NJDan
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First Name: Dan
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Post by NJDan on Jul 17, 2024 17:58:26 GMT -5
Hello all, I thought I’d start a thread for folks to share their favorite local summertime delicacies. Here are a few from the Garden State: 1. Tomatoes. We’re just coming into peak season, and I’ll eat a local tomato like an apple, or in a gazpacho. Or like Tony Soprano, Romas in a gravy. Or best yet, just sliced with olive oil and salt. 2. Soft shell crabs. Every summer I have at least two soft shell dinners. I feel sorry for the little buggers, but I clean them and immediately they go into flour and a skillet with browned butter. A squeeze of lemon closes the deal. If I’m feeling fancy, they’ll get sprinkled with a few capers. 3. Pickles. Later in the season I load up on cucumbers and peppers and make refrigerator pickles. If I’m lucky they’ll last until mid-October. 4. White sweet corn. If you’ve had it from South Jersey, no more needs to be said. If you haven’t, well, you’ve never had corn.  5. Fresh limas. I know, everyone hates limas. But fresh from the field, with local corn and peppers, they make a luscious succotash. Given this gawd awful heat, I have to remind myself of the bounty that comes with summer. I’d be interested in what you look forward to in your neck of the woods. Cheers! |
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Post by urbino on Jul 17, 2024 18:13:10 GMT -5
Hello all, I thought I’d start a thread for folks to share their favorite local summertime delicacies. Here are a few from the Garden State: 1. Tomatoes. We’re just coming into peak season, and I’ll eat a local tomato like an apple, or in a gazpacho. Or like Tony Soprano, Romas in a gravy. Or best yet, just sliced with olive oil and salt. 2. Soft shell crabs. Every summer I have at least two soft shell dinners. I feel sorry for the little buggers, but I clean them and immediately they go into flour and a skillet with browned butter. A squeeze of lemon closes the deal. If I’m feeling fancy, they’ll get sprinkled with a few capers. 3. Pickles. Later in the season I load up on cucumbers and peppers and make refrigerator pickles. If I’m lucky they’ll last until mid-October. 4. White sweet corn. If you’ve had it from South Jersey, no more needs to be said. If you haven’t, well, you’ve never had corn. 5. Fresh limas. I know, everyone hates limas. But fresh from the field, with local corn and peppers, they make a luscious succotash. Given this gawd awful heat, I have to remind myself of the bounty that comes with summer. I’d be interested in what you look forward to in your neck of the woods. Cheers! The first 2 that come to mind for this area are strawberries and watermelons. |
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NJDan
Full Member
Posts: 547
First Name: Dan
Location:
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Post by NJDan on Jul 17, 2024 18:21:44 GMT -5
Hello all, I thought I’d start a thread for folks to share their favorite local summertime delicacies. Here are a few from the Garden State: 1. Tomatoes. We’re just coming into peak season, and I’ll eat a local tomato like an apple, or in a gazpacho. Or like Tony Soprano, Romas in a gravy. Or best yet, just sliced with olive oil and salt. 2. Soft shell crabs. Every summer I have at least two soft shell dinners. I feel sorry for the little buggers, but I clean them and immediately they go into flour and a skillet with browned butter. A squeeze of lemon closes the deal. If I’m feeling fancy, they’ll get sprinkled with a few capers. 3. Pickles. Later in the season I load up on cucumbers and peppers and make refrigerator pickles. If I’m lucky they’ll last until mid-October. 4. White sweet corn. If you’ve had it from South Jersey, no more needs to be said. If you haven’t, well, you’ve never had corn. 5. Fresh limas. I know, everyone hates limas. But fresh from the field, with local corn and peppers, they make a luscious succotash. Given this gawd awful heat, I have to remind myself of the bounty that comes with summer. I’d be interested in what you look forward to in your neck of the woods. Cheers! The first 2 that come to mind for this area are strawberries and watermelons. Two of my wife’s favorites. I’m ok with strawberries but don’t go nuts over them. I never liked watermelon. My loss. we also have good local peaches, which are nice. And blueberries. In the fall, there are still a few cranberry bogs in operation. Lots of good stuff. |
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Post by turbocat on Jul 17, 2024 18:36:53 GMT -5
In Michigan, between our abundance of water and generally great soil, virtually every plant that can handle our somewhat shorter growing season does fantastic. I don’t have any particular favorites, more so the availability of so much nice local produce.
