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Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

June 20, 2013 By marketeditor

Take one look at Pleasant Valley Farm’s well-stocked stand at Saratoga Farmers’ Market, a virtual cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables that is crawling with customers every market, and you might not guess the whole operation started from scratch just over two decades ago. Based in Argyle, New York, the farm is owned by Paul and Sandy Arnold, who are now full-time farmers despite having “grown up in suburbia,” as Paul says it.

Fitting to how their futures would turn out, Paul and Sandy both started out in local nursery greenhouse operations; a few years after meeting, the farm began in 1988 when Paul bought land in Argyle. “Together with Sandy and my father we built buildings, bought tractors, started the farm,” Paul recounts. “We started with just land and built from there.”

Since then, Pleasant Valley has blossomed from that first piece of land to a full-fledged farm. With the help of their two children, Robert, 20, and Kim, 17, Paul and Sandy have managed to maintain a year-round operation. Using three large, unheated high tunnels to grow greens throughout the winter, as well as a root cellar to store over 20 tons of produce under the barn, the Arnolds are able to cater to their customers all year long. “That’s our goal,” Sandy explains, “To keep people coming to the markets year-round to buy fresh produce.”

The operation hosts and trains interns year-round on the farm; Paul and Sandy hope the interns will carry on the legacy of small-scale, organic farming. The farm has been “Certified Naturally Grown” (an alternative to USDA Organic certification) since the 1990s and now has 100% of its power supplied by solar. “We enjoy giving school and community tours, organizing farm tours, teaching at conferences, and mentoring other aspiring farmers,” Sandy says.

The farm’s abundant diversity of vegetables and fruits keeps customers coming back season after season, year after year. While lettuce, spinach and greens are Pleasant Valley’s most popular products, onions, potatoes, kale, and tomatoes are also a hit. According to Paul and Sandy, customers can look forward to fresh carrots and beets in the coming weeks, as well as new garlic in July, a delicious blueberry crop, and abundant fall broccoli, too.

This article was written by Katie Doyle, a summer intern at Saratoga Farmers’ Market. A resident of Saratoga Springs, Katie will be a senior in the fall at Boston University, where she is majoring in English and journalism.

 

Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

(Items marked with * are available at the market.)

Salad

1 fresh bunch of kale*

2 cups grated carrots*

1/2 red pepper* cut into strips

1/2 cup sundried tomato, sliced thin

1 cup sprouts*, lightly packed

 

Tahini Lemon Dressing

½ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

½ cup water

1 large clove garlic, pressed or chopped

Juice of one lemon (2-3 tablespoons)

1 Tbsp tamari

Wash and chop kale, using the stems or trimming from the leaves, as you wish. In a side dish or food processor, mix dressing ingredients. Add dressing to the bowl of kale and toss with carrots, red pepper, sundried tomato, and sprouts.

 

Filed Under: Seasonal Recipes

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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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