Health & Fitness
Gloucester County Restaurants Have Appetizing Plans for "Farm to Fork" 2013
Foodies: Mark your Calendar!
The SJ HOT Chefs 2013 “Farm to Fork” Week – Sunday, July 21 through Saturday, July 27 – will feature the bounty of Gloucester County farms and the talents of many of the county’s most creative kitchens, in the annual collaboration between South Jersey’s growers and chef-owned and operated restaurants.
Chef Randy Wagner of Carolina Blue in Pitman is excited to join restaurants from around the county as presenters. They include Arugula, Barnsboro Inn and Terra Nova, all in Sewell; Tavro Thirteen in Swedesboro; Luna Rossa Biagio Lamberti in Turnersville; Riverwinds in West Deptford; and MARLENE Mangia Bene in Woodbury.
Among local growers, Duffield’s Farm Market in Sewell will partner with several restaurants during the celebration.
Fred Kellermann, Chef/Owner of Elements Cafè in Haddon Heights, NJ and president of the South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association, known as SJ HOT Chefs, is passionate about these collaborations. “It’s been such a win-win for the restaurants, nearby farmers and especially our guests. As it became more apparent to chefs that guests truly care about the origin of the food we serve, we started building stronger relationships with local farmers and discovered the many advantages of preparing food made with locally grown ingredients.”
Kellermann and his colleagues have learned that working with local farmers is good for both their patrons and for the region. While discriminating diners appreciate the superior flavors in fresh-picked produce, the SJ HOT Chefs – themselves all local entrepreneurs – cite the economic benefit of keeping the entire food supply-chain right in the neighborhood.
When chefs work with local farmers, there are also multiple environmental benefits. When chefs can use local fresh produce, it reduces the use of fossil fuels otherwise needed to transport provisions over long distances. Chefs are also exercising their influence on local growers, encouraging some to employ organic principals in their farming or to restrict their use of insecticides and toxins in the fields.
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While there is always a predictable selection of fresh produces available during “Farm to Fork” Week, the exciting challenge for the SJ Hot Chefs is to use their creativity to design menus around fresh-picked items that are exceptionally abundant in late July.
Key event sponsor SJ Hot Chefs, with the assistance of media partner SJ Magazine, has prepared a hotlink showing all of the participating restaurants in SJ 2013 “Farm to Fork Week”, including contact information and restaurant websites. For more information on SJ Hot Chefs and the palate-pleasing events they hold throughout the year, please visit www.SJHOTchefs.com. Click here for a list of New Jersey Farmers that have been selected for the 2013 partnership, allowing the chefs to bring the freshest produce available to their diners.
