Saratoga Farmers' Market

butter

Pantry Pot Pie

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Pantry Pot Pie, photo by Pattie Garrett

Shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 1 10-inch skillet or 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
For filling:
● 2 Tablespoons oil (or butter*)
● ½ onion*, chopped
● 1 garlic clove, minced
● 1 teaspoon dried thyme
● 2 carrots*, diced
● 1 cup potatoes*, peeled, cooked, and diced
● 1 cup of mixed vegetables*, frozen, canned or fresh
● 1 10 ½ ounces can of cream of celery (or chicken, mushroom etc)
● ½ can of milk (or ½ cup)
● 1 chicken breast*, skinless, cooked, and diced.
● Salt and pepper
For the pie crust (One ten-inch pie crust):
● 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
● ½ teaspoon salt
● ½ cup vegetable shortening
● 3 to 4 Tablespoons cold water

Instructions
1. For the filling: In an oven safe skillet, heat oil. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and thyme. Add carrots and cook until carrots start to soften. Add potatoes and mixed vegetables. Pour in 1 can of cream of celery and ½ cup of milk (1/2 can of milk). Add more milk if needed, up to a full can of milk. Add the cooked chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. For the pie crust: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening thoroughly. Sprinkle in water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. Add 1 to 2 more teaspoons of water if needed.

3. Gather dough into ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured board. With floured rolling pin, roll dough 2 inches larger than skillet. Fold into quarters and unfold on top of skillet with filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or longer.

Farm to Pantry: Making meals with ingredients on hand

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By Julia Howard

Pleasant Valley Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Our responsibility, by direction, is to stay at home and only head out for essentials when absolutely necessary. As we settle in safely for the weeks to come, many are looking to foods that store well, foods that are easy to prepare, and, most importantly, foods that are available right now.

While food bloggers hail smart and savvy ‘pantry meals’ that utilize canned goods, rice, and beans, the farmers’ market offers an expanded palette of foods that are easy to store and last longer than most produce found at grocery stores.

Vegetables like onions, garlic, potatoes, and carrots are often at the core of savory, hearty meals. They are durable and have a good shelf life, and these vegetables work well in diverse meals depending on preparation methods and seasonings. Please note that garlic is currently unavailable at market.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Milk, butter, cheese, and eggs are staples that most of us keep in constant rotation in the refrigerator. These binding ingredients are often what pulls the meal together. Milk may be used to create a creamy finish to soups and sauces like a classic roux – which is made from butter, flour, and milk. Eggs can be used to create satisfying omelettes and frittatas with endless possibilities for fillings. Cheese is essential for homemade pizza, quesadillas, baked ziti, and numerous other dishes.

Saratoga Apple, photo by Pattie Garrett

Shelf-stable vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, and turnips can last for several weeks when kept in a cool, dry place. These vegetables can be the main stars of any meal, soup, or salad, and they are high in nutritional value. Even fruits like apples can keep for 2-3 weeks. Having a variety of these long-lasting fruits and vegetables inspires cooking that’s creative, comforting, and simple.

Meat and poultry are necessities for most, and they can be bought directly from farmers. Ground beef, whole chickens, and steaks and roasts can be kept frozen and thawed under refrigeration once you are ready to prepare them. Leftovers from a large roast or a whole roasted chicken may be used in a variety of dishes and soups as well.

While shopping at the farmers’ market, please remember to follow universal precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please try to send one member of the household to shop and give 6’ space while shopping. Only touch products that you commit to buy and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and after shopping.

If you plan to shop for something specific, please check our website and social media pages for updates. These are changeable times and we are working to keep you up to date with vendor and product availability each week.

 

This week’s recipe: Pantry Pot Pie

Roast Chicken

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Adapted from the recipe by Ina Garten, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Makes 8 servings

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market
● 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken*
● Kosher salt
● Freshly ground black pepper
● 1 large bunch fresh thyme*
● 1 lemon, halved
● 1 head garlic*, cut in half crosswise
● 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter*, melted

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.
3. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
4. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve.

Mushroom Kale Pizza

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Adapted from the recipe by Half Baked Harvest, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 6 servings

 

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 2 cups shredded Tuscan kale*
● 2 Tablespoons olive oil
● 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar*
● 8 ounces mixed mushrooms*, torn
● 2 cloves garlic*, minced
● 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves*, plus more for serving
● kosher salt and pepper
● ½ pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
● 4 fresh sage leaves*, chopped
● 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
● 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese* (I used Argyle Cheese Farmer’s Faith)
● 1 Tablespoon butter*, thinly sliced into 3 pieces

 

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the kale, olive oil, and vinegar. Massage the kale with your hands for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 10 to 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a prepared baking sheet.
4. Top the dough with sage, red pepper and then layer the kale mushroom mixture. Top with Havarti cheese and thin slices of butter.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and cheese is melted.
6. Top with fresh thyme.

Notes:
● If using a cast-iron skillet, place the skillet in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. You can heat the skillet on the stovetop. Be careful not to let the skillet start smoking or get scorching hot. Add oil and maybe sprinkle a little cornmeal in the skillet. Carefully add the dough to the skillet, pressing the dough up the sides.
● The original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon fig preserves spread on the dough and 3 ounces of goat cheese crumbled and added with the red pepper.

Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

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Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients
● 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter*, cut into ½ inch pieces
● 1 shallot*, minced
● 1 cup chicken broth
● 1 cup apple cider*
● 6 sprigs fresh thyme*
● 2 bay leaves
● salt and pepper
● 1 pound carrots*, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick
● 1 pound sweet potatoes*, peeled halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
● ¼ cup coarsely chopped candied ginger
● 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
● 3 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro*

Instructions
1. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add broth, cider, thyme, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and sweet potatoes, stir to combine and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 14 minutes.

2. Remove pot from heat. Discard thyme springs and bay leaves and stir in candied ginger. Push vegetable mixture to sides of the pot. Add mustard and remaining 2 Tablespoons butter to center and whisk into cooking liquid. Stir to coat vegetable mixture with sauce, transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Onion & Caraway Bread

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Recipe by Anna Mae Clark, founding market member and owner of Clark Dahlia Gardens & Greenhouses and Anna Mae’s Homemade Jam
Makes 1 loaf


Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market
● 1 cup cottage cheese
● 1 T butter*
● 1 T sugar
● 1 tsp. salt
● ¼ tsp baking soda
● 1 package yeast
● ¼ cup warm water
● 2 ½ – 3 cups flour
● 2 T onion*, minced, or onion flakes
● 1 T caraway or dill seeds

Instructions
Combine the first five ingredients. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and add to the combination. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Add the onion (sauté briefly if using fresh onion) and caraway or dill seeds and knead 8-10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn so greased side is up. Allow to rise until doubled in size. Knead 3 minutes and make into a loaf. Allow to rise another 20 minutes while the oven heats to 350°. Bake about 35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes one loaf.