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The Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Rich in Recipes and History

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By Catherine Morba

Since its original publication in 2002, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Cookbook has existed on shelves as a piece of market history. The cookbook pays homage to the founding of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market in the late summer of 1978, when a small but determined group of vendors began selling in the Spring Street parking lot. It’s a treasure trove of favorites gathered from vendors and shoppers and written in their own voices, many of whom are still selling at or supporting the present day market.

Over the coming weeks, the cookbook will be digitized and posted on the Saratoga Farmers’ Market website (saratogafarmersmarket.org) for all to enjoy. In the meantime, here is a sneak preview in time for the holidays. Jars of pickled beets or loaves of onion and caraway bread could be made in larger batches for homemade gifts, or enjoyed midwinter for a bit of cheer long after the festivities have passed.

Sweet Potato and Cranberry Sauté, Recipe by Liza Porter, cookbook editor and former owner of Homestead Artisans & Longview Farm

Pickled Beets, Recipe by Sandy Arnold, owner of Pleasant Valley Farm

Onion & Caraway Bread, recipe by Anna Mae Clark, founding market member and owner of Clark Dahlia Gardens & Greenhouses and Anna Mae’s Homemade Jam

New Vendor Brings Spätzle Love to Wednesday Market


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By Julia Howard, Market Director

Minutes before the opening bell rings Wednesdays at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Julz and Marty Irion fire up a burner to warm samples of their product, a gluten free spätzle.

The bell rings and a heady aroma fills the air. Market goers walk by, stop and smell.
“Would you like a sample?” Marty asks. As the shoppers taste the dish, Marty and Julz tell its story. Spätzle is a German dish made typically with wheat, flour, and eggs. The Irions’ version is gluten free, made with a blend of tapioca, corn, and potato flours along with local milk and eggs, and nutmeg. 

The Vermont Spatzle Company. Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Together, Marty and Julz have created a no-boil spätzle that is unique, delicious, and the only one of its kind worldwide.

Marty was born in Erlangen, Germany and loved the dish made the traditional way. He and Julz met in 1985 and married four years later. Julz started to make spätzle for the family.

Eight years ago, the couple needed to drop wheat from their diets. They were unwilling to let go of their love for spätzle so Julz began experimenting with alternatives. She found that creating a good gluten free version of the German favorite was not easy. The experiments stretched out for seven years. Until March 2017. “The family sat around the dinner table that night,” recalls Marty. “We taste it and we all said at the same time, ‘This is so good.’ ” They also realized they needed to share it, and decided, on March 11, 2017, to go forth with that plan.

Vermont Spätzle Company, based in Arlington, VT, sold its first spätzle in June 2017. The Irions offer it now at 60 stores and farmers’ markets. The appeal of their spätzle goes beyond being gluten free. On the packaging are the words “Package to pan in 90 seconds”, making spätzle a quick and easy dish to prepare.

For Julz, perfecting spätzle has been a carefully thought out craft. It’s not just the ingredients that matter, she says, but also the method of combining them, one at a time, in layers. She emphasizes its versatility: Her spätzle absorbs flavor, retains moisture, and is readily combined with a wide range of ingredients. Marty meanwhile focuses on his love for spätzle, a love he shares as he offers samples and stories.

Both he and Julz are gratified that so many customers keep coming back.

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, Instagram, and the FreshFoodNY app. E-mail friends@saratogafarmers.org for volunteer opportunities.
 

Grilled Oyster Mushrooms

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Recipe courtesy of Ramble Creek Farm

 

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 lb. blue oyster mushrooms*
  • Lime juice from 2 limes
  • 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
  • Sea salt

 

Instructions

  1. Pull apart the oyster mushroom cluster. The cap and stem will pull off from the base with ease.
  2. Rinse the mushrooms and toss with 1 Tablespoon avocado oil.
  3. Juice two limes and mix with the remaining avocado oil.
  4. Grill over medium heat with the cap side down. While the mushrooms are on the grill, baste the gills of the mushrooms with the lime marinade. Grill for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms soften and have nice grill marks.
  5. Sprinkle sea salt over the blue oyster mushrooms and enjoy!

Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

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Adapted from the recipe by The Chew and Two Peas and Their Pod, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Pancakes:

  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon curd
  • 1 cup whole milk*
  • 2 eggs*
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh ricotta*
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • butter*

Blueberry Sauce:

  • 1½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries*
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

For the Pancakes:

  1. In a small bowl, microwave the lemon curd for a few seconds. Add ¼ cup of milk to the the curd and whip. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and whisk in the remaining milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and ricotta.
  2. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in the ricotta mixture.
  3. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter into the pan. Pour batter into the hot pan. Cook the pancakes for about 3 to 4 minutes until undersides are golden brown and a few bubbles begin to form on top. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 3 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

For the Blueberry Sauce:

  1. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and cornstarch and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir in lemon juice and cornstarch mixture.

Cracking the Code for Chowder

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By Pattie Garrett

What’s more American than apple pie? Along the Eastern Seaboard, the answer could very well be clam chowder, specifically New England clam chowder. Despite the variations – Manhattan, Rhode Island – the classic chowder is New England.
 Chowder originated in fishing villages along the coasts of France and Britain. Fishermen returning from their trips would celebrate with a large chaudiere – or cauldron – of their catch. The name of the mix of fish, aromatics, and vegetables cooked in the chaudiere came to be known over time as chowder. Because clams and oysters were plentiful on America’s northeast coast and a favorite with Native Americans, they came to be adopted by the Europeans who settled in the Americas, too. From these coastal beginnings came New England clam chowder.
             Not all of us, however, are from the coast. Some of us grew up landlocked surrounded by cornfields and forested mountains. For us, too, chowder has become a favorite dish – one that features the farm-raised meats of our region: chicken and pork.
              Making a successful chowder starts with a good base. I begin with a whole chicken from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. That goes into a Dutch oven with onion, celeriac, a bay leaf and plenty of water. I cook the chicken until it’s done, pull off the meat, and toss the bones back into the pot. I set the meat aside and continue to let the bones simmer until I have an awesome rich stock.
             Pork is a traditional ingredient whether as sliced bacon, slab bacon or salt pork. But it’s not the pork as much as the method that’s important. In an empty pot, cook the bacon slowly at a low temperature and don’t let it burn. While it cooks, scrape up the browned pieces from the bottom of the pot. Those brown scrapings matter: they hold the code to a great chowder – the flavor. Then come vegetables: The standard is cor

 

n, which makes chowder a perfect dish for the corn you might have frozen if you stocked up on the fresh corn available last summer at the farmers’ market. Other vegetables might be diced potatoes or carrots, or perhaps a sprinkle of pea shoots just before serving.
Add the shredded chicken and stir in some heavy cream at the end for a creamy consistency. And there you have it, a rich, chunky, serious cup of chowder.
          Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Mashed Celeriac and Potatoes

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Celeriac (sliced)

Adapted from recipe by Mary-Frances Heck, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Makes 12 servings

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 pounds celeriac (celery root)*, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 pounds potatoes*, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt*
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter*
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh green onions*, plus more for garnish
  • 1½ cups thinly sliced shallots*
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Place celeriac in a large pot and add 3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes, cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender about 25 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 3-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. Drain the vegetables and return to the pot. Mash with a potato masher to a coarse consistency. Add yogurt, butter, mustard, salt, and pepper; mash until mostly smooth. Add green onions and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top. Tightly cover the pan with foil.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is browned, about 30 minutes more.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare fried shallots: Separate shallot slices into rings. Heat oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. (To test if it’s hot enough, add a shallot ring: if it starts sizzling on contact, the oil is ready.) Add half the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a paper-towel-lined plate. Cook the remaining shallots and transfer to the plate. They will get crispier as they cool. (Discard remaining oil.)
  6. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes. Serve topped with the fried shallots and more chives, if desired.