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Puckers Gourmet

Heavenly Eggs on Greens

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Adapted from Classic Deviled Eggs by Alex Witchel for NYT Cooking

Prep time & cook time: 45 min

Yield: 12 halves

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 6 large eggs*
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 dashes Tabasco sauce, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
  • 3 tablespoons Puckers Gourmet Masabacha*
  • Paprika, for garnish
  • Lettuce greens or microgreens*
  • Whole fresh chives, avocado, or more Masabacha*, for additional garnishes

Preparation

  1. Rinse eggs with warm water, and place in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water, place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 10-12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and peel. Cool in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for 15 minutes.
  2. Halve eggs lengthwise, and carefully scoop out yolks. Place yolks in a bowl, and mash with a fork. Add mustard, Tabasco, salt, pepper and snipped chives. Stir in Pucker’s Masabacha.
  3. Fill each egg white with about 1½ teaspoons of the egg-yolk mixture and dust the top with paprika. Arrange in a spoke design on a platter of lettuce or microgreens; add additional garnishes as desired.

 

By

By Himanee Gupta

 

Masabacha looks like hummus. But it’s not. 

Masabacha is an Israeli take on hummus, with a signature Pucker Gourmet Pickles flair. The word itself is a Romanized version of an Arabic word that roughly translates to “soaked in” or “swimming,” explains Ben Hillis, who owns Puckers with his wife Kelley. In the classic version, whole-cooked chickpeas are mixed into tahini and served warm for breakfast, drizzled over pita bread. 

The Puckers version is closer to hummus in thickness but is creamier and more acidic. It contains whole chickpeas and tahini along with avocado oil, fermented apple cider vinegar, garlic, Himalayan rose sale, peppercorns, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. It can be eaten as a dip, spread, or condiment.

“It’s a little untraditional, but then so are we,” says Ben. “We like to take old traditional classics and put a contemporary twist on them.”

Puckers specializes in probiotic-rich pickles and has nearly two dozen such items. 

But, Ben notes, “Not everyone enjoys pickles, so we wanted to branch out a little.”

Both he and Kelley maintain a plant-based diet that includes many sandwich spreads. They noticed that commercial spreads were delicious but nutritionally weak. 

Hummuses were an exception, but they were hesitant to create a product that friends were selling at the farmers’ markets they brought their pickles to. Over time, however, many of these friends downsized or closed their businesses, which created a void in market offerings and an opportunity for them. 

Masabacha made its first appearance on their tables at the Saratoga Farmers Market and elsewhere during this winter. Ben explains, “We wanted to roll it out at a time of year when farmers’ market sales are low.”  

So far, the product has been popular, thanks in part to a return post-pandemic to the ability for artisanal food-makers to offer samples. 

As for how to enjoy eating masabacha, try scooping it with crackers or chips. It also works well as a salad dressing over lettuce and vegetables with chopped nuts or a hard-boiled or poached egg on top. One of Ben’s customers reported mixing it into a sauce for chicken wings. One of Ben’s favorite preparations is “Heavenly Eggs,” in which the mayonnaise of Deviled Eggs is replaced with masabacha, making the eggs “heavenly” in flavor and health benefits, too.

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.

 

https://www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/11564-2/

Spring Kapha Balancing Root Veggie Sautee

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Root Veggie Sautee, photo provided by Sarah Avery

Recipe provided by Sarah Avery, DPT, PYT, RYT-200, Founder of Moon Cycle Seed Company
Serves: 2-3

 

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● ½ lb chopped kale* stems removed
● 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
● 1 large parsnip* peeled and cubed
● 1 TBSP astringent dressing [1 TBSP Ginger Junbucha* + 1 TBSP Puckers Gourmet*
brine] ● ½ onion* diced
● ¼ cup water

Instructions
1. Boil the kale until leaves turn a vibrant shade of green and strain.
2. In a separate pot, add the diced sweet potatoes with just enough water to cover them. Add the salt and boil until soft. Remove from heat and strain.
3. Saute onion in water for thirty seconds. Then add cooked sweet potatoes and kale. Mix gently to avoid breaking up the soft sweet potatoes.
4. Drain off excess water, place in a serving dish, and toss gently with Astringent Dressing.
5. If this seems a little too bland for your taste, try a drizzle of Saratoga Garlic Company’s Aiolis (I love a touch of the Curry Aioli with this recipe!).

