Shop Local, Eat Fresh at the Saratoga Farmers' Market | Food, Crafts, Music in Saratoga Springs

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Wednesday at the Farmers’ Market – A festival of fresh

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Market shopper, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market starts its outdoor season Wednesday at High Rock Park, with 28 vendors – seven of which are new. For the next six months, the market runs from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Why visit the market twice a week?

Market administrator Julia Howard has a simple answer: Everything is fresh.

The Wednesday market creates a space for families, downtown workers, and others to plan their midweek meals as they shop.

“Envision this as dinner Wednesday,” says market administrator Julia Howard. “Fresh-cut pasta noodles, cooked at home, with fresh feta cheese, hydroponic tomatoes and a parsley garnish. Add any number of vegetables from our produce vendors on the side, and cider or wine.”

For breakfast the next morning, Howard adds, try farm-fresh eggs and maple syrup, and perhaps a couple of goat riblets, chicken or a steak for dinner the next night.

“There will be so much good food this year at the Wednesday market,” Howard said. “There’s no reason not to make it a part of your meal planning for the week.”

Midweek markets are a boon for farmers from late spring through early fall when seasonal produce grows rapidly and is at its freshest. By having an opportunity to sell produce more than once a week, farmers are able to supply customers with a larger share of their harvests, which reduces spoilage.

Many farmers also use the market as a space to sell seedlings and container plants. Wednesday’s opening market celebrates this tradition by offering children and others an opportunity to plant a seed at the market, place their name on a label, and over the weeks to come, to watch it grow.

New vendors include pasta makers Mangiamo LLC, the Saratoga Winery, Infinite Concepts jewelry, and produce/meat farmers Green Jeans Market Farm, Halls Pond Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, and Squashville Farm. Joining these vendors are 11 returning produce farmers, a dairy farmer, a maple and honey producer, three baked goods vendors, two prepared foods vendors, two artists, and a knife sharpener.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will hold its last indoor market for the season from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park. The market will be outdoors 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park.

Farmers’ Market Fills the Heart with Health

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Winter has truly been wintry this year. Getting out has been a challenge for even the hardiest.

Now, however, begins the countdown to spring. And with that, vendors, volunteers, and staff at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market invite you to join our celebration tomorrow of the city’s annual Health and Wellness Week.

Our goal is to bring you indoors to the market and get you outdoors. To that end, members of the Alpine Sports Shop will offer a free snowshoeing demonstration in front of the Lincoln Baths Building from 10 a.m. to Noon. Everyone who participates will receive a coupon for a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate from “Coffee Lady” Beth Trattel at Something’s Brewing.

Indoors, our vendors will have heart-warming indulgences that are good for you, too. Check out Puckers Gourmet Pickles limited offerings of lacto-fermented cherries, the heart-shaped homemade cheesecakes from Constance Capasso’s Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes, the delectable handmade sweetness from Saratoga Chocolate Co., the artisanal roasted brews from Jim Williams’s Upper Hudson Coffee, and the cookies and teacakes from Marcie Place’s Chocolate Spoon.

Joining our regular produce, dairy, meat and prepared food vendors will be Cornell Cooperative Extension with recipes and food samples, information tables and demonstrations from local wellness organizations, and children’s activities hosted by the Northeast Parent & Child Society, and the Friends of the Market.

Many market regulars make health and fitness a part of their Saturday morning routines. They stop in to shop after running with groups like the Saratoga Stryders or arrive at the market with cross-country skis or snowshoes.

Yet, as runner Frank Lombard admits, it takes a bit of a push to get outdoors in the winter when the weather is bleak. “The biggest challenge is getting in motion,” he says. “But once you’re outdoors, it’s euphoric. There are so many benefits to being outside, to being with nature. It’s just a matter of overcoming that 10 to 15 minutes of resistance.”

So join us tomorrow morning. Try out some snowshoeing, and have a warm beverage. Fill your bag with our farm-fresh produce and a few other market treats. Your body and mind will thank you. We promise.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Warming Up the Winter with Saratoga Farmers’ Market Foods

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Puckers Gourmet, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

How can you use the foods grown and raised by local farmers at the coldest time of year to create meals that are healthy, warm, and pleasing to the palate?

