Saratoga Farmers' Market

herbs

Herbs: The Good Neighbors of the Garden

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By Katherine Morba

Potted herbs and greens at Burger’s Marketgarden, photo by Pattie Garrett

Like people, plants relate to one another differently. Unique characteristics such as fragrance, stature, and ability to attract pollinators and repel pests make a plant more or less compatible with its neighbors.

Companion planting, or paying attention to beneficial relationships that exist between species of plants, give way to healthier crops, increased yields, and even enhanced flavor in harvests. Herbs are especially companionable when mindfully placed in a garden bed.

Herbs also possess healing properties to soothe the ailments of the gardeners who tend them. For centuries herbs have been exalted as medicinal remedies, offering relief for sore throats, anxiety, stomachaches, and other health concerns.

Rather than planting rows of single crops this season, try intermingling herbs for a garden that is both plentiful and curative.

Basil and tomatoes have heightened flavors when grown in proximity. Basil also compliments asparagus, beans, beets, cabbage, and bell peppers. Basil tea alleviates an upset stomach and is a natural skin cleanser. Place wet leaves under eyes to reduce puffiness and dark circles.

Thyme repels pests like cabbage worms, corn earworms, and tomato hornworms. It will strengthen the flavor of most plants it borders while attracting honey bees and predatory insects. Thyme relieves congestion from colds and seasonal allergies.

Dill is a companion to broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and kale. It attracts honey bees and butterflies while deterring cabbage loppers and spider mites. Dill should not be planted near carrots, as the two may cross-pollinate. Steeping two tablespoons of crushed dill seed in one cup of boiling water creates a dill tea for cold and flu symptom relief.

Rosemary pairs well with broccoli, beans, cabbage, and hot peppers. Aromatically it improves cognitive function and memory. A rosemary tea or essential oil can be used on hair to strengthen and condition.

Lavender compliments cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and rose bushes. Adding a few drops of lavender oil in a bath reduces stress, insomnia, and anxiety. Fragrant dried flowers can be sewn into pillows or sleep masks for a calming effect.

Calendula, or the pot marigold, is a must grow for its bright yellow and orange flowers, pest prevention, and medicinal qualities. Calendula acts as a trap plant, attracting aphids to a sticky stem and away from garden vegetables. The flowers are harvested and used to make oils, teas, and ointments that have antiseptic and wound healing properties.

Potted herbs at Burger’s Marketgarden, photo by Pattie Garrett

Planting flowers and food on Mothers’ Day

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

The opening month of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s outdoor season is like a debut to summer: Several vendors are offering seasonal flowers, herbs, and vegetable seedlings. These items make ideal Mothers’ Day gifts. They also offer fast doses of color and character to fledgling gardens and promises of great harvests to come.

Look this weekend and next Wednesday for bright bunches of daffodils, branches of lilacs, and sweet-smelling hyacinths. Such flowers are available as bouquets. With them are pots of geraniums and packs of bedding plants, the horticultural term for fast-growing seasonal flowers and ornamental plants that can be transplanted into gardens immediately.

On Wednesdays, you can find such plants at the Butternut Ridge and Burger Farm stalls on the south end of the High Rock Park pavilion. And, at the end of May, Goode Farm will bring floral arrangements, dried flowers, and cut flowers. On Saturdays, look for flowers and plants at the Scotch Ridge Tree & Berries and Balet Flowers & Design. Also on Saturdays, the Wild Things Rescue Nursery is on hand with a variety of plants native plants that can help build bee and butterfly gardens. And, cut flower bouquets from Lot 32 Flower Farm will return in early June.

Scotch Ridge Berry Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

If growing food is your goal, many market vendors also offer a wide array of vegetable and herb seedlings. Some can go into the ground immediately; others are best nurtured in sunny windows until soil temperatures have warmed to about 65-70 degrees.

At the Burger Farm stall, tomato plants already are flowering and bearing small fruits. Andy Burger, who operates the farm with his parents, said that they started the plants at the end of January, raising them with heat and light in a greenhouse. The tomatoes are available for purchase now along with such summer plants as peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini and
summer squash. Burger recommends bringing such seedlings indoors at night and on chillier May days.

