Eating Local for the Holidays

Eating local in New Jersey is a piece of cake throughout late spring and summer; peaches, blueberries, apples and winter squash cycle through my personal menu as the growing season progresses. But as we approach the holiday season, a time to eat drink and be merry (in excess), I’m finding it a bit more challenging to find local sources for my favorite holiday indulgences. It’s my own personal goal to buy as much local produce this winter as I can, and in my research (and through word of mouth), I’ve found that some things are still easy to find once you put your head to it. Fresh eggs, butter, turkey, popcorn, cheese, potatoes, fresh baked goods and fruit preserves from the summer are still around in the local farmers market’s that stay open all year.

If you hurry up and buy a half bushel of apples from Melick’s Farm or Riamede in Chester, you can make about 12 pints of this easy applesauce recipe to keep you warm through the cold weather. It’s great on pumpkin pancakes!

Easy Baked Applesauce (cooked in small batches)

6-8 Apples (I prefer red apples like Macoun, but they all work!)

Zest and juice of 1 orange

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

1 Tablespoon of light brown sugar

2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 Teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/8 Teaspoon ground cloves

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Peel, quarter and core the apples. Toss juice, sugar and spices with apples. Pour apples into a deep glass baking dish or corning ware, and dot pieces of the butter around the top of the apples. Cover the dish with a glass lid or aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Once removed from the oven, the apples can be easily mashed. If you scoop the applesauce right away into clean mason jars (while it is still hot), the jars will seal themselves as they cool and the sauce will keep for a few months.


isit JerseyFresh.com to find great local places to find just what you need for the holidays, to support the farmers and other merchants that hail from New Jersey, and to reduce your carbon footprint by eating from your neighborhood. Each listing of roadside markets will give you the location, hours and dates that the stand is open throughout the year, as well as what types of produce you can find there. I recommend Griggstown Quail Farm (Princeton) or Ashley Farms (Flanders) for fresh turkey, and Bobolink Dairy (Milford) for some great cheese and bread!

Alstede Farms

84 County Route 513 (old Rt. 24), Chester

(908) 879-7189

http://www.alstedefarms.com/

Preserves, winter vegetables, cider, baked goods


Amwell Valley Organic Grains

81 Dunkard Church Rd., Ringoes

(609) 397-4583

http://www.farmersteve.com/

NOFA Certified Organic Popcorn


Ashley Farms

25 Hillside Ave., Flanders

(973) 584-7578

http://www.ashleyfarmsonline.com/

Turkey, preserves, winter vegetables, cider, baked goods


Griggstown Quail Farm

986 Canal Rd., Princeton

(908) 359-5218

http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/



Melick's Town Farm

170 Oldwick Rd., Oldwick

(908) 439-3888

http://www.melickstownfarm.com/








Valley Shepherd Creamery

50 Fairmount Road, Long Valley

(908) 876-3200

www.valleyshepherd.com