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Foods to make your healthy New Year’s resolutions last all year

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By Julia Howard

 

Many start a new year with fresh resolutions for a healthier, happier self. If you can’t get your healthy food resolutions to stick, perhaps change how you approach them. Instead of cutting out foods you love and feeling guilty if you fail, alter your diet with fresh, healthy ingredients to nourish your body and mind. Here are a few tips on what to look for at the farmers’ market.

 

Listen to your gut

A healthy balance of gut bacteria aids in the digestion of the foods we eat, helps our body to absorb nutrients, and uses those nutrients to fuel and maintain our body. Probiotic-packed fermented foods like kimchi and kraut from Puckers Pickles are packed with fiber and are delicious snacks or side dishes. Yogurt is another food known to add beneficial bacteria to the body. Argyle Cheese Farmer brings Greek and traditional yogurt in various flavors. Kombucha is a refreshing fermented tea drink full of good bacteria and is available in several flavors from Junbucha. 

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo by Pattie Garrett

Powerful produce

Incorporating produce into your diet doesn’t have to mean eating salads vs. the comfort foods we love, but it does require cooking creatively. For example, when making mac and cheese, mix half the roux in the recipe with roasted and pureed butternut squash. Kale pesto packs powerful nutrients to fuel your body, and it’s delicious on pasta, toast, or in an omelet. Incorporating root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, and carrots into meals like pot pie, stir fry, soups, stews, and even meatloaf can boost the flavor and lessen the need for rich ingredients like cream and butter.

Hebron Valley Veal, photo by Madison Jackson

Lean meats and meat substitute

Regarding meat, certain types and cuts tend to be leaner. Veal is lean meat on par with chicken and turkey, and Hebron Valley Meat brings ground veal and various cuts and roasts. Longlesson Farm’s Christophe Robert suggests trying beef shanks. It is a less fatty cut of beef that benefits from being cooked low and slow in a crockpot or dutch oven.

If you are trying a no- or low-meat lifestyle, mushrooms can provide a fantastic, bold alternative. From lion’s main “crab cakes” to mushroom burgers, The Mushroom Shop has a wide variety of mushrooms for versatile and satisfying meals.

 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken with a Summer Vegetable and Kamut Salad

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Recipe by Marisa Kerkvliet of lemonthymekitchen.com

Prep Time: 35 minutes, plus four hours of marinating time 

Cook Time: 1 hour 

Servings: 4 servings 

Ingredients:

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

 

For the chicken: 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt * 

½ lemon, juiced 

2 cloves garlic* 

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves* 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast* 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

 

For the salad:

1 cup kamut 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1-pint cherry tomatoes*, cut in half

1 small cucumber*, thinly sliced

½ red bell pepper*, thinly sliced

½ green bell pepper*, thinly sliced

½ small red onion*, thinly sliced

½ cup crumbled feta cheese* 

¼ cup chopped fresh dill* 

 

For the vinaigrette:

1 lemon, juiced 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves*, minced

1 clove garlic*, minced 

1 teaspoon honey*

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 

Savoring the flavors of summer

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By Marisa Kerkvliet

 

Let’s celebrate the flavors of the end of summer with a recipe packed with herbs, peppers, and tomatoes. Chicken can be cooked on the stovetop on cooler days or on the grill for some of your last outdoor entertaining.

Kamut is an ancient grain and is closely related to wheat. It has a hearty toothsome texture and holds up very well in salads. If you have trouble finding kamut, spelt, farro, or wheat berries may be used.

Marisa Kerkvliet is a freelance recipe developer and food photographer with a background in Nutrition and Culinary Arts. Her recipes are centered around seasonal ingredients for the whole family to enjoy. She can be found on Instagram @lemon.thyme.kitchen.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Orzo

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Adapted from the recipe by Erica Baty

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Makes 6 servings 

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the vegetables:

  • 1/2 large red onion*, diced
  • 1 zucchini*, diced
  • 1 yellow squash*, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley*, finely chopped

To assemble the dish:

  • ½ lb orzo
  • 1 cup fresh basil*, finely chopped
  • 4 scallions*, sliced
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 8oz block feta or goat cheese*, cubed

Instructions

Roasted vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning and toss to coat. Roast vegetables for 25 minutes until crispy and golden brown around the edges.

 

To make the dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

To assemble the dish: Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes, careful not to burn! Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Toss with several tablespoons of the dressing immediately with the hot pasta. Add the roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, chunks of feta or goat cheese, and the rest of the dressing. Toss gently to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Notes

*Make it gluten-free: use gluten free orzo or other GF pasta

**Make it dairy free: omit the feta

Eating the Rainbow

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By Caroline Moran

“Taste the rainbow” applies to more than just Skittles! Every color of produce provides a unique selection of beneficial nutrients, meaning that incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables can be an easy and delicious way to ensure that your body receives all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it needs to keep you energized and healthy.
 While we don’t want to put you to sleep with too many nutrition facts, let’s recap some of the benefits of the different colors of the rainbow. Red produce is an excellent source of antioxidants, while orange foods support your vision (ever heard the old saying that carrots are great for your eyesight? It’s true!). Your microbiome will benefit from incorporating yellow veggies, and your heart will thank you for adding some blueberries with breakfast. Green fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, and even the “colorless” brown and white foods (think onion, garlic, ginger, and parsnips) can serve to strengthen your bones.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Graciela Colston

The best part of “eating the rainbow” is the wide variety of foods that fall under each category, allowing for flexibility in food choices and more satisfying meals and snacks. Don’t love kale? Try eating more green apples, asparagus, cucumbers, or kiwi. Looking to switch up your favorite mango smoothie? Toss some peach, nectarine, or orange into the blender instead.
 Here’s a fun challenge for your next trip to the farmer’s market (that kids will love too): try loading up your basket with items featuring each color of the rainbow. Beets from Green Jeans Market Farm and yellow squash from Gómez Veggie Ville are a great place to start. Bonus points if you grab a bundle of rainbow chard from Owl Wood Farm!

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Graciela Colston

Turning over to this week’s recipe, author and registered dietitian Erica Baty is a huge proponent of maintaining a colorful diet. Her nutrient-dense orzo dish can be customized with any fresh vegetables of your choosing, though she offers up several great suggestions. Combine some freshly roasted local veggies with orzo pasta, a bright lemon vinaigrette, and, of course, crumbled feta or goat cheese for a quick, balanced weeknight meal.


 The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.