Fall in Jersey - Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie 

Pumpkin pie has been a staple on my Thanksgiving table for many, many years now. As a matter of fact, I cannot even think of having a Thanksgiving dinner without it. But when I was growing up, pumpkin pie was not even on the menu. Which prompted me to wonder when and how the pumpkin pie was created, and when did it become a Thanksgiving staple. Through my search, I found a few historical facts that were quite interesting. For example, I did not know that for many years, pumpkin pie was most strictly a Yankee food! It did not even become a thing in the south until the 20th century! It actually turns out that pumpkin pie was quite political after the civil war, with southerners viewing it as a "cultural artifact" of the Yankees! It was during the 1800's, and the New Englanders wanted to end slavery in the south, and compared their pumpkin farms to the plantation farms of the south, so farming and eating pumpkins became a matter of politics. ( I know, crazy right? ) When then President Abraham Lincoln declared a day of Thanksgiving, the confederates said that it was just a political ploy, and a way for New Englanders to try and tell the Southerners how to live. Pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving were refused by some Southerners even after the Civil War because they were both considered strictly Yankee!

But actually, New Englanders do not get the credit of being the first ones to use pumpkin in pies. That credit goes to the English, who had long been making pies, even since the 1500's, as they had a specialized and highly developed pie making skill. And pumpkins were actually brought to Europe from the Americas in the 1500's, and that is when the English started to grow them. The English called them "pumpions." 

Pumpkin pie today is considered by some to be just as important to the Thanksgiving dinner as the turkey itself. And at our house, it is no different. Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without my Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie. My pie has the old fashioned taste of tasting the spices as well as the pumpkin. Some people like to make the classic version of pumpkin pie, in which you do not taste much of the spice, tasting basically just the pumpkin. But if you want to taste the pumpkin and the spice, a very earthy and old fashioned taste, you will love this version. I don't make it any other way. My family and I just love it. Topping each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, will have you begging for another slice. 

What you will need: 1 large can ( 1 lb. 13oz.) pumpkin ( just 100% pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling) - 1 cup of either light or dark brown sugar - 1 cup of white sugar - 1/4 tsp. of ground cloves - 3 tsps. of ground cinnamon - 2 tsps. of ground ginger - 1 tsp. of salt - 4 eggs, beaten - 1 cup evaporated milk - 1 cup of heavy cream - 2 unbaked, 9" pie shells

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 8 ingredients, and mix well. Combine evaporated milk and heavy cream in a saucepan. Heat to scalding point, but do not boil. ( This step is very important. Do not pour cold milk into pumpkin mixture. It must be heated to scalding before adding ) Once milk is hot, add it to the pumpkin mixture, and mix well. Pour into pie shells. Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted comes out clean. 

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Fall in Jersey - Pumpkin bread

Fall in Jersey - Pumpkin Bread

New Jersey farmers plant approximately 2,500 acres in pumpkins each year, with 100 percent of that going to the fresh market. The average yield is 11 tons per acre. New Jersey has weighed in at the top 15 percent of pumpkin producing states. New Jersey has a contribution of about 5 percent to the total U.S. production. 

With 100 percent of the pumpkins grown going to the fresh market, none of the pumpkins are being sold to canning houses for selling canned pumpkin, rather people are buying and using for decoration, or cutting up and using fresh to cook with, or canning themselves at home. 

With that being said, I have used fresh pumpkins that I cleaned and cooked myself to use for pumpkin pie, but to be honest, I don't find a lot of difference in the taste from canned pumpkin. So pretty much any time I make something with pumpkin, like my pumpkin bread, I use canned pumpkin which does not come from Jersey. All of the canned pumpkin is good, and of course I use Jersey pumpkins for all of my decorating. Which I do a lot of. 

This pumpkin bread can be eaten just the way it is, but I like mine with a spread of cream cheese on it. It just adds that little extra oomf, because cream cheese pairs so well with pumpkin. And of course after it is baked, you can always heat up a slice in a pan with a little bit of butter. Any way you have it, it is so nice with a steaming hot cup of coffee. 

