Shop Local, Eat Fresh at the Saratoga Farmers' Market | Food, Crafts, Music in Saratoga Springs

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

beef

Thanksgiving Main Dishes: Festive Local Meats & Poultry

By

By Julia Howard

Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

While changing travel plans and opting for small gatherings, we are determined to make Thanksgiving satisfying and memorable this year. When planning your holiday meal, why not make the menu everything you want it to be? Perhaps this means a traditional turkey, or maybe you are looking to make something different like lamb, duck, beef, or pork. At the farmers’ market, local farmers have high-quality meat and poultry options and offer cooking instructions.

Here are some ideas for the centerpiece of your holiday meal.

Beef & Veal
Beef entrees are festive and satisfying and a worthy addition to the holiday table. Roasted beef tenderloin, prime rib, and pot roast are impressive meals that can accommodate small and large crowds. Ethically raised, grass-fed beef is available at Longlesson Farm, Bunker Hill Creamery, and Ramble Creek Farm. In addition to meat is specialty Rosé veal available at Hebron Valley Veal. Rosé veal has a clean, lighter beef flavor and is very tender.

Lamb Chops, Adobe Stock

Lamb
Succulent and aromatic, lamb makes an excellent substitute for Thanksgiving dinner. Elihu Farm is bringing more cuts of lamb, picking up from the butcher on Friday, November 20. They’ll have plenty of legs of lamb, leg steak, loin chops, racks of lamb, and more and more. To order, please call or email Elihu Farm directly.

Pork
Smoked pork chops, pork tenderloin, spare ribs, sirloin, and more; pork can make a superb alternative for a Thanksgiving main dish. Unique, elegant, and packed with flavor, leaner and fattier cuts offer various main course options that are easy to prepare and beautiful to present. Pork is currently available at Ramble Creek Farm, Bunker Hill Creamery, and Moxie Ridge Farm.

Roast Duck with Apples, Adobe Stock

Turkey, Chicken, & Duck
While turkey is often the main feature of Thanksgiving, duck and chicken make excellent alternatives, especially when feeding a smaller crowd. Poultry is sold fresh at the farmers’ market, and farmers have essential cooking tips as turkey, duck, and chicken cook differently. Ramble Creek Farm is currently taking reservations for their pasture-raised turkey. Fresh, whole chickens are available at Longlesson Farm, Squashville Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, and Bunker Hill Creamery. Duck is offered exclusively at Squashville Farm.

If looking to order specific meats or poultry, we recommend contacting farms directly to ensure availability. Vendor contact information can be found on our Vendor Directory page. Schedule to pick up your order at the farmers’ market this Saturday before Thanksgiving and find fresh, locally-sourced seasonal ingredients for your holiday feast.

This week’s recipe: Pot Roast with Cranberries

Pot Roast with Cranberries

By

Adobe Stock

Recipe by Mark Bittman
Yields 4 to 6 servings
Prep & cook time: 1 1/4 hours, or more

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market
● 1 tablespoon butter or extra-virgin olive oil
● ½ cup sugar
● 1 2-pound piece beef tenderloin*, or 3-pound piece chuck* or brisket*
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper
● ½ cup sherry vinegar or good wine vinegar
● 1 12-ounce bag cranberries
● 1 orange
● Cayenne, to taste

Preparation
1. Put butter or oil in a casserole or skillet with a lid, and turn heat to medium-high. Put sugar on a plate, and dredge meat in it on all sides; reserve remaining sugar. When butter foam subsides or oil is hot, brown meat on all sides, seasoning it with salt and pepper as it browns.
2. When the meat is nicely browned, add vinegar, and cook a minute, stirring, then add cranberries and remaining sugar, and stir. Strip zest from orange (you can do it in broad strips, with a small knife or vegetable peeler), and add it to pot; juice orange, and add juice also, along with a pinch of cayenne. Turn heat to low, and cover pan; mixture should bubble but not furiously.
3. Cook, turning meat and stirring about every 30 minutes. Tenderloin will be medium-rare in about 1 hour, or when its internal temperature is 125 to 130 degrees; cook it longer if you want it more done. Chuck or brisket will take 2 hours or longer; it is done when tender. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Turn off heat, and let roast rest for a few minutes, then carve and serve, with sauce.

