The Harrison Township Historical Society hosted its annual Mullica Hill asparagus festival on May 16 next to the Old Town Hall, an event that drew residents to celebrate local history and the community’s rural roots.
The festival commemorated the anniversary of the first commercial air shipment of produce in the U.S. on May 17, 1922. That flight saw a plane transport 800 pounds of asparagus from Mullica Hill to Boston. The history of the moment – as well as the township’s farms – were spotlighted with a display at the event.
“All this used to be farms,” said Deput Mayor TJ Coakley. “When you think about Harrison Township and its legacy of farmers, it just makes sense that we celebrate that. We have great peach orchards, we have apples, we have vineyards now. Asparagus was a foundational crop.
“The fact that we were the first place with wheels up to Boston in 1922, 104 years ago, says a lot.”
The festival’s main event was a battle of the chefs, where seven local restaurants and bakeries competed against each other to see for the best asparagus-themed dish. The winner was Marino’s of Mullica Hill for its warm asparagus velouté and asparagus stromboli. The cooks in attendance handed out a pamphlet that described the dish.
“Silky velouté crafted from locally grown Grasso Farms asparagus in Mullica Hill,” it read, “blended with mascarpone and creme fraiche, finished with chive oil and lemon-parm pangrattato. Served alongside an asparagus stromboli filled with speck, smoked mozzarella, roasted tomato and bright parsley sauce, perfect for dipping into the warm velouté.”
Marino’s was chosen by the votes of attendees and three guest judges: social media personality South Jersey Schnitz, jazz vocalist Greg Farnese and social media influencer Barbie Delle. The festival also featured vendors from local businesses and – of course – sales of Jersey Fresh asparagus.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the historical society’s mission of preserving local history. Coakley – head of the Harrison Township Economic Development Committee – noted the festival was good for local businesses along Main Street.
“This many people here is good for every business on the street,” he explained. “It’s healthy competition,” he added of the battle of the chefs. “These guys are close friends when the lights go out. But right now, they’re competitors.”
Fresh asparagus available for purchase during the Mullica Hill asparagus festival on May 16.
Asparagus-themed entries were displayed for the festival’s battle of the chefs competition. Each dish came from a local restaurant.
