Tre Piani hosts The 2011 Central NJ Slow Food Winter Farmers Market featuring local food delights

On Saturday, February 6th, 2011 Tre Piani restaurant in Forrestal Village hosted the Central New Jersey Slow Food Winter Farmers Market from 11am to 3pm. Jim weaver, the owner and executive chef at Tre Piani is also the founder of the Central New Jersey Chapter of the “Slow Food” International Movement in 1999.

The Slow Food Movement started in Italy in 1986, based on the belief that "industrialization of food was standardizing taste and leading to the annihilation of thousands of food varieties and flavors. With the preservation of taste at the forefront, the Slow Food movement seeks to support and protect small growers and artisanal producers, support and protect the physical environment, and promote biodiversity". According to Jim, "Slow Food is basically the opposite of fast food, a return to local traditions and flavors, a return to the table, and a return to the know how of where food comes from".

Slow Food events such as this Winter Farmers market is committed to showcasing small farms, and  locally produced, unique food and production methods. So, I decided to hold the February meetup for my foodie group, New Jersey Foodies at Tre Piani. The format of the meetup was quite open, with most of us meeting in front of Tre Piani and walking around the market meeting the local producers and sampling and buying their food. One of the Vendors, Randy of "Randy's Gourmet" is in fact a member of our foodie group so it was great seeing our friends both as providers and supporters of the local Slow Food movement. All in all, a great start to the weekend, meeting friends and stocking up the pantry with local goodies.

Vendors at this market included the following:

Cherry Grove Farm
North Slope Farm
Beech Tree Farm
Village Bakery
Lillipies
Valley Shepherd Creamery
Davidson's Exotic Mushrooms
Randy’s Gourmet
Grab 'Em Snacks
Pure Indian Foods Organic Ghee
Tassot Apiaries
Hopewell Valley Vineyards
Bobolink Dairy Farm

John Henry Goldman and the Straight Jazz Quartet entertained the local market participants and shoppers.

Note: words in quotes have been taken from http://www.slowfoodcentralnj.org/About_Slow_Food.html

The Peacock Inn at Princeton: a gastronomical delight!

We have been meaning to try The historic Peacock Inn in Princeton for some time now. In its heyday, this inn was patronized by dignitaries such as Albert Einstein and F. Scott Fitzgerald. More recently, its restaurant was voted "The Restaurant of the Year" by the Star-Ledger newspaper.

Once we were in this 18th century recently renovated Colonial mansion, our car was parked by the valet service,our coats were checked and we were escorted to our velvet-lined seats in the dining area. Almost immediately, we were handed the wine list and menu.

I ordered the Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Brioche French Toast, Red Wine Poached Pears, and Candied Pistachios for my appetizer. The Foie Gras comes from the cage-free raised Moulard ducks in a 200 acre HVFG farm  in Ferndale, New York. The Foie Gras sat atop the brioche toast, its smooth, creamy, melt-in-the-mouth, rich flavors complimented by the sweet spongy texture of the French brioche toast. The wine poached pears lent a sweet yet tangy fruit garnish with the candied pistachio to finish off this journey of textures.

For my main course, I ordered the Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus and Tomato Confit in Portobello-Parmesan Butter. I was surprised by the lightness of this dish despite its rich appearance and sound. The tomato confit lent the bright color and slight acidic flavor atop a fresh soft ricotta gnocchi while the asparagus added the needed crunch against the smooth buttery base. All in all, this was a great choice from the point of view of color, flavor and taste and especially welcome after my rich Foie Gras experience.

Our friend, Jon selected the wines for the night, the 2008 Sancerre from Chateau de Sancerre and a Petite Sirah.

Executive Chef Manuel Perez has managed to deliver a New American Cuisine within a classic and elegant setting. For further details on location, history and menu, please visit http://www.peacockinn.com/