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comfort food

Simple solutions to the dinner dilemma

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By Julia Howard

 

While there are usually easy meal solutions for breakfast and lunch, simple, healthy dinner ideas are challenging. Finding a recipe your family will enjoy is only a part of the struggle. We crave a quick fix for dinner, a wholesome meal that doesn’t take hours to prepare and cook and won’t require piles of dishes. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has meal motivation and locally sourced ingredients to get you through these dinner difficulties.

 

Sheet Pan Dinners

For an effortless, delicious meal with minimal cleanup, sheet pan dinners are one of our favorite approaches to dinner. Choose your favorite seasonal vegetable(s) and pair it with a protein like chicken, pork, or beef. Think steak with Brussels sprouts and potatoes, sausages with apples and carrots, or chicken with mushrooms and leeks. The internet has many ideas, and finding the right ingredients is super simple between your pantry and the farmers’ market.

Farmers’ Market Frittatas

Frittatas can be very easy to make and are a great way to clean out your refrigerator. Ingredients include eggs, vegetables, fresh herbs (optional, and returning to the market in Feb.), cheese, and bacon or sausage – or omit for a vegetarian option. Simply sautee the vegetables, add cooked bacon and herbs, pour whisked eggs over the mixture, top with cheese, and broil for 3-4 minutes. We love M&A Farm’s recipe, and remember that you can put just about anything in your frittata.

Carrot and ginger soup, photo by Pattie Garrett

Simple Soups

Soups are one of the most satisfying, healthy, and easy one-pot meals. Simply chop up your vegetables, sautee the aromatics (leeks, onions, carrots, garlic, but the list goes on), add chicken or vegetable stock and simmer, then puree or leave chunky depending on the soup and your preference of texture. Some ideas are vegetable soup, potato and leek soup, mushroom soup, and butternut squash soup.

Beef Stew

Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Meals

Slow cookers and Instant Pots have turned complicated, time-consuming meals into one-pot wonders. A quick Google search can reveal recipes from tacos to pot roasts to soups and stews. Once your ingredients are in the pot, you typically don’t need to pay attention to them until the meal is cooked and ready to serve. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Simply Scratch, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 6

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● sea salt for the pasta water
● olive oil spray for baking dish
● 16 ounces dry pasta, rigatoni, or your favorite pasta
● 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
● 1 large shallot*, finely minced
● 2 cloves of garlic*, minced
● 10 fresh sage leaves, minced
● 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
● 1 cup chicken broth
● 1½ cups half and half
● pinch of kosher salt, plus more or less to taste
● freshly ground black pepper to taste
● ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
● 1½ cups homemade roasted butternut squash* puree
● 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
● 1¼ cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese*, divided

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the shallot and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 2 – 3 minutes. Then add the fresh sage and stir, cooking for 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk, cooking the flour for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Next whisk in the chicken broth and half & half. Season with a small pinch of salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg. Heat over medium-low, whisking occasionally until the sauce has thickened about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low and add the butternut squash puree, parmesan, and ¼ cup of the cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth.
6. After the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and transfer it to the cheese sauce. Toss to combine.
7. Move the oven rack to the highest position in the oven and preheat the broiler to high.
8. Pour the pasta into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese. Slide the pan under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and is light golden brown in spots.

Notes: To make butternut squash puree, you need 1 butternut squash, olive oil, and kosher salt. Wash and pat dry the squash. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a sharp knife, trim off the ends and cut in half lengthwise. Brush with olive oil. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on a rack placed in the middle of the oven for 40 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool enough to handle. With a spoon scoop out the flesh and place it in the food processor. Puree until smooth.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

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recipe courtesy of Jessica Arceri, Saratoga Peanut Butter Company

* Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Ingredients:

1 large ripe banana, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp butter, coconut oil or non-dairy butter

½ tbsp Saratoga Peanut Butter* or Almond Butter* (any variety)

½ cup rolled oats

½-1 tsp chia seed or ground flax

½ cup milk*, almond milk or other non-dairy milk

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Top with: ½ tbsp peanut butter*, nuts, cinnamon, pure maple syrup*

Instructions:

  1. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook the banana and oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2. Stir in ½ tbsp peanut butter, add the oats, chia, milk, spices and a pinch of salt. Whisk well until combined.
  3. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  4. Serve in a bowl and top with peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon and maple syrup.

Finding Freshness in the Freezer

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Mid-winter meals often call for “something fresh.”

