On day trip to a farm, we ran into the crowds we hoped to leave behind

Israeli-born cheese maker Eran Wajswol of Valley Shepherd Creamery in Morris County has resisted the bigger-is-better philosophy of nearby farms. Milk from his grass-fed goats, sheep and cows go into artisan cheeses, rich yogurts and other products sold out of a retail store, below.

Valley Shepherd Creamery's Sheep Shoppe is pretty much the way we remember it from our last visit in November 2010.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Garden State is getting a lot more crowded, and I'm not talking about the suburbs.

On our first visit to Alstede Farms in about five years, we were shocked to see how many visitors were poring in for hay rides and other activities, and how many fields had been converted into unpaved parking lots.

On a normally quiet, two-lane country road, hundreds of traffic cones were set up, with police and farm employees directing visitors' cars to open spaces.

Then, a short drive away, we were pleased to see that Valley Shepherd Creamery, which specializes in artisan cheeses, was pretty much the same as we remembered it.

The two farms are in neighboring townships in New Jersey's Morris County, a round trip of about 100 miles from our home in North Jersey.

Valley Shepherd Creamery is a 120-acre working sheep dairy, and most of it is off-limits to visitors, as this sign indicates. But visitors do have the opportunity to see how cheese is made and, in spring and summer, watch newborn lambs.

Inside the Sheep Shoppe, visitors can purchase small cups of Jersey Fresh sheep's milk yogurt, authentic churn buttermilk, whey-fed prok and grass-fed lamb, below.

You can sample any of the artisan, cave-aged cheeses before you buy.

The road to Valley Shepherd Creamery takes you through Long Valley, a hamlet in Washington Township.

Bringing the farm home

At Valley Shepherd, we purchased a 3.2 ounce wedge of Red Goat, a hard cheese made from raw goat's milk ($4.40).

We also picked up four 6-ounce cups of Ewegurt, a rich yogurt made from Jersey Fresh sheep's milk ($2.50 each).

A 12-ounce container of Authentic Churn Buttermilk was labeled "no fat" ($2).

Valley Shepherd Creamery, 50 Fairmount Road, Long Valley; 908-876-3200. Open Thursdays to Sundays. Web site: 

30 styles of artisan cheese, yogurt and butter

Alstede Farms in Chester is a magnet for families with children, especially on the weekends. There is room for hundreds of cars in fields marked with white lines.

I overheard a boy ask whether this horse, which is available for rides, was "trained." A bored staff member, who appeared to be a male high school student, said yes, the horse is "trained to kill." I had a good laugh. 

A few purchases

At Alstede Farms, you'll find cider and produce outside the farm store, and home-made pies, preserves, fruit salsas and other items inside.

We bought a gallon of farm-made, preservative-free apple cider ($6.99), a couple of pounds of sweet potatoes with white flesh, sweet peppers and shallots.

I didn't get an itemized receipt with prices per pound, but they weren't that far above what you'd pay in a supermarket.

Alstede Farms, 1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester; 1-908-879-7189. Open 7 days. Web site:

Pick your own, hay rides and more

You can buy plenty of freshly pressed, preservative-free apple cider and non-GMO produce at Alstede Farms, above, but if you want a bite to eat, you won't be able to order a salad or other food that is good for you, below.

Donuts and other sugary treats also are available.

Uncrowded, two-lane country roads and fall colors are part of the payoff when you visit Morris County farms.

On the first leg of the trip on Route 80 west, I briefly set my Tesla Model S to Autopilot and Autosteer, and let the car drive itself.

A North Jersey-style food run

Image by John Walker via Flickr

We found a well-stocked store on our visit to Alstede Farms in Chester.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

An Israeli cheese maker, a farm store as American as cherry pie and a Lebanese chef were among the elements of a food-filled afternoon on a sunny but blustery day in northern New Jersey.

Our excursion on Saturday took us from Bergen County to two farms and on our return, to a restaurant and bakery in Paterson's Middle Eastern bazaar -- a round-trip of about 100 miles.