“Bake an apple,” recommends Christine Gaud, of Saratoga Apple.

Gaud cuts out the core of an apple and fills it with a dab of butter and some nuts. She places the fruit in her wood-fired oven and lets it bake until it softens. “Sometimes, it takes 15 minutes, sometimes 20,” she says.

You don’t need a wood-fired oven to do this. Following Gaud’s advice, I baked a Cortland apple at 350 degrees until it was soft to the touch. After it had cooled, I used a spoon to scoop out the inner flesh, which blended beautifully into a soft and silky custard-like concoction with the butter and chopped walnuts I added in.

“Load up on probiotics,” suggests Kelley Hillis, of Puckers’ Gourmet Pickles. As she notes, probiotics – which are abundant in such foods as her naturally fermented pickled vegetables – help strengthen the immune system, which is vital to staying healthy through the winter. On top of that, the pickles taste tangy and crunchy. While pickles often are regarded as a condiment, Hillis suggests adding them to sandwiches, tacos, or salads or eating them as a vegetable side.

“Many people have told me that they like to cut up my dill sours, for instance, and add them to a chicken or a tuna sandwich,” says Hillis.

And there’s soup. “Healthy and easy,” says Jennifer Czelusniak, of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service, who was serving samples of potato leek soup last Saturday. Czelusniak notes that planning a soup as part of a weekly menu means you don’t have to worry about what to use. “You can make a soup with almost any vegetable, a little oil or butter, and some broth.”

Frozen meats, aged cheeses, fresh fish, root vegetables, and greenhouse-grown salad greens, spinach and kale also are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market year round.

“Winter is a great time to try something different,” says Czelusniak. “Visit the market, talk to farmers. You might discover something new.”

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Protecting Your Garden Harvest as the Seasons Change

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Frost damage, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

If you’re a backyard vegetable grower, you might plan your garden around the last and first frost dates. The last frost date – usually May 20 – signifies the date that it starts to become safe to transplant such tender seedlings as tomatoes, squashes, and peppers outdoors. The first frost date – September 20 historically for Saratoga – typically means the end of the life cycle for these plants.

But what if the temperatures get chilly sooner? What becomes of those green tomatoes, still rock-hard eggplants, still growing squashes?

Answers from Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors who might have provided you with the seedlings that started your gardens last spring vary as widely as the weather. But the general rule is to be watchful but not worried.

“If it looks like the night time temperatures are going to drop into the low 40s, you might want to cover those kinds of plants,” says Chris Dumar, of Balet Flowers & Design. “You also might want to water well, especially if you think you might get a frost.”

Covers for plants can range from row covers or sheets of plastic or even five-gallon pails. The key is to make sure the plants are covered but that the material still gives them some room to breathe.

Dumar also recommends spraying plants hit by frost with water early in the morning before the sun hits the plants. The water moistens the leaves, which can prevent them from being burnt by the sun.

While a plant hit by a frost is unlikely to continue producing its fruit, the fruit itself often is still fine to pick. Many farmers recommend picking tomatoes if they’re still green but look as if they’re starting to ripen well in advance of frost warnings. Unripe vegetables such as tomatoes, summer squash, eggplants, peppers and winter squash can be picked even after a light frost. These fruits will continue to ripen after a harvest on a kitchen counter, shelf, or sunny window.

And first frosts do sweeten some vegetables, particularly leafy greens, and brussels sprouts, creating a new season of eating.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is at High Rock Park through October, 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. We move indoors to the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park on November 4. Follow our updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Garden Won’t Grow? Master Gardeners might know why

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By Mary Peryea

Earlier this summer, I purchased a lovely little zucchini plant at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. I planted it in my yard and lovingly tended it. And then one day the plant disappeared. What could have happened?

Back to the farmers’ market I went, this time to consult with the master gardeners. On hand that day were Rochelle Lynch and Dan Lynch. I explained my dilemma and Rochelle asked if there were rabbits in the neighborhood. “Lots,” I said. She told me that was probably the root of my problem (pun intended), as bunnies will eat a plant down to the ground.