At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, “something fresh” in February usually means stored fruits and vegetables from late summer harvests, or items like microgreens and pea shoots that can be grown in flat trays over heating mats or under lights, or small tomatoes and cucumbers that can be grown in greenhouses.

Late summer produce, photo By Eric Jenks

All that is good. But sometimes the taste buds want something more – out of season peppers, beans, broccoli, a wide variety of tomatoes, or corn.

In the past, saving foods for the winter was a necessity. In a practice known as “putting foods by,” families salted, pickled, dried, canned or otherwise preserved freshly harvested fruits or vegetables for later use.

The rise of global shipping and grocery chains caused many to abandon the practice, as did changes in the societal structure that led to longer working hours and more activities outside the home. It became faster and easier to just drop by the store.

But I hate buying non-local produce. I love growing food with my husband and supporting my farmer friends by buying what they grow. Last September I decided to try putting foods by in a simple way: I stored fresh tomatoes, beans, peppers, broccoli and sweet corn in freezer bags. On my mind then was Chowderfest, and its fabulous chowders, many of which get their zest from non-winter foods.

The result? Winter meals with more variety, flavor, and color – fresh tomato sauces, roasted broccoli, and braised beans served alongside the apples, turnips, carrots, and microgreens I can still get weekly at the market. 

I hope to finish off these delights by early May when the market moves to its outdoor location on Wednesdays and Saturdays at High Rock Park. Then, I will start planning for next winter. I invite you to join me in this venture as you visit the market now and in the future.

Clams & Mussels from Pura Vida Fisheries, photo by Pattie Garrett

As for chowder, I am thinking classic New England, made with clams (Pura Vida Fisheries) or chicken (Squashville Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, Mariaville Mushroom Men, and others), milk (Battenkill Valley Creamery), potatoes, and kernels of sweet corn, purchased last summer for weekends like this.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

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Adapted from recipe by Yvonne Ruperti on www.seriouseats.com, and shared by MySaratogaKitchenTable.com

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

1 whole small chicken* (about 3 pounds)

3 medium onions*, divided (1 halved, 2 finely chopped)

2 medium celeriac* (celery roots) or stalks of celery, divided (2 halved, 2 finely chopped)

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

8 sprigs thyme* (4 left whole, leaves removed from remaining 4 and chopped)

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 ounces bacon* finely chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 pounds potatoes*, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 quart)

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup heavy cream*

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Handful chopped parsley*

Directions

1. Place chicken in large Dutch oven. Add halved onion, celery root, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 4 sprigs thyme. Add just enough water to cover (about 3 quarts). Bring to boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is falling off the bone, about 1 hour.

2. Carefully remove chicken from stock and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat, then return bones to pot. Continue to simmer stock for 1 more hour. Meanwhile, shred chicken, place in a medium bowl, add 1 ladle of stock, and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. After 1 hour, strain stock and let sit 15 minutes. Skim fat from the top, then measure. You should have about 6 to 7 cups. If more, gently simmer to reduce. If less, add water to reach at least 6 cups.

4. In empty stockpot, heat oil and bacon over low heat. Cook, stirring until bacon is crispy and fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

5. Add chopped onions, chopped celery root, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add flour and cook until pale golden blond, about 1 minute. Whisk in stock in a thin steady stream until fully incorporated. Add potatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 10 minutes.

6. Add corn and chopped thyme. Cook until corn is just tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken, bacon, and cream to heat through. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon

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courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine

*denotes Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Serves 6

Ingredients:

¼ cup water

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

8 ounces bacon* slices, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion*, thinly sliced

4 large garlic* cloves, peeled, crushed

1 pound turnips*, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 pound potatoes*, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley*

Instructions:

Mix ¼ cup water, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Sauté bacon in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until fat is rendered, 5 minutes. Drain most of the bacon fat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is golden about 5 minutes. Add turnips and potatoes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until vegetables are starting to become tender, stirring and turning the vegetables occasionally for about 15 minutes. ( you may need to add some olive oil or butter if starting to stick) Push the vegetables to 1 side of skillet. Pour vinegar mixture into cleared space. Toss vegetables with vinegar mixture. Spread vegetables in even layer in skillet. Cook until golden and slightly crisp on bottom, about 5 minutes. Continue to turn and spread and cook vegetables until tender, golden and crisp around edges, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Season with pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle on parsley.