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Hebron Valley Veal: A Difference You Can Taste

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By Madison Jackson

Hebron Valley Veal, photo provided

A passion for dairy farming is what fuels Ariel Garland and her boyfriend Matt Campbell every day at Hebron Valley Veal. To maintain Matt’s fourth-generation family dairy farm in North Hebron, the pair decided to start raising veal as well, backed by his lifetime of farming experience and Ariel’s knowledge as a calf and heifer specialist at an animal feed company. This opportunity has offered the couple the ability to carry on family tradition while using their vast knowledge of farming to bring high quality, naturally raised veal to their community.

Hebron Valley Veal prides themselves in the care they provide their animals, which are always locally born and raised. The calves are whole milk fed from the farm’s herd of pastured Holsteins with no added hormones or antibiotics. Using their herd as the milk source for feedings, they can keep their cows once they calve and produce milk. The calves are also allowed to move freely through the farm, never tethered, and are offered free-choice water and hay in addition to milk feedings. This natural style of raising the calves results in the highest quality of veal, a difference you can truly taste.

Ariel Garland at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, photo by Madison Jackson

Hebron Valley Veal’s rosé veal, characterized by the meat’s rose-colored appearance, is synonymous with humane veal or young beef. The meat is very lean and tender and has a delicate flavor, making it a versatile meat for cooking. The veal can be purchased as cutlets, chuck roast, ground, sirloin steak, loin chop, rib chop, and many other varieties of cuts.

Joined by their chocolate lab, Gusto, who spends his days watching over the farm and playing with the cows, Matt and Ariel enjoy spending their time working together and watching their little herd grow and develop. They appreciate that each animal has its own unique personality, from the blind jersey Helen who loves neck scratches and grain, to their spunky red Holstein, Mounds. The couple is grateful to help feed the community while also feeding their passion for dairy farming.

Hebron Valley Veal attends the Saratoga Farmers’ Market every Saturday, bringing locally and humanely-raised veal to the local area. Their products may also be preordered and picked up by appointment at the farm.

This week’s recipe: Veal Piccata Meatballs

Thanksgiving Main Dishes: Festive Local Meats & Poultry

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By Julia Howard

Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

While changing travel plans and opting for small gatherings, we are determined to make Thanksgiving satisfying and memorable this year. When planning your holiday meal, why not make the menu everything you want it to be? Perhaps this means a traditional turkey, or maybe you are looking to make something different like lamb, duck, beef, or pork. At the farmers’ market, local farmers have high-quality meat and poultry options and offer cooking instructions.

Here are some ideas for the centerpiece of your holiday meal.

Beef & Veal
Beef entrees are festive and satisfying and a worthy addition to the holiday table. Roasted beef tenderloin, prime rib, and pot roast are impressive meals that can accommodate small and large crowds. Ethically raised, grass-fed beef is available at Longlesson Farm, Bunker Hill Creamery, and Ramble Creek Farm. In addition to meat is specialty Rosé veal available at Hebron Valley Veal. Rosé veal has a clean, lighter beef flavor and is very tender.

Lamb Chops, Adobe Stock

Lamb
Succulent and aromatic, lamb makes an excellent substitute for Thanksgiving dinner. Elihu Farm is bringing more cuts of lamb, picking up from the butcher on Friday, November 20. They’ll have plenty of legs of lamb, leg steak, loin chops, racks of lamb, and more and more. To order, please call or email Elihu Farm directly.

Pork
Smoked pork chops, pork tenderloin, spare ribs, sirloin, and more; pork can make a superb alternative for a Thanksgiving main dish. Unique, elegant, and packed with flavor, leaner and fattier cuts offer various main course options that are easy to prepare and beautiful to present. Pork is currently available at Ramble Creek Farm, Bunker Hill Creamery, and Moxie Ridge Farm.

Roast Duck with Apples, Adobe Stock

Turkey, Chicken, & Duck
While turkey is often the main feature of Thanksgiving, duck and chicken make excellent alternatives, especially when feeding a smaller crowd. Poultry is sold fresh at the farmers’ market, and farmers have essential cooking tips as turkey, duck, and chicken cook differently. Ramble Creek Farm is currently taking reservations for their pasture-raised turkey. Fresh, whole chickens are available at Longlesson Farm, Squashville Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, and Bunker Hill Creamery. Duck is offered exclusively at Squashville Farm.

If looking to order specific meats or poultry, we recommend contacting farms directly to ensure availability. Vendor contact information can be found on our Vendor Directory page. Schedule to pick up your order at the farmers’ market this Saturday before Thanksgiving and find fresh, locally-sourced seasonal ingredients for your holiday feast.

