Farmers’ Market Joins Saratoga’s “Live Fit, Eat Fit, Get Fit’ Challenge

By Julia Howard, Market Director

For scores of fitness enthusiasts, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is one stop on the path to an active weekend. They might be members of the Saratoga Stryders running club, en route to or from their Saturday morning group run in the Spa State Park. Or they might be coming to the market before donning cross country skis or snowshoes with plans to traverse snow-covered trails.

Fitness fans come to market in running tights, ski jackets, and yoga pants, filling their shopping bags with nourishing local foods that will sustain them throughout the week.

We want you to join them. For that reason, we are joining the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce in hosting a wellness fair as part of the Chamber’s Jan. 17-22 Health and Wellness Week.

The fair will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at our winter location in the Lincoln Baths Building and will feature about a dozen health centered organizations. These organizations will provide information on such topics as chiropractic medicine, reiki, yoga, meditation and more.

As you’re visiting their booths, check out our vendors, as well. Make it a resolution to add one new healthy farm fresh or locally produced item to your weekly shopping bag.

Stumped for ideas?

Try a bottle of juice. Clarity Juice offers four varieties of flavorful, nutrient dense vegetable and fruit juices. From there, walk over to Something’s Brewing for one of its herbal tea blends or hot apple cider. Ballston Lake Apiaries’ 25 cent honey sticks offer a perfect sampler to the sweet harvest of bees. Near the main entrance, you’ll also find pasture raised meats and fresh cheeses, lacto-fermented pickles, mushrooms in a variety of medicinal forms, apples, granola, and, believe it or not, healthy cookies.

Moving to the center of the market unveils winter produce at its best: kale, apples, squashes, cabbage, potatoes, kohlrabi, turnips, beets, rutabagas, and carrots. You’ll also find Argyle Cheese Farmer’s cheeses and yogurts, including the Sweet Greeks that are packed with probiotics – and sometimes chocolate. Also available are artisan breads, dairy-fresh milk, peanut butter, maple sugar products, sustainably harvested fish, and more.

The Chamber of Commerce lists its healthy challenges at http://saratoga.org/pages/healthy-saratoga. Our challenge for you: Visit us weekly, and make healthy living via farm produced items part of your life, year round.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park.

Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad

Adapted from Sophie Dahl’s recipe in Food & Wine
Servings: 4

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges*
• 1 small sweet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces*
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces*
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces*
• 1 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces*
• 1 small beet, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces*
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley*
• 1 ounce cheese curds or feta, crumbled (1/4 cup)*

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium roasting pan, toss the onion, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, kohlrabi and beet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and lightly browned in spots.

2. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a work surface and coarsely chop.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the lemon juice, mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fold in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and walnuts to the dressing and toss. Top the salad with the curds or feta and serve warm or at room temperature.

Prepare this dish ahead of time and simply warm vegetables before adding the vinaigrette and cheese.