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Festive Foods and Flavors for St. Patrick’s Day

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By Julia Howard

  In the United States, Saint Patrick’s Day has ventured from authentic Irish traditions. However, Irish emigrants transformed the holiday into the celebration we know today; prominent displays of green, festive eating and drinking, and numerous parades. 

You can find the spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. With the approach of spring, there will be plenty of green there for you, too! This Saturday at the Wilton Mall, local producers have all the goods to help you prepare for your Irish-infused festivities.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Madison Jackson.

If you’re preparing corned beef, your beef brisket should be bathing in spice-filled brine. But it’s not too late to pick up locally grown essentials like cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. You can find the products you need at Gomez Veggie Ville.

Something’s Brewing, photo by Toni Nastasi.

Something’s Brewing recommends Sumatra roasted beans to make the best Irish coffee. Pour one and a half ounces of Irish whiskey and one teaspoon maple syrup into a mug, and fill the rest of the way with freshly brewed coffee. Stir, taste, and adjust the sweetness. Then top with whipped cream.

Pork & Greens has nutritious microgreens for fresh and festive greens. Lovin’ Mama Farm has returned with microgreens and potted herbs. And J. Adkins has a variety of succulents and houseplants to add a touch of green to your living space. 

Suppose you’re looking for other flavors with a St. Patrick’s Day flair. In that case, Saratoga Chocolate Company’s Matcha Bar has the perfect balance of white chocolate and brilliant green Wakatake matcha (green tea powder with an earthy flavor). Junbucha will have green Japanese Matcha Kombucha, a tart yet sweet fermented beverage made with high-quality matcha, tea, and honey. Goat Scape cheese from R&G Cheesemakers offers savory goat cheese flecked with green garlic scapes.

Mean Max Brew Works has a diverse selection of handcrafted beers. And Kim Dolan Designed is hosting a drawing to win a lovely, handmade, green cloak.

For this week’s recipe, we share the main course that’s even more authentic to the Emerald Isle than corned beef and cabbage. Shepherd’s pie with lamb is a hearty dish with Irish roots. We enjoy Wolfgang Puck’s version that features many seasonal vegetables.

This weeks recipe: Shepherd’s Pie with Lamb

Mean Max Beer Cheese Sauce

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Recipe provided by [farmacy] Restobar in Glens Falls

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 1 pint Maximilian Dark Mexican Lager*
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 cup milk*
  • 3 cup shredded cheese* 

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, and whisk for 30 seconds. Slowly add beer and reduce heat, constantly stirring until thickened. Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, spices, and milk stirring until well blended. Add shredded cheese slowly, one cup at a time, until thickened. Enjoy with crusty bread, crackers, pretzels, or your favorite chips.

Mean Max Brew Works Crafts Kind Beer

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By Julia Howard

For business owners Dave Walls and Matt Barry, Mean Max Brew Works is built on a foundation of family, friends, and a passion for making great beer. If you ask Dave Walls, though, he may give all the credit to his brother-in-law Matt Barry. “Matt is the core of this company and everything he brings to it,” says Walls.

Walls and Barry began brewing beer as a hobby in 2010, and over the next two and a half years, they were making more beer than they could enjoy themselves. “We gave a lot away,” laughs Walls, “and people were complimenting on what we were making.”

Katherine’s drawing of the original Mean Max, provided by Mean Max Brew Works.

In 2012, Walls and Barry put together a business plan and were inspired to name the business Mean Max after a funny altercation between Walls’ 18 lb. Main Coon cat, Max, and their five-year-old niece. Their niece later drew a picture of “Mene Max,” describing him as “not that mean.” “It speaks perfectly to the body and drinkability of our beer despite the alcohol content,” explains Walls.

 

Barry and Walls opened a taproom and production facility in downtown Glens Falls in 2014, where Barry is the head brewer. They maintain 21 taps of Mean Max beer at the retail space, including pilsners, lagers, barrel-aged stouts, IPAs, sours, and “everything that fits in the cracks,” according to Walls. Barry brews five days a week in a small, three-barrel operation.

Walls and Barry have learned to “never say never” as Mean Max is committed to making an A to Z variety of beer. “Pallets evolve, and we are always trying new things,” says Walls. “We didn’t come from this line of work, so we have a consumer perspective, and making quality beer is our main focus,” he adds.

Photo provided by Mean Max Brew Works.

In addition to their taproom, Mean Max Brew Works self-distributes to numerous bars, eateries, stores, and beverage centers; as far north as Lake Placid and as far south as Amsterdam and the Capital District. In Saratoga, you can find Mean Max beer at Harvey’s, The Local, Kings Tavern, Henry Street Taproom, City Tavern, Dizzy Chicken, Minogues, and EBI.

 

 

In 2021, Barry and Walls pursued local farmers’ markets, and you can find their beer at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and the Spa City Farmers’ Market on Sundays.

In reflecting on the beginnings of Mean Max, Walls pays homage to his friend and mentor Shawn Whalen, who was chef-owner of Bistro Tallulah in downtown Glens Falls. 

This week’s recipe: Mean Max Beer Cheese Sauce

A Farm-to-Table Thanksgiving Guide, Part 2: Sides, Desserts, and More

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By Emily Meagher

Last week, we looked at the different meats (and meat alternatives) that will be available at the farmers’ market this holiday season, with something for any size gathering. This week, we are looking at all the other items our vendors will offer this Saturday to make your favorite sides, desserts, and more.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Pattie Garrett

Since traditional Thanksgiving meals use seasonal ingredients, you will find many vegetables needed to create your favorite dinner sides at the farmers’ market. A mash will please most holiday guests, and local farms have potatoes aplenty right now. Mix it up by grabbing beer from Mean Max Brew Works to make beer mashed potatoes (recipe below!). Sweet potatoes or celeriac also work great for a mash.