I asked if there is such a thing as a rabbit repellant. There is, but Rochelle said it really stinks. “Smells like rotten eggs,” Dan chimed in. They suggested that I plant my zucchini in a container.

These are the kinds of questions that volunteers with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener program will answer most Wednesdays and Saturdays at the farmers market. They come armed with information on testing the pH in your soil and combatting pests in your garden, along with tips for growing whatever you’re interested in eating from your backyard.

To become a Master Gardener, one needs to apply with Cornell Cooperative Extension. The application requires references, a background check, and interview. If accepted, classes run for 14 weeks, from January to April, for a full day each week. The classes’ cost last year was $250. Applications for 2018 will begin being accepted this month.

At the end, there is an open-book exam. Rochelle showed me “the book” – a binder about four inches thick. If you pass the test, you’re required to complete 100 volunteer hours. Those hours can be in a variety of settings: farmers’ markets, fairs, community gardens, presentations to groups. Even after receiving designation as a Master Gardener, 30 hours of continuing education per year are required to keep it.

Dan Lynch is still working on his 100 volunteer hours. One of his projects involves working with other Master Gardeners to beautify the Saratoga Spa State Park’s Bruno Pavilion. If you’ve been there recently, you may have noticed new landscape material and flowers – a result of their labors.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Photo by Pattie Garrett
Photo by Pattie Garrett

ZUCCHINI AND SUMMER SQUASH NESTS

Adapted from recipe by Hilary Meyer in Eating Well, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese*
  • ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese*
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil*
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced*
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
  • 2 medium yellow summer squash*
  • 2 medium zucchini*
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil*

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Position a rack in the top position of oven, preheat broiler to high
  2. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, basil, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Using a spiral vegetable slicer or vegetable peeler, cut summer squash and zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strands or strips. Stop when you read the seeds. You should have about 6 cups of “noodles”. Place them on a sheet pan or in a 9 inch X 13 inch baking pan. Shape them into nest. Alternate the zucchini and summer squash in a pattern. You will have 6 nests.
  4. Drizzle the nests with oil and sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Make a well in the center of each and spoon in about 2 Tablespoons ricotta filling.
  5. Broil nests until browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve warm.

 

 

 

Plan, then plant | Did You Know…

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Did you know that …

Spring planning can lay the foundation for healthy plants in the summer and fall? The first step to building that foundation is soil testing. Talk with the master gardeners at the Saratoga Farmers’ Markets, and bring in a small zip-lock bag or cup full of your soil. For $1, the gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension Service will administer a basic soil test. This test will help you gain a basic understanding of your soil. It tells you if the pH is right for what you are planting and if you have the optimal amount of organic matter.

After a soil test, the second best thing you can do this spring is make sure you are putting the right plant in the right spot. If you are starting a vegetable garden or planting annuals, read the sun and watering requirements for each plant. Tomatoes like full sun and can tolerate sandier soils, whereas broccoli desires a shadier area. Petunias thrive in the heat of a patio planter, but snap dragons prefer natural soils and a bit of shade mid-day. If you are planting perennials or shrubs, make sure you read the tag to understand what the plant will look like when it is full grown. Avoid large shrubs or tall perennials under windows or bushy plants near the stairs. Putting the right plant in the right spot will avoid unnecessary pruning that gives the plant an unnatural look.

Talk to us about your gardening successes, failures, challenges, and opportunities. They could become the basis for future newsletter items, or simply satisfy our curiosity about what grows best where. You can e-mail us at friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org, or stop by our Veggie Valet tent at the summer market on Saturdays. In the meantime, dream about your garden’s harvest with this easy Kale Pesto from Friends of the Market volunteer Sadie Ross:

(From Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers, by Janet Fletcher, Andres McMeel Publishing, LLC 2010)

Kale Pesto 

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of kale
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste.
• Pasta

Directions

Remove the ribs of the kale and put them into a large pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pot, rinse in cold water and squeeze dry. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed. Save a bit of the water after draining the pasta.

Add the kale, walnuts and garlic to a food processor and process till nearly smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process till smooth. Add some of the water used to boil the kale and pasta until the pesto is the desired consistency. Serve over pasta.