I'm in Monmouth county and just started my tomatoes indoors. Once they sprout, I will move them to my sunniest windows (sometimes for weeks). I use flurescent light on them at night, and eventually put them out on the porch to acclimate them to the outdoors.

I also live in Budd Lake, so we are in the same micro climate within Zone 6. I start my tomato plants around March 1st indoors (6 weeks prior to last frost date for zone 6 - 4/15). Generally I begin hardening off the new seedlings by putting them outside for about 1 week before this date and one after. Even after the 4/15 date if it is still very cool, I hold off for another week. The tomato plants don't much like anything below 50 so I pay special attention to the nighttime temperatures. 6 weeks is just enough for the plants to have become big enough to transplant.

I have never been successful if I have attempted to plant even a week earlier.

I have had very good success with starting tomatoes from seed following these dates and had plenty of tomatoes last year.

I winter sow my tomatoes, so I started them outside in February.

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sow Tomatoes

Very cool about the winter sowing. I have never heard of this and will try next year.