Salad Days in the New Year

By Pat Tanner

I seem to have once again fallen victim to both the excesses of holiday eating and the need for feel-good New Year’s resolutions, so I find myself drawn to salads. Which is why I’ve gleaned the interesting recipes below from some of the Garden State’s finest practitioners.

Grilled Romaine Salad
Michael Carrino, Chef/Owner, Restaurant Passionne, Montclair

2 heads romaine lettuce, split in half
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Place all ingredients into a large zip-tight bag and allow to marinate about an hour, tossing around every few minutes. Heat grill (or broiler) to high and place the four pieces of romaine on the grill (or broiler pan) making sure they do not touch. Grill for about 1 minute then turn and grill for another 2 minutes.


Sherry Vinaigrette for a Crowd
Kevin Sbraga, Executive Chef, Rat’s Restaurant, Hamilton

1 cup sherry vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
2 cups grape seed oil, or other mild oil (such as canola or safflower)
Salt and pepper

Blend the vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the two oils until mixture is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Recipe may be scaled down, retaining a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. Toss with mixed greens.


Membrillo Vinaigrette
Inspired by Will Mooney, Chef/owner, Brothers Moon, Hopewell

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Scant 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons membrillo (quince paste)
Salt and pepper

Combine first three ingredients in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over a salad composed of arugula, sliced Granny Smith apples, toasted almonds, and Manchego cheese. Makes enough for 4 servings.

Bottoms Up New Jersey!

By Pat Tanner

New Jerseyans take pride in many firsts, not least among them being home to America’s first distillery: Laird’s, which has been producing applejack for almost 300 years now. Today the company, based in Scobeyville, Monmouth County, is headed up by an eighth generation Laird. In addition to its famed AppleJack, it produces three longer-aged brandies, including 12-year-old Rare Old Apple Brandy.

Mixologists around the country are rediscovering the charms of applejack and apple brandy, and when Laird’s is in the mix the resulting concoctions pay tribute to Jersey in the name. Here, just in time for the New Year, are some fine examples. The Jersey Julep was concocted by the chef at the newly revived and restored Rocky Hill Inn Tavern & Eatery in Rocky Hill. Cheers!

JERSEY JULEP
Evan Blomgren, Rocky Hill Inn

2 sprigs fresh mint
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) Woodford’s Reserve Bourbon
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Laird’s 10-Year Apple Brandy
Splash of Sprite

Shake the mint, Bourbon, and brandy in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a silver julep cup or highball glass filled with crushed ice and add a splash of Sprite.

JERSEY GIRL
lairdandcompany.com

1-1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) Laird’s AppleJack
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Cointreau
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh lime juice
2 dashes (12 drops) cranberry juice

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.


JERSEY DEVIL PUNCH FOR A CROWD
Adapted from webtender.com

1 gallon cranberry juice, chilled
1 quart Laird’s AppleJack, chilled
2 quarts apple cider or apple juice, chilled
1 apple, cored and sliced thin

Combine liquids, gently, in a large punch bowl. Carefully add a block of ice and float apple slices on top of punch.

Gobble Up New Jersey Gifts for the Holidays

By Pat Tanner

Gifts of food and drink from the best of New Jersey’s artisans are always welcome. But this year, given the state of the economy, they seem especially apropos. They’re practical yet indulgent, come at many price points, and help support the local economy. Be sure to check delivery dates on these, my favorites (expedited shipping may be necessary).

Book: Talk about low-cost dining! Fans of the Star-Ledger’s Munchmobile, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, will dig right into “Jersey Eats” by Munchmobile maven Peter Genovese. munchmobilebook.com

Coffee, chocolates, and biscotti from the most famous name in New Jersey chefdom, Craig Shelton. They don’t come cheap, but connoisseurs of every stripe will thank you. chefscoffee.com

Classes in the art of cheese making from two fine practitioners, Eran Wajswol of Valley Shepherd (valleyshepherd.com) and Jonathan White of Bobolink (cowsoutside.com). White combines his with bread baking at his open-air hearth.

Potpies wholesome, delicious, and frozen from Griggstown Farm Market (griggstownquailfarm.com) and Twin Hens, whose all-natural pies are available through Dean & Deluca: deandeluca.com.

