Saratoga Farmers' Market

comfort food

Finding Freshness in the Freezer

By

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

By

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

By

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. 

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

By

Adapted from My Recipes. Shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table.

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

3 onions,* chopped

4 garlic cloves,* minced

1 red bell pepper,* seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper,* seeded and chopped

2 jalapenos,* seeded and minced

4, 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained 

4 cups of diced tomatoes*

3 Tablespoons chili powder*

2 Tablespoons cumin*

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano*

4 cups butternut squash* (about 2 pounds) peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Sauté onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add bell peppers and jalapenos, sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. 

Transfer pepper mixture to Dutch oven or stock pot. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chile powder, cumin, and oregano. Arrange squash on top. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. 

Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream or cheese, or corn bread. 

Root Vegetables with Herb Biscuits

By

Adapted from recipe by Local Milk, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 cups fennel*, ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups parsnips*, ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups celery root* (celeriac) ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups carrots*, ½ inch pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup shallot*, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic*, minced
  • 1½ cup celery, diced

Sauce:

  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese*
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • juice of half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Biscuit:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary*
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme*
  • 4 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter*, diced
  • 1 cup buttermilk*

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Steam fennel, parsnips, celery root, carrots until just tender.
  2. Heat olive oil in skillet until shimmering. Saute the shallots, garlic until fragrant and translucent. Add celery and cook until tender. In a large bowl, toss with the steamed vegetables.
  3. Sauce:
  4. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Whisk in a cup of flour. Cook to thicken (roux). Slowly whisk in vegetable stock. Add cheese, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper. Whisk to melt the cheese completely. Simmer while whisking until very thick. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir vegetables into the sauce. Stir occasionally.
  6. Biscuit:
  7. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, rosemary, thyme, and cheese. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until pieces are smaller than peas. Using a folk, stir in buttermilk to just combine.
  8. Drop the biscuit batter on top of the vegetable sauce to cover. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown, bubbling, and topping is cooked through.

 

Saratoga Farmers' Market