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farm to table

Cooking Advice for Farm-to-Table Meats

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By Julia Howard

I consider myself to be a decent cook but I will confess that I have always felt insecure preparing dishes with meat. So whenever I want to prepare lamb, beef, goat, or pork I look to the experts; the farmers who raised the animals and know the cuts and flavors best.

Steak from Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

An upcoming dinner with friends prompted me to visit the farmers’ market for the right meat and cooking instructions for my visionary main course. First, I visit Christophe Robert of Longlesson Farm. “Keep it simple and cook the meat (steak) at a low temperature and finish with a sear,” Robert advises.

Caroline from Lewis Waite Farm gave similar advice. She explains that pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed meats cook differently. “They have less fat so you need to adjust how you approach cooking it with lower temperatures and less time,” she explains. Caroline recommends flat iron steaks, which are from a tender part of the shoulder. “Just a few minutes on each side on a low-heat pan works great,” says Caroline. The meat may be sliced up for fajitas and soups, or served as a steak.

Mary Pratt of Elihu Farm has a variety of cuts of lamb that may be bought fresh year-round at the farmers’ market. Pratt recommends a lamb shoulder roast or shoulder chops, bone-in neck, and shanks which make excellent stew. “You can use lamb stew cuts in recipes from many cultures,” explains Pratt. One of her favorite recipes is for lamb osso bucco, which can be found in the cookbook From the Earth to the Table. In addition, Pratt recommends lamb recipes from Paula Wolfert’s cookbooks and USA Grilling.

Goat is another meat option available at the farmers’ market. Jim Gupta-Carlson of Squashville Farm recommends goat rib chops and loin chops. “They are flavorful and quite simple to prepare,” says Gupta-Carlson. Simply season with salt and pepper and sear the chops on both sides on either a grill or skillet. Then let them cook at a lower temperature until they are medium-rare. Gupta-Carlson recommends letting the chops rest for a few minutes before serving.

The farmers’ market will move indoors to the Wilton Mall on Saturday, November 2 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. There, customers may peruse offerings of goat, lamb, beef, and pork, and gather cooking advice from Elihu Farm, Lewis Waite Farm, Longlesson Farm, Mariaville Mushroom Men, Moxie Ridge Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, Slate River Farms, and Squashville Farm.

Every morning, A Farmer Greets His Bees

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By Kara Winslow

Jason Heitman starts his day of farming with a quick stop at the beehive, where he listens to the happy whir within and then greets the bees. The ritual fits into his philosophy of farming, which is all about learning how “to read the land better and influence it less.”

Heitman owns Green Jeans Market Farm, one of the new Saturday vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. He farms on one-eighth of an acre of land leased from another market vendor, Otrembiak Farm.

The land – uncultivated – was covered with perennial grass, six feet tall. It now hosts rows of intensively cultivated vegetables and herbs.

Heitman was an English major in college. He graduated, landed a job in technology, and then decided he wanted to become a farmer because he saw it as a means of offering safe and healthy food to his community. He wanted to “do it right” so he picked up a book and learned about how food systems operated.

He completed internships at a farm in Denver and with Pleasant Valley Farm, also a Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendor, for a year and a half, “every moment of which was precious.” He also worked with other market vendors to learn how different farming systems worked.

Green Jeans became “certified naturally grown” before Heitman sold his first radish. The designation indicates that the farming is done without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified organisms. It is comparable to being certified organic except that the certification relies upon peer inspections and direct relationships between like-minded farmers.

Heitman does his farming by hand and remains attentive to the natural processes of the land. The evidence of his labor is found at his booth at the south end of the market in the array of greens he brings each week.

Heitman credits his ability to farm to the help he received from other farmers. Now, he too wants to reach out and help others. “It’s always on the back of my mind,” he says. “I know this farm is small, but I hope to be able to help others as they’ve helped me.”

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and check us out on the FreshFoodNY app. E-mail friends@saratogafarmers.org for volunteer opportunities.

VEGGIE ROLL UPS

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Adapted from the recipe by Amanda’s Cookin’ and shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table 
Serves: 10
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INGREDIENTS:
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers market
  • 1 cucumber*
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt*
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced*
  • 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped*
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 carrot, finely diced*
  • ¼ cup finely diced scallions*
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese*
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Chop the ends off of the cucumber and use a mandolin or wide vegetable peeler to peel thin slices, lengthwise. Lay the slices on paper towels and pat dry.
  2. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and the salt and pepper. Spread onto the cucumber slices. Top with the bell pepper, onion, and feta. Roll up and keep together with a toothpick.