Baskets of Jersey-grown and produced comestibles from Terhune Orchards, including apples, honey, and baked goods, come in two sizes and can be shipped throughout the U.S. They are among ten selections at the farm store on terhuneorchards.com.

Support your local restaurant: Who wouldn’t appreciate a gift certificate to a favorite eatery? Almost every restaurant is happy to oblige. Independent, locally owned restaurants especially deserve our support in these tight times.

You do good/your friends dine well. Discounted tickets to the 17th annual Taste of the Nation Princeton, which will be held the evening of April 20, are available through December 31. 100% of the ticket price goes to fighting hunger. Enter discount code HOL at tasteofthenation.org/princeton or call 800.969.4767.

For more gift ideas, see our Gifts for Food Lovers and Gifts for Wine Lovers on newjerseylife.com

"Eat Local" Holiday Farmers' Market

By Pat Tanner

The term “winter farmers’ market” may seem like a cruel joke in the Garden State, but there are plenty of local, seasonal products available throughout even the coldest months. To take advantage of this, Slow Food Central New Jersey and a group of like-minded organizations are sponsoring monthly “Eat Local” indoor markets. The next one – just in time for the holidays – is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 13 at the beautiful Johnson Education Center at the D&R Greenway in Princeton.

Those of us who mourn the end of each farm season can snatch up locally produced cheeses, breads, poultry, jams, mushrooms, condiments, meat, pies, pickles, and, of course, fresh fruits and vegetables – even wine and holiday greenery.

Terhune Orchards, Valley Shepherd Creamery, Village Bakery, Krowicki Farm, Hopewell Valley Vineyard, Davidson’s Exotic Mushrooms, and ER & Son Organic Farm are among the participating vendors. There will be live music and cooking demos by local chefs each hour starting at 10:30 a.m. Shoppers can also check out the juried art exhibition by the Garden State Watercolor Society titled “A Brush with Nature.”

In January and March, the market will move to Tre Piani restaurant in Princeton’s Forrestal Village, while the February location is the Museum of Agriculture at Cook College in North Brunswick. The markets are a collaboration of Slow Food Central NJ, the Lawrenceville Main Street Farmers’ Market, the Rutgers Gardens Farmers’ Market, and the West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market.

The “Eat Local” Holiday Farmers’ Market will take place on Saturday, December 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the D&R Greenway Johnson Education Center off Rosedale Road in Princeton. Directions can be found at drgreenway.org/directions.htm. A $2 donation per group is suggested. For information visit slowfoodcentralnj.org, or call 609.577.5113.

Naturally Delicious, Naturally Nora

by Pat Tanner

Ever read the ingredients list on a box of cake mix? “Natural” is not a word it conjures. On the other hand, no one is more skeptical than I when it comes to “all-natural” versions of what should be deliciously decadent convenience foods. Which is why I hesitated before agreeing to sample the mini-cupcake that a perfectly nice couple was proffering at last summer’s Fancy Food Show in New York.

Nora Schultz of Princeton and her husband, Steve, assured me that their all-natural cake and frosting mixes taste as good as homemade. The Schultzes left the corporate world (she, Campbell’s Soup; he, Colgate Palmolive) in order to launch the Naturally Nora line of five cake mixes and four frostings, all made without artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, and no hydrogenated oils. Plus, all are certified kosher.

Clearly, I wouldn’t be telling you all this if my test cupcake of “Cookie Cookie” (yellow cake embedded with bits of chocolate cookie) with Cheerful Chocolate frosting hadn’t been scrumptious.

Fun flavors like Surprising Stars and Alot’a Dots make them perfect for kids’ parties – especially if your kid has certain allergies. The mixes themselves do not contain dairy, nuts, or soy – although some sort of milk product is added during home preparation. (Vanilla soymilk and some margarines are nondairy alternatives.)

Naturally Nora mixes are available at Whole Foods markets in Princeton and Marlton, at 26 Acme stores in NJ, online at amazon.com, and in nine other states and DC. For more info visit naturallynora.com. E-mail Nora there for details on how your school’s PTO can receive a donation of Naturally Nora products for a school bake sale.