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Popular New Market in Blawenburg Complements The Catering Company

Jenny Hartshorne is a home town girl, and she likes it that way. Owner of The Catering Company and the new Blawenburg Market, she is proud of her Blawenburg Main Street location, just across the road from the house where she grew up.

"This was a family store in the 1800s and in the 1950s and '60s. Then it changed, and now it's back to what it was and what it wants to be," explains Ms. Hartshorne. "I've been coming here since I was six and could cross the street. Having grown up here, I hope the market will be a community center for the people here.

"Also, after September 11, there are so few places to go and feel safe and to be somewhere that has been around a long time. We have that. We're family-run, a home town village store, and we're not slick."

Ms. Hartshorne came to the food business by a natural progression of events, she says. "My mother, Valerie Hartshorne, was my original 'inspirerer'. Growing up, I was exposed to lots of good and interesting food. We'd have cheese fondue for birthdays and soft-shell crabs. My mother started Soup du Jour in Hopewell, and she now makes the soups here.

"So by instinct, I ended up in the food business. I went to cooking school in Boston, and then in 1984, I opened Jenny's Catering Company, and I ran the Cloister Club at Princeton University. In 1985, Caron Wendell and I established The Catering Company here at 391 Main Street in Blawenburg, on the corner of Routes 518 and 601.

"The notion of catering was unusual in 1985," she continues. "Then it grew so much over the years, that last June, I decided to open a retail business, the Blawenburg Market."

Casual to Formal

Ms. Hartshorne hastens to add that the full-service Catering Company is still very much in business. "We are stronger than ever. For the weekends coming up, we have a wedding for 100, a cocktail party for 80, a baby's first birthday party for 50, and a bar mitzvah for 100. September is very busy with weddings and cocktail parties.

"We do everything =8B casual to formal, 10 to 1000 guests. We'll get the tents, bartenders, whatever you need, and 50 percent of our catering clients are from Princeton."

Now, with the advent of the market, Ms. Hartshorne believes she can offer her product in a new format, and since she has established a good reputation with The Catering Company, she brings that advantage to the market.

"A brand is what people know," she explains. "Because we have been open almost 20 years, we have developed a brand. We're fun, friendly, reliable, and have delicious food. Just as with the catering, now people are happy with their experience at the market.

General Store

"This is really like a general store," she adds. "In addition to our dinner and lunch items, we have milk, local eggs, butter, crackers, olive oil, vinegar, dips and sauces, jams, local produce, fresh flowers, and hand-done decorative wreaths. Local artist Ellie Wyeth-Fox also features her paintings here.

"I expect to get in more gift items too. My concept is, if you go to someone's house, what do you want to bring? Some of our homemade crostini with eggplant relish, a bottle of pure maple syrup, a loaf of rustic bread, mixed nuts =8B these are all nice gifts."

The market features a variety of lunch and dinner items to go, including shrimp scampi, taco casserole, Chilean sea bass, lamb chops, side dishes, and sandwiches and salads.

"We offer rustic American cuisine, with an international flavor, including Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and Thai," says chef Brooke Johnson. "Our shrimp scampi, Chilean sea bass, and roasted vegetables are very popular. Other favorites include Thai basil chicken stir fry, broccoli au gratin, and risotto with roasted tomatoes.

"I like doing everything," she adds, "But I especially enjoy the side dishes. I can experiment with them. For example, I created a savory bread pudding, which can either be a vegetarian entree or a side dish. It's grilled bread, arugula, roasted tomatoes, fontina cheese, and oregano. It has great flavor and texture.

"I feel our food is set apart by our emphasis on freshness and low fat. We don't add a lot of sugar, and we keep sauces on the side. Nothing is mass produced, so we can keep everything very fresh. We pay great attention to detail, and we really try to accommodate the customers."

Made to Order

The Blawenburg Market is also known for its outstanding sandwich selection. Made to order, they include roast turkey with cranberry mustard on French bread, ham and havarti cheese with honey mustard on a kaiser roll, and Siciliano with roasted egg plant, roasted red peppers, provolone, and olive relish. There is also a pannini of the day, and soup of the day. In addition, breakfast sandwiches include scrambled or fried eggs on English muffin, bagel or Kaiser, with ham, bacon, or cheese.

Muffins and cookies are baked on the premises, while the assorted pies and tarts are provided by Annie B.'s Confections. Key lime pie, cranberry walnut tarts, Almond Joy pie, among others, are available. "We are also now offering a variety of fresh breads, including whole wheat, pumpernickel, and whole grain," adds Ms. Hartshorne. "People have wanted this."

Prices cover a range, with a complete dinner $8 to $10 per person. Sandwiches are from $5.25 to $5.75, cookies $0.75, and mixed nuts $3.

Customers have been particularly pleased with the decor and atmosphere in the market, notes Ms. Hartshorne, who worked with Princeton architect Philip Collins of CUH2A to design the remodeled space. The setting is accented with bright yellows and blues and a handsome tile floor. Relaxed and upbeat music plays in the background, and a table, chairs, and bar stools can accommodate six people. There is also a picnic table outside.

Small World coffee and iced Chai tea are available, and iced coffee is enhanced with coffee ice cubes.

"People love to come here," notes Ms. Hartshorne. "I said to one man who comes regularly, 'I'll have your coffee ready.' He replied, 'I don't come just for the coffee. I love your ceiling (copper-plated tin)! And this is such a nice place.' It's important for him to experience the atmosphere. I love that. I like the idea that people are coming to me, to my place.

On Our Route

"People have been telling us. 'We're so happy you're on our route and even 'we'll change our route, so we can stop in.' We get a lot of people on their way to Hopewell or Lambertville." Menus can be faxed to clients in the morning, and they pick up items on their way home. Corporate lunches are also popular.

Ms. Hartshorne still enjoys doing some of the cooking, and in addition to Chef Johnson, on Tuesdays, the cooking of a guest chef is featured.

Ms. Hartshorne could not be happier with the way things have worked out. "It has more than met my expectations. It's been amazing, and I look forward to building up the market even more. There is so much variety in the work. It's never boring.

"In addition, part of what appeals to me is that this is a family business, and it's here in our town. This little Blawenburg Market rings true. It makes you feel good to be here."

Market hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phone. 466-3905; catering. 466-4022.