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Cultivate Your Sensual Side with Garlic

October 3, 2017 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Now that the stars of summer – tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants – are starting to exit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market stalls, it’s time to turn attention to one of our area’s more sensually spicy offerings: garlic.

Garlic harvest at Pleasant Valley Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Garlic is typically planted in mid-October after some frosts but before the ground has frozen. It appears in mid-spring as an early green garlic, in early summer as scapes, and in July as bulbs encased in papery outer skins. Underneath those layers are cloves that mellow as the months pass into a warm, rich seasoning for soups, casseroles, roasts, and veggie sides.

Garlic is available in late winter. It is also among the area’s easier crops to grow. If you’d like to try your hand at doing so, now is the time to start.

As you visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market through October, buy some bulbs to eat and additional ones to plant.

At home, gently break your bulbs apart, separating the cloves. Choose the biggest cloves to plant and eat the rest. Create a space in your garden, where you can plant your cloves two to three inches deep, about eight to 12 inches apart. Place the cloves in the ground, bottom ends down, and cover them with soil. Then, cover these cloves with a thick layer of straw, hay, or even leaves to overwinter.

As the snow melts in late March or April, you should start to see green tips poking through the mulch. Pull the mulch off, and watch your garlic grow. Through April, May, and June, stalks will form and start to thicken. These stalks and the immature bulb beneath the soil are edible as green garlic, a taste of what’s to come.

Around mid-June, the winding, curvy tendrils known as scapes will start to appear on the plants. Cutting them off helps the bulbs grow. By July, the stalks will wither and turn brown. That’s the sign that your garlic is ready for harvesting. Use a garden spade or spoon to gently dig deep around the stalks to get to your bulbs.

Farmers typically cure freshly harvested garlic in dry, airy spaces.

After your harvest, go through your bulbs and save some cloves to plant for the next year.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is Wednesdays 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park through October. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Filed Under: Featured Article, News Tagged With: fall, garlic, harvest, High Rock Park, local garlic, Saratoga Farmers' Market, Saratoga Spings, shop local, winter

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Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you to everyone who came by today. We hope you had fun! 😋🌎🌾
Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flav Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flavor Fest is happening tomorrow! 🎉🍴 Our vendors have amazing samples for you to taste, including mouth-watering chorizo and bratwurst from Hebron Valley Meats and delectable Chicken Briyani from Perfect Plant Farm. 😍 Don't forget to grab your passport for a chance to win a prize by collecting stamps from market vendors! 🛍️ @worldkidsmuseum will also be joining us with a fun kid's craft to make your own fortune cookie 🥠, and CCE food is back with a fermentation activity. 🌱 See you there! ✈️🌎😋

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #thingstodoinupstateny #internationalfood #flavorfest #farmersmarket #kidsactivities #smallbuisness #shoplocal
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

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