Griggstown Farmer's Market

[Kim WB]

Griggstown, NJ is a part of Franklin Township, Somerset County, near the Princeton border. In HS, I dated a boy who worked at the Pheasant Farm...he'd sneak me back to watch him "behead" the pheasants. Man, I was easy to impress. Ah, I was just easy!

When I moved back to NJ in 1991, the Farm was still there, and I knew they supplied a lot of NY restaurants, as well as D'artagnan. McCaffrey's, my local more high end grocery store, carries D'artagnan pheasants ..these are Griggstown pheasants from 3 miles away, sent to NY, packaged by D'artagnan, and sent back to McCaffrey's. I've tried to buy them direct from the farm, but have been directed to McCaffrey's..they would not sell them to me.

About 3 months ago, I heard they had opened a retail operation, and stopped by. Got some fresh pheasant, frozen quail and boned duck..excellent. The pheasant at the grocery store is 9.99 a lb...at the Farm, it's 4.99.

There was a blurb in the Times about them this weekend, and I headed over , after not being there for about 3 months.

They have really expanded..chicken pot pies, Robert Rothschild Farms mustards and preserves, an Amish line of pickeld products, most the D'artagnan packaged sausages...because of the press, they were pretty much wiped out..I bought a pheasant, some Raspberry Wasabi mustard, a frozen chicken pot pie, a few tiny poussins, ( jeez, I still think of Cabrales when I type that!) and some pickled eggs. ( Pickeld eggs were pickled in a brine WAY too sweet for me..Amish products are usually sweeter than I like, but it was worth a shot for 4 bucks...)

If you live in central NJ, it is worth a visit..and if you are a game bird afficianado, it is worth a longer trip.

Griggstown Farm Market

986 Canal Road

Princeton,NJ 08540

www.griggstownquailfarm.com

Edited February 26, 2004 by Kim WB (log)

[Rosie]

Thanks Kim for the informative post.

[helenas]

Bringing this thread to the top with couple of updates:

An excellent article appeared recently in The Star Ledger and prompted my visit to the farm in search of an appropriate thanksgiving bird.

I stopped by their market last Tue to pick up my fresh quails order and coudn't refused getting a fresh pheasant as well.

Quails were spatchcocked and marinated in raz-al-hanout and lime and made under the brick. Best quails ever!

The pheasant had a sligtly more sophisticated preparation: joined and marinated overnight in thyme and rosemary: legs and wings were confited, and breasts were halved and pan roasted pancetta wrapped, using the mamster's excellent idea (see his pancetta embossed chicken thigs elsewhere in egullet). This was an amazing dish - crown jewel of the thanksgiving table.

While searching for this thread i stumbled on several posts of people raving about Griggstown quails and pheasant they tasted in restaurants - well, now we can do it at home: i'll definitely be back soon for some nice ducks and poussins and quials and of course incomparable pheasants... Pheasant terrine anyone?

[Rosie]

There was also an article in the November issue of New Jersey Monthly magazine p 97 by someone named Rosalie Saferstein!

[camper]

The birds from Griggstown Farms are absolutely wonderful. Most of the restaurants in the princeton area use them. I also believe that the market there is expanding to offer catered goods and a larger line of specialty items. A former cook from the Ryland Inn is running the show.

[helenas]

Stopped by Griggstown yesterday for quails but their fresh chickens looked so irresistible i ended up getting one as well.

That was in fact a very smart choice: one of the best chickens i had in recent memory (i usually buy Eberly's or Bell&Evans).