Bunker Hill Creamery brings quality, old fashioned milk

By

By Julia Howard

Photo provided by Bunker Hill Creamery

“What the cows are giving is what you drink,” is how Kyle Depew describes the milk that Bunker Hill Creamery produces.

Bunker Hill Creamery, located in Cossayuna, is among the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s newest vendors. The creamery began bringing milk to the Wednesday market in the summer and then was added to the market on Saturdays.

Depew and his lifelong friend Dan Richards started Bunker Hill Creamery in 2008. Richards and his wife Erin own Richview Farms, which provides the milk to Bunker Hill as well as meat that the partnership also brings to the market.

Richview Farm is home to 300 animals and 75 dairy cows provide milk for the creamery. The creamery is located right on the farm, and milk is processed and bottled in small batches and then distributed for sale.

Photo provided by Bunker Hill Creamery

The milk coming from the creamery is minimally processed and is non-homogenized. What does that mean exactly? Kyle Depew explains that the milk undergoes low-temperature pasteurization that results in creamy milk with no separation of the milk and cream. Processed in small batches, the milk also maintains its nutritional value. This process makes Bunker Hill Creamery’s milk notable.

“We want people to be aware of the value in the bottle,” says Depew. Bunker Hill Creamery offers cream top whole milk, chocolate milk, and maple milk in half gallons and single servings. Their chocolate milk uses high-quality cocoa and is free from carrageenan and corn starch and their maple milk is sweetened with local maple syrup.

In addition to milk, Bunker Hill Creamery brings a variety of cuts of Angus beef, pork, and veal. These products are sourced from their partnership with Richview Farms.

Photo provided by Bunker Hill Creamery

“When we started, we really wanted to do something new and different,” explains Depew. “Our biggest challenge has been finding the right opportunities to get our milk to the community”.

Bunker Hill Creamery is overcoming that challenge. Their milk is currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Saturdays as well as the Troy and Delmar Farmers’ Markets, numerous Price Chopper and Hannaford locations, several local eateries and stores, and at farm stores at 167 Bunker Hill Rd. in Cossayuna and 144 N Rd. in Greenwich.

Customers can look forward to expanded offerings from Bunker Hill Creamery as they hope to offer reduced-fat milk, heavy cream, half & half, and other dairy products in the future.

This week’s recipe: One-Pot Bunker Hill Mac

Steak or Lamb Kebabs with Summer Vegetables

By

Adapted from the recipe by Cooking Classy
Servings: 5
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 3 hours

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Marinade
● 1/4 cup olive oil
● 1/4 cup soy sauce
● 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
● 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
● 2 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
● 1 tbsp honey*
● 2 tsp Dijon
● 1 tbsp garlic*, pressed or minced
● 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Kebabs
● 1 3/4 lbs steak* or lamb*, cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
● 8 oz mushrooms* of choice, halved (unless small, keep whole)
● 3 bell peppers* (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow) cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
● 1 large onion* diced into chunks (about 1 1/4-inch)
● 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing grill grates
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper
● 10 wooden skewer sticks soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Instructions
1. For the marinade: In a mixing bowl whisk together all marinade ingredients.
2. For the kebabs: place steak or lamb into a gallon size resealable bag. Pour marinade over the meat then seal bag while pressing out excess air and message marinade over the meat. Transfer to refrigerator and allow to marinate 3 – 6 hours.
3. Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to about 425 degrees (partway through preheating clean grill grates if they aren’t already clean).
4. With veggies on a cutting board, drizzle with oil and lightly toss to coat (don’t toss the onion so that it will stay in chunks for when you thread onto the skewers).
5. Sprinkle veggies evenly with salt and pepper. To assemble kebabs layer meat and veggies onto kebabs in the desired order.
6. Brush grill grates lightly with oil. Place kebabs on grill and grill until center of the meat registers about 140 – 145 degrees for medium doneness, turning kebabs occasionally, about 8 – 9 minutes. Serve warm.

