Muirhead of Ringoes offers full line of specialty foods via mail order

By MILLICENT BRODY
Correspondent

Doris and Ed Simpson established their destination restaurant in rural Hunterdon County in 1974. After naming the old farmhouse Muirhead, they focused their energy on good food and comfortable ambiance.

The Simpsons are self-taught chefs with a profound interest in fine dining. They even prepared cherries jubilee long before the dessert became popular.

"For us, each new and exciting dish was a great challenge," Doris said. "At the restaurant, we served delicious appetizers called clams Muirhead and Blue Cheese cheesecake. Guests loved our onion tarts, goat cheese tarts, fresh garden tomatoes with pesto sauce, eggs with tapenade sauce, our house-smoked fish and freshly prepared soups. Because the menu changed with the seasons, we'd serve a pumpkin and winter squash soup in the fall and winter, and a lovely cool lemon soup in the spring and summer. Naturally, we'd revise our recipes with new ingredients, and each time we did, the food was more delicious."

When in season at Muirhead, salad courses always included fresh lettuces and herbs from the garden. Entrees featured beef Wellington, rack of lamb, sole en papillote, sole Florentine, Cornish hens, fresh fish from the seas and

lakes and boneless duck breast.

Desserts covered the rainbow, from praline cheesecake, Linzer torte, raspberry mousse. chocolate pots de creme, Black Forest torte, apricot mousse and fruits and berries in season.

It may have been because the Simpsons' customers frequently asked for one of their menu fixtures to go.

"Throughout our restaurant years, customers would frequently ask for a jar of salad dressing to go," Doris said. "This led Ed to formally bottle some of our items for retail sales."

As the story goes, one thing led to another. Now Ed and Doris Simpson, along with their daughter Barbara,

are immersed in an array of food products that are for sale around the country.

Anchored by their major product, Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter, Ed began his entrepreneurship by visiting local merchants, food purveyors, knocking on neighborhood doors and setting up booths at country fairs.

"What really launched our company was becoming a finalist in the new product category at the National Association of Specialty Food Trade, Summer Fancy Food Show," Ed said. "Now, of course, folks can buy our products in specialty grocery stores, at Williams-Sonoma, and online at our Web site:www.muirheadfoods.com."

Excellent on grilled chicken, pork, beef and even meatloaf, Muirhead barbecue sauce is prepared with butter and sherry. A chunky tomato sauce and Grandma Hazel's sweet and sour dressing for salads and steamed vegetables makes an excellent hostess gift. Scoop out a spoon of pecan pumpkin butter and spread it on your breakfast or lunch roll, bagel, slice of fresh bread or any of your favorite baked goods. It can be an excellent addition to batter when making any fruit, cheese cake or pie.

Muirhead products are now featured in Gold Farms gift baskets. Dedicated to promoting local farms and direct-from-the-farm products, Gold Farms is an 88-acre organic farm located in Central Jersey. Gold Farms baskets of

PHOTO BY MILLICENT K. BRODY

Ed Simpson, pictured at the Fancy Food Show in New York, created a line of food products along with his wife, Doris, which are available through mail order. The Simpsons began their business by visiting local merchants, food purveyors and setting up booths at country fairs.