Chef Albrecht Showcases Local Produce

Chef Christopher Albrecht of Eno Terra Restaurant used homemade mozzarella cheese and locally grown zucchini and garlic scapes to create mozzarella rollatini with grilled zucchini and sundried tomato pesto for about 75 people at  on Tuesday morning.

Albrecht worked his magic as part of the library’s monthly cooking demonstration called “Princeton Eats: Cooking With Local Ingredients.”

Albrecht rolled the cheese flat, spread the pesto and zucchini on top, then rolled the cheese into a log.

Napkins and plates were passed around the room as Albrecht retrieved three previously refrigerated logs and sliced them up for the crowd.

Attendees devoured the samples in less than 10 minutes.

“The taste of the basil and sundried tomato was amazing and the freshness of the mozzarella was really surprising,” South Brunswick resident Pat Canestri said.

Princeton’s library launched the cooking demonstrations last year to coincide with the seasonal Princeton Farmers' Market. The guest chef each month shops at the Thursday’s farmers market in Hinds Plaza outside of the library and then and brings the fresh, local ingredients to the cooking class.

As Albrecht prepared Tuesday’s meal, he explained every step and then distributed the dish recipe.

He said he loves finding fresh, local ingredients like garlic scapes and purple kale, at the farmers market, which he combines with ingredients he grows on his own farm.

“One of the things I really like about the local farmers market is that it shows you what the local community is interested in,” Albrecht told the audience. “It shows you what the local community is telling the farmers what they would like from years past. There are always things from the farmers market that connect to the community and connect to the place.”