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cooking tips

Using the whole vegetable with root to stem cooking

October 12, 2021 By marketeditor

By Marisa Kerkvliet

One of the great benefits of shopping at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is having access to the whole form of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. When making my recipe for sheet pan chicken with carrots, potatoes, and carrot top pesto, you can gather most ingredients from local farms at the farmers’ market.

Photo provided by Green Jeans Market Farm

You will find brightly colored piles of fresh young carrots in the fall with their vibrant green tops still attached. Carrot tops are highly nutritious and packed with vitamin A and vitamin C and a decent amount of calcium and iron. Carrot tops can be used just as any other dark leafy greens and can be stirred into soups, sauteed with butter and garlic, or blended into a flavorful fall pesto.

If carrot tops are unavailable, you can make this recipe with fresh parsley instead. The carrots sold with their tops attached are freshly harvested and have tender skin that does not require peeling. Just scrub the carrots well to remove any dirt and ensure the carrot tops are clean. You can leave 1-2 inches of the stems attached to the top for added visual interest for this dish. If your carrots vary in size, cut the larger ones in half lengthwise so they have a similar diameter to the smaller ones to ensure even roasting.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Potatoes work well in this recipe, but other in-season fall vegetables such as delicata squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts would be delicious as well. You can use any size of potatoes, but, just like the carrots, make sure they are all cut to be about the same size. Cut smaller potatoes in half and larger ones into quarters.

Any leftover carrot top pesto can be stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This pesto also makes an excellent spread for grilled sandwiches, a topping for fried eggs, or a base for homemade salad dressing.

I enjoy developing recipes and sharing wholesome food using my background in nutrition and culinary arts. For more seasonal, whole-food recipes for the everyday home cook, visit my Instagram @Lemon.thyme.kitchen. And visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for the freshest, locally sourced ingredients.

This week’s recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken with Carrots, Potatoes, & Carrot Top Pesto

Photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: carrot tops, Carrots, cooking tips, fall, Lemon Thyme Kitchen, root to stem, whole vegetable

Sweet dreams are made… from mushrooms

February 24, 2020 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Mariaville Mushroom Men, photo by Pattie Garrett

Mushrooms from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market often find their way into my meals. Farms such as Mariaville Mushroom Men and Ramble Creek offer a wide array of these low-calorie, high-protein fungi. All are easy to prepare, taste wonderful, and once in a while, I’ve found, lead to pleasant dreams.

What makes mushrooms stand out from other fresh farm offerings? For starters, they are in a category of foods by themselves. As Brie Mazurek of the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Education writes in A Guide to Specialty Mushrooms, “Mushrooms are not vegetables. They are closer to animals than plants and belong to their own distinct kingdom, Fungi. As a fruit is to a tree, mushrooms are the spore-bearing fruiting bodies that allow fungi to produce.”

Farmers’ market mushrooms generally are grown in sawdust or logs. For many years, the varieties available were primarily shiitake and oysters. Now, farmers also are growing lions mane, nameko, chestnuts, and king oysters.

Is there a huge difference in flavor or preparation method for these varieties?

To me, no. There are subtle variations that make trying the different mushrooms an intriguing experience. Often, I pick up a different variety each week to sample and experiment with.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo provided

Vendors can offer cooking tips. You also can try this simple roasting preparation, which works for nearly all fresh varieties:

First, give the mushrooms a quick rinse. After they have drip-dried, remove the harder stem edges with a knife and chop the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Heat a skillet. Place the mushrooms in the skillet and cook them quickly on medium-high heat, tossing them frequently with two wooden spoons to keep them from sticking to the pan. This roasting method releases the mushroom’s juices and helps bring out their flavor.

After about five minutes, turn off the heat and quickly add a liquid of choice, such as oil, butter, wine, vinegar or lemon juice, or broth. Often, I add olive oil with a little wine. Continue to toss the mushrooms so they do not stick, and add seasonings such as black pepper, garlic, onions, shallots, chopped rosemary and/or thyme. Remove from the pan and serve.

 

This week’s recipe: Mushroom Kale Pizza

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: chestnut, cooking guide, cooking tips, fungi, how to, king oyster, lions mane, Mariaville Mushroom Men, mushrooms, nameko, oyster, Ramble Creek Farm, shiitake

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Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you to everyone who came by today. We hope you had fun! 😋🌎🌾
Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flav Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flavor Fest is happening tomorrow! 🎉🍴 Our vendors have amazing samples for you to taste, including mouth-watering chorizo and bratwurst from Hebron Valley Meats and delectable Chicken Briyani from Perfect Plant Farm. 😍 Don't forget to grab your passport for a chance to win a prize by collecting stamps from market vendors! 🛍️ @worldkidsmuseum will also be joining us with a fun kid's craft to make your own fortune cookie 🥠, and CCE food is back with a fermentation activity. 🌱 See you there! ✈️🌎😋

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #thingstodoinupstateny #internationalfood #flavorfest #farmersmarket #kidsactivities #smallbuisness #shoplocal
Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at th Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at the Saratoga Farmers' Market! 🍄🌱 This week, we're thrilled to highlight the Mushroom Shop and their incredible selection of locally grown and harvested mushrooms. We spoke with owner's Jacob and Elysee to learn more.

Q: What are some of the health benefits associated with consuming mushrooms?

A: Mushrooms contain a multitude of medicinal compounds. The mushroom species Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, which increases your blood's ability to absorb and transport oxygen, improving exercise performance. Mukitake or Panellus serotinus possesses compounds that have shown in recent studies to improve liver function in people suffering from fatty liver disease. Reishi mushrooms improve immune health, warding off sickness and reducing inflammation. Other medicinal mushrooms include Turkey Tail, Chaga, Agarikon, Maitake, and Lions Mane.

Q: What inspired you to start selling mushrooms at the farmers' market?

A: We initially got our inspiration from a mushroom farm based in Tennessee called Mossy Creek Mushrooms. They have many videos on Youtube covering every aspect of operating a mushroom farm from building and maintaining equipment to harvesting and marketing mushrooms. Jacob has had an interest in growing mushrooms as a hobby for about eight years when he discovered a patch of oyster mushrooms growing in the wild. We got the opportunity to lease land in the beginning of 2021 and shortly after started selling at farmers’ markets.

Q: How do you recommend customers prepare and cook the mushrooms they purchase from you?

A: At our farmers markets we always provide printed recipes that utilize the mushrooms available during the current season. Like meat, mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéing, roasting, and grilling to create a flavorful dish. One of our recent favorites is a Spicy Crispy Lion's Mane Sandwich- a thick slab of Lion's Mane mushroom battered and fried on a toasted bun with spicy mayo and pickles. This is a delicious take on a chicken sandwich made entirely of whole, natural produce. 

*Find the Mushroom shop year round at our Saturday markets!*

#saratogafarmersmarket
Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Join us on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market's International Flavor Fest in the Wilton Mall food court! 🎉 Indulge in frgál cakes, julekaker, burek, curries, samosas, and more, representing cuisines from all around the world! 🌎 There will be live music, family-friendly activities, and food tastings that will take your taste buds on a journey around the globe! 🎶👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Plus, our friends at the World Awareness Children's Museum will be hosting a paper fortune cookie making session for the kiddos! Don't forget to pick up your passport for a chance to win a prize by filling it with stamps from market vendors! Let's celebrate our traditions, history, and community through the language of flavorful food! 😍🍴

 #InternationalFlavorFest #SaratogaFarmersMarket #FoodieAdventure #CommunityConnection

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