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August 11, 2004 Destination shopping New Jersey's farmers' markets show off robust heaps of fresh produce
By LAURA SCHENONE
During this most political summer, when pundits and candidates remind us of our deep divisions, it's nice to know that there are some things we can agree on. Hold an election today, and it's highly likely that New Jerseyans - whether Bush supporters or Kerryites; whether from Hunterdon County or Hudson; whether vegan or carnivore - would overwhelmingly vote "yes" in favor of farmers' markets. No recounts necessary. We're not talking about those few and far between farm stands along quaint country roads. We're talking about the growing number of urban and suburban towns that organize weekly markets where farmers, cheese makers and bakers come to set up stalls under white tents. They transform the barren blacktops of municipal parking lots into lively places of commerce in the ancient human tradition of the open-air bazaar. No wonder the usual dividing lines of modern life seem to ease a bit here. Food grower and eater come together without the middleman. Strangers share cooking tips. Husbands and wives scrutinize the corn together. And people seem, well … just happier. We visited some New Jersey markets hoping to hear opinions and recipes from those shopping there. Along the way, we were able to conduct an independent and rather unscientific polling on the state of the Garden State. The news is this: It's been the best season in recent memory - with good sun, good rain, and no frost after Easter. And so the corn, peaches and tomatoes - that sacred New Jersey triumvirate - are in perfect form, ripe and ready for prime time. What to do with the fleeting and beautiful Jersey gems? "People tell me they're making crisps and cobblers," said Ginger Carlson one recent Saturday at the Montclair market. She stood before a table filled with just-picked yellow peaches, white peaches, nectarines and sugar plums from her family's Treelicious Orchards of Port Murray. "Pie crusts take some effort. But crisps are simple. You just slice the peaches in a pan and put a crumb on top," she explained. "And people get nostalgic about peaches. They want to make what their mother used to make." Ginger's own mom, Carol Kesler, still makes loads of crisps and pies, for sale alongside the fruit if you don't want to do it yourself. Simplicity reigns Random samplings of tomato buyers brought one remarkable finding. Shopper after shopper stated the exact same intentions for tomatoes - to mix them with mozzarella, basil and good olive oil. Who knew that this classic Italian Caprese salad had become a New Jersey classic? A couple of interesting variations came forth. Convent Station resident Patricia Parisi said she adds barley to hers - a recipe inspired by a dish once enjoyed in Tuscany. (Strange you might think, but it worked rather nicely if you like novelty). Crescentia Couthino was resisting the Mediterranean craze. She learned to cook from her mother in Bombay and planned to use her Jersey tomatoes in a sauté with fresh-picked green beans and the spices of her childhood: turmeric, cumin and coriander. When it came to corn, simplicity reigned supreme. Sure a couple of shoppers had big plans for corn salad - like Leslie Knowles at the West Orange market, who with her enthusiastic 6-year-old son Austin was found gathering up a dozen ears to be mixed with cilantro and scallion. But far and away the method of choice was corn cooked simply and eaten unadorned. "We boil it," said the Baines family in unison - mother, father and two daughters -strolling the Morristown market after church. Why? They laughed and answered all at once. "Because we're creatures of habit." "Because we're boring." "Because that's the way we always did it." Their plans for evening meal: Boiled corn, sliced tomatoes and barbecued steak. Nothing to be ashamed of in that. In fact, the farmer's market in August is really a study in the world's most healthful fast food. With fruits and vegetables at ultimate freshness, little cooking or effort is required. They can taste great with zero done to them. Supermarket produce can never reach this peak. "I can let the tomatoes go almost dead ripe on my plant," said Jeff O'Hara, owner of Union Hill Farm in Denville. "But anybody who's got to pick them for the wholesale market has to take them off the vine when they're barely pink." Even tomatoes picked in South Jersey have to be picked a couple days sooner so as to endure the travel. With corn, freshness is at an even greater premium. "We pick it every morning," says O'Hara. "We're up at 5 a.m., and we hit the field at 6. We encourage people to eat our corn the same day." What the farmers say "I like the interaction