A Chef's Tour of New Jersey

	Left to right: Owner Carlo Momo, Owner Raoul Momo, Co-Executive Chef Gabriele Grigolon and Co-Executive Chef Larry Robinson of Terra Momo Restaurant Group

The renowned chefs featured in these pages all strongly support using New Jersey produce in their creations and many will create menus that feature the fruits and vegetables as they come into season - asparagus, followed by blueberries and leeks, followed by tomatoes and corn.

Jim Weaver, executive chef and co-owner of Tre Piani in Princeton and head of the Central New Jersey chapter for Slow Food, has long been a proponent of using seasonal local produce in his award-winning dishes. "With a few rare exceptions individual farmers are not marketers," says Weaver. "The pilot program gave even the smallest farmer access to local chefs and grocery outlets."

Larry Robinson, chef at Mediterra in Princeton was so inspired to meet the farmers and get their produce directly into his kitchen that he bought a new pick-up truck. "One of the reasons that I decided to get the truck was that I could use it to drive out to these farms and bring their produce back," he said. "I love the idea of doing this direct. It's better for me because I get the freshest, just-picked vegetables and it's better for them because they get a good price."

The chefs that participated in this pilot program are all located in the Princeton and New Brunswick areas.

New Brunswick Area Chef Participants

Princeton Area Chef Participants