Archive for December, 2011

December 15, 2011

Eno Terra, Kingston NJ

4plates2table

LOCAL EATS

About a year ago we went to Eno Terra and as I remember, loved the food. This past weekend we wanted to go somewhere different for dinner and remembered how good our meal was. We immediately asked ourselves why haven’t we been back? Seems like many awesome meals have been missed over the past year.

With a spotlight on fresh, this Princeton area restaurant is known for their eco-friendly ways. Their motto is “Eat Local, Drink Global.” Eno Terra proudly harvests produce from their own farm, located just yards from the restaurant. When needed, they source from other local farms and carefully selected suppliers. I love to eat locally. Better for the environment and it results in the freshest flavors on your plate.

The restaurant has a warm, urban feel with attentive, friendly service. All the servers were well educated on both the food and the wine. Eno Terra’s extensive wine list includes both bottles from their wine cellar and wines preserved in their Enomatic system. The Enomatic wine preservation system displaces the air in the open bottles for optimum flavor preservation. Alan had an Italian Uvaggio which he loved. The waitress was happily helpful, bringing us a number of wine tastings until we found a glass we loved.

Choosing our meal was easy. We ordered everything. Well not everything, but the food kept coming. Course #1 – we shared their Salumi e Formaggi platter. Delicious cheeses paired with Italian smoked meats, marinated olives, spiced cashews, local honey and yummy fig mustard seed spread. Delicious. Course #2 – Bucatini al “Amatriciana” to share. Bucatini pasta with a smoky red sauce, spicy with chilies and diced pancetta. Course #3 – one double thick  grilled pork chop with creamy sweet potato mash and red cabbage slaw and a grilled rib-eye steak with roasted cipollini onions and greens. Both were off the charts! Lastly, two vegetable sides. Why? Because they just looked so good so we couldn’t resist. Cauliflower roasted with pine nuts and salumi, and brussels sprouts, both right from their farm.

How could we leave without dessert? Never! Buttermilk panna cotta with apples and a pear & cherry cobbler with cinnamon ice cream. They feature local artisan ice cream and sorbet from The Bent Spoon, in Princeton. Perfect sweet treats to end a perfect evening. With our doggie bag in hand, we rolled out of there happily full, only to be disappointed the next day that our leftovers were still in the car. Oh well, that just intensifies our need to go back again soon.

If you’re in the Princeton area, Eno Terra is a must try! Bucks County locals, it’s worth the 30 minute drive. All you foodies will not be disappointed, I promise.

 
Eno Terra is located at 4484 Old Lincoln Highway (4484 Rt. 27) in Kingston, NJ – (609)497-1777 –  www.enoterra.com
 
December 12, 2011

Mediterranean Grilled Swordfish

Mediterranean Grilled Swordfish

My swordfish memories go back to summer vacations in Cape Cod.  We spent most of our time enjoying the water with our kids, but one night of the week we were always able to escape and have dinner at a “real restaurant” with cocktails and adult conversation. One of the best meals I had was fresh grilled swordfish topped with this marvelous anchovy butter. If you’ve followed my blog, you should know by now that anchovies are one of my favorite ingredients, so you can imagine how I adored this fish.

I stopped by our fish market recently to find something for dinner and was happy to see fresh swordfish steaks in the display case. I grabbed two beautiful steaks and headed home to create something yummy. Knowing most of you don’t share my infatuation with anchovies, I decided to make this with a Mediterranean twist. The intensely flavorful combination of juicy tomatoes, capers, shallots and herbs contrast perfectly with the grilled fish.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SWORDFISH (Serves 2)

  • 2 swordfish steaks
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Kosher salt & pepper
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Rub both sides of the fish with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and squeeze over a little fresh lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Heat your grill. Grill the swordfish steaks about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE RELISH

  • 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (you can also add fresh basil or fresh oregano with the parsley)
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • Healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Let sit at room temperature to marinate for about 30 minutes or up to an hour. The tomatoes will begin to release their juices. Taste for reseasoning with salt and pepper before serving. Keeping in mind that capers are salty, so be careful with the salt.

Spoon the relish over the grilled fish. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and a hunk of baguette to soak up all those delightful juices left behind.

Enjoy!