Super Bowl Snacking

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By Madison Jackson

With Super Bowl Sunday quickly approaching, the football fans might be thinking about the game, but we’re all looking forward to the Super Bowl snacks! The array of creamy dips, bite-sized snacks, and decadent desserts are certainly something to anticipate, even for those who aren’t big sports fans. Appetizers and finger food are the traditional spread for most, making for easy snacking between plays or the much-anticipated commercials. The farmers’ market has options to meet all your snacking needs for next Sunday. Get your shopping done at the Saturday market to incorporate fresh, locally made ingredients into your Sunday spread.

Whether you are cooking for a crowd or keeping it lowkey this year, we put together a few recipes that are sure to impress, using fresh ingredients from the market. And for the hardcore football fans looking forward to more traditional snacks, you can, of course, pick up plenty of wings or spinach and cheese for artichoke dip at the market too!

Fried Pickles

Fried Pickles, photo by Madison Jackson

Kick off the game with some savory and sweet fried pickles. Mix 1 cup flour with 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp Cajun spice, and ½ tbsp cayenne pepper. Preheat an air fryer to 400. Grab 2 cups of your favorite flavor of pickles from Puckers Gourmet (we’re using the Dilly Sweet pickles, but you can substitute whatever you like) and coat with the flour mixture. Place in a single layer in the fryer and spray with olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls

Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls, photo by Madison Jackson

If you’re craving something cheesy and a little unique, make some fried buffalo goat cheese balls. Add ⅓ cup of flour and a pinch of pepper to a medium bowl. Add one large beaten egg and 2 tablespoons of water to a separate shallow bowl. Add 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs to another medium-sized bowl. Then your favorite flavor of goat cheese from Nettle Meadow or R&G Cheesemakers and roll it into 20-24 balls. Roll each ball in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture, and then cover in the panko mixture. Place the balls on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes or until firm. Then heat 1-2 cups of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the goat cheese balls in batches for 1-2 minutes until crispy brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined surface. Serve hot with spicy buffalo dip from Argyle Cheese Farmer!

Apple Nachos

Apple Nachos, photo by Madison Jackson

For dessert, try making apple nachos, which are easy to customize to your taste and perfect if you’re looking for something a little lighter after all the afternoon snacking. Just cut Fuji apples (or apple of choice) from Saratoga Apple into thin slices and arrange on a plate. Then drizzle about ¼ cup of melted peanut butter (we’re using Plain Jane creamy from Saratoga Peanut Butter Company) and ¼ cup of melted semi-sweet chocolate over the apples. Top with a handful of chocolate chips or some granola to serve.

Fried pickles recipe by Adventures of a Nurse
Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Apple Nachos recipe by Trial and Eater

Thoughtful Gift-Giving During a Pandemic

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By Julia Howard

As challenging as 2020 has been so far, the holiday gifting season feels like a bright way to end a dark year. Perhaps more than ever, gift-giving is a means of reconnecting with friends and family, some of whom we haven’t seen in person for nearly a year. We also get that gift-giving can be a source of stress even in the best of times, so we have some strategic ideas to make gifting during a pandemic a little more seamless, meaningful, and even enjoyable.

● If you prefer shopping from the comfort of home, find our vendor directory and shop locally online. Find links to local businesses’ websites, Instagram, and Facebook pages. Use the DM functions or pick up the phone to ask for suggestions and place orders.
● This year, some of the most thoughtful gifts are things that make time at home more enjoyable for your friends and family. Think practical and useful.
● Get creative with whatever budget you have. A great gift does not have to cost a lot of money.

Now let’s get gifting with local businesses at the farmers’ market!

Home Decor
These days we work, exercise, relax, and even attend school at home. We recommend Feathered Antler’s original paintings and framed prints of animals and landscapes to define and decorate living spaces. Feathered Antler also has hand-painted wooden fence posts adorned with positive sayings and nature scenes that can function as leash hangers, key hooks, and jewelry organizers.

