New Jersey Farmer's Markets

[wilsonrabbit]

I swung by the West Windsor Farmer's Market yesterday (open 9-1) and they had some great produce people with huge kholrabi and more. I got some delicious looking romaine, thai eggplants, beets, beans...probably more. There were also a meat guy (pheasant, chicken, duck...), a plant farm, an herbal place (for teas and what not) and some hospital (?) group giving free blood pressure monitoring. I think there was more but I can't think at the moment.

[menton1]

I went to the Englewood Farmers Market on Friday. There are about 5 vendors. Two with produce, I got some very nice blueberries, cherries, zukes, tomatoes and romanesque broccoflower (?). There's a pickle guy (not Picklicious), the same bread baker as years past, fresh mozzarella (and frozen fish and meat entrees) vender.

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Tomatoes??!! Hmmm. Any tomato plants up this way have fruit now that is hard and green.

That's what I dislike about some of these vendors, they just are allowed to sell anything, whether they grow it or not. Something of the order of the "Italian" olive oils in the supermarket that really are from Spain. Shame.

[Jason Perlow]

There's this new technology called a greenhouse that allows you to grow tomatoes year-round. It's quite fascinating really, but I'm such a Luddite that the whole idea scares the bejeezus out of me.

[ghostrider]

Tomatoes??!!  Hmmm.  Any tomato plants up this way have fruit now that is hard and green. 

That's what I dislike about some of these vendors, they just are allowed to sell anything, whether they grow it or not.  Something of the order of the "Italian" olive oils in the supermarket that really are from Spain.  Shame.

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They're allowed to sell it, but they aren't allowed to have a "Jersey Fresh" sign on it, at least as I understand the system.

Whether you can trust their sign placeage is another matter, of course.

[suzilightning]

here's last week's post but i think since we are into 2006 this deserves it's own topic:

well, lafayette, the closest one to me opened today between the pouring rain...

not much yet but some old regulars were there;

Windy Brow Orchards - blueberry crumb pie for johnnybird and their cherries

DanaRay Farms - some nice fresh herbs and fresh swiss chard as well as some of their homemade goat milk soap

met a new guy who does organic free-range pig and cow - we will be talking later

another farm(can't remember their name and i buy from them all the time - bad susan)- had potted herbs, lettuces, first bright, vibrant summer squash, rhubarb, potatoes, strawberries, garlic and garlic scrapes and beautiful beets(which i didn't buy since johnnybird won't touch them - his quote "they taste like dirt")

missing this time but hopefully back soon: the raspberry guys, the cheese guy from lafayette(really good cheddar and dilled colby he makes)and the goat cheese people.

maybe even Westfall Winery who make some nice whites with local grapes.

hmm.... i see a squash frittata with sauteed chard and garlic for dinner

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went today and there was much more variety - sour cherries and the best blueberry pie with crust(as opposed to crumb topping) from Windy Brow, the first thin yellow and green beans and lovely English peas and i'm told the first of the season's local tomatoes will be next week.

most interesting thing this week was a new cheese guy - Farmstead Fresh from PA. they make raw milk cheese. i bought a small piece of cheddar to see if johnnybird could handle it - it is aged a year. their website: http://www.farmsteadfresh.com/

unfortunatly danaray was out of the new red cabbage.

how were your experiences?

[zhelder]

Sounds really good. Guess I'll have to get a cooler ready and make the trip sometime this summer!

[Dana329]

For a lot of Bergen County, Tuxedo is actually closer than Nyack. Stright shot up 17 less than 20 minutes from Ramsey.

Dana

[suzilightning]

but zhelder, aren't you closer to larger farmer's markets?

the other thing i find interesting is that the "local" artisinal cheesemaker isn't represented here - guess because another 20-30 minutes and you are at his farm. yet we have a raw cheese maker from PA.

pm me if you do decide to head up this way - maybe we can carpool to other places to save gas!

[Rachel Perlow]

There was no "grown in New Jersey" sign on the tomatoes, I needed tomatoes, I bought some.

As for all this NY farmers market discussion, there is another forum for that, please post about these markets in the NY forum. Thank you.

