6th Annual Farm to Fork Week

I know. I know. It’s summer. The best time of year for a locavore. And I’m barely posting. But life is filled with good things – family, traveling, writing, and food – and I’ll post when I can. I didn’t want to let this year’s Farm to Fork week pass by without telling you about it, though. Here’s the info you’ll need to support one of our great restaurants that supports our great farmers.

MORE THAN 30 SOUTH JERSEY RESTAURANTS CONVERGE TO PRESENT A

WEEK-LONG SHOWCASE OF LOCAL FARMS AND THEIR FRESHEST INGREDIENTS

SJ Hot Chefs presents the 6^th Annual Farm to Fork Week

NEW JERSEY (JUNE 2012)- Garden-fresh summer squash, plump heirloom tomatoes and sweet basil will make their way from dozens of New Jersey farms to the plates of more than 30 celebrated South Jersey restaurants with the return of Farm to Fork Week.  Delectable four-course prix fixe menus featuring the finest locally-grown ingredients will be available for one week only, July 22^nd through July 28^th.

 The South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association, most commonly known as SJ HOT Chefs, will host its annual Farm to Fork Week, now in its sixth year, as a tribute to local farmers. Participating restaurants will create four-course menus, ranging from $25-$35 using produce from nearby farms to help raise awareness of the high quality local foods that are accessible to their guests.

“Working with local New Jersey farmers allows us to offer our guests a unique variety of the freshest seasonal ingredients available. The tradition of Farm to Fork Week allows us to continue our ongoing education of cooking with locally-grown ingredients while celebrating the wonderful partnerships between our farmers and restaurants,” said Fred Kellerman, President of SJ Hot Chefs and Chef/Owner of Elements Café.

As the pioneers of this campaign, SJ HOT Chefs hope to continue bringing fresh and unique flavors to the area. Dozens of farms will participate in this year’s initiative, including 1895 Organic Farm, Duffield’s Farm Market, Hunters Farm, Mood’s Farm Market, Muth Family Farm and Spinella Farm. This partnership with neighborhood farmers brought and will continue to bring a number of benefits to the consumer, the farmer, the SJ Hot Chefs organization, and the community throughout the years. The initiative strives to educate the community on the benefits of buying from local farms and farmers markets, including the produces’ more flavorful and longer shelf life, keeping consumers’ money in the community, and helping to the boost the local economy.

The highly anticipated week kicks off the Farm to Fork campaign, which includes a series of events that will take place throughout the summer including cooking demonstrations, dinners and the annual “Feasts in the Fields” event. For more information about the SJ Hot Chefs and the 2012 Farm to Fork Week, please visit http://www.SJHOTchefs.com.