A Garden Blooms at Luxury Hotel Near Newark Airport

ELIZABETH, NJ--(Marketwire - Aug 31, 2012) - Every day, Executive Chef Gregory Martin walked by a little plot of dirt outside of the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel which happened to have its own sprinkler head. One day in early May, he finally decided to get creative and planted his own garden steps from the hotel's exterior kitchen door -- and just across the New Jersey Turnpike from the runways at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Chef Martin's kitchen garden is in full bloom these days -- and the fruits of his labors are used every night on the menu at Ironbound Restaurant in Newark, including zucchini, cucumbers, two types of eggplant, watermelon, red and yellow peppers, basil, oregano, and chocolate mint, an herb he uses for both specialty cocktails as well as desserts. Some of the dishes he has prepared with the bounty from the kitchen garden include:

• Pan Seared Arctic Char, Ironbound Garden Goliath Tomato and Chocolate Mint Salsa, Red Quinoa and Mountain Berry Farm Baby Carrots (the tomatoes and chocolate mint are from the garden)
• Vermont Goat Cheese and Ironbound Garden Tomato Tarts (tomatoes from the garden)
• Salad of Baby and Micro greens with Ironbound Garden Zucchini Blossoms and Charred Cherry Tomatoes (tomatoes and zucchini blossoms from garden)
• Japanese Eggplant with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Alderwood Smoked Salt (eggplant from garden)
• Chocolate Mint Martini (chocolate mint from garden)

The Ironbound Restaurant takes its name from the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, which is a cultural melting pot. At the turn of the century, forges and foundries in the area lured workers from all across Europe and in 1910 a second wave of immigrants came from Portugal and Italy. The eclectic menu at Ironbound has been designed to intrigue the palate with flavors of Portugal and Italy. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

The newly renovated hotel in Elizabeth, NJ features 397 lavish guest rooms and suites comfortably equipped with refrigerators, laptop safes, connectivity panels, and 37" flat panel HD televisions; 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space in Elizabeth, New Jersey; an indoor pool; 24-hour fitness center; Ironbound Grill restaurant; and den/library for relaxing. 

For additional information, visit www.renaissancenewarkairport.com or call 866-234-7535 or 908-436-4600.

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