[dbrociner]

Fro those interested, I asked the Jam Man today what other shows he does. Sadly, the only two shows he does in NJ are Ridgewood and Fort Lee. He does shows in Nyack, Bronxville, Tuxedo, and Peekskill as well. I guess between Ridgewood and Fort Lee (and perhaps Nyack too), pretty much anyone in Bergen County can go to one of the markets without having to make a crazy trip.

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Thanks for the follow up. I just tivo'd a "Good Eats" about jams and preserves maybe I'll make my own. Maybe I'll also die of botulism. Probably should just shell out the $6 a jar and quit bitching.

[Anonymouze]

Back to the topic at hand!

The River Vale Farmers Market opens THIS Thursday! Noon until 6PM.

http://www.rivervalenj.org/

I hope to be able to run over and get something if not this week, next.

[Cook456]

There's this new technology called a greenhouse that allows you to grow tomatoes year-round. It's quite fascinating really, but I'm such a Luddite that the whole idea scares the bejeezus out of me.

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Bought a tomatoe at the Montclair market. Didn't look or taste like a Jersey tomatoe at all. Should have know better..

[Anonymouze]

Cook456 - Bought a  tomato at the Montclair market.  Didn't look or taste like a Jersey tomato at all.  Should have know better...

You see we in NJ use a special mix of chemical waste, biological waste, various toxins such as toluene, radon gas by-products and dead folk's (see the legend of Jimmy Hoffa!) to create that special NJ tomato taste that you mentioned. You should try the NJ sweet corn as well... toxic waste goes a long way these days to make food tastier!

I wonder if one day someone will market this mix as a special "plant additive"?! In the mean time I have 2 more days to go before I hit the Farmer's Market!

[Cook456]

Cook456 - Bought a  tomato at the Montclair market.  Didn't look or taste like a Jersey tomato at all.  Should have know better...

You see we in NJ use a special mix of chemical waste, biological waste, various toxins such as toluene, radon gas by-products and dead folk's (see the legend of Jimmy Hoffa!) to create that special NJ tomato taste that you mentioned. You should try the NJ sweet corn as well... toxic waste goes a long way these days to make food tastier!

I wonder if one day someone will market this mix as a special "plant additive"?! In the mean time I have 2 more days to go before I hit the Farmer's Market!

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I have a friend whose husband bred and raced homing pigeons..He used their"waste products" as a fertilizer...They had the best tomotoes...lol

[Josefinajoisey]

The NJ state web site has a listing of all the local farmers market..just put in the county. It seems fairly up-to-date (and it's open, unlike most other state services!)

http://www.state.nj.us/jerseyfresh/searches/urban.htm

Hopefully the Rutherford market will acquire a few more vendors.

[menton1]

Cook456 - Bought a  tomato at the Montclair market.  Didn't look or taste like a Jersey tomato at all.  Should have know better...

You see we in NJ use a special mix of chemical waste, biological waste, various toxins such as toluene, radon gas by-products and dead folk's (see the legend of Jimmy Hoffa!) to create that special NJ tomato taste that you mentioned. You should try the NJ sweet corn as well... toxic waste goes a long way these days to make food tastier!

I wonder if one day someone will market this mix as a special "plant additive"?! In the mean time I have 2 more days to go before I hit the Farmer's Market!

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Well, New Jersey bashing is a popular sport for folks that don't know better, but, living in NJ, it is not any worse that most other States in the country. Sussex county, Hunterdon, Warren, have some goregous pristine countryside.

The world is polluted, this is not a New Jersey problem, let's not add to the foolishness of "what exit" or the smokestacks near Exit 13. New Jersey is a great state!!

[Anonymouze]

Cook456 - Bought a  tomato at the Montclair market.  Didn't look or taste like a Jersey tomato at all.  Should have know better...

You see we in NJ use a special mix of chemical waste, biological waste, various toxins such as toluene, radon gas by-products and dead folk's (see the legend of Jimmy Hoffa!) to create that special NJ tomato taste that you mentioned. You should try the NJ sweet corn as well... toxic waste goes a long way these days to make food tastier!

I wonder if one day someone will market this mix as a special "plant additive"?! In the mean time I have 2 more days to go before I hit the Farmer's Market!

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Well, New Jersey bashing is a popular sport for folks that don't know better, but, living in NJ, it is not any worse that most other States in the country. Sussex county, Hunterdon, Warren, have some goregous pristine countryside.