The things that Michigan tends to be known for is cherries. Potatoes, beans and corn for eating rather than the industrial use corn that many other states known for corn have moved to growing, are notable. Again, due to plentiful water, cucumbers, squash and watermelon are really nice here as well. I guess I appreciate the bounty the most.
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Post by username on Jul 17, 2024 18:38:35 GMT -5
Only thing that comes to mind is hatch chili's and that's a state over.
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NJDan
Full Member
Posts: 547
First Name: Dan
Location:
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Post by NJDan on Jul 17, 2024 18:49:20 GMT -5
In Michigan, between our abundance of water and generally great soil, virtually every plant that can handle our somewhat shorter growing season does fantastic. I don’t have any particular favorites, more so the availability of so much nice local produce. The things that Michigan tends to be known for is cherries. Potatoes, beans and corn for eating rather than the industrial use corn that many other states known for corn have moved to growing, are notable. Again, due to plentiful water, cucumbers, squash and watermelon are really nice here as well. I guess I appreciate the bounty the most. I didn’t know about Michigan cherries. Apart from peaches, there aren’t an abundance of orchards. In colonial times, apples were abundant and the drink of choice was apple brandy (Laird’s still produces “Jersey Lightning”). But nowadays the best apples are shipped in from upstate New York. |
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Post by Silver on Jul 17, 2024 18:58:06 GMT -5
In Michigan, between our abundance of water and generally great soil, virtually every plant that can handle our somewhat shorter growing season does fantastic. I don’t have any particular favorites, more so the availability of so much nice local produce. The things that Michigan tends to be known for is cherries. Potatoes, beans and corn for eating rather than the industrial use corn that many other states known for corn have moved to growing, are notable. Again, due to plentiful water, cucumbers, squash and watermelon are really nice here as well. I guess I appreciate the bounty the most. Anything from my SE Michigan garden. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and apples are the fruits I grow. Early veggies are radishes and lettuce. Then, beets, turnips, sweet peppers, chiles, tomatoes (LOTS of them this year), eggplant, cucumbers, basil, dill, thyme, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, broccoli, zucchini, kale, pole beans and more lettuce. I might be forgetting a couple things. |
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Post by turbocat on Jul 17, 2024 19:07:50 GMT -5
In Michigan, between our abundance of water and generally great soil, virtually every plant that can handle our somewhat shorter growing season does fantastic. I don’t have any particular favorites, more so the availability of so much nice local produce. The things that Michigan tends to be known for is cherries. Potatoes, beans and corn for eating rather than the industrial use corn that many other states known for corn have moved to growing, are notable. Again, due to plentiful water, cucumbers, squash and watermelon are really nice here as well. I guess I appreciate the bounty the most. Anything from my SE Michigan garden. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and apples are the fruits I grow. Early veggies are radishes and lettuce. Then, beets, turnips, sweet peppers, chiles, tomatoes (LOTS of them this year), eggplant, cucumbers, basil, dill, thyme, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, broccoli, zucchini, kale, pole beans and more lettuce. I might be forgetting a couple things. Yup. I’ve got a friend who lives in the thumb who comes to Detroit fairly often and she will drop off bags of the most wonderful produce from local farms around her. Such a wonderful change from the off season stuff. |
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NJDan
Full Member
Posts: 547
First Name: Dan
Location:
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Post by NJDan on Jul 17, 2024 19:09:00 GMT -5
