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potatoes

Potato Salad with Pickled Cucumbers

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Smitten Kitchen and Bon Appetit, Shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 6 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
● 4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
● 2 English cucumbers*, very thinly sliced
● a few branches plus 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill*
● 3¼ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes*, about 10 medium, peeled
● Additional coarse kosher salt
● 1 cup very thinly sliced white onion*
● 8 radishes*, trimmed, thinly sliced
● ¾ cup mayonnaise

Instructions
1. The day before, make the pickles: Pour vinegar and 4 teaspoons salt into a bowl with a cover. Add the cucumbers and dill branches. Stir gently to coat. Refrigerate overnight. Stir occasionally.
2. Cook the potatoes by boiling them the night before. Refrigerate to ensure they are very cold.
3. The next day, drain the cucumber mixture in a colander for an hour. Discard the brine and dill.
4. To assemble the salad, Cut the potatoes crosswise into ½ inch thick slices. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Add the drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes, and remaining 3 Tablespoons dill. Toss to blend.
5. Add the mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold.

Options: Cook the potatoes with the skins on and remove them after cooking, or leave the skins on.

Pantry Pot Pie

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Pantry Pot Pie, photo by Pattie Garrett

Shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 1 10-inch skillet or 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
For filling:
● 2 Tablespoons oil (or butter*)
● ½ onion*, chopped
● 1 garlic clove, minced
● 1 teaspoon dried thyme
● 2 carrots*, diced
● 1 cup potatoes*, peeled, cooked, and diced
● 1 cup of mixed vegetables*, frozen, canned or fresh
● 1 10 ½ ounces can of cream of celery (or chicken, mushroom etc)
● ½ can of milk (or ½ cup)
● 1 chicken breast*, skinless, cooked, and diced.
● Salt and pepper
For the pie crust (One ten-inch pie crust):
● 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
● ½ teaspoon salt
● ½ cup vegetable shortening
● 3 to 4 Tablespoons cold water

Instructions
1. For the filling: In an oven safe skillet, heat oil. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and thyme. Add carrots and cook until carrots start to soften. Add potatoes and mixed vegetables. Pour in 1 can of cream of celery and ½ cup of milk (1/2 can of milk). Add more milk if needed, up to a full can of milk. Add the cooked chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. For the pie crust: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening thoroughly. Sprinkle in water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. Add 1 to 2 more teaspoons of water if needed.

3. Gather dough into ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured board. With floured rolling pin, roll dough 2 inches larger than skillet. Fold into quarters and unfold on top of skillet with filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or longer.

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

Farmers’ Market Vegetable Tian

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Adapted from the recipe on www.theblondcook.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
● 1 tablespoon olive oil
● 2 large yellow onions*, cut in half and sliced
● 2 garlic cloves*, minced
● 1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
● 2 medium-size potatoes*, unpeeled and thinly sliced
● 3 medium tomatoes*, thinly sliced
● 1 cup semi-soft artisan cheese*, shredded (anything that melts well)
● 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme*
● Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a skillet. Spread the onion and garlic mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.
  3. Evenly arrange the vegetable slices vertically and tightly in the casserole dish, alternating vegetables.
  4. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
  5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes (uncovered), or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Lamb Stew

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Recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Serves 8 people

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 4 oz bacon*, chopped into 1/4″ strips
● 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb* or lamb shoulder* trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
● 1/2 Tbsp sea salt for the lamb plus 1 tsp for stew
● 1 tsp black pepper for lamb plus 1/2 tsp for stew
● 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
● 1 large yellow onion*, diced
● 4 garlic cloves*, minced
● 1 1/2 cups red wine*
● 1 lb mushrooms*, thickly sliced
● 4 cups low sodium beef broth or stock
● 1 Tbsp tomato paste
● 2 bay leaves
● 1/2 tsp dried thyme
● 1 1/2 lbs small potatoes* halved or quartered into 1″ pieces
● 4 medium carrots*, peeled and cut into 1/2″ thick pieces
● 1/4 cup parsley*, finely chopped for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a 5Qt dutch oven, saute chopped bacon over medium heat until browned and fat released. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a large plate.
  2. While bacon cooks, season lamb pieces with 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup flour and toss to coat. Cook lamb in 2 batches in hot bacon grease over medium heat until browned (3-4 min per side) then transfer to the plate with bacon.
  3. Add diced onion and sauté 2 min. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups wine, scraping the bottom to deglaze. Add sliced mushrooms, bring to simmer then cook uncovered 10 min. Preheat Oven to 325˚F.
  4. Return bacon and lamb to pot and add 4 cups broth, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 2 bay leaves. Stir in potatoes and carrots, making sure potatoes are mostly submerged in liquid. Bring to a boil then COVER and carefully transfer to preheated oven at 325˚F for 1 hr and 45 min. When done, potatoes and lamb will be very tender.

(One Pan) Roasted Asparagus, Sausage, and Garlic Potatoes

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Adapted from the recipe featured on www.chelseasmessyapron.com
Serves 4 people
Cook & Prep Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market
● 1 pound potatoes* (any kind)
● 4 carrots*, sliced into thin strips
● Salt and cracked pepper
● 1/4 cup olive oil*, separated
● 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme*
● 1 Tablespoon fresh basil*
● 2 cups asparagus*
● 1 large yellow onion*
● 1 package sausage* (of choice)
● 2 cloves garlic*, minced
● 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan* or Pecorino*
● Optional: fresh parsley*

Photo by Pattie Garrett