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Mexican Street Corn Soup

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Adapted from the recipe by Amanda Biddle at stripedspatula.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 8 ears of corn*, shucked and kernels cut from the cobs (save 6 cobs for simmering)
  • 1 yellow onion*, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon of ancho chili powder (you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like it also paprika and cumin work in a pinch)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 large garlic cloves*, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup grated dry/aged Cotija cheese (can sub parmesan or romano*)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro*, divided

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick pot. Add corn kernels, chopped onion, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until onions are soft and corn is lightly charred in spots; this should be about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Remove 1-1/2 cups of corn mixture from the pot and set aside in a small bowl. Stir broth and add 6 stripped corn cobs into the pot, scraping the brown bits on the bottom. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Using tongs, remove the corn cobs from the bowl and discard.
  4. Add the sour cream and cheese. After stirring it together, transfer the soup to a blender (you may have to do this in multiple batches) and blend until smooth.
  5. Transfer soup back into the pot, reheating it to your desired temperature. Stir in half the reserved corn, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of cilantro. You can now season the soup with salt, pepper, and chili powder (or if subbing, your cumin and paprika).
  6. In the small bowl, toss the remaining corn with lime zest and cilantro. Serve the soup, topped with extra cheese and corn mixture (I like to add sour cream as well!).

Soup: The Trick to Beating the Summer Heat

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By Stephanie Duscher

 

With the recent heat we have patiently been enduring, the last thing most people want to eat is hot food like soup. However, aside from being able to cook with all the delicious in-season fruits and veggies this season has to offer, enjoying a hot, spicy soup, like Mexican street corn soup, offers many practical health benefits. 

According to research, eating hot foods like soup in warm weather can benefit your body by cooling you even more than cold foods. Interesting, right? Eating hot food increases your body’s internal temperature, which causes you to sweat more. When your sweat naturally evaporates, your body becomes cooler than before. This effect is even more noticeable when eating a spicy soup, as spicy foods like peppers can cause you to sweat, making your body cooler. 

For this reason, hot soups like Mexican street corn soup are perfect for the heat. Not only is it super tasty, but you can enhance its flavor by using fresh, locally grown ingredients like peppers, cilantro, garlic, and onions from the farmers’ market. 

For this soup, the real spotlight is on fresh corn, and Gomez Veggie Ville has a plentiful supply this season. Their farming practices ensure that their corn is sweet and grown without using GMOs or harmful chemicals. So, whether you make street corn soup or use it in other seasonal dishes like grilled corn on the cob or a fresh summer salad, you’ll know that your food is grown with care and comes from a good place. 

Is corn not your thing? Plenty of other delicious in-season fruits and veggies are perfect for soup-making. Grab some soup supplies at the farmers’ market on Wednesdays or Saturdays. The market has plenty of watermelons, eggplants, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, peas, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and many more summertime favorites. 

Don’t limit yourself to Mexican street corn soup either! The possibilities for soup-making are endless. Summer vegetable soup, zucchini soup, and even a creamy broccoli soup can be refreshing in the summer heat. Go ahead and raise your body temperature. Ultimately, it will cool you off!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Shepherd’s Pie

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Shepherd’s pie, photo by Pattie Garrett

“One of my favorite post-holiday meals is Shepherd’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 of Hebron Valley Veal

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.

Eat, Drink, and be Scary: Halloween at the Farmers’ Market

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By Madison Jackson

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Pattie Garrett

With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s time to start planning your spooky snack spreads. Candy and desserts are the stars of this holiday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables in a fun way too. The farmers’ market is the perfect place to get your shopping done to incorporate fresh, local produce into your Halloween celebrations this year. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just a small gathering, here are a couple of festive recipes that are sure to impress.


Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Cut off the tops of 3 orange bell peppers and set them aside. Remove and discard the cores and seeds. Carve a Jack O’ Lantern face into each pepper using a sharp knife. Drizzle the inside of each pepper with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the peppers in a baking dish along with the pepper tops.

Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers, photo by Madison Jackson

In a large skillet, stir together 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice, one diced bell pepper, one diced onion, 2 medium to large diced tomatoes, 2 ½ cups vegetable broth, and 2 tbsp of taco seasoning. Stir and bring to a simmer—cover and cook for 20 minutes on low. Once cooked, add in one can of black beans and one cup of corn.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill peppers with rice mixture and top with shredded cheese. Cover the peppers in the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes until peppers are tender. Place the tops on the peppers and enjoy your Jack-O’-Lantern stuffed peppers! Adapted from the recipe by Ayla Rianne.

Chocolate Covered Mummy & Ghost Apples

Chocolate Covered Mummy & Ghost Apples, photo by Madison Jackson

Wash your apples of choice and pat dry. Slice thinly into ¼” slices and remove any seeds/stem. Insert popsicle sticks.

Add chopped milk or dark chocolate and 1 tbsp of coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each time. In another bowl melt white chocolate.

To make ghost apples, dip your apple slices into the white chocolate and place on a parchment paper-lined tray. Then use the dark chocolate to make your ghost’s face. To make a mummy, dip your apple slices into the dark chocolate, then use a spoon to drizzle the white chocolate and add eyes.

You can also add a variety of other toppings as desired like melted peanut butter, nuts, chopped candy, caramel and more! Adapted from recipe by Pastry & Beyond.

However you choose to spend this Halloween, we hope you can enjoy some sweet treats such as these. You can stop by the market this Saturday, October 30, from 9 am-1 pm at High Rock Park to pick up some supplies. This week marks the end of our outdoor summer season so we will be celebrating with some extra fall fun on Saturday. These markets will include children’s activities, a “guess the weight” pumpkin contest, giveaways, live music, trick-or-treating, and more!

Market at High Rock Park, photo by Pattie Garrett

Pine Needle Vegetarian Broth

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Recipe shared by Nine Pine Soup & Design

Photo provided by Nine Pine Soup & Design

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● ½ gallon water
● 2 cups fresh green pine needles*
● 1-2 tbsp Celtic sea salt

Optional Ingredients:
● 1 tbsp red onion*, chopped
● 2 tbsp jalapeno pepper*, chopped
● 1 small carrot*, sliced
● ½ cup Chinese cabbage*, chopped
● ¼ cup chopped potato*, chopped
● ¼ cup fresh corn*
● Or any mild-tasting in-season vegetables (zucchini, squash, green beans, kohlrabi, mushrooms)

Instructions
Boil the water. Pour boiling water into a pot with the pine needles and cover with a lid. Let it steep for ½ an hour. Remove the pine needles and add salt to taste. Add desired vegetables and cook until tender. Serve as an appetizer or morning elixir.

Cornbread

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Recipe by Donna Bryson

Cornbread compliments roasted chicken and duck, braised greens, balsamic-glazed beets, and many other savory dishes. Or simply slather a slice with local honey or jam and enjoy as a treat.

Ingredients
*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market
● About 2 tablespoons fat (butter, oil, bacon drippings…)
● 1 cup flour
● 1 cup cornmeal*
● 1 teaspoon salt
● 2 teaspoons baking powder
● ½ teaspoon baking soda
● 2 eggs*, beaten
● 1 cup buttermilk* (if you choose to use regular milk*, omit baking soda and add another teaspoon of baking powder).

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. While the oven is heating, place fat in cast iron skillet or other baking dish and put skillet/baking dish in the oven.
3. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients with a fork, tossing them to get some air into them.
4. Add wet ingredients quickly and blend until batter is just a bit thicker than pancake batter. Add more milk, if needed.
5. Take the pan out of the oven, swirl sizzling fat quickly to coat the pan, and pour excess into the batter.
6. Mix well, then pour the batter into the hot pan.
7. Put the pan in the oven and bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick (or fork) poked into the center comes out clean (about 30-40 minutes).