I'll have to find a route with more two-lane blacktop on our next visit to Valley Shepherd Creamery, a sheep-and-goat dairy that makes and sells artisan cheese and a lot of other food in Long Valley, a lovely little town with antique stores and restaurants.

We started out on Route 80 west, headed south on Route 206 and drove two-lane roads past horse and produce farms until we reached the dairy.

As usual, cheese maker Eran Wajswol was busy in the back of the cozy retail store, dubbed the Sheep Shoppe, "making cheese."

There were only a few other customers in the store as I looked over the sheep's-milk cheese, yogurt, ravioli and other products in the cold case, and my wife and son sampled a semi-soft goat cheese.

Some of the cave-aged cheeses are $24 a pound, so I bought only a quarter-pound of Oldwick Shepherd cheddar and a third-of-a-pound of a parmagian-romano style cheese called Hunterdon. 

We also picked up four plain ewegurts ($2 each), a walnut-raisin baguette ($3.29) and that Crotin goat cheese ($5), which my 13-year-old son loved.

Valley Shepherd Creamery, 50 Fairmount Road, 

Long Valley, N.J.; 908-876-3200, call for hours.

Alstede Farms in Chester 

We've taken hay-wagon rides and visited the pumpkin path at Alstede Farms, but we were happy with shopping in the store on Saturday.

There was more fresh produce than I expected, probably grown in hot houses, including beefsteak tomatoes, red cabbage, arugula, dandelion and other greens. Coffee and hot soup were available, too.

We took home a large tomato, a head of red cabbage and a homemade cherry pie ($13.99). My son asked for a large cone of farm-made rum-raisin ice cream and raved it was the best he's ever had ($5.99). I needed a pick-me-up cup of black coffee ($1).

Alstede Farms, 84 Route 24, Chester; 908-879-7189.

Early dinner in South Paterson

Our first stop in Paterson was Fattal's Bakery, where the Al-Shark Moroccan sardines are only 99 cents a can, in spicy or regular oil. I picked up 14 cans of the spicy, plus yogurt drink ($1.49) and a mixture of olives ($2.99 a pound).

I love Fattal's Syrian bread, but didn't buy any, because I am cutting down on all bread and losing weight as a result.

For dinner, I couldn't decide on whether to go to our favorite, Aleppo Restaurant on Main Street, or La Ziza, a Lebanese place on the Paterson border we've tried several times despite the availability of hookah smoking.

It was early, about 3 in the afternoon, so we chose La Ziza, knowing there would be few other customers and little smoke to contend with.  

But we've probably had our last meal there after we were overcharged, the credit-card machine ran out of paper and the adjusted bill included a 15% tip on the original, inflated total.

That's a shame, because the food was as good as ever: 

Cold grape leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables ($5.95); cumin-flavored hummus ($4.50); lentil soup with fresh lemon ($2.95); a tart, finely chopped Lebanese salad ($6.95); and meat arayes, a toasted pocket-bread sandwich of seasoned meat ($5.50).

Only the overly sweet La Ziza lemonade disappointed ($2.95 each).

 In addition, we ordered one entree, fried, whole whiting with rice ($12.95), and asked the waiter to hold the greasy fried bread usually served with the three fish.

During our meal, customers at only two other tables were smoking water pipes, and they were nowhere near us. 

When I looked over the itemized bill, I noticed we were charged for an appetizer we didn't order. I called the waiter over and pointed that out to him and later, my son and wife said he "smirked," and they thought that meant he overcharged us on purpose.

Although the smoke was hardly noticeable, except for the sweetish smell, the air-conditioning was turned on as the staff, including the female chef, hunted for more paper for the credit-card machine. That took forever, and I had to put on my jacket because it was so cold in the place.

I paid the adjusted bill, but noticed only later the tip hadn't been adjusted downward. 

This morning, I joked with my wife: "Do you know where the restaurant that overcharged us is located?" 

"Crooks Avenue." 

Fattal's Syrian Bakery, 975-77 Main St., Paterson; 973-742-7125.

La Ziza Restaurant, 341 Crooks Ave., Clifton; 973-772-2700.