Taylor Ham and French Toast ice cream at Windy Brown Farms in Sussex County’s Fredon Township. Photo: Courtesy of Windy Brow Farms
Many of us can trace our Jersey roots to our folks or grandparents. Not so for the Hunt family, which planted itself in what is now Sussex County’s Fredon Township all the way back in the 1680s. They established dairy farms and orchards, planting apples, peaches, plums, cherries, peppers, tomatoes and more.
The Hunts still cultivate some of the region’s most delectable produce on their 135-acre Windy Brow Farms, which sprawl across a breezy hillcrest; hence the quaint name. You can pick your own apples and pumpkins here in the fall, or shop in the farm store year-round. Its offerings have grown to encompass a coffee bar and a bakery that crafts sensational breads and pastries. (The focaccia, croissants, brownies and pecan pie are arguably the greatest of all time.)
Focaccia, olives and whipped ricotta calm appetites (and soak up BYO booze!). Photo: Courtesy of Windy Brow Farms
Windy Brow’s produce and bakery alone make it a culinary destination—but there’s even more deliciousness in store. The latest generation’s Hunt farmer, Jake, 34, has brought a gust of fresh air to Windy Brow. His splashy rookie effort, soon after teaming with dad, Jim, and mom, Linda, in 2013, was masterminding a creamy, dreamy ice cream sideline.
Jake Hunt, chef and host at Windy Brow Farms. Photo: KT Harrison
Jake earned his ice cream credentials while attending the University of Delaware. As a double major in agriculture and animal science, he built and managed a campus ice creamery showcasing milk from the school’s dairy cows. Later, in 2018, social media exploded with Jake’s wildly inspired Windy Brow invention: Taylor Ham and French Toast ice cream.
The ice cream “flight” offers six flavors of your choosing. Photo: KT Harrison
Today, ice cream aficionados from near and far wait patiently at Windy Brow’s creamery window, open from Wednesday through Sunday. Alongside Jake’s famous flavor are other originals, many harvest-based, like Fig Honey Walnut Ricotta, Black Raspberry Truffle and Burnt Honey Pistachio. For customers plagued with inevitable indecision, an ice cream “flight” features six oversized scoops.
And on Thursdays and Sundays through mid-October, from 4:30-8:30 pm, your ice cream treat can serve as dessert after dinner at Windy Brow. Its outdoor dining gazebo, opened in June, offers 45 seats and numerous picnic tables beyond. They all command sweeping views of rolling pastures, a picture-perfect old barn, and the open cooking station, which is crowned by a dome-topped pizza oven that runs on oak and ash logs from the farm.
The farm’s open cooking station is crowned by a dome-topped pizza oven. Photo: Courtesy of Windy Brow Farms
The compact but varied menu is Italian-accented, field-fresh and fine restaurant-quality. Jake is head cook. “I learned about food through endless watching and tasting,” he says. “Even as a little kid, I knew what was right and what was wrong about a dish. I learned that cooking is both an art and a science.” Jake has been deeply involved in the breadmaking at Windy Brow, where he “came to understand dough,” he explains. “It was a natural move from bread to pizza, which is dependent on good crust and standout tomato sauce.” (Here, sauce stars the farm’s vine tomatoes.) Jake brainstorms “creative and compatible toppings” with his kitchen and service crew.
A seasonal pizza featuring peaches and corn, served with a smile. Photo: KT Harrison
Windy Brow’s pizza lineup, currently seven varieties, covers classic tomato-mozzarella-basil pies, adventurous cross-cultural creations and vegetarian savories, all blanketed with farm-made mozzarella. I was hooked by both the tongue-tickling spicy kimchi pizza with four cheeses and the frisky Tōgarashi pie, flaunting house-made sausage and Japanese chili peppers. Pizzas feed one hungry person—or two if you order additional menu items, which most diners do.
Masterful meatballs with farm-fresh sauce and ricotta. Photo: KT Harrison
A quintet of non-pizza menu items range from snacky (blistered olives with focaccia and whipped ricotta), to light (delectably charred, fresh-picked gem lettuce with Taylor Ham jam and house-made gorgonzola), to indulgent (the Uncle Morty Sando, a gargantuan pizza-crust sandwich, bursting with mortadella, pistachio pesto and farm-made burrata). Most traditional of all is the hefty meatball dish, a spot-on Southern Italian blend of beef, pork and veal, laden with the farm’s ricotta.
Windy Brow is a relaxing dining destination. Photo: KT Harrison
Windy Brow diners, from neighborhood families to destination daters, are an extremely relaxed bunch. Their body language telegraphs their delight in the eats, the BYO policy, the vibe, the view, and, often, the local band.
“For so long, we Hunts have poured our love, passion and support into our community,” says Jake. “That Windy Brow’s community has expanded via the food we now cook makes us incredibly proud.”
Windy Brow Farms, 359 Ridge Road, Fredon Township; 973-579-9657. Follow on Facebook or Instagram.
Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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