In Michigan, between our abundance of water and generally great soil, virtually every plant that can handle our somewhat shorter growing season does fantastic. I don’t have any particular favorites, more so the availability of so much nice local produce. The things that Michigan tends to be known for is cherries. Potatoes, beans and corn for eating rather than the industrial use corn that many other states known for corn have moved to growing, are notable. Again, due to plentiful water, cucumbers, squash and watermelon are really nice here as well. I guess I appreciate the bounty the most. Anything from my SE Michigan garden. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and apples are the fruits I grow. Early veggies are radishes and lettuce. Then, beets, turnips, sweet peppers, chiles, tomatoes (LOTS of them this year), eggplant, cucumbers, basil, dill, thyme, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, broccoli, zucchini, kale, pole beans and more lettuce. I might be forgetting a couple things. Sounds like heaven. |
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Post by Silver on Jul 17, 2024 19:21:53 GMT -5
Anything from my SE Michigan garden. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and apples are the fruits I grow. Early veggies are radishes and lettuce. Then, beets, turnips, sweet peppers, chiles, tomatoes (LOTS of them this year), eggplant, cucumbers, basil, dill, thyme, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, broccoli, zucchini, kale, pole beans and more lettuce. I might be forgetting a couple things. Sounds like heaven. When people see my backyard, which includes trees, shrubs, flowering plants in the beds; plus lots of pots, containers and hanging baskets, in addition to the vegetable garden boxes, they say it looks like a lot of work. It is, I suppose. The beer tastes so good afterwards. Plus, I make my doctor happy. |
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Post by turbocat on Jul 17, 2024 19:24:47 GMT -5
In Michigan, between our abundance of water and generally great soil, virtually every plant that can handle our somewhat shorter growing season does fantastic. I don’t have any particular favorites, more so the availability of so much nice local produce. The things that Michigan tends to be known for is cherries. Potatoes, beans and corn for eating rather than the industrial use corn that many other states known for corn have moved to growing, are notable. Again, due to plentiful water, cucumbers, squash and watermelon are really nice here as well. I guess I appreciate the bounty the most. I didn’t know about Michigan cherries. Apart from peaches, there aren’t an abundance of orchards. In colonial times, apples were abundant and the drink of choice was apple brandy (Laird’s still produces “Jersey Lightning”). But nowadays the best apples are shipped in from upstate New York. Some time ago I had a burst of reading colonial and revolutionary era writings and I can’t remember what it was from but I do remember the quote, which went something like “The finest and also most potentially ruinous to a man applejack is found in New Jersey” 🙂 |
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Post by Silver on Jul 17, 2024 19:30:27 GMT -5
Michigan cherries are mostly pie cherries. There are also vineyards in the same part of the state, around Traverse City. Peaches are grown closer to home, along with apples. It's a ritual for a lot of folks around here to go to the Peach Festival on Labor Day weekend and hit the apple orchards in the fall.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 17, 2024 19:55:41 GMT -5
Hello all, I thought I’d start a thread for folks to share their favorite local summertime delicacies. Here are a few from the Garden State: 1. Tomatoes. We’re just coming into peak season, and I’ll eat a local tomato like an apple, or in a gazpacho. Or like Tony Soprano, Romas in a gravy. Or best yet, just sliced with olive oil and salt. 2. Soft shell crabs. Every summer I have at least two soft shell dinners. I feel sorry for the little buggers, but I clean them and immediately they go into flour and a skillet with browned butter. A squeeze of lemon closes the deal. If I’m feeling fancy, they’ll get sprinkled with a few capers. 3. Pickles. Later in the season I load up on cucumbers and peppers and make refrigerator pickles. If I’m lucky they’ll last until mid-October. 4. White sweet corn. If you’ve had it from South Jersey, no more needs to be said. If you haven’t, well, you’ve never had corn. 5. Fresh limas. I know, everyone hates limas. But fresh from the field, with local corn and peppers, they make a luscious succotash. Given this gawd awful heat, I have to remind myself of the bounty that comes with summer. I’d be interested in what you look forward to in your neck of the woods. Cheers! My family loves lima beans. |
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Post by Silver on Jul 17, 2024 19:58:53 GMT -5