Nettle Meadow, photo by Emily Meagher

Many types of squash are available to make into soup or pie. For flavorful roasted vegetables, try carrots, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. If a side salad is on your menu, we have fresh greens and kale. Grab maple syrup or honey, too, for a delicious glaze or dressing. You will find plenty of fresh herbs at Shushan Valley Hydro Farm. Add these herbs to stuffing along with freshly baked bread, which you can get on Saturday to turn perfectly stale for baking by Thursday. For a low-carb option, try cauliflower stuffing instead. Add cranberry jam from Kokinda Farm for an easy and delicious condiment.

Then, for the sweetest part of dinner: dessert. You can find baked goods at several vendors, including frozen, unbaked pies at The Food Florist for an easy dessert that still feels homemade. One of the market’s newest vendors Boozy Moo!, offers alcohol-infused ice cream (5% ABV) to add a joyful spirit to the event (a great way to reduce any potential family friction!).

Muddy Trail Jerky Co., photo by Emily Meagher

And, for those who prefer savory over sweet, charcuterie boards and cheese plates are always a holiday hit. Add items like Nettle Meadow’s cranberry fromage frais for a seasonal touch.

Whiskey, beer, spirits, and ciders are available to be enjoyed with your meal. Add Muddy Trail Jerky’s mulling spices to the latter for a heartwarming way to cap a day spent enjoying good food with your loved ones.

This week’s recipe: Beer Mashed Potatoes

Beer Mashed Potatoes

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Beer Mashed Potatoes, iStock

Recipe by Craft Beering
Yield: 6 servings
Prep & cook time: 30 min

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 3 lbs starchy potatoes* (such as Russet or Yukon Gold)
● 2/3 cup beer* (such as pilsner or lager)
● 1/2 cup butter*
● 1/2 heavy cream
● 2 cloves garlic*, minced (optional)
● salt & pepper (to taste)
● 1 tsp fresh parsley*, finely chopped, for garnish

Instructions
1. Peel the potatoes, rinse and cut them into uniform pieces, as needed for even cooking.
2. Place the potatoes in a large stockpot, add 1 tbsp salt and enough cold water to cover them by about 2 inches. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and boil until the potatoes are very tender.
3. While to potatoes are boiling, in a small saucepan over medium heat bring the beer to simmer. Temporarily remove from the stove and add the butter. As soon as it begins to melt add the cream. If using minced garlic, add it now. Stir to combine, place back on the stove and keep warm using the lowest setting available.
4. Drain the boiled potatoes and break them down using a masher. Add the beer mixture as you continue to mash. Optional – once the liquids are fully incorporated you can whip the mash for about a minute to make it extra creamy.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, stir well. Serve on a warm plate and garnish with parsley.

Notes:
*Be sure to use heavy cream – its higher fat content will ensure that it does not curdle in contact with the heated beer. Always add it after you’ve added the butter for the same reason.
*Adding the garlic to the warm mixture will significantly mellow its sharp taste and bring out its sweetness.

Oktoberfest-ivities to celebrate local fall food and drink

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By Emily Meagher

As the air gets a slight chill, we look forward to incorporating fresh produce and locally crafted products into the many festivities that the fall season offers. Before we can think of Thanksgiving or Halloween, the Bavarian Oktoberfest gives us a joyful excuse to start connecting food and community in September.

Yes, September: Oktoberfest takes place in the two-plus weeks leading up to October. The world’s largest “Volksfest,” a beer festival and traveling funfair, originated in 1810 and is held annually in Munich. If you are looking to host your own Oktoberfest celebration, here are some ideas for items to grab from the farmers’ market to honor traditional Bavarian foods while supporting local food and drink producers.

Mean Max Brew Works, photo by Emily Meagher

The classic image of Oktoberfest is gleeful celebrants toasting (or “prost” ing) massive glasses of beer. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s newest vendor, Mean Max Brew Works, offers a special “Sixteen Days” Oktoberfest beer, referencing the traditional length of the fest. The brew is a traditional German-style lager and comes in four packs of pint-sized cans (two of which add up to the standard one-liter Oktoberfest serving). Mean Max offers other beers like sours, ales, and stouts, as well.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Emily Meagher

Then, for food. As expected, pork plays a part in traditional festivities in the form of sausages and shoulder and knuckle roasts. Stop by Ramble Creek Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, or Mariaville Mushroom Men to pick up a pork cut of your choice. But an even more common meat found at German celebrations is roasted chicken. Pick up a whole bird or parts at producers like Squash Villa Farm, Longlesson Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, or Grazin’ Acres Farm. Season thoroughly with poultry seasoning, found at Muddy Trail Jerky. And a lesser known but equally traditional protein is “Steckerlfisch,” literally meaning fish on a stick. Use whitefish, mackerel, or trout from Pura Vida Fisheries and roast with oil, garlic, and spices.

Radishes, photo provided by Green Jeans Market Farm

Lastly, include dishes made from seasonal produce like salted beer radish, available at Green Jeans Market Farm, which serves as a light snack to wash down all that beer. Other traditional snacks include potato pancakes or dumplings, sauerkraut, and of course, freshly baked soft pretzels. Dip the latter in this “obatzda,” a Bavarian beer cheese spread.

This week’s recipe: Obatzda (Bavarian beer cheese spread)