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Creating Your ‘Horn of Plenty’

November 16, 2016 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Food blogger and photographer Pattie Garrett and I were trading ideas for cooking various vegetables last month when the traditional Thanksgiving cornucopia came up. Pattie recalled that her mother had always had a “horn of plenty” on her Thanksgiving meal tables but that she herself hadn’t carried on the tradition. Pattie’s stories raised memories for me of seeing cornucopia displays in department stores as a child but never quite understanding what exactly they were.

            I decided to do some research. Here’s what I found:

The word “cornucopia” literally translates from its Latin derivations into horn (cornu) of plenty (copia). The horn is a container of goodness overflowing. The cornucopia of today’s Thanksgiving tables usually are not quite horns but rather wicker baskets. They tend to be decorative but filled with colorful foods and such things as feathery strands of wheat or fuzzy cattails. The foods range from apples and grapes to squashes, ears of corn, and other somewhat durable vegetables. The main goal in creating a cornucopia is to represent it as abundance overflowing.

Where did this image come from? How did it come to be associated with Thanksgiving? Interestingly enough, the first question is easier to answer than the second.

According to Greek tales, the cornucopia is an actual animal horn. In one story, the god Zeus is hidden from his father Cronos who wants to kill him. As a baby, Zeus receives care from a goat named Amalthea. One day while romping Zeus accidentally breaks one of Amalthea’s horns. He rectifies this act by using his godly powers to keep the horn filled with whatever foods, drinks, or other comforts Amalthea might need. In a sense, he is filling the horn with abundance to ensure that his caregiver’s needs are met.

In a different Greek tale, Zeus’s son Hercules is vying for the affections of Deianira, who is the daughter of King Aeneus. His principal rival for Deianira’s heart is the god of rivers, Achelous. As Achelous and Hercules do battle with each other, Achelous changes forms numerous times over. At one point he becomes a bull, and Hercules manages to break off one of the bullhorns. This is enough to send Achelous back to the rivers, in defeat. Hercules and Deianira celebrate the victory by filling the horn with flowers and fruits, once again symbolizing plenty.

These are just stories, of course. But over the centuries the cornucopia turns up across cultures and across artistic genres, in paintings, on pottery, occasionally in poems. There doesn’t appear to be a definitive moment when the cornucopia began to serve as a symbol for the modern-day Thanksgiving. Yet, subtly, we all know that this is what it is.

According to the educational resources website BrightHub Education, the cornucopia is said to represent blessings and a sense of abundance, particularly of food. They usually exist in the form of wicker baskets shaped like a horn and are filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and breads. BrightHub author Sarah Malberg also noted that one could obtain a cornucopia made of such materials as clay, wood, or stainless steel.

So how does one assemble a cornucopia? Are there dos and don’ts for getting it right? Again, the answer appears less than definitive. The main goal is to fill them with foods so that they overflow, creating the idea that there’s plenty of food for everyone, that nobody should go hungry, especially on Thanksgiving.

What would you put in your cornucopia? What signifies wealth in the way of food to do? How might a farmers market horn of plenty be put together? Ponder these questions as you prepare for your Thanksgivings, and create your own horns of plenty. The following recipes, based on seasonal vegetables at the farmers’ market, may provide further food for thought on that idea.

Filed Under: Did You Know, News Tagged With: Did You Know, Holidays at th Market

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Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at th Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at the Saratoga Farmers' Market! 🍄🌱 This week, we're thrilled to highlight the Mushroom Shop and their incredible selection of locally grown and harvested mushrooms. We spoke with owner's Jacob and Elysee to learn more.

Q: What are some of the health benefits associated with consuming mushrooms?

A: Mushrooms contain a multitude of medicinal compounds. The mushroom species Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, which increases your blood's ability to absorb and transport oxygen, improving exercise performance. Mukitake or Panellus serotinus possesses compounds that have shown in recent studies to improve liver function in people suffering from fatty liver disease. Reishi mushrooms improve immune health, warding off sickness and reducing inflammation. Other medicinal mushrooms include Turkey Tail, Chaga, Agarikon, Maitake, and Lions Mane.

Q: What inspired you to start selling mushrooms at the farmers' market?

A: We initially got our inspiration from a mushroom farm based in Tennessee called Mossy Creek Mushrooms. They have many videos on Youtube covering every aspect of operating a mushroom farm from building and maintaining equipment to harvesting and marketing mushrooms. Jacob has had an interest in growing mushrooms as a hobby for about eight years when he discovered a patch of oyster mushrooms growing in the wild. We got the opportunity to lease land in the beginning of 2021 and shortly after started selling at farmers’ markets.

Q: How do you recommend customers prepare and cook the mushrooms they purchase from you?

A: At our farmers markets we always provide printed recipes that utilize the mushrooms available during the current season. Like meat, mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéing, roasting, and grilling to create a flavorful dish. One of our recent favorites is a Spicy Crispy Lion's Mane Sandwich- a thick slab of Lion's Mane mushroom battered and fried on a toasted bun with spicy mayo and pickles. This is a delicious take on a chicken sandwich made entirely of whole, natural produce. 

*Find the Mushroom shop year round at our Saturday markets!*

#saratogafarmersmarket
Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Join us on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market's International Flavor Fest in the Wilton Mall food court! 🎉 Indulge in frgál cakes, julekaker, burek, curries, samosas, and more, representing cuisines from all around the world! 🌎 There will be live music, family-friendly activities, and food tastings that will take your taste buds on a journey around the globe! 🎶👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Plus, our friends at the World Awareness Children's Museum will be hosting a paper fortune cookie making session for the kiddos! Don't forget to pick up your passport for a chance to win a prize by filling it with stamps from market vendors! Let's celebrate our traditions, history, and community through the language of flavorful food! 😍🍴

 #InternationalFlavorFest #SaratogaFarmersMarket #FoodieAdventure #CommunityConnection
Join us tomorrow for our Saturday market! From 9:3 Join us tomorrow for our Saturday market! From 9:30-1:30 you can find all your favorite vendors in the Wilton Mall Food court. We’ll by joined by the Academy of Life Long Learning, AIM Services, and musician Lee Paquin. Hope you can make it!!!

Photos of: @squash.villa.farm , KOKINDA Farm, and @eurodelicaciesco by Graciela Colston

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #farmersmarket #agriculture #shoplocal
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is seeking donation The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is seeking donations to help improve our market and keep our nonprofit organization running. Your donation will be used for essential functions of the market as well as helping us reach more of our long-term goals for the community. We are looking for additional resources to expand our community offerings such as hosting family friendly events, programs and activities.

You can help us by donating via our GiveButter account (link in bio) or in person at the market via our market manager. Thank you for your ongoing support. We couldn’t do it without you! 

#saratogafarmersmarket #supportlocalfarmers #nonprofit #communitylove #givebutter

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