Doesn’t get more ‘farm to table’ than this — Eating where the food is grown in NJ

You can't get much fresher than this.

Similar to what's being seen across the country, a handful of New Jersey farms are offering patrons sit-down meals, comprised primarily of the food that's produced just a couple hundred feet away.

About 300 plates are served over the course of a few hours each Friday night this summer at Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown.

Each week, a chef from a local restaurant is invited to the farm to work with the latest haul of produce. Food from the farm will either make up an entire plate or accompany a main entree.

"We have our own salad dressing that we make, and the entire salad comes from the farm, and it is literally harvested that day," said owner Greg Donaldson.

Other offerings include a zucchini parmigiana side dish, a baked red-skinned potato with broccoli and cheese sauce, and heirloom tomatoes along with fresh mozzarella, a balsamic glaze and edible sunflower petals.

"Every plate that we do serve comes with an ear of sweet corn," said Donaldson, whose farm has been offering on-site dining for years now.

And during the weekly event — which also features live music and kids' activities — educational hayrides show customers where their meal came from.

Cecil Creek Farms, located in Mickleton, puts a taste of their certified-organic farm on every dish during the five- and eight-course farm-to-fork meals they host.

The farm has its own herb and flower garden to add to the flavor; hen-laying eggs are on site as well.

"It's an open kitchen so you can actually see me cooking. We also have an overhead camera," said Mark Ulrich, executive chef manager, who likes to educate patrons on the day's ingredients and why they were chosen.

"One ingredient in each course is from our farm, if not everything," he said.

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Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.