What you will need: 1 cup of canned pumpkin - 1/2 cup of sugar - 1/4 cup of vegetable oil - 1/2 cup of applesauce - 2 eggs - 1 1/2 cups of flour - 1 tsp. of baking powder - 1 tsp. of baking soda - 1 tsp. of cinnamon - 1/4 tsp. of salt - 1/2 cup of raisins

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin, sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except raisins. Add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until moist. Stir in raisins. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. This loaf makes about 8 servings. Enjoy. 

FALL IN JERSEY

Fall In Jersey

 

What comes to mind when you think of fall? Crisp air, cold nights? Colorful leaves? Sweaters, hot chocolate? Surely if you live in the southern portion of the United States, or any other warm place, none of these things would come to mind. But here in Jersey, all of these things happen. Believe it or not, even in August, when it is still hot here in Jersey, there is a change to the air that tells you, fall is right around the corner. September is still warm when the kids head back to school, and the nights get a little cooler, but not until the month of October, is there a significant change. We still have warm days in October, but no more warm nights. The nights are chilly, and sometimes down right cold. The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn color, but sometimes they are not in all of their fall splendor until the month of November. There are many things that come to my mind when I think of fall. Cool crisp days with shades of yellow, orange and crimson red, against a backdrop of the bluest skies ever, cold nights, but then the biggest, brightest, warmest sun during the day. I think of big, orange pumpkins, beautiful chrysanthemums in almost every color imaginable, dried corn stalks, apples, hay rides, apple and pumpkin picking, scare-crows, toasty fires and bonfires, toasting marshmallows and raking leaves.

Many people love to travel in the fall to go leaf peaking. The array of colors on the trees is nothing short of magnificent. Here in Jersey, we have such a variety of trees, that we get the most beautiful of colors. With oaks, maples, sugar maples, pines and everything in between, we can't help but have a spectacular fall show. And with so many trees, there comes the chore of raking up those leaves that finally fall from the branches when it is time for the trees to become dormant. But who says that chores can't be fun too? Most kids still love the idea of someone raking up a big pile of leaves and then allowing them to jump in them! A very fond fall memory from my childhood, is when my dad would rake up a big pile of leaves as he was cleaning up the yard, and then tell us that we could jump in them. I can feel the excitement, hear the laughter, and see my sibling's arms in the air and leaves flying everywhere just as if it were yesterday. The days of our youth provide some of the fondest memories that we will ever have in our lives. 

One of my best childhood fall memories, is of the time that my dad taught us how to make teepees from dried cornstalks. We just thought that this was the coolest thing ever. My father always planted corn in his garden, the silver queen variety to be exact, so we always had left over dried corn stalks. We would gather so many of the stalks, and make those teepees in the field, and we would be able to go inside of them. We even made seats in them out of dirt! So many happy hours of play and imagination in those dried up old corn stalks! Those were the days, when children used their imaginations and played outside a lot, not like children today who sit inside on computer devices. We would be so tired at the end of the day, from all of the hours of running and playing in the fresh air and sunshine. 

I now take my grandchildren to as many outdoor autumn festivities that I can, so that they too, can experience some semblance of fall days gone by. New Jersey is so beautiful in the fall, so if you do not live here, I hope you will make a visit during this most colorful time of year. New Jersey offers so many family friendly outdoor activities, such as apple picking, pumpkin picking, hay rides and the like. You will be so glad you made the trip. 

Summer in Jersey - Peach Buttermilk Milk Shake

PEACH BUTTERMILK MILK SHAKE

There is nothing like biting into a sweet, juicy, yellow, Jersey peach. It brings back such wonderful memories of my childhood. When I take my first bite, and the juices start rolling down my chin, I am reminded of summer days of childhood long gone by. Running around outside in bare feet, through my dad's garden, with the dust kicking up and getting your feet covered in dirt, and getting so thirsty, that even a drink of water would not quench the thirst. But I knew that a juicy peach would, and it would be much sweeter and taste much better than a glass of water.  How I miss those days! But back to the present. 

Peaches are still a good choice in the summer, giving you natural sugar, and fiber, and let's face it. Nothing is quite as good as a peach milkshake or peach smoothie. New Jersey is a big producer of this beautiful, sweet fruit, and in the month of August, they are out there in abundance at all of your local produce stands. 