Instant Pot Bolognese

By

Recipe by Healthy Gourmet Kitchen
Makes: 8 servings
Total time: 30 min

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 lb. ground meat of choice (beef*, lamb*, pork*, turkey, or plant-based)
● 1 package Healthy Gourmet Kitchen Bolognese meal starter kit*
● 1 onion diced*
● 2 lb. tomatoes* OR 1, 28 oz. can whole or diced plum tomatoes
● 1 cup white wine
● 1 cup milk*
● 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter*
● 12 ounces penne pasta

Directions
1. Turn Instant Pot to saute medium. Add butter and allow it to melt slightly. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add ground meat and break it up so that it crumbles. Continue to saute until the meat is brown.
2. After meat is browned, add white wine and the Healthy Gourmet Kitchen Bolognese meal starter pack on top of the meat.
3. Add milk and tomatoes. If you are using fresh, whole tomatoes, squish them or chop them up. Add pasta and push so that it is submerged under the liquid.
4. Secure the lid on the Instant pot and close the vent. Press manual for 4 minutes.
5. When the cooking time is complete, allow 5 minutes to pass for natural release, then move the vent to remove the rest of the steam. Remove the lid, top with grated cheese, and enjoy!

Burger with Onions & Mushrooms

By

Adapted from recipes by My Nourished Home and The Kitchn, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Photo by Pattie Garrett

For the Onions and Mushrooms:
● 2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil*
● 3 Tablespoons butter*
● 2 large sweet onions*
● 16 ounces mushrooms* (shiitake* and/or oyster*)

For the burgers:
● 2 pounds ground beef*
● 1/2 small onion*, finely chopped
● 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
● 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
● 1 teaspoon garlic powder
● Freshly ground black pepper
● 6 hamburger buns, split

Instructions

For the Onions and Mushrooms:
1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter on medium-low. Peel and slice the onions into long, thin slices. Place the onions in the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and carefully toss to coat all the onions in the oil and butter. Allow to caramelize, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes. They’ll turn a warm brown color.
2. Add the mushrooms to the onions, carefully toss to coat them with oil. Continue to cook on medium-low. The mushrooms will become soft and browned.

For the burgers:
3. Heat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill to high heat (about 450°F). On a charcoal grill, arrange the coals to create high heat and a low heat cooking zone (direct and indirect grilling). Meanwhile, prepare the burger patties.
4. Season the beef. Place the ground beef on a baking sheet and gently pat it into a log. Use your thumb to make a deep trough in the center. Sprinkle the onions evenly into the trough. Whisk the Worcestershire, tamari or soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Sprinkle this over the onions. Finish with a few grinds of fresh black pepper over everything.
5. Shape the patties. Pinch the ground beef closed around the onions. Divide the meat into 8 equal portions using a chef knife, a bench scraper, or your fingers. Use your hands to gently flatten each portion into a patty about 1-inch thick. Try not to compact or overwork the meat. Let the burgers sit at room temperature until the grill is ready, about 20 minutes.
6. Grill the burgers. Place the patties on the grill in a single layer. Cook until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until grill marks appear on the second side, about 2 minutes more. If using a charcoal grill, move the patties to a lower-heat (indirect) area of the grill. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium. Grill 2 to 3 minutes more for medium-rare burgers, 3 to 4 minutes more for medium, or 5 to 6 minutes more for well-done burgers.
7. Assemble the burgers. Place a patty on each toasted bun and serve with toppings.