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eating heathy

Learning to Cook, Farmers’ Market Style

March 19, 2018 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Callie Noland started her senior year at Skidmore College full of excitement. She and her housemates had signed on for a weekly CSA share, and she was looking forward to a fall of kale, bok choy, and kohlrabi. With the Internet at her disposal, she felt sure she would be able “to find something to do” with all of the luscious, vitamin-packed vegetables.

Soon, reality hit. As a college student with limited time and few cooking skills, she felt almost intimidated by the prospect of cooking for herself. More often than not, she ended up picking up pre-made foods on campus or eating at the dining hall. Much of the produce went to waste.

From Noland’s frustration came inspiration. She and a group of Skidmore students are teaming up with Saratoga Farmers’ Market volunteers to create a series of cooking classes for students based on easy, healthful, and flavorful meals that feature seasonal items available at the market. The first class is this Sunday.

The menu includes two hummus dips – one featuring sweet potatoes and the other parsnips; a beet salad, kale with caramelized onions and barley, roasted vegetables, and a potato cheese soup. Students will work at cooking stations set up in the college’s test kitchen with market volunteers serving as guides. Produce and cheese will be obtained from market vendors tomorrow, and students will go home with a booklet of recipes for their own use.

The goal, from market volunteer Ann Haden’s perspective, is to teach how cooking with fresh food doesn’t have to be complicated.

For Noland, a public health major, the classes are a way of helping students feel empowered about cooking with local produce. For her, she says, “I’m hoping for myself to gain some confidence.”

Noland hopes to add a few staple dishes to a chili she tries to make weekly, based on a recipe from her father.

“I feel that the stakes for cooking on a given day are high,” she says. “It’s an investment of time, of money, of food that should not be wasted. If it ends up tasting bad or failing in some way, so much is wasted.”

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.

Filed Under: Featured Article, News Tagged With: cooking classes, eating fresh, eating heathy, Friends of the Market, Saratoga Farmers' Market, Seasonal cooking, Skidmore College

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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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