Hello all, I thought I’d start a thread for folks to share their favorite local summertime delicacies. Here are a few from the Garden State: 1. Tomatoes. We’re just coming into peak season, and I’ll eat a local tomato like an apple, or in a gazpacho. Or like Tony Soprano, Romas in a gravy. Or best yet, just sliced with olive oil and salt. 2. Soft shell crabs. Every summer I have at least two soft shell dinners. I feel sorry for the little buggers, but I clean them and immediately they go into flour and a skillet with browned butter. A squeeze of lemon closes the deal. If I’m feeling fancy, they’ll get sprinkled with a few capers. 3. Pickles. Later in the season I load up on cucumbers and peppers and make refrigerator pickles. If I’m lucky they’ll last until mid-October. 4. White sweet corn. If you’ve had it from South Jersey, no more needs to be said. If you haven’t, well, you’ve never had corn. 5. Fresh limas. I know, everyone hates limas. But fresh from the field, with local corn and peppers, they make a luscious succotash. Given this gawd awful heat, I have to remind myself of the bounty that comes with summer. I’d be interested in what you look forward to in your neck of the woods. Cheers! My family loves lima beans. Soft shell crabs, mmm. |
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NJDan
Full Member
Posts: 547
First Name: Dan
Location:
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Post by NJDan on Jul 17, 2024 20:14:44 GMT -5
I didn’t know about Michigan cherries. Apart from peaches, there aren’t an abundance of orchards. In colonial times, apples were abundant and the drink of choice was apple brandy (Laird’s still produces “Jersey Lightning”). But nowadays the best apples are shipped in from upstate New York. Some time ago I had a burst of reading colonial and revolutionary era writings and I can’t remember what it was from but I do remember the quote, which went something like “The finest and also most potentially ruinous to a man applejack is found in New Jersey” 🙂 Cider and applejack were big back when. Pine Barrens lore is full of cautionary tales. A big jug of applejack may be the genesis for Jersey Devil stories. A fun historical tale occurred in old Salem, NJ. Folks thought tomatoes were poisonous, and a local worthy (Robert Gibbon Johnson) consumed a number of them on the steps of the courthouse in Salem to prove a point. |
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NJDan
Full Member
Posts: 547
First Name: Dan
Location:
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Post by NJDan on Jul 17, 2024 20:16:58 GMT -5
My family loves lima beans. Soft shell crabs, mmm. We’re friends with a family that crabs commercially, and get them same day as they’re pulled out of the bay. Lively nice sized little critters. One of the best parts of summer for me. |
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Post by don on Jul 18, 2024 22:10:53 GMT -5
Olathe sweet corn, Rocky Ford cantaloupes and Palisade peaches. All are delicious.
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Post by trailboss on Jul 18, 2024 22:46:29 GMT -5
Olathe sweet corn, Rocky Ford cantaloupes and Palisade peaches. All are delicious. Colorado is thought of as a mountainous state, therefore not thought of necessarily as a powerful agricultural state, but they bring some great products to the table. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 18, 2024 23:54:40 GMT -5
Olathe sweet corn, Rocky Ford cantaloupes and Palisade peaches. All are delicious. Colorado is thought of as a mountainous state, therefore not thought of necessarily as a powerful agricultural state, but they bring some great products to the table. We had a client in southern Colorado that was one of the largest potato producers in the country. By the New Mexico border is hundreds of miles of great farmland. |
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Post by trailboss on Jul 19, 2024 19:34:04 GMT -5
Arizona is not thought of as producing seasonal delicacies, but when the season ends in John Steinbeck’s Salinas valley, the chill plants close down and the resources move to Yuma, a rich agricultural area that delivers everything you would want in a salad, true… much of it comes from neighboring Mexico and the inland empire of southern California. Kind of like a golden triangle of what gives us vegetables and fruits to enjoy in winter that thanks to modern transportation is available when you live in a snowy clime.
Wintertime in Arizona produced some great finds at our wekend ffarmers markets, fresh Asparagus, broccoli, strawberries (Salinas are superior for strawberries)
We also have a lot of honey producers that are specific on what the bees feed on… I hear that it is beneficial and people rave about it, but I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
Southern Arizona produces some great walnuts, and stone fruit.
Although I live in cactusville, it all isn’t that way!
