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| Welcome to "The Garden State!" |
Local eaters like me eagerly await each new season that brings us back to the foods we love the most. It's kind of like getting a gift every single day, except we shop at our grocery store to feel wonder at our easy access to freshly grown food.
Most folks around the world don't know that every New Jersey license plate reads "The Garden State" underneath the vehicle's registered numbers, because much like New York, they have a lot of bad press to contend with. Ever see "The Sopranos" or "Jersey Shore"? 'Nuff said.
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| Trees, produce, and family horse farms are a big part of Jersey, too! |
For "tri-staters" like me (an urban/suburban/rural area that includes the parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut closest to "The City" that needs no other introduction), we also know it as the state the grows most of our most prized and delicious fruits and veggies.
The list of famous Jersey produce is like a "Who's Who" of the best American crops: sweet corn so good it needs no butter; rich, juicy tomatoes every Italian-American sweats over ("It's the sauce, boss!"), perfectly ripe, juicy peaches that melt in your mouth as the pit falls away from your hand when it's eaten at its' peak...it goes on and on.
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| Dressed with lemon, Parmesan, and sunflower seeds, pan-seared in butter. |
The borderline between New York and New Jersey is less than five minutes away from Rockland County, so my grocery store naturally stocks the best produce that's available. My handy little iPhone app tells me about each month's new growth, and that's backed up by the stock for sale on the shelves, or at the farmer's market.
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| Omelet with asparagus, toasted sunflower seeds, and sharp cheddar cheese, with a squeeze of lemon on top. |
This week, me and my other media pals reflect the same great taste: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/category/cooking/recipes/ and http://www.producepete.com/shows/asparagus.html.
Here's to you, "Asparagus". I hope we did you proud!
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| The proper way to store it: in the fridge and in water, like fresh cut flowers. Fresh asparagus only has a 2-3 day shelf life. |
