We'll take Manhattan on amazing Maize Quest

Elzbieta Kolton loads freshly picked produce into a truck at Stony Hill Gardens, on its way to a market in New Providence.
Starting Saturday at 10 a.m., you'll be able to walk from the Battery to the Bronx -- and visit the Statue of Liberty - all in about two to three hours. Not only that, there won't be any traffic to dodge, just corn stalks as high as an elephant's eye.

Confused? If it's Labor Day weekend, then the Maize Quest corn maze at Stony Hill is opening for the season, and if you're a devotee, you know this 10-acre work of art is a day trip not to be missed. There's always an elaborate theme; past years have featured a pirate ship under sail, a scene from ancient Egypt and the Australian Outback complete with a kangaroo and joey in its pouch. This year it's Manhattan, and from the air, you get a spectacular overview of Lady Liberty and the skyline.

At the start of the maze, there's a video to get you going, games along the way, bridges to cross and if you feel hopelessly lost, "maze masters" will put you back on track. If you're really brave, bring a light to Flashlight Nights starting Sept. 21 on Fridays and Saturdays.

For younger children, there's a mini maze, a rope maze, a tile maze and Miner Max, a construction maze where kids can dig for gemstones.

And that's just what's going on outdoors. Inside Stony Hill's farm market, owners Carol and Dale Davis want you to have fun, too. Dale grows orchids across town at Stony Hill Gardens where the 40-acre main farm is, and Carol oversees the market and the mazes. Then there's 450 acres in Chester, Long Valley and the surrounding areas where they raise cattle and chickens so they can sell fresh-cut meat and eggs right from the coop in the store. The eggs are quirky: you get a mixed dozen, meaning the eggs are all different sizes; it depends on the chicken, I guess. The beef is grain- grass- and hay-fed, and there are no hormones; the meat is lean, low fat and ready to put on the grill. Burgers are already in patties ($3.99 per pound), sirloin steaks are $9.99 per pound, as are London broils, Delmonicos and T-bones. Oxtails are $3.99 per pound

This time of year, most crops are coming in, and the market is filled with fresh-from-the-field fruits and vegetables. It's impossible to quote prices on produce because it changes so quickly with supply and demand, but I can say Stony Hill's prices are on par with better supermarkets and you know you're getting the freshest products from local farmers.

You should be able to find super-sweet corn, tomatoes, a large variety of hot and sweet peppers, summer squash and zucchini, cucumbers, okra, potatoes, onions, eggplant, green and yellow beans, lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, scallions, watermelon, cantaloupes, peaches, apples, local cherries and strawberries.

Later on in the month, pumpkins, autumn squashes, gourds and Indian corn will be available.

Knowing you're bringing home all this healthy food may help you relent when you get to the pies, tarts, cookies, muffins and donuts. Two bakers come in every morning at 6:30 and make excellent use of fresh fruits in season. Depending on crops, some choices for pies (9-inch, $12.99-$14.99 for a whole; $7.50-$8.50 for a half; $2.50-$3.50 per slice) could be apple, apple raspberry, blueberry, peach blueberry, cherry, strawberry rhubarb, blackberry, red raspberry, peach, peach praline, Peach Melba and pumpkin.

There are fresh fruit donuts daily (95 cents each; $3.95 per half dozen; $6.95 per dozen), and I wasn't quite sure about this, but a blueberry donut was a hit. Blueberries aren't my favorite fruit, so I'm hoping to go back on a peach or cherry day. You might want to go for the good cookies. At 55 cents each, you can choose from chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal raisin, M&M, cranberry orange, coconut pecan or macadamia white chocolate.

Not all the treats at Stony Hill are edible. Carol has made the market homier by displaying lovely photo cards by a local photographer at prices so low you'll find a blank wall and beautiful flowers to brighten up any day. This is her home, she says. She and Dale met in college, they both come from families with agricultural backgrounds and now their three children, Dale IV, Brandt and Kaitlyn, work when they can around their school schedules.

As if overseeing the orchid greenhouses, the 500 acres of crops, the market and the mazes aren't enough, the Davises travel to farmers' markets around the state six days a week in season. Also, field trips are a big thing at Stony Hill, and keeping track of all those kids in a 10-acre corn maze can't be easy. Then, starting Sept. 22, they'll take you on a hayride out to the fields so you can pick your own pumpkin. Oh yes, this year, they'll be open until Christmas Eve.

I could say I'm getting tired just writing about all this work, but when I asked Carol Davis the hours of the market and she told me she works every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., I knew we weren't even in the same league.

So I'm willing to help. I can bake more donuts than I can eat and I can probably even gather eggs in the coop, although that wouldn't be my first choice. But please, don't ask me to be a maze master. The thought of being lost in the middle of Manhattan with only a field of dreams to guide me -- much less trying to help someone else out -- is enough to make me search for gems with the little kids. So let me know, I'll be back soon enough for another cherry pie anyway.

"Taste of New Jersey" appears every other week in Savor. Please send news of your favorite finds with your name and telephone numbers to Savor, "Taste of New Jersey," The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, N.J. 07102. All submissions become the property of The Star-Ledger and will not be returned; submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium.