There will be tacos, burgers, fried Oreos, hot dogs, shad chowder, shad fritters, shad sandwiches and much more in the main food court and beyond Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, during the annual Shad Festival in Lambertville.
The festival to celebrate the return to the Delaware River of the largest member of the herring family has extended hours this year and will take place, rain or shine, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day.
Shad sandwiches are a staple for some festivalgoers, and they can be found at a food and beer garden set up in the parking lot near Lambertville Station. Shad chowder can be found at Liv & Charlie’s Real Food on North Union Street, while Bell’s Tavern makes its shad fritters each year.
If you aren’t hungry you can visit the craft vendors who fill the center of town during the festival, check out this year’s Shad Fest poster contest, or head for the river where members of the Lewis Fishery demonstrate the traditional way to net shad at their dock on Holcombe Island, off Lambert Lane.
All proceeds from the Shad Fest Art Auction go to the Jim Hamilton Shad Festival Scholarship Fund. For more information, see the website delawarerivertowns.com/shad-festival/.
Cooking shad
Foodies and fans of the oily, bony shad often go to the Shad Fest to get a taste of the fish that’s only available in the spring when they head up the Delaware River to spawn. But you can make it at home if you like; just find some shad and cook it yourself.
You might be able to find a local fisherman who will sell you a whole fish, but that can be trickier to cook because of the many tiny bones. Longtime Lambertville residents can tell you about baking the fish for hours in a low-temperature oven in order to dissolve the bones, but your best bet is finding a fillet you poach or fry.
Shad seems to be one of those types of fish that you love or hate because of its strong flavor. If you are among those who love it, you are in good company; a favorite of American colonists who looked forward to the bounty of the shad run each spring, it reportedly was George Washington’s favorite fish.
Asparagus is here
New Jersey’s asparagus season has officially arrived. The popular vegetable is in season from late April to late June according to the Jersey Fresh Information Exchange (njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/asparagus.asp).
Katona Farms in Chesterfield, one of the area’s largest growers, has posted their sign that their asparagus is in, and it’s popping up at local farmers markets.
Asparagus joins spinach as the first local vegetables of spring, and both are powerhouses of nutrition. Also available at farmers markets are fresh herbs, lettuces, microgreens, pea shoots, arugula and kale. Out of storage are apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and garlic. Many local markets begin their outdoor seasons in May, including the West Windsor Farmers Market, which returns to Princeton Junction Train Station on May 4.
BaconFest
Cupcakes, hot dogs, empanadas, tacos grilled cheese, pierogies, pizza, cheesecake, gyros and much more will feature bacon among their ingredients at this weekend’s BaconFest 2019.
Laurita Winery in New Egypt will host the event starting at 11 a.m. each day. More than two dozen food trucks will vie for customers’ attention with their bacon creations.
Tickets are $10 online and $12 at the door on Saturday, $8 online and $10 at the door on Sunday. See Lauritawinery.com for information and tickets.
Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Do we need an excuse to eat tacos? If we do, then Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May), a Mexican national holiday, is just around the corner. Or you could try something different like this vegetarian enchilada recipe from tasteofhome.com that has all the flavors of Mexico that we love.
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- Optional toppings: cubed avocado, sour cream, salsa, minced cilantro and hot sauce.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, place steamer basket over 1 in. of water. Place sweet potato, onion and red pepper in basket. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; steam, covered, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Mash vegetables, gradually adding cilantro, spices and pepper to reach desired consistency. Stir in black beans.
3. Spread 1/3 cup enchilada sauce into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Place 1/3 cup vegetable mixture in center on each tortilla; sprinkle with 4 teaspoons cheese. Roll up and place in prepared dish, seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. If desired, serve with optional toppings.
Asparagus Risotto
After you eat your fill of roasted and steamed asparagus, you could try this recipe from epicurious.com as a dinner side dish or a Mother’s Day brunch dish.
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
Blanch asparagus pieces in large pot of boiling, salted water 2 minutes. Drain. Rinse asparagus under cold water. Drain asparagus well.
Bring chicken broth to simmer in small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and keep broth hot. Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir 3 minutes. Add dry white wine and cook until liquid evaporates. Continue cooking until rice is tender but still slightly firm in center and mixture is creamy, adding chicken broth 1 cup at a time and stirring almost constantly, about 20 minutes. Add blanched asparagus pieces and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter and stir until incorporated. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper.