“Our state’s farmers are hard at work growing the Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables we all love,” said Secretary Fisher. “You can find this wonderful Jersey Fresh produce in supermarkets, community farmers markets, roadside stands and restaurants throughout the state.  Make sure to ask for Jersey Fresh and support our farm families.”  (click image to read full article)

“We are switching our boxes to pink ‘5 Star’ logos to raise money for breast cancer research during the month,” Jamie Graiff, co-owner of the company told The Produce News. “The breast cancer pink ribbon logo is printed on an insert that will go into every box thanking our customers for their purchase, explaining our breast cancer research fundraiser and advising them of where they can send their own donations if they want.”

Mr. Graiff said that the company specifically chose the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in New York City because the organization has an A-plus fundraising rating and because 90 percent of the money it receives goes directly to research, with the balance going to administration costs.  (click image to read full article)

“We went to great expense to have a customized machine built in Europe to peel shallots, cipollini and pearl onions,” said Mr. Rancht. “We see these products as a growing entity with foodies today. People want to use these gourmet items more and more, but they want them in easy to use ways.” (Click image to read full article)

“It’s actually an expansion of our existing facility by 17,000-square-feet, giving us a total of about 50,000-square-feet of total space,” he added.

He explained that the new facility incorporates a state-of-the-art, fully automated packing line that was developed and built in Italy. While the line is used in Europe, Dan Graiff Farms is the first company to have one in the United States. (Click image to read full article)

Dan Graiff Farms, growers, processors and shippers located here near Vineland, is in the process of upgrading and expanding different aspects of the business. The company is upgrading its website to include recipe pages, which will make it more interesting and valuable to consumers, according to brothers Dan and Jamie Graiff, co-owners of the family firm. The two men hope to have the upgrades to the website completed “by around PMA time,” they told The Produce News Aug. 18. (Click image to read full article)

Between the heat waves and the heavy storms, it wasn’t the best growing season because of the inconsistencies,” Jamie Graiff of Dan Graiff Farms told The Produce News on a hot Tuesday morning, Aug. 14.

Volume was hurt — we lost a good bit early in the summer,” he added. “Quality was affected because of the high humidity and heat. Weather was the biggest hurdle this year. (Click image to read full article)

“This has been a better growing season for us than the last few years,” he told The Produce News Tuesday morning, Aug. 13. “Rains have been spread out, and we’ve been lucky enough to not get too many of them.”

Scott Graiff and Kyle Barile.Asked to elaborate on how the summer had been going in New Jersey, the owner of Dan Graiff Farms replied, “Over all I would say good. We definitely had to deal with some extremes in temperature and rains. But I think the market was a little stronger because of some of those extremes, which cut into some volume generally in New Jersey.” (click image to read full article)

The company recently bought a 75-acre former nursery, adjacent to the property, which it had been leasing, bringing total acreage up to about 385 acres, according to Dan Graiff. The company is currently doing soil tests and land preparation, and expects to plant baby greens and spring mix this summer, he said… (click image to read full article)

Prepare the pizza dough first. Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast in a thin layer over the top. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes, then whisk into the milk. Add the salt, olive oil and egg; whisk until smooth. Begin adding the flour gradually, whisking at first, then switching over to a spatula once a soft dough forms.

When dough begins to come together in a ball, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour as needed, until a soft and elastic dough forms. Transfer the dough into a large mixing bowl coated with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to proof for about 1 hour, away from any cold air drafts.

Meanwhile, prepare all the toppings. For the tomato sauce, simple combine the sauce with a sprinkle of Italian dry herbs and salt.

Once dough has proofed, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead again for a few minutes. Make either 1 large pizza, or divide the dough in half for 2 smaller flat-bread style pizzas. Grease a large pizza pan with olive oil. Roll the dough out into desired shape and transfer onto the pan. Pierce the dough with a fork all over.

Before adding toppings, drizzle the dough with olive oil, spreading it all over the surface; season with a bit of salt and pepper. Spread desired amount of tomato sauce over the top, then add slices of mozzarella cheese, basil pesto, parmesan cheese and sliced shallot.

Preheat oven to 425F; allow the pizza to proof meanwhile. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove the pizza from oven and top with sliced prosciutto, capers, arugula and balsamic glaze.

For Pizza Dough

• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 tsp white granulated sugar
• 2 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For topping

• Olive oil, salt, black pepper
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup basil pesta
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 10 slices prosciutto
• 10 cups arugula
• 2 tbsp capers; optional
• balsamic glaze1 cup tomato sauce
• Sprinkle of each: dried rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic powder, fennel seeds

Get a steamer situation ready for your broccoli and bring it to a boil. Pre-heat a wide pan for the chicken on medium-high heat and give it a thin coating of olive oil. Brown the chicken on both sides, taking care to not burn the fond on the bottom of the pan. It’s OK if you have to stop before the chicken is cooked inside.

At some point around here, start your broccoli steaming. Cook it until you can just pierce it with a fork. Toss it in melted butter and salt to taste, when you get a chance.

Take the chicken out of the pan and put in the onions. Try to get some color on the onions, but before the fond burns, pour in the chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan clean with a wooden spoon. Squeeze in 1-2 tablespoons each of honey and mustard. Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with an equal amount of water and then pour that into the sauce. Cook until it’s thick, then taste. Add vinegar, salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Cook the sauce until the onions are about cooked to your liking. Return the chicken to the sauce, get it coated, and cook it (if it needs more time) until the internal temperature is 165 F / 74 C. Sprinkle the meant with toasted sesame seeds, serve next to the broccoli with extra onions and sauce spooned over.

• 2 chicken breasts (one full breast)
• 1/2 pound pearl onions
• 8 oz chicken stock
• 1 large broccoli crown
• honey
• mustard
• vinegar (white, white wine, white balsamic, or rice wine would be my first choices)
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne
• cornstarch
• olive oil
• toasted sesame seeds (you can toast them yourself in a dry pan until fragrant)