Cooking Lesson
A good way to welcome spring
Come spring New Jersey offeres apple and peach orchards in blossom, farmland newly ploughed, fresh air, mountains and the sea. There are a myriad of hiking and biking trails pleasant little country towns, state parks and historic sites. Get a map, take a drive and have a snack while you enjoy the simple wonders of our state. Here is a recipe for an easy-to-make, healthful take-along:

Oatmeal Fruit Cookies

Just count the healthful ingredients in this cookie. Don’t discount the butter — a little fat is a good thing. These cookies not only taste great but they pack well for easy take-along.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup raisins
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
(not instant)
6 tbsp. raisin liquid
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1 cup broken walnut meats

PROCEDURE
1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 Cook raisins in boiling water to cover for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 6 tablespoons of the juice.
3 Beat together butter and sugar until smooth; add eggs and beat until smooth. Set aside.
4 Combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a large mixing bowl, and then mix with oatmeal.
5 Add the oatmeal mixture to creamed ingredients alternately with raisin liquid.
6 Stir in raisins, dates and walnuts. Drop on greased cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Wine Notes
A versatile wine for springtime or anytime
Riesling is the perfect wine for almost anytime and is enjoying a newfound popularity. Always popular in Europe, Riesling is drawing more attention by wine drinkers in this country. A Riesling exists for everyone’s taste, and its many styles make it very food friendly, allowing it to pair with anything from appetizers to desserts

Restaurant Spotlight
A place in time
Housed in the Swan Hotel, built in 1870, Anton’s is a small restaurant, with a small staff and a small menu, but the experience is wide and wonderful, offering fine fare prepared with a caring hand.

For more recipes and recommendations, pick up the current issue of New Jersey Countryside Magazine, available now at bookstores, on newsstands and by subscription. Click here to get one free bonus issue and save more than 80% on a subscription.