Pendants & jewelry from Big Breath Wellness, photo by Laura Kenny

Local Libations
Wine, hard cider, and spirits always make great gifts – and local vintners and distillers make the very best. Slyboro Cider House and Saratoga Apple makes hard ciders from apples grown in their orchards. For wine-lovers, Fossil Stone Winery makes memorable wines from grapes grown on their farm. And, spirits enthusiasts will love everything from Yankee Distillers and Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery.

Gift Certificates & Subscriptions
Give the gift of something to look forward to, like Saratoga Farmers’ Market gift certificates. Elihu Farm offers a subscription for flavorful and nutritious eggs from their “hens on pasture.” Moon Cycle Seed Co. sells subscriptions for nutrient-dense seeds for hormonal balance. The 2021 CSA season will be here before we know it, so check with local farmers at the market to purchase a subscription for a friend or family member.

Jewelry
Is there a more classic holiday gift than a beautiful piece of jewelry? Kim Dolan Designed Jewelry makes unique, handcrafted silver and gemstone rings, necklaces, and earrings. If you’re looking to make someone feel special and promote wellness, Big Breath Wellness has various holistic healing jewelry. For nature lovers, Feathered Antler has
handmade jewelry with quartz, charms, and tassels.

Earth To Mind, photo by Laura Kenny

Self-care
Self-care means something different to everyone. Perhaps it’s cozying up to a cup of hot chocolate from Saratoga Chocolate Co. or making Earth to Mind’s CBD oil and rubs a part of the daily routine. There are many items at the farmers’ market to nourish and encourage self-care, like bee balm from Ballston Lake Apiaries and tinctures from Sweetbrier Farms.

 

Stocking Stuffer Ideas from Small Businesses
*Starred items are perishable and should be put into stockings just before gifting.

Saratoga Chocolate Co. photo provided
Cookie boxes from The Chocolate Spoon, photo by Laura Kenny

Farmers’ market still essential to community

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Customers respecting social distance while shopping at Elihu Farm’s stand, photo by Pattie Garrett

Community life in and around Saratoga has shut down in the effort to slow the Coronavirus spread. One space that remains open is the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings at the Wilton Mall.

The market, deemed an essential service, set up outdoors last Saturday in the parking lot outside the shuttered mall. Market staff created “stalls” out of parking spaces and placed vendors in spots that were spaced to maintain a safe distance.

Vendors set up tables and in some cases tents. They donned rubber gloves and had disinfectant wipes and sanitizer on hand.

What makes farms and farmers’ markets essential?

Most crucially perhaps is the fact that they offer food that is locally grown. You can find fresh vegetables, eggs, and chicken at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, along with such storable vegetables like carrots and potatoes; beef, pork, lamb, and goat; and even shelf-stable sauces, pickles, and dried beans.

Hannah Odasz of Pleasant Valley Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

“We need to be able to get our food to the community,” said Jason Heitman, of Green Jeans Market Farm, a vegetable grower.

“Farms are the heart of community,” added Julie Noble, of Ramble Creek Farm, which offers mushrooms and meats. “It’s important to keep food local, especially at this time.”

Farmers’ markets rarely operate outdoors before May. Last Saturday was sunny but windy, with temperatures that were below freezing.

As a vendor myself, I shivered through three layers of jackets, wool socks, and gloves. I filled my table with eggs and set out coolers of meat. I was unsure what to expect, but as market regulars and new customers arrived, it quickly became apparent that many hungered not only for food but a sense of community, too.

The Food Florist, photo by Pattie Garrett

Amid sales, vendors and customers exchanged news. There were no handshakes or hugs, but plenty of laughs and well wishes.

“We’ll be continuing the market every week,” said Beth Trattel, market board president and owner of Something’s Brewing. “We’re working with the mall to ensure that the space that we’re in remains safe.”

Kelley Hillis of Puckers Gourmet Pickles could not offer samples of her pickles but did display their award-winning ribbons on her coat.

“Farmers markets are vital,” she said. “The money spent here supports a local producer. It helps keep my family, and other farm families fed.”

 

This week’s recipe: Roast Chicken