This recipe that I am going to share with you, is a little twist on the classic peach milkshake. It is not as sweet as a traditional peach shake, due to the addition of buttermilk rather than regular milk. I think it is a nice refreshing change, and I think you will enjoy it. Especially on a hot summer day. 

Peach Buttermilk Milk Shake:

1 cup of buttermilk - 3 cups of fresh or frozen unsweetened peaches, sliced - 1 cup of homemade or Breyers vanilla ice cream - 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar - 3/4 tsp. of cinnamon

Put all in blender and blend until smooth. Top with whipped cream and a cherry if you choose. 

GARDEN STATE VIEWS - THE CHARLESWORTH RESTAURANT AND HOTEL

 THE CHARLESWORTH RESTAURANT AND HOTEL

Let me start this review by stating that the Charlesworth Restaurant and Hotel is strictly a byob. If you are like me, and like to have a martini before dinner, you will be sadly disappointed if you are not aware of this before you go. They do however, have delicious lemonade made with organic cane sugar with just the right amount of sweetness, so if you want to bring along your own bottle of vodka, you can just add a little to a glass of their fresh lemonade, and you will have a wonderful drink. 

This restaurant sits right on the water, and the dining room has long glass windows, so there is a beautiful view of the bay. They also have live dining music for your pleasure, so between the view and the music, this restaurant is worth a visit. 

The view of the bay from the back deck of the restaurant as the sun was starting to set

The restaurant is located at 224 New Jersey Avenue, Fortescue, New Jersey. Fortescue is a community in Downe Township in Cumberland County. It is located on the southern coast on the Delaware Bay, and is a big fishing community. 

The restaurant is not elegant in appearance. The building is really old, except for the parts that were re-built after hurricane Sandy knocked down a lot of the building. It just has your basic, older, tables and chairs, with the tables being covered with royal blue linens. The atmosphere is simple and light, with a lot of the locals dining there. Nothing fancy. The staff is very friendly. 

Their menu is not extensive, but they do have several good options, with several seafood choices of course. Their crab bisque was delicious. Very simple, basically just the crab and the stock, and it tasted really good. The only thing I would have liked better about it, is if it had a little more crabmeat in it. There wasn't enough in it for my liking. 

For dinner, I chose the Garlic Seared Salmon. It was very good. I had a choice of two sides, to which I ordered the herb butter mashed potatoes, and the saut'eed spinach. The mashed potatoes were pretty good, the spinach I must say was superb. Just the right amount of garlic and seasoning. I loved the spinach, would highly recommend. I was however disappointed, that dinner did not come with a salad. The rolls that they serve with dinner are flaky and sweet. Really good with butter. 

My husband chose the Seafood Platter. This was served with flounder, a crab cake and two scallops. My husband was a little disappointed that there wasn't a little more variety in the dish, such as clams, a few more scallops, and maybe a few shrimp. He did however rave about one of his sides, which was string beans amandine (this is their spelling of the dish). He said they were delicious. 

 

So on a scale of one to five stars, with five being the best, and a one being the least, I would have to rate this restaurant at two and a half stars. I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, get out there, and see what is cooking in the garden state. 

SPRING IN JERSEY - BROCCOLI SOUP ITALIAN STYLE

SPRING IN JERSEY - BROCCOLI SOUP (ITALIAN STYLE)

Do Italians like broccoli? Well, what I can say is, all of the ones I have ever known do. My Italian mother, Anna Papiano, loved broccoli, and broccoli rabe. I remember her always waiting for the block on Main Road in Vineland to open, so that she could go and get their broccoli rabe and sausage sandwich, which she loved! 

The famed broccoli rabe and sausage sandwich

You may be wondering, what is the "block?" The "block" is the Vineland auction block, the proper name being, The Vineland Produce Auction. The Vineland Produce Auction is on Main Road in Vineland, NJ. We always went there, pretty much all summer long, as my mom loved the eggplant parmesan sandwiches too. The food was actually made by Tony's lunch and catering, which has a space at the auction block. The Vineland auction block came into being in April of 1930, when a group of farmers got together and created the produce auction. In fact, the auction is still owned and operated by some original members, and many descendants from the founding members. This is a very busy place during the summer months, with farmers bringing in their crops to be auctioned. 

