By Julia Howard
This weekend holds much significance in celebrating Passover, Good Friday, and Easter. Traditions may be cultural, spiritual, or simply individual, and this Saturday, Saratoga Farmers’ Market invites you to shop for your holiday feasts, festivities, and Easter baskets. We will also be giving away an Easter basket full of local goodies!
Let’s begin with an Easter staple: eggs. Lovin’ Mama Farm, Kokinda Farm, Squash Villa Farm, and Elihu Farm have fresh, delicious, multi-colored eggs perfect for your Easter brunch and for dying in various colors—dying multi-colored eggs results in deep, earthy hues. You can even make natural dye using kale, beets, and onions. All are available at the farmers’ market.
For those highly-anticipated Easter baskets, Saratoga Chocolate Co. makes Easter easy with pre-made baskets filled to the brim with their locally-made Easter-themed chocolates and sweets. They also have an assortment of chocolate bunnies in dark, milk, and white chocolate and in salted caramel. Ballston Lake Apiaries has honey sticks, and Slate Valley Farms has various maple candies. Brighten up a basket with crisp apples and apple chips from Saratoga Apple.
Balancing breakfast preparation and egg hunts while pulling together a feast for later in the day can be challenging, but The Food Florist can help. Their Easter brunch menu includes a variety of take-and-bake quiches and ready-to-go breakfast casseroles like sausage, egg, and cheese; add a side of our homemade blueberry french toast.
For the main course, Bob and Mary Pratt from Elihu Farm are still taking orders for lamb cuts for Easter or Passover. Send your order to elihufarm@yahoo.com or call 518-744-3947. Other options include whole chicken from Ramble Creek Farm and Squash Villa Farm or brisket from Longlesson Farm. Pork & Greens and Hebron Valley Veal also have specialty cuts.
For the desserts and sweets, Goodway Gourmet will have carrot cakes, rum cakes, cookies, brownies, and macaroons. Parchment will have a selection of their Scandinavian pastries, cookies, and bread.
Don’t forget local bread, artisan cheeses, spirits and beer, seasonal produce, and more!
While you’re out shopping, be sure to stop by the Market Information booth to enter to win an Easter basket full of local products. There will also be live music and an activity for children and families to enjoy.
This week’s recipe: Roast Lamb
