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Shopping at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Naturally

November 30, 2016 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Walking outdoors in December carries a special allure. Often, it is cold – but not frigid; damp – but not soaking wet; gray but crisp. It is nature – like a cat – beginning to curl up for the winter’s nap, fully fed and content.

Much of what the Saratoga Farmers’ Market represents in its winter months interacts with this sense of nature. During December particularly, several farmers and vendors of handicraft items are offering special items that invite shoppers to join the indulgence with nature.

Bliss Angels
Bliss Angels

Check out the corn husk angels that Bliss White McIntosh has handcrafted from the husks of locally grown popcorn, goldenrod pods, and dried milkweed. Or the intricate “pocket gardens” for office desks, kitchen tables, or other tiny locations created by Kate Brittenham with native species as the focus. Consider the soaps, lip balms, and candles made by Megan Canell of Creations & Spells, and the nature-inspired designs of Gretchen Tisch with the Feathered Antler. And visit Kathleen O’Reilly’s Northern Star Vineyards booth for her Marquette red wine, aged in Washington County oak.

Many of these products come from found items. Behind each lies a storyline intrinsic to nature. McIntosh, for instance, is a gardener and basket maker. When she is not making corn husk angels, she is immersed in such projects as the community garden housed at the Cambridge schools. The garden includes a three sisters planting of the indigenous corn, beans, and squash companion combination. Her three sisters include Blue Hopi corn, red Vermont cranberry beans, and butternut squash. The students celebrated with a colorful harvest feast that included the blue corn, the red beans, and the glorious orange hue of butternut squash soup.

By making angels from husks and silks – essentially the throwaway parts of the corn we eat – McIntosh stretches the life of a plant longer.

Pocket Gardens
Pocket Gardens

That philosophy also infuses Brittenham’s pocket gardens. Brittenham is a Skidmore College graduate who majored in Environmental Studies. Her container gardens for homes, offices, and dorms are composed of native species grown often from seed she collected herself. “I’m a believer in genetic diversity and I want to perpetuate species,” she says. “Making these gardens is one way to prolong life and to build awareness among others.”

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


 

Sirloin Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Pair with Northern Cross Vineyard’s Oaked Marquette

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking
Serves: 4

Ingredients
*Ingredients available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves*
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1½ pounds sirloin steak cut into 1 inch cubes*
• ½ pound of fresh mushrooms (shiitake and oyster)*
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts*
• 1 cup dark beer

Instructions

1. Mix the mustard, brown sugar, thyme, ginger, and paprika in a bowl until well combined. Coat all sides of the steak cubes in the mix.

2. Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms, clean and slice them ¼ inch thick.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add half the steak and sear them until nicely browned, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining steak.

4. Reduce the heat to medium, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the mushrooms, the scallion whites and cook stirring occasionally until the mushrooms soften and brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour in the beer. Scrape the bottom of the pan with the spoon, raise the heat to medium high, bring to a boil and cook, uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Return the steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan, cover tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Braise, turning the steaks after 8 minutes, until tender and cooked through about 16 minutes total. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and slice them thinly. Cut the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter into four pieces and swirl them into the sauce. Stir in the scallion greens.

 

Filed Under: Featured Article, News Tagged With: Holidays at the Market, Saratoga Farmers' Market 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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