😉
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Post by username on Jul 19, 2024 19:50:34 GMT -5
Arizona produces some great walnuts, and stone fruit. Although I live in cactusville, it all isn’t that way! 😉 I forgot about the apples in Willcox at apple Annie's. |
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 21, 2024 18:43:08 GMT -5
Speaking of tomatoes Mine has stopped producing. I'm new to Florida, and my neighbors are telling me it's too hot for them now. I got a lot of cherry tomatoes from this plant, but then it stopped producing. It has 16 to 18 clusters of flowers on it - and some of these clusters have been in bloom for a month! But no new green tomatoes. Must be the expressive heat. About ready to cut it down.  |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 22, 2024 11:04:41 GMT -5
Speaking of tomatoes Mine has stopped producing. I'm new to Florida, and my neighbors are telling me it's too hot for them now. I got a lot of cherry tomatoes from this plant, but then it stopped producing. It has 16 to 18 clusters of flowers on it - and some of these clusters have been in bloom for a month! But no new green tomatoes. Must be the expressive heat. About ready to cut it down. You have to use blossom set when you don't have a big enough garden to attract pollinators. One bottle will last you for life. |
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Post by Darin on Jul 23, 2024 15:44:26 GMT -5
Probably the most "local" delicacies are Prickly Pear Fruit. As Charlie mentioned, we've got some great desert honey from Mesquite and wildflowers. Also, less rare, my Pecan trees provide a good amount of nuts each year.
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Post by toshtego on Jul 23, 2024 16:15:45 GMT -5
Colorado is thought of as a mountainous state, therefore not thought of necessarily as a powerful agricultural state, but they bring some great products to the table. We had a client in southern Colorado that was one of the largest potato producers in the country. By the New Mexico border is hundreds of miles of great farmland. What is name. I might know him. |
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Post by trailboss on Jul 23, 2024 16:28:58 GMT -5
We have black grapes from Mexico, and cherries from Washington, both are phenomenal.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 24, 2024 14:36:56 GMT -5
Beef, watermelons, corn, greens and peas. Lots of catfish that's farmed just across the border.
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Post by zambini on Jul 27, 2024 12:10:22 GMT -5
What I'm looking forward to down here is:
1. Chiles en nogada - poblano peppers stuffed with fruit and meat topped with a walnut sauce and pomegranate far too complex for me to do it justice in a one line description (August-September),
2. Mole de cadera (not the same as Huaxmole) - a goat based stew made from grass fed goats that have been driven to the coast (October),
3. Nanche candy - nance in its own syrup (December),
4. Pulque - fermented maguey juice (almost year round).
Escamole (ant larvae) season finished early this year because of the rains.
Puebla really is a foodies paradise.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 27, 2024 12:28:31 GMT -5
What I'm looking forward to down here is: 1. Chiles en nogada - poblano peppers stuffed with fruit and meat topped with a walnut sauce and pomegranate far too complex for me to do it justice in a one line description (August-September), 2. Mole de cadera (not the same as Huaxmole) - a goat based stew made from grass fed goats that have been driven to the coast (October), 3. Nanche candy - nance in its own syrup (December), 4. Pulque - fermented maguey juice (almost year round). Escamole (ant larvae) season finished early this year because of the rains. Puebla really is a foodies paradise. We used to have a Mexican restaurant in Houston that served a version of the pepper. They used a bell pepper and raisins for the fruit and pecans and it was wonderful. I've tried to recreate it with no luck. The only mole I've had was in Cuernavaca, at the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. It wasn't my thing. Let's just say that at one time I liked pulque and I hope that never happens again. |
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Post by zambini on Jul 27, 2024 12:38:43 GMT -5
What I'm looking forward to down here is: 1. Chiles en nogada - poblano peppers stuffed with fruit and meat topped with a walnut sauce and pomegranate far too complex for me to do it justice in a one line description (August-September), 2. Mole de cadera (not the same as Huaxmole) - a goat based stew made from grass fed goats that have been driven to the coast (October), 3. Nanche candy - nance in its own syrup (December), 4. Pulque - fermented maguey juice (almost year round). Escamole (ant larvae) season finished early this year because of the rains. Puebla really is a foodies paradise. We used to have a Mexican restaurant in Houston that served a version of the pepper. They used a bell pepper and raisins for the fruit and pecans and it was wonderful. I've tried to recreate it with no luck. The only mole I've had was in Cuernavaca, at the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. It wasn't my thing. Let's just say that at one time I liked pulque and I hope that never happens again. And here I was about to suggest getting pulque next time you're down here. I know a place called Liver-pulque that is really trying to class things up. |
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