This week’s recipe: Pot Roast with Cranberries

Boston Butt with Gravy

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Longlesson Farm, adapted and shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 3 pound Boston Butt (pork shoulder)*
● 2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
● 2 Tablespoon butter*
● 12 small (pearl) onions
● ½ cup Dijon mustard (may use more) plus 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard divided
● 1 cup of white wine (Chardonnay) (may use more)
● 1 bay leaf
● Pinch of ground black pepper
● Pinch of oregano
For roux:
● ½ cup butter*
● ½ cup flour

Directions
1. Sear all sides of the pork in 1 Tablespoon of oil. Set aside to cool.
2. In a Dutch oven, cook onions in 1 Tablespoon oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Cook over low heat until they start to soften.
3. Baste all sides of the pork in Dijon mustard. Cover with a thick layer. Put the pork in the Dutch oven. Add enough white wine to reach half way up the pork’s thickness. Add a Tablespoon of mustard to the wine. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce to a simmer or place in a 225 degrees oven. Add a bay leaf, ground black pepper, and a pinch of oregano. Cover.
4. Check every couple of hours to see if the pork is very tender and almost falling apart.
5. Remove the pork. Add a Tablespoon of mustard to the gravy to refresh the flavor. Thicken with a roux.
6. To make the roux, melt ½ cup of butter (or other fat) in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, test with a pinch of flour sprinkled in the fat. It will slowly start to bubble. Whisk in ½ cup of flour. It will form a thick paste. Continue to whisk over medium heat. As it cooks the roux will become smooth and thin. It may take about 20 minutes. It’ll smell like toast and will look tan. In a small bowl, I add a few spoonfuls of the gravy that needs thickening and a spoonful of the roux. Whisk together and add to gravy. Continue this process until the gravy is thicken that way you like it. Don’t add the roux directly to the gravy. This way you can control how thick you want the gravy.

Enjoying local meat during pandemic

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Demand for local meat has increased at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market since the Coronavirus pandemic erupted. Farmers often sell all of what they bring to market each week.

Meat shortages appear likely nationally and regionally. However, local farmers who sell their meat primarily via direct sales to customers at farmers’ markets expect a steady supply through the winter. They are able to weather crises such as the pandemic for several reasons:

Planning. “It takes three years for me to raise an animal from its beginning to the time it’s ready for processing,” says Christophe Robert of Longlesson Farm, which offers pork, beef, and chicken.

Robert has his cows and pigs butchered at a local processor. He booked all of his processing appointments for 2020 last December.

Robert also cannot change his quantities. “I raise as many animals as I can on the land I have.”

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Processing for others. Ramble Creek Farm also offers pork, beef, and poultry. Owner Josh Carnes processes the chickens and turkeys he raises on-site. He also processes chicken for others.

“I’ve been getting more calls from people who are raising their own chickens,” he said. “Backyard farmers who want to try raising their own meat.”

Promoting health. For many, the pandemic has reinforced the value of buying meat directly from a farmer. “It’s basically my farm to you, with my processor in between for some items,” says Carnes. “Plus, you’re coming to an open-air environment when you visit the farmers’ market. That means more space, less jostling.”

Squashville Farm, photo provided

Being adept at change. At Squashville Farm, my husband called our processor to book appointments for our goats, only to learn the first available opening was in February. We decided to raise more chickens and ducks for the fall and winter and to pasture our goats a little longer.

Accepting what is. Elihu Farm’s processor of lambs also is booked through mid-winter. Owner Mary Pratt says she will continue her practice of raising her lambs on pasture and offering them some grains, which produces tender, flavorful meat. A customer endorsed the quality of her meat with this note: “I was raised in New Zealand, and you have the best lamb. It makes me homesick.”

 

This week’s recipe: Burger with Onions & Mushrooms

Farm to Pantry: Making meals with ingredients on hand

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By Julia Howard

Pleasant Valley Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Our responsibility, by direction, is to stay at home and only head out for essentials when absolutely necessary. As we settle in safely for the weeks to come, many are looking to foods that store well, foods that are easy to prepare, and, most importantly, foods that are available right now.

While food bloggers hail smart and savvy ‘pantry meals’ that utilize canned goods, rice, and beans, the farmers’ market offers an expanded palette of foods that are easy to store and last longer than most produce found at grocery stores.

Vegetables like onions, garlic, potatoes, and carrots are often at the core of savory, hearty meals. They are durable and have a good shelf life, and these vegetables work well in diverse meals depending on preparation methods and seasonings. Please note that garlic is currently unavailable at market.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Milk, butter, cheese, and eggs are staples that most of us keep in constant rotation in the refrigerator. These binding ingredients are often what pulls the meal together. Milk may be used to create a creamy finish to soups and sauces like a classic roux – which is made from butter, flour, and milk. Eggs can be used to create satisfying omelettes and frittatas with endless possibilities for fillings. Cheese is essential for homemade pizza, quesadillas, baked ziti, and numerous other dishes.

Saratoga Apple, photo by Pattie Garrett

Shelf-stable vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, and turnips can last for several weeks when kept in a cool, dry place. These vegetables can be the main stars of any meal, soup, or salad, and they are high in nutritional value. Even fruits like apples can keep for 2-3 weeks. Having a variety of these long-lasting fruits and vegetables inspires cooking that’s creative, comforting, and simple.

Meat and poultry are necessities for most, and they can be bought directly from farmers. Ground beef, whole chickens, and steaks and roasts can be kept frozen and thawed under refrigeration once you are ready to prepare them. Leftovers from a large roast or a whole roasted chicken may be used in a variety of dishes and soups as well.

While shopping at the farmers’ market, please remember to follow universal precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please try to send one member of the household to shop and give 6’ space while shopping. Only touch products that you commit to buy and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and after shopping.

If you plan to shop for something specific, please check our website and social media pages for updates. These are changeable times and we are working to keep you up to date with vendor and product availability each week.

 

This week’s recipe: Pantry Pot Pie