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mozzarella

Slow-Cooked Beef Shank with Polenta and Vegetables

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Recipe provided by market customer Enrico Patarini
Serves: 4

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For beef shanks:
● 3-4 large carrots*, cut in rough cubes
● 1 large turnip, cut in medium-large cubes
● 1 medium onion*, cut into eighths
● 2 cloves garlic*, cut in large chunks
● 1 beef shank*
● 1 tbsp maple syrup*
● 1 cup of red wine*
● 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
● Salt, to taste
● Parsley* for garnishing
● 2-3 cups water (to mostly cover meat)

For polenta:
● 1 cup dried Abenaki corn*, ground (use blender or food processor)
● 1 cup water + 3 cups water
● ½ cup mozzarella*, cubed
● 1 tbsp salt

Instructions
1. Lay down a thin layer of onion, carrot, and turnip. Place the shank on top of that. Fill in around the sides with the remaining onion, carrot, and turnip to fill the crock pot.
2. Sprinkle garlic on top and pour red wine on meat. Then splash balsamic vinegar and maple syrup on meat. Add salt and seasonings of choice (rosemary or Italian seasoning fit great) sprinkled over meat.
3. Put the crock pot on medium-low heat. Add water to cover about three-quarters of the meat. Add the lid. Leave it going for 4.5 to 5.5 hours, flipping meat and stirring veggies every hour or so. It’s done when a fork will pull away the meat from the bone without a knife.
4. For the polenta: Combine a cup of cornmeal with 1 cup of water in a bowl and stir together into a paste. Bring the other 3 cups of water to a boil and add a tablespoon of salt.
5. Once the water is boiling, add the corn paste to the boiling water. Stir around with a wooden spoon and try to keep it from sticking to sides. Turn heat to medium and keep it at a low boil. After 5 or so minutes of intermittent stirring it should be one mass.
6. Add in mozzarella, continue stirring for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat once the chunks start to melt in. Leave it on the hot burner for 5-10 minutes to dry out a little more. Done when set.

Summer Squash Pasta Bake

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Recipe by the Smitten Kitchen, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4 large portions

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Photo by Pattie Garrett

● 8 ounces pasta*, use your favorite
● 1 Tablespoon olive oil
● 1 pound summer squash*, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
● salt and pepper
● pinches of red pepper to taste
● Juice of half a lemon
● 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
● 5 scallions*, sliced thin and white parts and green tops in separate piles
● 2 cloves garlic*, minced
● 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
● 1½ cups milk*
● 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
● ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley*, divided
● 1 Tablespoon finely chopped mixed herbs* of choice (thyme, oregano, mint, basil)
● salt and pepper to taste
● ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan (or similar hard rind)* cheese, divided
● 4 ounces of mozzarella* cut into small cubes

Instructions
1. Cook the pasta in a 3-quart oven-safe deep skillet. Otherwise use a large pot. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Prepare the squash by heating the skillet used for the pasta on high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and allow to heat until very hot. Add squash and season with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Let it sear underneath, unmoved until golden brown. Continue to saute until browned. Transfer to a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over the cooked squash. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
4. To make the sauce, heat the now empty skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter. Add scallion white parts and garlic and let sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until all has been dampened and absorbed. Add milk in very small splashes. Stir the entire time. Make sure each splash has been fully mixed into the butter/onion mixture. Scrape the bottom of the pan and all-around before adding the next splash of milk. Repeat until all the milk is added then add the lemon zest, salt, pepper to taste. Let the mixture simmer together for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce will thicken. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in half the parsley, all the herbs, and reserved scallion greens.
5. With the skillet off the heat, add the drained pasta, summer squash, ½ cup Parmesan and all of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. If the skillet is oven proofed, bake it the skillet. Otherwise, transfer to a 2 to 3-quart ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with reserved parsley and serve hot.

Farmers’ Market Tomato Tart

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Adapted from the recipe by America’s Test Kitchen, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Tart shell:
● 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
● 1 Tablespoon sugar
● ½ teaspoon salt
● 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter*, cut into ¼ inch pieces and chilled
● 3 Tablespoons ice water

Tomato filling:
● 3 tomatoes*, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
● salt and pepper
● 3 Tablespoons olive oil*
● 1 garlic clove*, minced
● ½ cup Parmesan cheese*, grated
● ½ cup ricotta cheese*
● ¼ cup mozzarella cheese*
● 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil*

Instructions

Tart shell:

  1. Process flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined. Scatter butter pieces over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses. Add 2 Tablespoons ice water and continue to process until large clumps of dough form, about 5 seconds. If the dough doesn’t clump, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of water. Incorporate with 4 pulses.
  2. Sprinkle walnut-size clumps of dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan. Working outward from center, press dough into even layer, sealing cracks. Working around edges, press dough firmly into corners of the pan with fingers. Press dough up sides and into fluted ridges. Smooth using the palm of your hand.
  3. Place plastic on top of the dough. Place tart pan on a large plate and in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
  4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet. Press double layer of aluminum foil into the frozen tart shell and over edges, fill with pie weights. Bake until golden brown and set, around 30 minutes. Rotate halfway through. Remove foil and weights and allow to cool on wire rack.

Tomato filling:

  1. Spread tomatoes out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
  2. Combine 2 Tablespoons oil and garlic in a small bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella, and remaining 1 Tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Blot tomatoes dry with paper towels. Shingle the tomatoes over the ricotta in circles. Drizzle with garlic oil mixture.
  5. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until bubbling and tomatoes are slightly wilted, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate halfway through baking.
  6. Let cool on a sheet pan for 10 minutes or longer. Sprinkle with basil before serving.
Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett