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Eggs at Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Mary Pratt

 

Five vendors offer chicken eggs at Saratoga Farmers’ Market. All their hen shelters are on pasture in spring, summer, and fall. Most hens can choose to go outside their shelters in winter. 

Squash Villa Farm, from the Town of Easton, Washington County, raises vegetables, goat meat, and eggs. They’re the only vendor who has chicken and duck eggs and attends Wednesday and Saturday Markets. Himanee Gupta-Carlson said, “Jim and I started raising poultry for eggs in 2012.”

Photo by Pattie Garrett (eggs)

“Today, we raise heritage breed hens, such as Cuckoo Maran, Cuckoo Araucana, and Speckled Sussex.” They produce a variety of eggshell colors – brown, green, blue, and white. Their duck eggs are from Muscovy.

Laurie Kokinda from Kokinda Farm in Mechanicville offers vegetables, fruit, and jam, and began raising hens for eggs in 2012. They also raise heritage chickens, including Black Asterlop, Polish, and Olive Eggers, which produce several colored egg shells. 

Laurie explained that during pasture season, her hens can go all over their yard when she’s at home. They are fenced into a portion of her yard when she’s away. In winter, they can go outside under a covered area.

Lovin’ Mama Farm (eggs), photo provided

Mary and Bob Pratt’s Elihu Farm, also in the Town of Easton, offers lamb, wool, and eggs. They started raising hens for their own use; then, around 2000 began raising more and more hens for eggs to sell.

Their hens are hybrids produced by Moyer’s Chicks in Pennsylvania, which lay brown eggs. Their hen shelters and feeders are on pastures and frequently moved. In winter, their hens can still go outside. Chile powder and alfalfa powder are added to their feed to keep the yolk color orange.

Jireh Organic Farms and Livestock, newest to our market, is a disabled veteran owned organic farm out of Saratoga County. They use non-GMO feed for their cage free, hand raised hens. Later this summer they will also have grass fed beef available.

Lovin’ Mama Farm, according to Corinne Hansch, raises organic vegetables and flowers and also heritage breed hens for organic eggs. Their hens include Whiting True Blue and Whiting True Green, whose feathers have been used for fly fishing. Also, Cucu Marana, for dark brown eggs.

Their hens receive non-GMO feed and rotationally graze in summer.  From November to March, they live in vegetable tunnels with deep straw where they receive leftover vegetables and micro-greens for dark orange yolks.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at High Rock Park. And on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. also at High Rock Park. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Simple Bread Pudding

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Adapted from the recipe by Mark Bittman

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep & cook time: 1hr 45 min

There aren’t often leftovers from a loaf of locally made bread. However, if you find that you have extra or part of a loaf has gotten stale, we highly recommend bread pudding as a delicious way to enjoy bread to its very end. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk*
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  •  Pinch salt
  • ½ loaf sweet egg bread (like brioche-style bread*, cinnamon raisin bread*, challah, cinnamon rolls) cut into 2-inch cubes (about 5 to 6 cups)
  • 4 eggs*, beaten

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with cubed bread.
  2. Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread. Let sit for 1 hour.
  3. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: Try adding fresh or dried fruit or a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.

Breeds Bring Many Benefits to Local Farms

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By Julia Howard

Local farmers, who offer their products at Saratoga Farmers’ Market, raise specific breeds of animals for various reasons: good temperament, ability to improve cropland and wildlife habitat, ability to produce high-quality meat and poultry, and to produce products such as wool.

Ameraucana rooster at Squash Villa Farm, photo provided.

Jim and Himanee Gupta-Carlson’s Squash Villa Farm in Schaghticoke is home to several heritage breeds of chicken, including Ameraucanas. This species lays remarkable green eggs and produces dark, lean meat, an attribute of its active nature. 

“Ameraucana chickens take approximately six to twelve months to reach a harvestable size, compared to other breeds that can mature in just weeks,” says Jim. But Ameraucana chickens are well worth the wait. Their flavor is rich and complex and perfect for roasting and simmering in sauce or stew. 

Angus cattle at Longlesson Farm, photo provided.

At Longlesson Farm in Buskirk, Angus cows happily graze on 450 acres, rotating between fields. One of the farm’s owners, Christophe Robert, explains that their cows breed with the best Angus bulls. Christophe bases bull selection on calving ease, growth, and meat quality, but they also focus on docility and maternal attributes.

Natural colored Romney fleece from Elihu Farm, photo provided.

 

Mary and Bob Pratt,  from Elihu Farm in Easton, have been breeding sheep for over 30 years.  

“We realized that having a greater variety of fleeces would work better for our sales,” says Mary Pratt. “That meant we’d have long wool (from Romneys) and medium wool (from crossbred sheep).” 

