Lawrenceville Main Street Farmer's Market
16 Gordon Avenue, Lawrenceville, NJ

[BelleJo]

The Lawrenceville Farmer's Market is my favorite. When they close for the season I head out to the Trenton market but the Lawrenceville Market has a community feel. Have you seen the Edible Jersey magazine? http://www.ediblejersey.com/content/ It is usually available at the market or at the Village Bakery in Lawrenceville.

[Caralien]

Edible Jersey is a good magazine! I've gotten the past 2 from different places--it's a good guide, and piqued my interest in the eating locally when I first moved here in September.

[BeeZee]

DiPaoli turkey farm, Hamilton NJ.

[Caralien]

Can private individuals visit the farm, or where would their wares be sold? I couldn't find anything about them aside from an article pertaining to the increased feed and transport costs:

http://www.indypendent.org/2008/07/19...

[ambrose]

Caralien, I think the problem is the spelling of the name. I found numerous references using both DiPaola and DiPaolo! I don't think they have a web site, which of course just confounds the situation.

Here's a NY Times article about the place, however it's spelled. Note the other places mentioned at the end of the piece. Several have web sites and one is very close to Princeton.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyr...

[Caralien]

$7/lb is a bit high for turkey, but we are planning to get to Griggstown soon even if it's to get 30 quail eggs to serve atop sushi rice. Since it is so close, we've been planning weekend trips around other areas (Long Valley was planned for yesterday, but we never made it since we found BBQ en route and were hungry).

I really can't wait until winter is over, as more farms will be open then.

Does anyone know if the other turkey farms are still open, or are they closed for the season?

[mschow]

Lees Turkey Farm in E Windsor is open (call ahead this time of year). Great turkeys and they make really good pies as well.
http://www.leeturkeyfarm.com/

[Caralien]

I just signed up on their mailing list!
(warning about the site: turn down your computer's speaker before heading there)

[choco_lab38]

We always get our Thanksgiving turkey from Lee's. They are delicious! And as someone else said, don't miss their summer sweet corn!--The best!

When you get to Griggstown quail farm, I also recommend their turkey burgers (made with carmelized onions--juicy and delish!) and thier sausages. They sell a lot of their wares at the local, summer farmers markets (in West Windsor, Lawrenceville, Ryder's Lane, Rutgers). Their fruit pies are out of this world, too! (Far better than anything I've had from Terhunes-I think the crust is made from puff pastry). Of course, their chickens are top-notch (hence their being featured on nearly every restaurant menu in Central NJ) and I enjoy their poussins (young chickens) in a soy-sesame marinade. I don't usually purchase pre-marinated or seasoned meats, but this is definitely as good as anything I could have made at home!

[Paul N]

I second Lee's! Got 2 turkey's from them last year.

[CTMcEnroe]

How can you leave out the Griggstown pot pie. It has been written up in many newpapers and magazines as the best. I totaly agree with your comments on all the other items. I joined their CSA this summer and loved all the fresh veggies I was able to get. I picked them up on Thursday so I was to take advantage of their Thursday to Saturday lunches at the farm.

[Caralien]

Griggstown has a CSA? I just sent an inquiry to them regarding their program (we're on the waiting list for Honey Brook Farms, but this one is definitely closer albeit limited to weekday pickups at inconvenient times; I am convinced that half of the places in NJ were designed for people without jobs).

[njfoodies]

We're at Fernbrook CSA in Chesterfield/Bordentown and love it. They have pickups on Tuesday until 7PM, and Saturday until Noon. The U-Pick you can go any day you want. For $500 a year, it is well worth it. What do Griggstown and Honey Brook get per share? -mJ

[Caralien]

Griggstown's is $600/full & $350/half, pickup Thursday or Friday
http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/csa/what-is-csa/

Honey Brook: http://01ee90f.netsolhost.com/members...
Pennington: $640full / 372 half ; Monday-Sunday pickups/pick your own, also boxes (ie @ Whole Earth/Princeton
)Chesterfield: $600 full/ $350 half; Wednesday pick up only

We're on the waiting list for Honey Brook/Pennington; if we don't get in, we plan to try Griggstown (box pickup) because it's closer than Chesterfield

[BeeZee]

Their sign at the end of the drive says "retail store" but I've never gone in. They used to supply turkey to a local supermarket (no more since a change in ownership) and I liked the "turkey london broil" because it wasn't injected like all the others.

[Caralien]

where would I find their address? Each weekend we visit various farms in the area. Thanks!

[mschow]

Their address is right on the home page; they're on Hickory Corner Rd, just a mile or so off of 130. If you drive back, they have a little store with everything in it.; right next to their house. My sister used to live right near there, so I went regularly. Very cheap and beautiful flowers in the summer, excellent corn and great pies and other vegetables, in addition to the turkeys. Again, I would call before going there this time of year. I know my sister bought turkeys and turkey breast during the off season, but I would assume they aren't open the same hours as they are in the summer/spring.

[Caralien]

Lee's Farm, yes. I've been to that site and we're planning a trip there too!

I was curious about the DiPaola/DiPaoli/DiPaolo farm too. Anyone know how to get there or find information about the farm?

