Living in New York City, for some, can be draining. More and more I’m feeling the need to get out of the city for extended periods of time: overnights, weekends, weeks, months (!!!) … you get the picture. Where I once turned up my nose at an invitation to go to New Jersey, Long Island or Connecticut, I now jump at the chance!
And yes, that includes apple picking in New Jersey.
Last weekend after our 18 mile run, David and I gathered ourselves together and went to a friend’s BBQ in New Jersey. We had a great afternoon catching up with our old co-workers many of whom we don’t see very often.
When we left, we drove to Princeton to stay overnight where we pledged to sleep in on our rest day (we were both exhausted having not had our usual nap after our run).
After 10 hours of good, restful sleep, we drove to the main street in Princeton (Nassau Street) where we were blessed with gorgeous weather and the beautiful surroundings of the University campus. We ate the most delicious Bavarian brunch of granola, fresh-baked, homemade breads and pastries, fresh fruit, eggs, cheese and knockwurst (–> David, not me) at Cafe Vienna, an authentic Austrian cafe.
After brunch we strolled around and did some shopping and then ventured to Terhune Orchards. I was shocked to learn that there was an apple orchard in Princeton. It’s about a 10 minute drive from downtown and it did not disappoint.
We headed straight to the apple orchard where there were three varieties of apples for picking – Empire, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious. We picked about 14 pounds of apples (how we are going to use them between two of us is beyond me) and then went back to the farm where we did a wine tasting (yes, there’s an on-site winery and tasting room).
We bought a bottle and then relaxed in the sun, each with an individual glass of wine, before heading over to the the Farm Market to pick up some organic vegetables, all of which are grown right on the farm.
Finally, we picked out a pumpkin and I cut some fresh flowers to take home with us.
It was such a perfect day and a much-needed break from city life. The best part just may have been our stop at Whole Foods for our weekly shopping trip before we returned to the city.
There’s something about loading groceries into a car that I’ll never take for granted. I live for the day when that’s my normal.
But for now, I’ve got some apples on my hands.
Any must-try apple recipes out there? Share in the comments below!
Got apples? Watch my video series, Cooking with Apples.
Leave a Reply