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

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

Mean Max Brew Works

A Farm-to-Table Thanksgiving Guide, Part 2: Sides, Desserts, and More

By

By Emily Meagher

Last week, we looked at the different meats (and meat alternatives) that will be available at the farmers’ market this holiday season, with something for any size gathering. This week, we are looking at all the other items our vendors will offer this Saturday to make your favorite sides, desserts, and more.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Pattie Garrett

Since traditional Thanksgiving meals use seasonal ingredients, you will find many vegetables needed to create your favorite dinner sides at the farmers’ market. A mash will please most holiday guests, and local farms have potatoes aplenty right now. Mix it up by grabbing beer from Mean Max Brew Works to make beer mashed potatoes (recipe below!). Sweet potatoes or celeriac also work great for a mash.

Nettle Meadow, photo by Emily Meagher

Many types of squash are available to make into soup or pie. For flavorful roasted vegetables, try carrots, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. If a side salad is on your menu, we have fresh greens and kale. Grab maple syrup or honey, too, for a delicious glaze or dressing. You will find plenty of fresh herbs at Shushan Valley Hydro Farm. Add these herbs to stuffing along with freshly baked bread, which you can get on Saturday to turn perfectly stale for baking by Thursday. For a low-carb option, try cauliflower stuffing instead. Add cranberry jam from Kokinda Farm for an easy and delicious condiment.

Then, for the sweetest part of dinner: dessert. You can find baked goods at several vendors, including frozen, unbaked pies at The Food Florist for an easy dessert that still feels homemade. One of the market’s newest vendors Boozy Moo!, offers alcohol-infused ice cream (5% ABV) to add a joyful spirit to the event (a great way to reduce any potential family friction!).

Muddy Trail Jerky Co., photo by Emily Meagher

And, for those who prefer savory over sweet, charcuterie boards and cheese plates are always a holiday hit. Add items like Nettle Meadow’s cranberry fromage frais for a seasonal touch.

Whiskey, beer, spirits, and ciders are available to be enjoyed with your meal. Add Muddy Trail Jerky’s mulling spices to the latter for a heartwarming way to cap a day spent enjoying good food with your loved ones.

This week’s recipe: Beer Mashed Potatoes

Oktoberfest-ivities to celebrate local fall food and drink

By

By Emily Meagher

As the air gets a slight chill, we look forward to incorporating fresh produce and locally crafted products into the many festivities that the fall season offers. Before we can think of Thanksgiving or Halloween, the Bavarian Oktoberfest gives us a joyful excuse to start connecting food and community in September.

Yes, September: Oktoberfest takes place in the two-plus weeks leading up to October. The world’s largest “Volksfest,” a beer festival and traveling funfair, originated in 1810 and is held annually in Munich. If you are looking to host your own Oktoberfest celebration, here are some ideas for items to grab from the farmers’ market to honor traditional Bavarian foods while supporting local food and drink producers.

Mean Max Brew Works, photo by Emily Meagher

The classic image of Oktoberfest is gleeful celebrants toasting (or “prost” ing) massive glasses of beer. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s newest vendor, Mean Max Brew Works, offers a special “Sixteen Days” Oktoberfest beer, referencing the traditional length of the fest. The brew is a traditional German-style lager and comes in four packs of pint-sized cans (two of which add up to the standard one-liter Oktoberfest serving). Mean Max offers other beers like sours, ales, and stouts, as well.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Emily Meagher

Then, for food. As expected, pork plays a part in traditional festivities in the form of sausages and shoulder and knuckle roasts. Stop by Ramble Creek Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, or Mariaville Mushroom Men to pick up a pork cut of your choice. But an even more common meat found at German celebrations is roasted chicken. Pick up a whole bird or parts at producers like Squash Villa Farm, Longlesson Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, or Grazin’ Acres Farm. Season thoroughly with poultry seasoning, found at Muddy Trail Jerky. And a lesser known but equally traditional protein is “Steckerlfisch,” literally meaning fish on a stick. Use whitefish, mackerel, or trout from Pura Vida Fisheries and roast with oil, garlic, and spices.

Radishes, photo provided by Green Jeans Market Farm

Lastly, include dishes made from seasonal produce like salted beer radish, available at Green Jeans Market Farm, which serves as a light snack to wash down all that beer. Other traditional snacks include potato pancakes or dumplings, sauerkraut, and of course, freshly baked soft pretzels. Dip the latter in this “obatzda,” a Bavarian beer cheese spread.

This week’s recipe: Obatzda (Bavarian beer cheese spread)