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Apple & Carrot “Superhero” Muffins

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Recipe by Cookie and Kate

Prep & Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12 muffins 

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 cups packed almond meal or almond flour (10 ounces)
  • 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Optional mix-ins: ½ cup chopped walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips
  • ½ cup honey* or maple syrup*
  • 3 eggs*
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup grated apple* (about 1 ½ apples)
  • 1 cup peeled and grated carrots* (about 3 carrots

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and optional mix-ins, if using.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs and butter. Whisk in the grated apple and carrots. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool completely before storing.
  5. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. If you like them warm, reheat them on low power in the microwave.

Notes

MAKE THEM NUT FREE: (The muffins will no longer be gluten free with this variation) 2 cups whole wheat flour can be used as an alternative to the almond meal. Increase the butter to 8 tablespoons (1 stick) and reduce the oats to 1 cup.

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions

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Adapted from the recipe by Ree Drummond

Makes: 8 servings

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 pork shoulder roast*
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups apple cider*
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 3 whole apples*, cored and cut into wedges
  • A bundle of fresh rosemary or thyme
  • 3 medium onions*, sliced
  • 1 whole bay leaf

Directions

  1. Saute onions until brown and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over high heat. Salt and pepper pork roast, then sear on all sides to give it some color. Reduce heat to low. Add apple cider, apple slices, onions, rosemary or thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. Alternatively, you may place in a 300-degree oven if you prefer.
  3. When the roast is done, remove the roast, apples, and onions to a platter. Raise heat to medium-high and boil liquid, reducing it until thick and rich.
  4. Spoon thick sauce over the roast, then cut the roast into slices. Serve with apples and onions.

Baked Oatmeal with Maple Syrup

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Recipe shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk*
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup*
  • 1 egg*
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted, divided
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 apples*, peeled and cut into slices
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch baking dish.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, egg, 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, and vanilla extract.
  3. Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the raisins and ¼ cup of dried cranberries on top of the apples. Cover with oats. Spread the oats evenly over the apples. Drizzle the milk mixture over the top of the oats. Top with walnuts, cinnamon, and remaining raisins and cranberries.
  4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the mixture is set. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter and enjoy!

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Roasted Beet and Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

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Recipe by Marisa Kerkvliet

Yields: 4 servings 

Ingredients 

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market 

For the salad: 

  • 3 medium-size beets or 1 large beet* 
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced* 
  • 1 bag baby lettuce* 
  • 1 handful pea shoots or microgreens* 
  •  ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese* 
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts 

For the vinaigrette 

  • ¼ cup olive oil 
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
  • 2 tablespoons minced red or yellow onion* 
  • 2 teaspoons honey* 
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trim the stem end off of each beet, wrap in a piece of aluminum foil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast beets for 1-2 hours or until they are tender when pierced with a paring knife. 
  2. Allow the beets to cool and gently rub off the skin. The beets can be used at this point or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
  3. When ready to serve, slice the beets into ¼ inch slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Layer on the sliced apple, baby lettuce, pea shoots, feta cheese, and walnuts and set aside. 
  4. To make the dressing combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced onion, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in the jar or a small blender and blend on high for 15-30 seconds or until completely smooth. If you do not have a blender small enough for this quantity, simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. 
  5. Pour dressing over the plated salad and serve immediately.

Eating Fresh and Flavorful in the Winter

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By Marisa Kerkvliet

We probably all have memories of the farmers’ market during the summer months. Tables stacked full of brightly colored fruits and vegetables and bustling isles full of customers. During the winter, the farmers’ market might not be the first place you think to go on a Saturday morning. If you have yet to venture into the winter market, you may be surprised that there is far more fresh produce than you think! Not to mention the booths full of other kitchen staples like honey, meat, and fresh bread.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

Root crops such as beets, potatoes, turnips, and carrots are hearty and do well in cold storage many months after the fall harvest. Winter squash can be kept for months and is still delicious when roasted or baked, even in the early spring. Brassicas such as kale and cabbage are also available. Did you know that kale leaves become sweeter after they withstand frosty weather? You can find fresh, sweet greens like lettuce, spinach, pea shoots, and microgreens.

Saratoga Apple, photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

This week’s recipe features sweet roasted beets and fresh apples complemented by salty feta cheese and a tangy honey dijon vinaigrette. The salad is rounded out with the freshest of greens. The recipe can easily be adapted with ingredients available at the market. If pea shoots are not available, use microgreens instead or stick with the baby lettuce. If beets aren’t your thing, pour this dressing over the greens, apple, and feta to make a light side salad.

Photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

Roasting beets in foil is an excellent way to cook them while retaining flavor and sweetness. After roasting, the skin should easily slip off. The exact cooking time for the beets varies greatly depending on the size. Medium size beets, about 3 inches in diameter, will typically take about an hour to fully cook. Winter beets at the market are often much larger, about 6 inches, and can take up to 2 full hours to cook. Roasted beets keep well in the fridge, so consider roasting more than you need so you can use the rest throughout the week. 

I am a freelance recipe developer and food photographer with a background in Nutrition and Culinary Arts. I focus on sharing seasonal whole-food recipes for the whole family. You can find me and see more of my work on my Instagram @lemon.thyme.kitchen.

This week’s recipe: Roasted Beet and Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

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By Lucinda Scala Quinn, D’Artagnan Foods, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

YIELD: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 6 pork chops*
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion*, sliced
  • 2-3 apples*, cored and sliced
  • 1 cup apple cider*

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Trim the chops of excess fat and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a 14-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat and then swirl in olive oil. Lay the pork chops in the pan and don’t move for a few minutes. This assures a good golden sear. Turn the chops over and brown well on the second side for a total of about 10 minutes. Remove the chops to a warm plate.
  2. Swirl the butter into the pan. Add the onions and apples. Saute until the onion slices are lightly caramelized and the apples have begun to soften for about 8 minutes. Stir in the apple cider. Return the chops to the pan.
  3. Cook until the pork is tender, about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the chops, turning halfway through and covering the chops with the apple mixture. If the apple mixture needs a little thickening, remove the chops to the warm plate again and simmer the mixture on high for a few minutes to reduce.