Artful Afternoon

One of my favorite spots in New Jersey is the enchanting garden, Grounds for Sculpture, in Hamilton. It's truly unique and I love to send people there without describing it too much, it's more fun to let the magical vistas and tableaux unfold without any expectations.  
A great time to visit is during The  10^th Epicurean Palette,  when tents from 20 of the tri-state's gourmet restaurants will offer guests tasty treats alongside specialty sips from wine and spirits vendors. 

WHEN:    Sunday, Sept 26 from 1 - 4 pm

WHERE:  Grounds For Sculpture

WHAT:     Fundraiser with Silent Auction

Tickets are $99 for Grounds for Sculpture members and $110 for non-members. Some of this year’s participating restaurants and chefs include:

Scott Anderson of Elements in Princeton

Christopher Albrecht of Eno Terra in Kingston
Aaron Philipsonof The Blue Bottle Café in Hopewell
Jason Hensle of Salt Creek Grille in Princeton
Eben Copple of The Yardley Inn in Yardley
Will Mooney of The Brother’s Moon in Hopewell
Mitchell Baculy of Ruth's Chris Steak House in Princeton
Eli’s Bread, Main Street Catering, Max Hansen Catering, select restaurants from the Starr Restaurant Group of Philadelphia, PA 
coffee service from Miele of Princeton
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Peachy Perfection

The prize is ripe–– in this case, the prize is  the incredibly sweet Jersey peach. Eat'm off the tree or by the bushel. More adventurous?  The Salt Creek Grille is presenting a 'Last Taste of Summer" promotion featuring local Jersey produce at both their Princeton and Rumson locations.
Can't get there? We begged (ok, we only had to ask nicely) for the recipe for their light and luscious  Grilled Chicken, Peach and Arugula Salad. 

  

Grilled Chicken and Peach Arugula Salad with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/3 cup peach preserves
1/3 cup peach nectar
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
3 large peaches, rinsed, fuzz wiped away, each cut into 8 wedges
Goat cheese
Corn (3 cobs with kernels cut off or ½ bag of frozen corn)
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

Rub chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill for approximately 3 minutes each side. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in 375 degree oven for 6 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees in the center.  Meanwhile, boil corn for five minutes or until tender – shucking kernels off cobs when tender.
Dice and sauté 3 peaches for approximately 2 1/2 minutes in olive oil adding preserves, peach nectar, corn kernels, vinegar and adobo sauce.  Take off stove and mix in cilantro, then place chicken on bed of arugula, Drizzle with sauce, top with crumbled goat cheese to taste and serve immediately. Serves 4-6 people

Iced tea? No, Iced Me!

Yes, that's moi, and yes, I am wearing an arctic poncho and yes,  the thermometer is pushing 93˚... outside. Thankfully, I'm inside and happily experiencing the Svedka Ice Bar on-board the Epic, Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) brand new mega-ship. Everything in the Svedka Ice Bar –– the bar,  tables, stools and glasses are made from ice. After swillin' and chillin' (the temperature remains at 17 degrees Fahrenheit, thus the poncho and gloves) there are plenty of activities and entertainment to choose from––– get slimed or breakfast with Sponge Bob courtesy of  Nickelodeon, release your inner carnivore at Moderno Churrascaria, splash and slide at the Aqua Park or  pamper yourself at the spa. The fun keeps going at night with choices like Legends in Concert, comedy by The Second City and the Blue Man Group.
The ship will sail alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from the homeport of Miami.

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Trippin' with Tomatoes

Did you take our advice and spend last weekend enjoying the Food Network Food and Wine Festival last weekend in Atlantic City ? What were your highlights? As reported in the last issue of NJSL, Claire Robinson, host of Five Ingredient Fix, based an entire brunch around our state's pride, the Jersey tomato. Robinson presented everything from a shaved Italian ice infused with tomato and Van Gogh vodka to savory entrees and specialty cocktails. Miss it? The recipe for Tomato and Vidalia Onion Gratin follows.  Our thanks to The NYC Fashionista for the image-- check-out the blog for more great photos and coverage of the event.

TOMATO & VIDALIA ONION GRATIN

Recipe courtesy of Claire Robinson 

1/4 lb. bacon

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 

2 large Vidalia onions, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds

4 large GREEN or firm under-ripe heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated, about 1 1/2 cups 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Render bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the cooked bacon along with 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat; pour the fat over the breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Add the onion rounds to the skillet in batches and cook, without breaking the round slices apart, until there is some golden color, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. 

To assemble the gratin, overlap the green tomato slices in one row in a large baking dish, about 9-x-11 inches. Next, make a row slightly overlapping of the partially cooked onion rounds being careful to keep the slices intact. Repeat steps until all tomatoes and onions are used; season tomatoes and onions heavily with pepper and lightly with salt. Crumble the bacon over the vegetables; sprinkle the grated cheddar over the top followed by the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly; if the top is getting too brown loosely cover with foil.

Yield: 4-6 servings

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