Very early photo of the Vineland Produce Auction......photo credits: Vineland Produce Auction

Later photo of the auction

Business being conducted at the auction, early days

The Vineland Produce Auction is still in operation today, and actually the agricultural prosperity of the area is owed to the efforts of the auction. The auction is the largest produce cooperative that is still operating in the COUNTRY, and it handles 95% of auction sales in southern New Jersey. Something to be proud of for sure. 

Picture of the auction today, but still in the same place

O.K. back to the broccoli. I mentioned broccoli rabe earlier, but rabe is actually a member of the turnip family. Broccoli on the other hand, is a member of the cabbage family. Broccoli is very rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. So when you make up a bowl of this soup, you are not only getting something that tastes delicious, but packed with nutrition. 

What you will need: fresh broccoli (I use 3 or 4 crowns, to 1/2 lb. of pasta) - chicken broth (I use two 32 oz. containers for 1/2 lb. of pasta) - 3 or 4 garlic cloves, peeled - 2 cups of water - 1/2 lb. orzo or ditalini pasta - good quality parmesan

How to Prepare: Clean and chop broccoli. Peel garlic cloves. Put chicken broth and water into a large pot. Add broccoli and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer until broccoli is tender. Mash the broccoli and garlic with a potato masher. Bring back to a boil and add pasta. Cook to your desired tenderness for the pasta. That's it. So simple, but so delicious! I like to top mine when it is finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, which of course is optional, but very good, and you will want to top this with some good quality parmesan. I like to serve this with a good, cold, crisp white wine, like a semi-sweet because it goes so well with the broccoli and garlic. As always, salute' my friends! 

SPRING IN JERSEY - HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

 HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

I am so excited because today we are making the first batch of Jersey strawberry ice cream for the season. Nothing is more exciting than making homemade ice cream. Well, mostly. It is pretty exciting, especially for kids. They get so excited watching the ice cream maker do it's thing, and anticipating that ice cold, creamy, sweet taste that they love! And who doesn't love a bowl of ice cold, creamy, sweet ice cream after dinner for dessert. And there is nothing like making your own. Sure, you can run down to the local store and buy a carton, but you will get additives that you don't really want, it certainly doesn't taste as good, and there is something that just makes you feel so good about making your own. 

For this strawberry ice cream, I used Jersey strawberries of course, but you can use any variety that you want. I love using Jersey strawberries because honestly, I think they are the best! And why are Jersey strawberries better? Because they are juicier and sweeter than the sturdier hybrids grown hardy enough to be shipped around the country. In New Jersey we are fortunate enough to have community strawberry festivals, so that if you really don't want to make your own ice cream, you can find it at one of these festivals, and lots of other Jersey strawberry treats. But I just know, after reading this, you are going to want to try a homemade batch for yourself. 

Now I want to tell you, when you make this ice cream, cut up your strawberries in small quarters so that the each piece of fruit is not too large in the cream. Also, it is very important that you mix the sugar into the strawberries, and then let it set until the sugar dissolves, so that when you mix in the other ingredients, it mixes together well, and the strawberries are thoroughly coated with the sugar. They need to set at least 30 to 60 minutes. Also, you will notice that the ice cream is not pink. The pink color is achieved only if you add food coloring. This is optional. I did not add it to this batch, only because I didn't have it on hand, but a little food coloring is still natural, and the kids love the pink color. But you decide. 

What you will need: 2 1/2 cups of sugar - 5 1/4 cups of heavy cream - 3 cups of fresh strawberries, cut up and mashed slightly - 5 1/4 tsps. of vanilla extract - 2 1/2 cups of half and half - 10 drops of red food coloring, which is totally optional

What to do: Combine the sugar and mashed strawberries and mix well. Let set at least 30 minutes. Mix the strawberry mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then, carefully transfer the ingredients into the ice cream maker's canister. Follow your maker's instructions from there.