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

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

healthy snacks

Sensible snacking on-the-go

By

By Julia Howard

Whether packing school lunches or struggling to find time to eat during the workday, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market makes it easy to eat healthy, locally-produced food even when you’re in a rush. Here are some of our favorite snacks and lunchbox go-tos at the farmers’ market.

Fruit smoothies and Greek yogurts

Argyle Cheese Farmer has probiotic-packed smoothies and mini Greek yogurts in flavors you will love. Their mini Greek yogurts come in perfect single-serving jars and include flavors like chocolate raspberry, maple, and blueberry. 

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo provided

Apple everything

Saratoga Apple has some of our favorite fall treats, and their apple chips make a great healthy and mess-free snack option. Their perfectly sweet apple sauce is another healthful snack that’s also sugar-free. And, of course, tossing an apple in a lunchbox is a quick and easy way to go.

Saratoga Apple, photo by Pattie Garrett

Bread and crackers for the win!

Nightwork Bread and The Bread Butler have loaves of scrumptious sourdough bread (and much more). Saratoga Cracker Co. has prepackaged crackers in flavors like garlic parmesan, everything, rosemary olive, and many more. Pair with some artisan cheese from Nettle Meadow and Argyle Cheese Farmer. Saratoga Peanut Butter Co. has various peanut butter blends to take traditional crackers and peanut butter to the next level.

Jerky & snack sticks

Muddy Trail Jerky Co. makes hand-crafted beef jerky and meaty snack sticks in 13 flavors, like teriyaki beef, jalapeno lime beef, and more. The Mushroom Shop makes oyster mushroom jerky with a savory flavor and texture that’s hard to beat – perfect for plant-based diets.

The Mushroom Shop (jerky), photo provided

Granola

TogaNola offers various healthful granola bars and protein bombs sustainably made with the best ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. Moon Cycle Seed Company has pumpkin and flax energy bites for a tasty on-the-go snack made with natural and organic ingredients. These bars are specifically prepared to help women rebalance their hormones. 

Fresh fruit & vegetables

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning fresh snackable fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Snap off a stalk of crisp celery or snack on sweet carrots. Cauliflower florets and cherry tomatoes also make healthy and satisfying snacks. Eating fresh and fast can be healthy and easily tossed into lunch boxes or briefcases.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. and

Saturdays from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at High Rock Park in Downtown Saratoga. Find us online at

www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow

us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

By

By Himanee Gupta

 

Masabacha looks like hummus. But it’s not. 

Masabacha is an Israeli take on hummus, with a signature Pucker Gourmet Pickles flair. The word itself is a Romanized version of an Arabic word that roughly translates to “soaked in” or “swimming,” explains Ben Hillis, who owns Puckers with his wife Kelley. In the classic version, whole-cooked chickpeas are mixed into tahini and served warm for breakfast, drizzled over pita bread. 

The Puckers version is closer to hummus in thickness but is creamier and more acidic. It contains whole chickpeas and tahini along with avocado oil, fermented apple cider vinegar, garlic, Himalayan rose sale, peppercorns, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. It can be eaten as a dip, spread, or condiment.

“It’s a little untraditional, but then so are we,” says Ben. “We like to take old traditional classics and put a contemporary twist on them.”

Puckers specializes in probiotic-rich pickles and has nearly two dozen such items. 

But, Ben notes, “Not everyone enjoys pickles, so we wanted to branch out a little.”

Both he and Kelley maintain a plant-based diet that includes many sandwich spreads. They noticed that commercial spreads were delicious but nutritionally weak. 

Hummuses were an exception, but they were hesitant to create a product that friends were selling at the farmers’ markets they brought their pickles to. Over time, however, many of these friends downsized or closed their businesses, which created a void in market offerings and an opportunity for them. 

Masabacha made its first appearance on their tables at the Saratoga Farmers Market and elsewhere during this winter. Ben explains, “We wanted to roll it out at a time of year when farmers’ market sales are low.”  

So far, the product has been popular, thanks in part to a return post-pandemic to the ability for artisanal food-makers to offer samples. 

As for how to enjoy eating masabacha, try scooping it with crackers or chips. It also works well as a salad dressing over lettuce and vegetables with chopped nuts or a hard-boiled or poached egg on top. One of Ben’s customers reported mixing it into a sauce for chicken wings. One of Ben’s favorite preparations is “Heavenly Eggs,” in which the mayonnaise of Deviled Eggs is replaced with masabacha, making the eggs “heavenly” in flavor and health benefits, too.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

 

https://www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/11564-2/

TogaNola’s Snacks Feed Adventurous Souls

By

By Madison Jackson

TogaNola, photo by Pattie Garrett

In 2015, Katie Rhodes began training for her first marathon. Constantly hungry from her busy schedule, granola bars became her go-to snack until she took a closer look at the ingredients she was putting in her body. Most traditional granola bars are highly processed and packed with sugar. Looking to keep herself both full and healthy for her training, Katie decided to make her own granola bar using healthier ingredients and the Charlie Bar was born: a dark chocolate, apricot, and almond bar. Not long after, friends and coworkers began placing orders for bars and the personal venture became a business: TogaNola was formed. “With a mission to provide clean energy for everyone who aspires to be a better version of themselves,” says Rhodes.

Ken & Katie Rhodes, photo provided

In the past 6 years, TogaNola has expanded its range beyond its now 5 flavors of granola bars, adding granola clusters and “protein bombs” in a variety of flavors, like Maple Almond Butter and Blueberry & Ginger Sunflower Seed. All TogaNola products are free of gluten, dairy, and soy, and several flavors are vegan, so there are many options to accommodate dietary restrictions of all types. The business is committed to using locally sourced ingredients, compostable packaging, natural sweeteners (such as local honey and maple syrup), and small-batch baking.

Whether it’s a hike on a warm summer morning or skiing on a cold winter day, granola is the perfect snack for all types of adventures. Rhodes can attest to that herself: TogaNola granola bars and clusters have accompanied Katie on countless trips including a single season round of the 46 High Peaks last winter. “The bars are hearty and easily transported in a mess free package. They don’t freeze solid, even in the freezing winter temperatures in the Adirondacks, which is crucial to support Katie on her big hikes,” says husband and co-owner Ken Rhodes.

TogaNola at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, photo provided

TogaNola got its start selling at local farmers’ markets and has recently expanded to include an online store and partnerships with local businesses. Katie and Ken are excited to be joining the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as an opportunity to interact directly with their customers and meet other local vendors.

TogaNola’s next adventure? Handmade, locally sourced dehydrated meals to fuel trips that span multiple days. Keep an eye out for this new product later this year at the farmers’ market, and stay full and fueled with TogaNola’s granola bars, clusters, and protein bombs, available every Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

This week’s recipe: Summer Berry Parfait