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Fall Favorites at the Farmers’ Market

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By Madison Jackson and Emily Meagher

Before the farmers’ market moves back indoors, we spend one last month with our tents up and our coats on to share fresh, local products with our community. Summer produce makes way for the fall harvest; a time for comforting food and drinks and festive seasonal products. Here are ten fall favorites you can find at our markets in October.

1. Apple cider and cider donuts
Saratoga Apple and Slyboro Cider House both operate their own orchards. Try their fresh apples, pressed apple cider, hard cider, and cider donuts. A real Upstate NY treat!

Saratoga Peanut Butter Company, photo by Madison Jackson

2. Pumpkin Pandemonium Peanut Butter
The name says it all. This Saratoga Peanut Butter Company creation is chock-full of rich pumpkin and peanut flavors. A guilt-free treat at only 2 grams of sugar per serving, it’s great on sandwiches, apples, ice cream, and more.

3. Hand-painted hats
Artist Gretchen Tisch, owner of Feathered Antler, gives hats a fall makeover. Pick up a leaf-accented fedora or hand-knit beanie at the market.

4. Hot chocolate cheesecake
Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes’ flavors vary with the season. Our current favorite is hot chocolate cheesecake. It’s perfect for when you have company, but perfectly acceptable to eat all by yourself! Also available are apple and pumpkin cheesecakes and cheesecake filled apples dipped in chocolate.

5. Apple cider fromage frais
Nettle Meadow does cheesemaking with a creative touch, and it shows with their seasonal favorites. Back at the market are the soft apple cider fromage frais, pumpkin spice and maple chevre, and the brie-like Early Snow.

6. Local wool
Elihu Farm’s sheep produce award-winning wool, sold as washed and unwashed fleeces at the market. Pick up a fleece to do some cozy fall crafting!

Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, photo by Emily Meagher

7. Spooky soaps
At Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, no shape of soap is too crazy. Their fall mineral soap collection includes ghosts, pumpkins, black cats, acorns, leaves, and owls.

8. Ornamental corn
Fresh summer corn is making way for ornamental fall corn. Pick up some calico or broom corn from local farms for fresh seasonal home decor.

9. Hand-ground cinnamon
Saratoga Spicery’s fresh-ground spices and spice mixes include hand-ground cinnamon. Give your baked goods an extra fresh flavor!

10. Pumpkins!
Farmers’ markets in October wouldn’t be complete without fresh gourds and winter squash. Local farms have a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes in stock – you can even find some hand-painted mini pumpkins.

Photo by Madison Jackson

This week: not a recipe, but a craft… how to make felt balls with wool roving!

Apple Cinnamon Smoothie

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Recipe shared by Moon Cycle Seed Company
Makes 1 smoothie

Ideal for cycling phase #1 with the pumpkin and flaxseed blend. Follicular phase foods include high protein for giving muscle building blocks and high-fat foods along with good sources of folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin E to nourish the follicle.

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 apple*, peeled and cored
● ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt* (preferably organic) or 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder
● ½ cup almond milk
● 1 tsp vanilla extract
● 2 tbsp honey* or maple syrup*
● 2 TBSP pumpkin/flax blend*
● 1 tsp cinnamon
● 2 tsp coconut oil

Instructions
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy!

Squash – Almost too pretty to eat, too delicious not to

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

The days before Thanksgiving call up turkey, stuffing, gravy, casseroles, and pie – namely pumpkin pie.

Pie is delicious. But there are a wide variety of other squashes, too: acorn, carnival, spaghetti, sweet dumpling, butternut, kabocha, hubbard.

Squashville Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

These squashes weigh down tables of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market squash growers. They represent the beauty of the holidays and the abundance of our region’s agriculture.

Squash is part of the Native American three sisters plants, with beans and corn. Along with beans and corn, it was grown for its sweetness, versatility in cooking, high nutrition content, and ability to be stored for long-term use.

While squash vary in size, shape, and color, they generally all can be roasted, steamed, or made into soups or desserts.

The dark green acorn, yellow dumpling, and multi-colored carnival squashes are easy to roast. Use a sharp knife to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds from the center, wrap the halves in foil, and roast them in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. When they can be sliced through easily with a knife, they are ready for eating. Savor them, as is, or add some melted butter, maple syrup, or walnuts for added flavor. Use leftovers to create a soup or hearty stew.

If cutting the squash is too hard, try steaming them whole until they have softened. Once cooled, they can easily be cut and seeded.

Squash varieties, photo by Pattie Garrett

Bigger spaghetti squashes make a delicious substitute for pasta. Roast these squashes in halves wrapped in foil for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven, unwrap and allow to cool. Use a fork to create spaghetti-like strands. These strands can then be simmered for a few minutes in a tomato sauce or pesto.

New England pie pumpkins are the classic ingredient for pumpkin pie. Butternut squash makes a nice pie, as well. Kabocha, and hubbard varieties can be substituted.

Some squash varieties – spaghetti, delicata, sweet dumpling, acorn, and carnival, among them – can be stored through early Christmas. Others such as pie pumpkins, kabocha, hubbards, and butternut will last well into late winter or early spring if kept in a cool dark area.

Recipe: Squash Pie

Pumpkin Dip

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by Nicole Cunningham Furman, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Ingredients:
* Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg *
1 teaspoon cinnamon *
16 ounces cream cheese*, softened
2 cups pumpkin puree *
Instructions:
Mix together the sugar and spices. Whip together with the cream cheese and pumpkin. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with apple slices* or ginger snaps*.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree*
This year skip the canned pumpkin and make your own pumpkin puree. It’s not as difficult as you might think and it’s delicious. You may never go back to canned.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pumpkin* in half from top to bottom, remove the seeds and pulp. Place the halves cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast until easily pierced, 45 to 60 minutes. Turn over the pumpkin and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor. Drain puree in fine mesh strainer over a bowl for 1 hour or more. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. It also freezes nicely for future use.