Restaurants Will Be Getting Fresh Next Week…Farm Fresh, That Is

Truth be told, many area restaurants are already using the bounty that our local farmers provide. But next week, there will be two events that will celebrate what The Garden State can put on a plate…ain’t that great?

Yes…yes it is. Now quit it with your goofy rhyming schemes and get on with it.

Right.

The main dining event next week will be SJ Hots Chefs’ Farm to Fork Week, which will run from July 17 to July 23. Some restaurants may start a day or two early and end the festivities a day or two later, so check the sites of the different restaurants for those specifics. And check them out as well for the special menus that are being offered; 4 courses for $35 (and a couple of places are offering their menu for $25).

To whet your appetite just a wee bit, here is the menu that Elements Cafe in Haddon Heights is offering during Farm to Fork Week:

Course One

First Course (choose one)

Farmer’s Vegetable Eggroll
black pepper ranch dipping sauce

Shrimp Cocktail
lemon cucumber and radish

Lamb and Chorizo Croquettes
roasted tomato jam

Course Two

Heirloom Tomato Soup
whipped basil

or

Corn Vichyssoise
crab and green onion salsa

Course Three

Third Course (choose one)

Roasted Beet Salad
goat cheese vinaigrette

Jersey Tomato Salad
fresh mozzarella pesto

Course Four

Main Course (choose one)

Sweet Potato Ravioli
truffle cream sauce

Pan Seared Scallops
pickled yellow squash salad

Pan Roasted Salmon
heirloom eggplant puree and pepper slaw

Herb Roasted Chicken Breast
chili banana and black bean

Peppered Sirloin Strip
purple potato hash

Dessert Course

(compliments of the chef please choose one)

Vanilla Bean Angelfood Cake
blueberry crush

Peach Sorbet
cinnamon biscotti

Chocolate Truffle Brownie
bacio gelato

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile, in the little hamlet of Collingswood, which I hear has a few good restaurants (wink-wink), they will be having their own celebration next week as well. “Farm Fresh” Collingswood will take place from July 18 to July 22, and participating restaurants will also be offering a special prix fixe menu showcasing South Jersey farms – specifically, farms that are regular vendors at the Collingswood Farmers’ Market. A complete list of restaurants is not yet available on their site, but some of the locations participating include: Nunzio Ristorante Rustico, IndeBlue, Blackbird and West Side Gravy, and of course Tortilla Press. Here is Chef Mark’s menu for Tortilla Press next week:

First course

Grilled Springdale Farms Sweet Corn
Grilled and drizzled with garlic chile butter, melted queso fresh
& a squirt of fresh lime

or

Portabella Mushroom Tostada
Chile marinated portabella mushroom caps grilled till tender & stuffed with
Cumin, garlic, queso oaxaca & chile roasted veggies, then topped with
an avocado – tomatillo drizzle

Second Course

Squash Blossom Soup – served Hot or Cold!
Tender squash blossoms from Flaim Farms in Vineland

or

Gazpacho with Jersey tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro and
early peppers … all from Springdale Farms

Entrees – three choices!

Tampiquena Platter
4 oz tenderloin medallions with rajas poblano & Twin chicken enchiladas
topped with salsa made from Flaim Farms tomatillos
Served with red rice and black beans

or

Grilled center cut pork loin with fresh Peach Salsa
Made from Schoeber Orchards peaches
Drizzled with a peach cider ancho chile glaze and served with
coconut rice and sautéed garlic Jersey green beans

or

Shrimp & Scallop Veracruz
with Springdale Farms tomatoes, onions, peppers, olives and capers
Served with poblano spinach rice

Steak & Mushroom Taco Plate
Beef tenderloin tacos in two corn tortillas with chipotle mushrooms, tomatillo salsa, guacamole & blue corn fried onions. Served with black beans

Dessert

Creamy cheesecake with Jersey blueberry compote
Blueberries from Whalen Farms

or

Peach & walnut empanadas
Peaches from Schober Orchards

That would work for me as well.

The prices of the prix fixe meals offered during “Farm Fresh” Collingswood will vary a bit from place to place, but it looks like the range is in the $28-30 area.