The world is polluted, this is not a New Jersey problem, let's not add to the foolishness of "what exit" or the smokestacks near Exit 13. New Jersey is a great state!!

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Sorry Menton but I use "governmental statistics" to base my comments on... see this: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Waste/w...es%20by%20State

Who is #1 for the National Priorities List for the United States?! NJ with PA coming in a close second. So you are incorrect and lacking accuracy when you say "foolishness" about typical comments that are based on truths or are simply truths, and that " New Jersey bashing is a popular sport for folks that don't know better" - I DO KNOW BETTER!!!!! and obviously you do not.

Back to the topic at hand - without "baiting" by other folks. NJ has great tasting tomatoes and you can argue why, however like backsides and opinions - everyone has one. Just some are more noticable than others.

[tommy]

i have to say that jersey tomatoes have never impressed me (jersey, however, does, as i've chosen to live here and i could live anywhere on the planet). they're only passable for a small window during the year, and even then they're not exactly remarkable, not much unlike most non-heirloom tomatoes. the heirlooms in my backyard are already better than anything i'll get from the bulk of jersey farms.

see this: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Waste/w...es%20by%20State

btw, those stas are 10 years old. regardless, i don't think there's any correlation btwn the numbers on that web page and the soil/air/water quality of NJ's farms.

[Cook456]

i have to say that jersey tomatoes have never impressed me  (jersey, however, does, as i've chosen to live here and i could live anywhere on the planet).  they're only passable for a small window during the year, and even then they're not exactly remarkable, not much unlike most non-heirloom tomatoes.  the heirlooms in my backyard are already better than anything i'll get from the bulk of jersey farms.

see this: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Waste/w...es%20by%20State

btw, those stas are 10 years old. regardless, i don't think there's any correlation btwn the numbers on that web page and the soil/air/water quality of NJ's farms.

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"the heirlooms in my backyard "

Tommy,

If you wind up with too many, let me know...

[rooftop1000]

Putting this back to fruit etc.....

do you sniff your potential purchases?

tracey

[Cook456]

Putting this back to fruit etc.....

do you sniff your potential purchases?

tracey

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Absolutely, when it comes to peaches.

I was dissapointed that my favorite stand at the Montclair market had very little peaches. She said it's just the begining of the season and will have them thru mid September.

[ghostrider]

??? Matarazzo's, who are at both Montclair & Rutherford, had killer peaches here on Weds. Not huge, but ripe & flavorful!

The other guy at Rutherford had great peaches 2 weeks ago.

Do you have another fave farm?

[Cook456]

???  Matarazzo's, who are at both Montclair & Rutherford,  had  killer  peaches here on Weds.  Not huge, but ripe & flavorful!

The other guy at Rutherford had great peaches 2 weeks ago.

Do you have another fave farm?

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Tree Liscious is the vendor I usually go to.

The Rutherford Market closes by the time I get home, so Montclair is the only only close that I can buy at.

[suzilightning]

yesterday it was:

raspberries and peaches from Windy Brow(john is away in vt. so no pie this week)

radishes from DanaRay (the lady ahead of me took the last of the mustard greens)

potatoes, bi-colored corn, zucchini, kirby cucumber, zucchini - yellow and green, white onions, wax beans and heirloom tomatoes from Valley View Farm

dinner last night was a salad with those radishes and the cuke, grilled onion, potato salad, corn and some ny strip steaks i picked up. dessert was raspberries and peaches with vanilla yoghurt.

[Randi]

Is anyone familiar with Hoboken Farms? They are at several of the NJ farmers markets.

We buy from them at the one in Metuchen. They have baked goods from Balthazar, plus fresh mozzarella, ravioli, and frozen meats, chicken and seafood, some prepared and some plain.

The mozzarella is amazing. And the burgers are great. I just saw on their website that they are Omaha Steaks Burgers - which surprised me. I had heard Omaha was nothing special.

I've tried their crabcakes, and that was the only thing I wasn't thrilled with, but I am reallllly picky about crab cakes. Oh, and we got a loaf of bread which was terrific, but some individual size pastries that weren't as great - but I think that could have been because the day was really humid.

Does anyone else have experience with Hoboken Farms?