[ambrose]

Caralien, the link I posted above gives the address and phone number. You can phone them for directions or use an on-line mapping site.

[Caralien]

I missed that. Apologies!

[Caralien]

Today's journey:
Amwell Valley Vineyard: under new ownership, slated to reopen in Autumn 2009
Unionville Vineyards: under new ownership, slated to reopen in Autumn 2009

Simply Grazin: closed for the season

Readington River Buffalo Farm (NJbison.com): we picked up a 6lb brisket, 1lb of hot dogs, and 1lb of ground meat, and a pepperoni to eat until we found lunch.

[njchowgal]

ps- Do you ever go to NJ wine festivals?

[Caralien]

we just moved here mid September, so we'll be heading there this coming autumn!

[JessKidden]

"Laird's Applejack: 33 miles"

Sadly, Laird's hasn't distilled in NJ since the 1970's- that's all done at their facility in Virginia. NJ is just warehousing and aging (the latter, of course, a very important factor nevertheless).

For other "adult beverages", tho', there's also the River Horse Brewery, in Lambertsville- a true bottling/kegging brewery- so their beers are available in liquor stores. (Unlike Triumph, which as a brewpub, by law can only sell beer on premise). RH has recently gotten new owners and a new brewer, and are putting out some very interesting beers and their older beers are much more consistent than they once were.

[yankeefan]

Couldnt agree more with this comment. River Horse has been doing a tremendous job lately and really stepped up their game to make Jersey proud.

The Oatmeal Stout was tremendous.

[MercerChow]

Keep an eye on Terhune Orchards in Lawrence Twp. Not only are they growing grapes and building a winery, but rumor has it that they will also be putting their wonderful apples to a new use, i.e., hard cider and applejack. Not sure of the time frame, though.

[JessKidden]

Wow, that sounds interesting. Even tho' my primarily interest is beer, I wouldn't mind a local cider, and a true "Jersey Lightning" applejack again.

Seems that would require two separate licenses (winery and distillery) which would be a big start-up expense. I know some states (New York, in particular) recently created some sort of "Farm Distillery" license but I doubt NJ has a similar program.

[ambrose]

Caralien, thanks for starting this thread. I suspect that most of the places that will be mentioned by posters have already been discussed on Chowhound but it will be really useful to have them all listed in one place.

For grass fed beef and pork, try Simply Grazin' on Route 206 north of Princeton. Some of their products are sold at the Princeton Whole Foods store but they do operate their own retail shop which is open on Thursdays and Saturdays.

http://www.simplygrazin.com

For bison meat, you could try the Readington River Buffalo Farm on Route 523 (near Stanton) . They too operate a retail shop on Saturdays and Sundays. If you go to the Buffalo Farm, you might want to combine it with a visit to the Valley Shepherd Creamery.

http://www.njbison.com

[Caralien]

So far Saturday's plan appears to be Readington River Buffalo Farm, Valley Shepherd Creamery, and lunch at Long Valley Brewery...

[ambrose]

Suggest you phone Valley Shepherd before you go. Although the store seems to be open at this time of year, the web site says it is OFF SITE this year (look at the bottom of their home page).

http://www.valleyshepherd.com/

[Caralien]

thanks for the update!

[MercerChow]

Locally pastured beef, lamb, and pork can be had at Cherry Grove Farm on Rte 206 between Lawrenceville and Princeton. They also offer several cheeses.

Also on the cheese front there is Valley Shepherd Creamery in southern Morris County.

[Caralien]

What did you think of the cheeses (and meats) from Cherry Grove? I liked the eggs, but found them a bit pricey at $5/dozen. My husband liked their gouda.

[ambrose]

Valley Shepherd Creamery is about 30 minutes from me. Their cheeses are VERY good and are sold at numerous farmers' markets and local restaurants.

You can also purchase lamb here and while I've never tried it I've received favorable reports from friends who have.

[Caralien]

Whole Earth carries Valley Shepherd cheeses, so I may try that since I can't figure out from the website whether they're open on the weekends or not (anyone?). We're trying to visit farmer's markets, wineries, farms, etc. each weekend, so I'll definitely earmark this one.

[shabbystorm]

Whole Earth is wonderful, know it has been there forever but have been on an ice cream quest this summer, they carry Bent Spoon 1/2 Gallons. Parking is much easier here than downtown. The flavors rotate each week, they never know what flavors will be sent over, you can call and they are super helpful. A new shipment arrives on Weds or Thurs. Just a happy note to this super wonderful thread of information.

[Caralien]

I'm a huge fan of Halo, but appreciate the Bent Spoon offerings. It's fortunate that Whole Earth was across the lot from Tom Young Goong & Sultan Wok--2 places which were destroyed by a fire earlier this month.

[njchowgal]

Caralien- have you ever been to the Rutgers co-op extension farmer's market they have every summer in New Brunswick? Local meats, farmstand bouquets, local fruits and veggies, local cheeses, even a local pickle stand! I think you would like it.

[Caralien]

not yet, but thanks for the idea! It's funny driving past the cows on Route 1 (what , cows?) . I heard about a lot of the markets, but many are closed for the season. It's been 2 weeks since I've been to the Trenton Market, which really is an amazing place.