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pickles

Lion’s Mane Cakes with Tartar Sauce

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Adapted from Maryland Crab Cakes recipe by Jennifer Segal, onceuponachef.com
Servings: Makes 6 lions mane cakes, enough to serve 3 adults as the main course

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the lion’s mane cakes
● 2 large eggs*
● 2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
● 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
● 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
● 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
● 1/4 teaspoon salt
● 1/4 cup finely diced celery*, from one stalk
● 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley*
● 1 pound Lions Mane*, chopped into small pieces
● 1/2 cup panko
● canola oil, for cooking

For the tartar sauce
● 1 cup mayonnaise
● 1-1/2 tablespoons sweet pickles*, diced small
● 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
● 1 tablespoon minced red onion*
● 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
For the lion’s mane cakes
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the Lions Mane and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
3. Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When the oil is hot, place the cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.

For the tartar sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Week 2: Cucumbers

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Cucumbers at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, photo by Pattie Garrett

 

Extra resources:

The journey of a pickle cucumber: follow it from plant to bushel (video)

How does pickling work? (video)

The pickling process (video)

Learn about different kinds of fruits and veggies that you can pickle with three recipes from around the world! (article) (Plus learn more about the science of fermentation in the video on the page!)

Get some ideas for recipes with cucumbers that kids are sure to love! (article) – or just search for cucumber recipes on our market’s website!

 

Tag us in your learning adventures @saratogafarmersmarket – we’d love to see what you’re cooking up!

Popular Foods Fill Saratoga Farmers’ Market Stalls

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By Julia Howard

Every year, certain foods find a following nationally among chefs, food writers, and other aficionados. These items often are nutritious, delicious, and add diversity to the daily diet. One place to find such foods is the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Here’s a quick rundown of the top trending foods available at the market now:

Good for the Gut
At the Wednesday and Saturday markets, look for Saratoga Apple. Their table offers not only their well-known apples but also such products as their own apple cider vinegar, made from fermented apple juice. Apple cider vinegar has been credited with reducing cholesterol and lowering blood sugar levels. Try it in salad dressings or marinades.

One regular purveyor of probiotics is Puckers Gourmet Pickles. Look for them and their jars of fermented vegetables on Saturdays. They offer pickles, kraut, and kimchi — all of which give the body a healthy dose of probiotics, which are live microorganisms that promote healthy digestion.

Junbucha, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Junbucha, a creation of Saratoga Urban Farm may also be found at the market on Saturdays. Jun is made by fermenting tea and honey with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast), creating a naturally effervescent and tangy drink that contains prebiotics, probiotics, and amino acids.

Ugly Produce
New seasonal fruits and vegetables appear at the farmers’ market each week. There is one distinct difference between locally grown produce at the farmers’ market and what is found on shelves at the grocery store. Locally grown produce is not perfect, and people are finally embracing misshapen and a-symmetrical as totally edible.

Different Sources of Protein
Squashville Farm is looking forward to bringing goat meat back to the Wednesday market in June. This meat, described as an “ethical meat” by some, is delicious in stews, burgers, or on the grill. Also, look for bone broths at the Wednesday market from Slate River and Ramble Creek farms. Bone broth is being hailed for it’s nutritional value and immune boosting properties.

Oyster mushrooms, photo by Pattie Garrett

Mushrooms
And, finally, mushrooms. Mariaville Mushroom Men and Ramble Creek Farm are offering a wide variety of mushrooms, including shitakes, oysters, lion’s mane, chestnuts and others. These bites of goodness are filled with potassium, niacin, selenium, vitamin B, and carry a flavor and texture that is unbeatable. Try them sauteed with olive oil or butter, roasted with root vegetables, or stirred into a pasta.