with the people," said John Melick of Melick's Town Farm, which specializes in tree fruit and vegetables grown in two locations: Oldwick and Lebanon. "It's the one time during the week when I get to absorb customer feedback. You develop friendships. I've been going to the market for seven years now." John attends the Hoboken market on Tuesdays. His brother Peter is at the Madison market on Thursdays, and his sister Rebecca works the Bound Brook/Highland Park market Saturdays. Their father George - who refers to himself as the old man - says that in their family, farming goes back to 1738. Like the Melicks, most of the farmers in these markets conduct family businesses, and hard labor comes with the bloodlines. In West Orange, 16-year-old Brandt Davis of Stony Hill farm in Chester said he works a total of five Jersey markets each week. His mother is up at 4 a.m. to begin her baking. And Brandt begins his day in the field with his father and brother as early as 5:30 a.m., picking corn. "It's very quiet in the field at that hour," he said. Some nights they don't get home from the markets until 10 and go to bed at midnight. Then it's up early again the next day. True none of the other kids in high school have a life like his. But Brandt was enthusiastic about his future as a farmer. And already he's an expert at answering customers' questions about melons and how to prepare corn. Idiosyncracies Each market seems to have its own idiosyncracies. In Hoboken, young professionals in a nondomestic phase of life buy small quantities for on-the-go eating and individual salads. In West Orange, an old world more serious kind of cook seems to prevail. We found Dorina Trusca, originally from Romania, buying an enormous quantity of peaches she could use to make jam to last the winter. A suitcase on wheels was all she needed to contain her purchase. Salete Ferreira held bags of tomatoes, potatoes and green beans intended for a soup, with chorizo sausage. Soup in summer? "The men like it," she explained. The farmers have their own idiosyncracies and specialties, too. George Fetzer of Valley View Farms in Newton grows a unique variety of red corn, garlic on the stalk and round squashes. Suemac Farms of Belvedere specializes in herbs. John Krueger of Starbrite Farm in Hardwick Township sells certified organic produce in Morristown, Montclair and Madison markets. He offers heirloom tomatoes and a popular Italian Chioggia beet that has red and white rings inside. "People roast them whole in the oven, then they peel, slice and put them in salads," he said. His heirloom rattlesnake bean - a green pole bean - has purple streaking and "is the sweetest and tenderest I ever tasted," he said, recommending them showcased in a raw crudite. Ging Lee, whose farm is in Pittstown, likes to decorate his stand with branches of dangling fruit, reminding us that yes, peach, leaf and tree were once one - and also that he picked them. He displays pictures of his land so you can see where the food comes from. And he'll take out more photos, too, if you ask. There is a reason why he feels this is important. Of about 60 markets in the state, all overseen by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, some 35 insist that their farmers sell only food that they grow, with just a few exceptions. But there are not enough small farmers in New Jersey with capacity to meet demand for these events. Some municipalities, such as Montclair, allow brokers to come in - not necessarily a bad thing, but not the same as buying from the person who grew your food. Also, brokers may gain an advantage of buying and selling at lower cost - right alongside the family farmers who put their lives in the land. This is why farmers such as Janet Michisk of Michisk Farms in Flemington say firmly, "I planted these seeds myself," gesturing toward her tomatoes. It is a point of pride. And while some people come for the quality, others come out to support this fact. Lisa Westheimer of West Orange said. "You go to the grocery store and you can't find a Jersey peach or tomato. If we don't support the family farmers, they won't be here anymore." Alas, there are no politics-free zones, and issues of free trade are always with us. But there's still lots to be optimistic about this August. Charlotte Taylor - with a bag full of tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers and eggplants bought at the Valley View Farm stand in West Orange - came marching up to speak her heart. "The food here is excellent," she said. "He's so nice. The quality is so great." George Fetzer, who'd just sold her the vegetables, said, "I have to participate in these farmers' markets. Without them, I'd be out of business." And so, Charlotte went home to make some ratatouille. Who can argue with that? |