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comfort foods

Whatever Soup

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Recipe by Samin Nosrat for New York Times Cooking, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 medium onions*, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves*, sliced
  • 6 to 8 cups diced vegetables* 
  • 1½ pounds raw boneless chicken
  • 6 to 8 cups of chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Set a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add onions and garlic.
  2. Reduce the heat to a medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Place the chicken and vegetables in the pot. Add enough chicken stock to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  4. Cook until the flavors have come together and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more. Remove chicken from the soup once it’s cooked through, allow to cool enough to handle. Shred and return it to the soup.
  5. Add more hot liquid if needed.
  6. Serve hot.

 

Note

*Currently in season at the farmers’ market: cabbage, carrots, celeriac, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mushrooms, potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash, and more.

 

Satisfying soups from scratch

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By Julia Howard

 

The cold winter months call for hot, comforting foods, so just in time for National Soup Month, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is showing some love for soup. There are infinite combinations of stocks, vegetables, and proteins that, when simmered together, create flavorful and lively liquids that make us feel nourished and satisfied.

Making soup from scratch can be a simple process with satisfying results. While there are culinary rules to follow for specific recipes, soups allow creativity in the kitchen and when shopping for ingredients. We recommend strolling through the farmers’ market for fresh, in-season ingredients.

First, let’s talk about aromatics – combinations of vegetables, herbs, and meats that are the foundation of your soup. Some options are onions, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, sweet potatoes, and squash. Vendors’ tables have even more stored vegetables. Chicken breast, veal, goat, and beef stew meat are excellent options for protein. Let your palette guide you, and build a soup with what you love.

Photo provided by SFMA

 

Sautée aromatics in fat like olive oil, coconut oil, or butter. If beef, goat, or veal are on your ingredients list, brown this first over medium-high heat and set aside. You may cook vegetables and herbs together, adding minced garlic once the vegetables soften. If using chicken breast, cook it along with the vegetables. Embrace the mouthwatering smells during this process.

Next, add stock and water and perhaps some diced hydroponic tomatoes. Bone broth is available at the farmers’ market, or use any broth of your choice. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. The vegetables should be tender, and the meat, if used, should be thoroughly cooked. At this point, you can adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

Shushan Valley Hydro Farms & Underwood’s Greenhouses, photo by Madison Jackson

How about some health-building greens like kale, chard, or Chinese cabbage? Greens pack flavor and nutrients into homemade soups and should be added in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to soften but maintain their texture.

Building a soup can be fulfilling using what’s available from local farms at the farmers’ market. Perhaps you have something specific in mind, like your mom’s chicken noodle soup or a borscht recipe on your favorite food blog – visit the farmers’ market for all your soup-making needs.

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.

Shepherd’s Pie

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“One of my favorite post-holiday meals is Sheperd’s pie. It’s still a comfort food and one that reminds me of being home for the holidays to this day. The recipe is simple, delicious, and helps use up some holiday leftovers”  – Ariel Garland

 

Recipe shared by Hebron Valley Veal

Serves 6-8

Prep & cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 pounds ground veal*
  • 1 large sweet onion*
  • 1/4 cup ketchup 
  • 3 cups frozen sweet corn
  • Leftover mashed potatoes 

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground veal with the diced onion. Once cooked through and the onions are translucent, add the ketchup. Put the mixture in the bottom of your desired baking dish. 

Top that with the frozen corn (you can add more or use less depending on your preference). Spread that out evenly over the meat. Next, layer the mashed potatoes over the corn at least an inch thick. Put a few dabs of butter over the top. Bake until warmed through, about 30 minutes. 

 

Chicken and Biscuits

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Adapted from the recipe by Blair Lonergan

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep time: 35 min 

Cook time: 22 min

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the filling:

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup whole milk*
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion*
  • 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots*
  • 1 cup chopped celery*
  • 1 cup trimmed and chopped green beans*
  • 3 cloves of garlic*, finely chopped
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken*
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary*, 10 sprigs fresh thyme*, 8 fresh sage leaves*, all tied in a bundle

For the biscuits:

  • 2 cups biscuit mix
  • ⅔-¾ cup cold buttermilk (or sub with regular milk*)
  • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese*
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley*
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Prepare the filling:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together chicken broth and milk. Set aside.
  3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and green beans; sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, stirring for 1 minute. Add flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 more minute. Reduce heat to medium and gradually stir in the chicken broth mixture. Add the herb bundle.
  4. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring regularly, until thick and bubbly (about 5-6 minutes). Make sure that the mixture doesn’t boil. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add chicken.
  5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes while you prepare the biscuit dough.

Prepare biscuits:

  1. Use a fork to stir the biscuit mix, buttermilk, cheese, and parsley until a soft dough forms.
  2. Remove the chicken mixture from the oven, take off the cover, and give the filling a stir. Use a large scoop to drop about ¼-cup of the biscuit dough at a time onto the hot chicken mixture. You should have about 8 biscuits on top of the dish.
  3. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in a biscuit comes out clean.
  4. Stir melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits, and serve.

Healthy comfort foods to make your New Year’s resolutions last all year

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By Emily Meagher

Michaela at Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Madison Jackson

Many of us start a new year with a fresh set of resolutions, new habits to live by for a healthier, happier self. But a few weeks in, the cold, dark winter can make it hard to keep up our motivation. If you can’t get your healthy food resolutions to stick, change the way you approach them. Instead of cutting out foods you love and feeling guilty when you inevitably “cheat,” upgrade your favorite comfort meals with real, fresh ingredients to treat both your body and soul. Here are a few tips on what to look for at the farmers’ market.

Back to the roots
In the winter months, farmers bring loads of root vegetables to the market. Himanee Gupta-Carlson from Squashville Farm takes this opportunity to get the comfort of a chicken pot pie in a healthier jacket. Make a roux with a good quality bone broth. Potatoes and turnips help thicken the sauce to reduce additional ingredients needed, and carrots add flavor and color.

Beef shank with polenta and vegetables, photo by Emily Meagher

Slow-cooked for the soul
Good quality, fresh meats don’t need many additives to taste great. Lay off on the salt and extra fats and enjoy a cut from the market in its full glory. Longlesson Farm’s Christophe Robert suggests trying beef shanks. It is a leaner (and cheaper) meat, cooked low and slow in a crockpot (bonus: your kitchen will smell amazing!). Simmer with non-starchy vegetables like carrots or turnips. Serve with a quick polenta made from Squashville Farm’s dried heirloom Abenaki corn. Then use the shank’s marrow bone to create a nutrient-filled bone broth, and blend it up with the stewed veggies for a hearty soup. Add in a statement ingredient towards the end of cooking, like beet or tomato, to add color.

Plant-based or gluten-free?
If you are trying a no- or low-meat lifestyle, mushrooms can provide a fantastic, bold alternative. Jeff Killenberger from 518 Farms suggests using brain-boosting lions’ mane to make “crab” cakes. Or go for sweet by combining lions’ mane, cinnamon, and sugar for a vegan and gluten-free “apple crisp.” Butternut squash can also lift a dish by adding nutrients, color, and creaminess. Try a vegan mac & “cheese” by replacing the dairy with butternut squash. Up the health factor by using whole-wheat pasta, or go gluten-free by swapping spätzle from The Vermont Spätzle Company.

 

This week’s recipe: Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese