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

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

lamb

Roast Lamb

By

Adapted from the recipe by Julia Moskin

Yield: 8-12 servings

Time: About 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 large lamb roast* with a cap of fat, 4 to 6 pounds: bone-in leg, semiboneless leg*, bone-in shoulder*, boneless butterflied leg* or double loin*
  • 2 ounces anchovies packed in olive oil, drained
  •  Leaves from 6 fresh rosemary sprigs*, plus extra sprigs and branches for garnish
  • 6 garlic cloves*, smashed and peeled
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  •  Black pepper
  • 1 lemon, cut in half
  • 1 ¾ cups white wine, plus extra for gravy

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Use a small sharp knife to make about a dozen incisions, about 2” deep, through the fat on top of the meat. Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, blend 2/3 of the anchovies, the rosemary leaves, and the garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Using your fingers, press paste deeply into incisions.
  2. Mix remaining anchovies and the butter into a paste. Smear this mixture all over the surface of the roast. Season liberally with black pepper (salt is not needed). Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and squeeze the lemon halves over. Pour the wine around the roast into the pan.
  3. Roast 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees (for medium-rare or medium meat), about another 60 to 90 minutes. Baste every 20 minutes or so with the wine and drippings in the pan, adding more wine as needed to keep the liquid from scorching. If possible, for the last 15 minutes of cooking, use convection or a broiler to crisp the fat on the roast.
  4. Remove pan from the oven, remove rack from the pan, and let the roast rest on the rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes in a warm place, tented with foil. The internal temperature will rise to about 140 to 145 degrees.
  5. To make sauce from the pan drippings, remove a few tablespoons of fat by tipping the pan and spooning off the top layer. Put the pan over medium heat until the liquid simmers. Taste the simmering liquid and whisk in more wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the consistency and flavor are right. Do not let the mixture become syrupy; it should be a sharp jus, not a thick gravy.
  6. Carve lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a heated platter, decorated with rosemary sprigs. Serve with piping hot gravy.

*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

Shepherd’s Pie with Lamb

By

Recipe by Wolfgang Puck

Makes: 8 servings

Prep & cook time: 1 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb. ground lamb*
  • 3 carrots*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 2 leeks*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 1/2 lb. red Swiss chard*, thick ribs removed, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 1/2 c. beef gravy
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes*, peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 c. milk*, plus more if needed
  • 2 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish
  • 2 slices country white bread*, crusts removed, bread cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 oz. Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

 Instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining oil, carrots, and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in peas, gravy, and reserved lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot over high heat, bring potatoes and enough salted water to cover to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add 3 tablespoons butter and mash potatoes. Stir in milk and season with salt. If potatoes are too stiff, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk. Stir in horseradish.
  3. Transfer lamb mixture to an 11-inch deep-dish pie plate or eight 4-inch ramekins. Spread mashed potatoes over lamb mixture.
  4. In a food processor, pulse bread to crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs and Parmesan on potatoes. Dot with remaining butter. Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

Notes: If you like garlic, boil 2-3 cloves along with the potatoes.

Shepherd’s Pie with Lamb

By

Recipe by Wolfgang Puck

Makes: 8 servings

Prep & cook time: 1 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb. ground lamb*
  • 3 carrots*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 2 leeks*, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds
  • 1/2 lb. red Swiss chard*, thick ribs removed, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 1/2 c. beef gravy
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes*, peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 c. milk*, plus more if needed
  • 2 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish
  • 2 slices country white bread*, crusts removed, bread cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 oz. Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

 Instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining oil, carrots, and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in peas, gravy, and reserved lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot over high heat, bring potatoes and enough salted water to cover to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add 3 tablespoons butter and mash potatoes. Stir in milk and season with salt. If potatoes are too stiff, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk. Stir in horseradish.
  3. Transfer lamb mixture to an 11-inch deep-dish pie plate or eight 4-inch ramekins. Spread mashed potatoes over lamb mixture.
  4. In a food processor, pulse bread to crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs and Parmesan on potatoes. Dot with remaining butter. Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

Notes: If you like garlic, boil 2-3 cloves along with the potatoes.

Breeds Bring Many Benefits to Local Farms

By

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

A Farm-to-Table Thanksgiving Guide: The Meats (and Meat Alternatives)

By

By Emily Meagher

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and at the farmers’ market, there will be holiday offerings aplenty the next two Saturdays. Whatever the size of your gathering or the dietary preferences of your diners this year, market vendors are bringing plenty of options for every course. This week, we are looking at the various local meats in stock.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

If you plan to host a traditional Thanksgiving meal, a turkey is likely to be on your shopping list. Preorder a pasture-raised, non-GMO-fed turkey at Ramble Creek Farm, with various bird sizes available from 10 to 18+ pounds. Order at the market or online, and pick up at the market on November 20.

Other meat vendors offer a full range of meats for those looking to try a different main course this year. Chicken may fill that turkey craving but better serve a smaller group of diners. This year, Squash Villa Farm offers Delaware breed heritage birds, a critically endangered species that is rare to find but offers great meat. Longlesson Farm offers whole chickens as well, and Ramble Creek Farm has various parts available.

Elihu Farm, photo by Emily Meagher

For non-poultry meats, find many different cuts of lamb, such as shanks, loin chops, and riblets, at Elihu Farm. Hebron Valley Veal will have roasts, chops and cutlets of veal available. Squash Villa Farm offers goat leg roasts.

Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Pork, including roasts, hocks, and sausages, will be available at three vendors: Pork & Greens (a new vendor at the farmers’ market offering various breeds of sustainably raised pork), Ramble Creek Farm, and Longlesson Farm, where pork returns in stock on November 20th. The latter farm has plenty of beef available, as well.

Looking for a vegetarian or vegan centerpiece instead? You can use various in-season produce items to create a flavorful and visually stunning meal without meat. Try dishes like whole roasted cauliflower, lentil shepherd’s pie with a parsnip and potato mash, or a “squashducken” (a squash, stuffed in a squash, stuffed in another squash!).

For the other courses, the farmers’ market is sure to fill your needs as well. More on the vegetable sides, desserts, and dressings you can source at the market in next week’s edition.

This week’s recipe: Accidental Turkey

Saratoga Farmers’ Market Meat Producers

By

Elihu Farm, photo by Emily Meagher

By Mary Pratt

The meat vendors bring cuts of beef, goat, lamb, pork, and veal all year. They humanely raise animals and are not CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). Growth promoting hormones and routine antibiotics are never used, and no animal by-products are ever fed.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Josh Carnes started Ramble Creek Farm in 2018. The farm raises heritage-breed pigs to produce their “forest-raised pork,” which lives in their woods protected by an electric-powered net. The farm also produces beef.

Nathan and Meghan Mattison started Grazin’ Acres Farm in 2012 after meeting at the Washington County Fair, where they continue showing their cattle. They offer beef cuts and will provide custom cuts that customers order. They also pasture-raise their heritage breed pigs. In the future, they’ll also offer cuts of lamb.

Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Another beef and pork producer, Longlesson Farm, has been a vendor for many years. The farm, started by Christophe Robert’s wife Shannon’s parents, now has 450 acres that supply pasture and hay for their herd of Black Angus. They’ve learned that grass is good for cows, and cows are good for grass! And they’ll have new cuts of pork in the fall.

 

 

Hebron Valley Veal, photo by Pattie Garrett

Hebron Valley Veal is also a new vendor. Ariel Garland and Matt Campbell raise calves from their dairy cows. Their calves are never tethered and receive milk from their registered Holsteins. When six months old, the calves are processed for rose veal cuts, which are lean and tender.

The Market’s goat meat producer, Squash Villa Farm, run by Himanee and Jim Gupta-Carlson, recently bought historic Wright farm in Easton, where French Alpine descendant goats enjoy grazing. Squash Villa is the only goat farm at Wednesday and Saturday Markets.

Mary and Bob Pratt have raised lamb since 1987 at Elihu Farm, named for Revolutionary Patriot Elihu Gifford. Their sheep are purebred Romneys (longwool) and crossbreds (medium wool). Their cuts of lamb are very healthy since most of the fat surrounds the muscles and is easily trimmed.

Mariaville Mushroom Men is from Schenectady County. Bobby Chandler said that in addition to mushrooms, they raise pork and currently offer seasoned bacon, pork chops, and spare ribs.

This week’s recipe: Lamb Satay