When you're considering Crossroads-Harem (which I believe is a strong strategy for Province games), don't forget that if your opponent's Jester hits a Harem, you get a Curse, with no good way to trash it.
I think I would open Shanty Town/Silver. With my first $5 I'd get a Jester, then contest Minions. I would avoid Crossroads/Harem (see above), Forge (which hates small hand sizes, which you're virtually guaranteed to have between your Minions and your opponent's Minions), and Develop (trashing is too slow; I don't see any good synergies for top-decking) -- I guess that means I'm basically going BM and getting Minions as a counter to letting him have them all.
This strategy is higher variance than I would like, since if I'm able to hit $5 repeatedly early I'm in really good shape, as the Minions/Jesters I get will make it easier to get $5 and $6 in future hands (and I can avoid clogging my deck with Silver), and otherwise I will have to pollute my deck with cruft that doesn't fit (Crossroads, Silver) but I don't really see a better alternative.
If I am playing someone I'm sure is much better than me, then I think I would open Quarry/Develop. Same basic gameplan, but add a Forge and hope to get lucky connecting things to make Platinum, either by Developing Provinces or Forging. This is even higher variance since I'm going to be trying to connect combos (Forge-Quarry-Minion, Develop-Province) without trashing and with four card hands, but higher variance strategies have better chances of producing victories if your opponent is more skilled.