For immediate transplanting, try lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, and other greens, along with such herbs as cilantro, oregano, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, and oregano. Other vendors who offer vegetable and herb seedlings include Butternut Ridge, Scotch Ridge, Balet, and Otrembiak Farm.

Most vendors will offer planting advice. Master gardeners with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Services are at both the Wednesday and Saturday markets, as well.

Wednesdays at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

When the opening bell rings at 3 p.m. next Wednesday at High Rock Park, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will begin its 41st season.

The Wednesday market runs May 1-October 30, from 3-6 p.m. Like the Saturday market, it offers a wide array of amazing foods fresh from our region’s local farms, along with locally made wines and spirits, art, and meals to go.

For many market regulars, the Wednesday market is the farmers’ market at its best. It offers an opportunity to browse at a leisurely pace, planning a few nights’ meals while listening to local music, and taking part in a series of all-ages activities.

Earn a $2 Bicycle Benefits coin each time you ride to the Farmers’ Market

“The intimate size of our midweek market creates a more relaxed pace,” says market activities coordinator Julia Howard. “It’s a little more spacious, airy. It’s a great way to meet up with friends.”

This year, the market is celebrating eight new vendors:
● Goode Farm, fresh and dried flowers and wreaths;
● Slate River Farm, herbs, meats, eggs, and seasonal ramps and fiddlehead ferns;
● High Peaks Distilling, spirits;
● Italian Market, pasta sauces;
● Alaturco Mediterranean Grill, gyros;
● Oliver’s Café, crepes and kettle corn;
● Left Field, snow cones; and
● Vedanta du Mas Designs, art.

As always, the Wednesday market will offer free music, children’s activities, its Power of Produce Club, and information booths. About 20 other vendors – ranging from small farmers to local artists and food entrepreneurs – will be returning to the market, as well.

Power of Produce Club at the Wednesday market

The Tisch Family Band will serenade market visitors on opening day. Throughout the season, the market will participate in the Bicycle Benefits program, and host tours. Market staff also are planning to organize monthly bus trips for Saratoga seniors.

As a shopper and a farmer, I look forward every year to the start of the Wednesday market. It evokes the historic roots of Saratoga’s producer-only market and the region’s agricultural heritage. I enjoy talking to vendors as I fill my bags with great foods for a few days before I return to the market Saturday to replenish.

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

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Adapted from recipe by Lucy Parissi of Supergolden Bakes

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market.

  • 2 ½ lbs fresh spinach*
  • 14 oz feta cheese crumbled*
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten*
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped dill*
  • ½  cup or a small bunch of fresh chopped parsley*
  • 8 scallions, finely chopped*
  • 2 large leeks, white part only finely chopped*
  • 1 pack frozen phyllo pastry thawed overnight in the fridge
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • Olive oil
  • salt and pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a tray on the middle shelf.
  2. Warm olive oil in a pan over medium heat and gradually add the spinach in batches until it is all cooked.
  3. Allow to cool. Then drain excess water from the spinach using a cheesecloth or strainer.
  4. Sauté the green onions and leeks in a pan with a splash of olive oil until soft. Add the spinach and herbs and cook for a bit longer. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Add the crumbled feta and eggs to the spinach. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix together.
  6. Brush your pie dish with the melted butter then start layering the phyllo pastry, brushing each leaf with butter, in the dish letting the ends hang over the edge. Layer 5-6 phyllo squares over the bottom of the dish then add the filling in an even layer. Fold the edges over the top and brush with butter.
  7. Brush 4 phyllo squares with the melted butter then scrunch together and cover the entire surface of the pie.
  8. Bake for 45 minutes, covering with foil after 15-20 minutes to avoid the pie coloring too quickly. Cool before slicing (otherwise you won’t be able to slice neatly).

Grated Carrot Salad

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Adapted from recipe featured in Milk Street Magazine

Serves 6

 

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic maple dressing* (Momma’s Secret Salad Dressings)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 Tablespoon minced shallot*
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil*
  • 1¼ pound carrots*, peeled and shredded
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley*

 

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, tarragon, shallot, honey, and cayenne. Let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in the oil until emulsified, then add the carrots and parsley. Stir until evenly coated. Season with cayenne pepper. Serve or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.