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bread

Simple Bread Pudding

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Adapted from the recipe by Mark Bittman

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep & cook time: 1hr 45 min

There aren’t often leftovers from a loaf of locally made bread. However, if you find that you have extra or part of a loaf has gotten stale, we highly recommend bread pudding as a delicious way to enjoy bread to its very end. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk*
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  •  Pinch salt
  • ½ loaf sweet egg bread (like brioche-style bread*, cinnamon raisin bread*, challah, cinnamon rolls) cut into 2-inch cubes (about 5 to 6 cups)
  • 4 eggs*, beaten

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with cubed bread.
  2. Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread. Let sit for 1 hour.
  3. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: Try adding fresh or dried fruit or a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market Bread Vendors

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By Mary Pratt

Saratoga Farmers’ Market has diverse bread vendors – Argyle Cheese Farmer, Kokinda Farm, Night Work Bread, and Parchment Baking Company.

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo provided

Dave Randles’ family has owned their farm since 1860. He and his wife, Marge, started their Cheese House in 2007. In addition to their delicious yogurt, cheese, and smoothies, Argyle Cheese Farmer brings bread to the farmers’ market. They save whey, a leftover liquid after milk has been curdled, for the liquid they need to make bread.

Their loaves of bread include Homemade Cheese Bread with their grated cheese, and Honey Oat Bread, for making grilled cheese sandwiches.  

Kokinda Farm, photo by Toni Nastasi

Laurie Kokinda joined the market 25 years ago. Kokinda Farm’s products include jams, jellies, veggies, eggs, and bread. She uses King Arthur organic flour for her yeast bread.  

Most recently, she brought Cinnamon Raisin Bread to the farmers’ market. In addition, she makes Honey Oat Bread and Honey Whole Wheat Bread with local honey from Rich Green’s Ballston Lake Apiaries. Laurie will return to the summer market.

NightWork Bread, photo provided

One of the farmers’ market’s newest vendors, Night Work Bread, is run by Cindy Rosenberg and Leigh Rathner. In addition to their sourdough bread, their products include scones, pies, cookies, and babka. They joined the Market in May 2021 and will continue this summer. Their local ingredients include King Arthur Flour, Elihu Farm’s eggs, and honey from Ballston Lake Apiaries.

Their bread at the farmers’ market includes Midnite Rye, Garlic Artichoke, Olive, Focaccia, and Seeded Country. Their old-world techniques include fermenting the dough for 16 hours with wild yeast. 

Parchment Baking Co., photo provided

Another new bread vendor is Parchment Bread. Isabel Burlingham said her mother’s Scandinavian family traditions inspire their baked goods. She uses her ancestors’ recipes with fresh and local organic ingredients, such as organic flour from Champlain Valley and Farmer Ground.

Their Rugbrød is a dense rye-based sourdough. Julekaker is a yeasted brioche-style bread with cardamom, crystallized ginger, and raisins. The butter and organic eggs used in this bread are both locally sourced. Their Kardemummabullar, or Bullar for short, are yeasted cardamom rolls made with local butter. Seasonally they make Hvidt Brød and Limpa, both with yeast.  

This week’s recipe: Simple Bread Pudding

Shepherd’s Pie with Lamb

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Recipe by Wolfgang Puck

Makes: 8 servings

Prep & cook time: 1 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb. ground lamb*
  • 3 carrots*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 2 leeks*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 1/2 lb. red Swiss chard*, thick ribs removed, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 1/2 c. beef gravy
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes*, peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 c. milk*, plus more if needed
  • 2 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish
  • 2 slices country white bread*, crusts removed, bread cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 oz. Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

 Instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining oil, carrots, and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in peas, gravy, and reserved lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot over high heat, bring potatoes and enough salted water to cover to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add 3 tablespoons butter and mash potatoes. Stir in milk and season with salt. If potatoes are too stiff, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk. Stir in horseradish.
  3. Transfer lamb mixture to an 11-inch deep-dish pie plate or eight 4-inch ramekins. Spread mashed potatoes over lamb mixture.
  4. In a food processor, pulse bread to crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs and Parmesan on potatoes. Dot with remaining butter. Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

Notes: If you like garlic, boil 2-3 cloves along with the potatoes.

Shepherd’s Pie with Lamb

By

Recipe by Wolfgang Puck

Makes: 8 servings

Prep & cook time: 1 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb. ground lamb*
  • 3 carrots*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 2 leeks*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 1/2 lb. red Swiss chard*, thick ribs removed, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 1/2 c. beef gravy
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes*, peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 c. milk*, plus more if needed
  • 2 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish
  • 2 slices country white bread*, crusts removed, bread cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 oz. Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

 Instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining oil, carrots, and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in peas, gravy, and reserved lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot over high heat, bring potatoes and enough salted water to cover to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add 3 tablespoons butter and mash potatoes. Stir in milk and season with salt. If potatoes are too stiff, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk. Stir in horseradish.
  3. Transfer lamb mixture to an 11-inch deep-dish pie plate or eight 4-inch ramekins. Spread mashed potatoes over lamb mixture.
  4. In a food processor, pulse bread to crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs and Parmesan on potatoes. Dot with remaining butter. Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

Notes: If you like garlic, boil 2-3 cloves along with the potatoes.

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

From Making Cheese to Bottling Milk: Partnership Expands Offerings

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Argyle Cheese Farmer is known for its yogurts and cheeses. Marge Randles spent years working with milk, cultures, and natural flavorings to create a growing array of items ranging from cheese curds and schmears to sweetened and plain yogurts.

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo by Pattie Garrett.

She and her husband Dave have been part of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market since 2007. Over the past two years, their offerings have expanded – to such items as pizza, baked breads, grab-and-go macaroni and cheese, and now bottled milk.

The changes are a result of a partnership they formed in 2020 with Ideal Dairy Farms whose herd produces the milk for Argyle Cheese Farmer products. Unlike Argyle Cheese Farmer, Ideal Dairy’s business was primarily with wholesale milk purchasers, which meant they lacked local familiarity. By putting both names on most of their new product labels, the partnership has benefited both.

Argyle Cheese Farmer production facility, photo provided.

Take the milk. It is known as A2 and is available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market in a variety of sizes, and as white milk or in chocolate- and coffee-flavored varieties. The term A2 refers to a protein found in milk, and as Marge Randles explains, this milk contains only that protein.

 

“It’s genetic,” she says. “In Ideal’s herd, there is a group of 250 cows that produce milk that contains only this protein.”

The lack of other proteins make the milk closer in structure to that of goat milk. While the milk still contains lactose, A2 milk often is more digestible for those who have difficulties tolerating milk.

A2 Milk, photo provided.

It also tastes good. It is rich in protein, and high in flavor. This is because it “is a whole milk, almost straight from the cow to container,” says Marge Randles. The milk is pasteurized for safety and homogenized for consistency and texture. However, unlike other milk producers, Argyle Cheese Farmer does not separate the fats from the milk.

The new Argyle Cheese Farmer offerings reflects how some smaller dairy farmers are adapting to changes in local agriculture. Dave Randles is part of a multi-generation dairy farm family. He and Marge no longer keep cows but still put their expertise to good use.

This week’s recipe: Cheeseburger Pie