money Summer is so close, we can almost taste it
Hi food fans, welcome to May - and happy Cinco de Mayo!
Turning the page from April to May has me craving summer foods. How about you?
I can't wait for fresh watermelon. I buy a whole one and slice it, keeping half in the fridge for snacking and freezing the other half to blend with a little lime juice and a splash of ginger beer or coconut rum. Summer in a glass!
Like the rest of New Jersey, I'm also hungry for local corn, which will show up in markets at the end of June or early July. I keep it simple — I grill the cobs in their husks (soak them in water first so they don't burn) and finish with a swipe of butter and a little salt — but am tempted to pop a buttered ear into my air fryer and see if it turns into popcorn (TikTok says it will work, so it must be true!).
Summer also is the time for jelly doughnuts at the seasonal Ferrara's Island Bakery in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island (they are truly heavenly) and clams from Barnegat Bay. I get mine from a clammer who sells them from a small shack in Barnegat. A quick steam in garlic butter is all they need.
Sadly, one of my favorite late spring/early summer traditions is no more: picking strawberries at DeWolf's U-Pick Farm in Plumsted. After 55 years in business, the farm has closed.
"Really, I'm getting older. It's time to retire. My bones ache. My body hurts. It's a lot of hours," owner Kim DeWolf told Asbury Park Press business writer Michael L. Diamond. "I really enjoyed doing it and being with my customers and selling vegetables and stuff, but it's just getting too hard."
It's a shame, her farm was lovely. My family would walk the rows of strawberry plants, searching for the plumpest, juiciest ones. We'd fill a box with berries, pay for them in the farm store (along with a jar of local honey), then eat a few, still warm from the sun. We enjoyed them as is — fresh berries are so sweet — and I once made them into the most delicious ice cream.
Thank you for the memories, DeWolf's.
Speaking of farms...
It's just about time for the return of farmers markets! (Does this excite you as much as it does me?)
What I love about farmers markets is that they celebrate the beauty of Jersey-grown produce and showcase folks who make foods of all kinds: bread, coffee, honey, sauces, pasta, cheese — some markets even feature craft beer brewers! Farmers markets are a dream for foodies.
Speaking of foodies...
Warm weather also means food festivals, which are back in full force after two years of pandemic-induced cancellations.
I gathered details on 10 big fests happening around the state this summer, from the Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown (May 14 in Morris Plains) to the Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival (June 4 and 5) to the Hop Sauce Festival (June 18 in Beach Haven).
That's everything this week. Thank you so much for reading, and as always, I welcome your story ideas and suggestions.
Until next time, find more local food stories at:
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Sarah Griesemer is a food writer for app.com. Email her at sgriesemer@gannettnj.com. For more on where to eat and drink, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Summer is so close, we can almost taste it
