The Princeton summer has allowed us to reap the benefits of a wonderful cooking series with Christopher Albrecht, the chef of Eno Terra, called Princeton Eats: Cooking with Local Ingredients.
Princeton Library has been running the series every Tuesday morning from 10:00 to 12:00. Renowned chef Chris Albrecht has been showing us all the dishes one can make from our local seasonal produce. Albrecht has a breezy, friendly style while explaining the various recipes he is making from garlic scapes, summer squash, beets, and eggplant. Sometimes he is joined by Witherspoon Bread baker, Denis Granalo, who treats us to delectable quiche recipes and crepes.
Last Tuesday the chef went wild with many different pestos. Some highlights were cinnamon basil with corn syrup in place of olive oil and roasted hazel nuts. Never before have I tasted such exquisite sweet pestos. Other variations included arugula pesto, genovese basil with hazelnuts instead of pignolis, and even a basil syrup made from poached basil and corn syrup. A flurry of cooking talent, Albrecht created around a dozen different pestos for his impressed audience.
Other dishes from previous sessions have included ribollita, the delightful "reboiled" Italian vegetable soup (so similar to the French vegetable soup with pistou, which I cook frequently), sweet shrimp, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes and sorrel, and summer squash gratin.
Denis Granalo has treated us to strawberry bread, croissants, the afore-mentioned quiche lorraine and crepes, and whole wheat bread.
Albrecht's focus has been on seasonal summer produce and often does not know which dishes he'll be demonstrating in class until he visits the farmer's markets for the week. He has introduced us to bush basil, purple basil and even blue spice basil. One of my favorites was the pickled radish from late June. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of radishes but greatly enjoyed his pickled version of our local bread and butter radishes.
Albrecht also told us about Jersey Fresh, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture website. This website is a fount of valuable information, from sourcing local farms and farmer's markets to agricultural festivals and events. Jersey Fresh also lets you know on a weekly basis the state of local agriculture and which vegetables should be appearing at local farmstands throughout the harvest season. You can read about it here.
Princeton Eats and the food-themed classes and lectures have followed the Princeton Farmer's Market's move to Albert Hines Plaza this summer. Every Thursday the Princeton Farmer's Market sells locally-produced fruits, vegetables and other food items in front of Princeton Public Library. Most Thursday afternoons also bring short films on various food themes such as community agriculture or classes such as Dorothy Mullen's "How You Feel is Data: An Experiential Workshop with Food". These activities celebrate the rich agriculture available to us lucky New Jerseyites and are sending us back to the Garden in the Garden State.
And we are certainly lucky to have a chef as capable as Chris Albrecht demonstrate the many ways we can turn our local produce into delicious and memorable cuisine. Albrecht's teaching style is clear, easy and approachable; students often stay late to chat with him about the class, and he is always ready to answer questions. Chefs such as Albrecht perform a great service to our local farmers and the community at large by fostering and promoting the relationship between our local farms and what we could and should be putting on our tables.
Princeton Eats at the Princeton Public Library
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