Paul Goldfinger photo at Matt’s Rt 71 Farm Market in Belmar. 7/25/24
Matt’s sweet white corn. Blogfinger photo. 7/25/24
Blogfinger photo. Matt’s 7/25/24
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net
Jersey tomatoes are back at Matt’s, and they are delicious. $2.99 per pound.
(I take Rt. 35 south across the bridge into the Belmar Marina area. Then left at the Windmill onto Rt. 71. Matt’s is about a mile ahead on the left.)
We tried the Jersey beefsteaks at Matt’s which come in a variety of sizes. We rushed home and sliced one, and it was a miracle.
Here’s a Blogfinger suggestion from Lox Nation: Make “bagels and lox.” Lox is smoked salmon which is sliced thin by experts.
Paul Goldfinger with an Ocean Grove bagel and lox ready to assemble. Rev Stokes and the Founders never had this.
Get some fresh bagels. (We like Bagel Talk in the West Grove mall, near the UPS store.) I prefer garlic while Eileen prefers plain.
Get 1/2 pound of cream cheese; we like scallion.
All the bagel joints sell cream cheese—made there, not commercially packaged.
There are several bagel places I frequent, and if you are fussy enough, my favorite source for cream cheese is the Bagel Exchange where they make it fresh.
They are on Sunset Avenue next to the 7-11 before you reach Rt 35. Their bagels are good, too.
But Bagel Talk feels like a place run by friends and relatives. And Uncle Steve is the owner.
Go to Wegmans and get their sweet Vidalia onions. Choose the ones that are somewhat flat.
While there go to the display to the right of the deli counter where they have some sliced cheeses and grab a package of their Wegmans Hudson Valley smoked salmon. It is perfection.
Now you are ready for an authentic bagel and lox sandwich. Here are 2 prior BF posts on this topic. There are some variations on the theme.
A few hints:
Prepare the fresh bagel by slicing it in half and then scooping out the insides. You will need to toast it, but not too dark. Burning can ruin it. Using frozen bagels is OK, but less ideal.
Put the cream cheese on fairly heavy–that adds sensuousness.
A slice of Jersey tomato is essential. Why? As Rob Reiner famously said, “..for the wet.”
Eileen likes to put capers on her’s. It adds an extra spicy flavor, but I don’t like it.
The Hot Bagel Bakery is considered the best, but it is a bit of a journey. It is on Monmouth Road near West Park Avenue in Oakhurst.
Watch for the Shabos crowd lining up on Friday morning. You might wait on line, but it moves fast. It is a unique cultural experience.
The Chinese love lox and chopped liver. Can you get a bagel in Chinatown? Probably.