Pratt notes that the breed does not affect the taste of lamb, which mainly depends on what they eat and how long they hang at the butcher.

 

 

Hebron Valley Veal owners Ariel Garland and Matt Campbell attribute the remarkable taste of their products, in part, to their whole-milk-fed calves from the farm’s herd of pastured Holsteins. That breed is notable for its milk production.

Pork and Greens, photo provided.

At Pork and Greens in Castleton, pigs of various breeds spend their time rooting, grazing, and lazing through their wooded spaces. A mix of species ensures diversity in characteristics and genetics, according to farm owner Isabel Buenaga. 

And, at Ramble Creek Farm in Greenwich, Josh Carnes takes pride in his herd of grass-fed Angus and Hereford cattle. It’s also home to forest-raised heritage-bred pigs and pasture-raised poultry.

This week’s recipe: Roast Heritage Chicken with Carrots

Buttery Breakfast Casserole

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iStock

Recipe by Melissa Clark of New York Times Cooking
Serves 6-8
Prep & cook time: 1 ½ hour, plus 4 hours of overnight chilling

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market
● 1 pound croissants* (about 5 to 7), split in half lengthwise
● 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for baking dish
● 1 bunch scallions* (6 to 7), white and light green parts thinly sliced, greens reserved
● ¾ pound sweet Italian sausage*, casings removed
● 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage*
● 8 large eggs*
● 3 cups whole milk*
● 1 cup heavy cream*
● 8 ounces Gruyère or other smooth-melting, creamy cheese*, grated (2 cups)
● 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
● 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread croissants on a large baking sheet and toast, cut side up, until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes (watch carefully to see that they do not burn). Let cool, then tear into large bite-size pieces.
2. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add sliced scallions and sausage meat; cook, breaking up meat with a fork until mixture is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage, and remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, toss together croissants and sausage mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, 1 1/2 cups cheese, salt and pepper.
4. Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Turn croissant mixture into the pan, spreading it out evenly over the bottom. Pour custard into pan, pressing croissants down gently to help absorb the liquid. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. When you’re ready to bake the casserole, heat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the remaining grated cheese over the top of the casserole. Transfer to oven and bake until casserole is golden brown and firm to the touch, 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallion tops before serving.

Apple Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Trish Aser of Brown Hound Downtown, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table, and originally printed for Edible Capital District
Yield: 1 cake

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● ⅔ packed brown sugar
● ½ cup butter*
● 2 Tablespoons apple cider*
● 1 teaspoon molasses
● 6 or more apples*
● 2 cups all purpose flour
● 2 teaspoons baking soda
● 2 teaspoons baking powder
● 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
● ¾ teaspoons ground ginger or 3 tsp fresh grated ginger*
● ½ teaspoon salt
● 1 cup sugar
● ½ cup melted butter*
● 2 large eggs*
● ½ cup molasses
● ½ cup pumpkin* puree
● ½ cup boiling water

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10 inch round cake pan.
2. Combine the brown sugar, butter, apple cider, and molasses in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves and syrup is smooth. Boil 1 minute. Pour evenly into prepared pan.
3. Core, peel, and cut apples into ½ inch slices and arrange in caramel in a decorative pattern.
4. Whisk dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and sugar) together in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (melted butter, eggs, molasses, pumpkin and water) until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just blended. Do not over mix.
5. Dollop batter over patterned apples so as not to disturb your design and smooth batter to cover to the edges.
6. Place cake pan on a cookie sheet to catch spills and bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes.
7. Place serving platter face down over cake pan and flip to unmold the cake. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes:
The original recipe calls for 2 to 3 apples. You may need as much or more than 6 apples for cover top of cake.
The original recipe has the baking time 25 to 30 minutes. You may need more, as much as 40 minutes.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Adapted from the recipe by King Arthur Flour, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the cake:
● 3 large eggs*
● heaping ½ cup sugar
● 6 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter
● 1 cup small curd cottage cheese (or part-skim ricotta)
● 1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
● ¾ cup all-purpose flour
● ½ teaspoon salt
● 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
● 1½ cups fresh blueberries*

For the glaze:
● 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
● zest from 1 lemon
● juice from ½ lemon
● 1 Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt*
● ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep.
2. Beat together the eggs and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the butter, cottage (or ricotta cheese), yogurt, and vanilla to the eggs mixture. Beat until well combined.
4. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder, to the egg/cheese mixture stirring to combine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the blueberries evenly over the top.
6. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, until the tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to firm.

Glaze:
8. Whip together the confectioner’s sugar, zest, juice, yogurt, and vanilla. Adjust liquid for the desired consistency.
9. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.