Saratoga Farmers' Market

Saratoga Chocolate Co

Exploring the Sweet Side of the Farmers’ Market

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By Julia Howard

The Chocolate Spoon, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Beneath a dozen eggs and some carrots with sprawling greens lay some of the most delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. The Chocolate Spoon was the last stop on my list this past Saturday, and the farmers’ market crowd was beginning to swell. Once the cookies were safely tucked away in my basket, I headed for my car.

Indulging in a sweet treat has become a part of my Wednesday or Saturday shopping ritual – a reward for working hard all week. The rewards vary. Last week, it was applesauce from Saratoga Apple. The apples, slowly and gently cooked, have the perfect chunky consistency and balance of sweetness and tart. With no sugar added, I felt like I was doing something good for myself. The week before that, my treat was Mrs. London’s famous buttery almond croissant. And, the week before that, I fondly recall rich, creamy chocolate milk from Battenkill Valley Creamery.

Slate Valley Farms, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Whatever farmers’ market sweets I choose to indulge in, they are always fresh, delicious, and an ode to quality, local ingredients. Perhaps that’s why they have become my shopping tradition. And, they are treats that I don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing myself.

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Market sweets come in a variety of sizes to accommodate any desire or occasion. Satisfy a small craving with a honey stick from Slate Valley Farms or personal-sized Sweet Greek yogurt from Argyle Cheese Farmer. Looking for a larger quantity to share? Perhaps a pie from The Food Florist or cheesecake from Grandma Apples Cheesecakes. Tiramisu from Giovanni Fresco is some of the best you’ll try, and baklava from Euro Delicacies is authentic and sweetened with local honey. Dickinson’s Delights’ Nutella crepes are filled with seasonal fruit and make for a decadent and gooey dessert that could be eaten for breakfast.

Looking for gluten-free or dairy-free options? Farmers’ market vendors have those too.

What about the unique chocolate craving that we all succumb to? Saratoga Chocolate Company has a variety of handmade cocoa creations to satisfy that specific desire that must be met.

The next time you’re shopping at the farmer’s market, make time for something on the sweeter side. You’ll be glad you did.

For this week’s recipe, I leave you with chocolate chip zucchini muffins. They are cake-like, sweet, and satisfying with a healthy touch.

Sweets, Meats, and Other Easter Treats at Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Emily Meagher

Easter evokes images of eggs hunts and other community events. We invite you to make next Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market a part of these events. On Saturday, April 20, arrive early and fill your shopping bags and baskets with our fresh, locally grown, raised and produced foods.

Kokinda Farm Eggs, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Near the market entrance, look for the eggs. Not the edible ones – those come next – but rather the reusable gift containers, available while supplies last. Inside each will be a coupon offering a discount from one of the market vendors.

 

Now, for real eggs. Elihu, Kokinda, and Squashville farms are offering them in abundance. Check out their hues and try them for their fresh, farm-raised flavor. Keep an eye out, too, for rich duck and giant goose eggs.

Saratoga Chocolate Co. Easter Basket, photo courtesy of Saratoga Chocolate Co.

This weekend, the market also will be featuring chocolate eggs. Further in the market are such treats filled with maple cream and maple marshmallow at Slate Valley Farms. Other sweet treats include homemade marshmallows from The Chocolate Spoon, chocolates formed into nest and bunny shapes from the Saratoga Chocolate Co., hot cross buns from Mrs. London’s, and cheesecakes in a range of sizes and flavors from Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes.

That’s dessert. Now, let’s look for vegetables and main course meats.

Many vendors are offering Easter specials on their farm-raised meats: At Lewis Waite Farm, fresh and smoked ham roasts and steaks are five percent off. Longlesson Farm is offering 10 pounds of ground beef for $60 (instead of $80), and Mariaville Mushroom Men is taking 20 percent off its pork. If poultry is your preference, try Ramble Creek Farm’s turkey or Squashville’s chicken.

And there are the early spring vegetables to consider: Pea shoots from Saratoga Urban and Pleasant Valley farms, along with Pleasant Valley’s super-sweet spring parsnips. Storage vegetables remain abundant at Gomez Veggie Ville and Pleasant Valley, and mushrooms at Mariaville and Ramble Creek.

Looking for libations? Try Saratoga Apple’s farm-brewed hard and sweet ciders, spirits from Yankee Distillery, cyser from Ballston Lake Apiaries, Battenkill Valley Creamery milk and Something’s Brewing’s home-roasted coffees.

And, there’s more: apples, pickles, cheeses, and cured meats.

 

Mayan Spice Chocolate Chili

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Shared by Saratoga Chocolate Co.

Serves 8-10

Prep time: 20

Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1.5 lb ground Longlesson beef*
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 orange pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced
  • 2 large onions*, diced
  • 2 jalapenos seeded and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic*, minced
  • 1.5 Tbsp Chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • 1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes (locally grown & canned if possible!)
  • 1 small can tomatoes paste
  • 2 cups beef broth, more water if needed
  • 1 can red kidney beans
  • 1 can pinto beans
  • ¼ cup Saratoga Chocolate Co. Mayan Spice Hot Chocolate mix*
  • Salt & pepper to taste

 

Instructions

  1. In a well oiled dutch oven brown beef on medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes, dusting with salt and pepper for flavor.  
  2. Set aside beef in a bowl. In the same Dutch oven, add a touch of oil and saute onions, pepper, and jalapeno until softened.
  3. Add back the beef, and sprinkle the mixture with spices. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and broth and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle in the hot chocolate mixture and stir well. Cover a let simmer for 1 hour.
  4. Serve over rice, topped with cilantro, sour cream, and/or an over-easy egg. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

A Little Bit of Chocolate with Your Veggies?

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

As much as we hate to admit it, chocolate is neither a fruit nor a vegetable. But, as Alli and Hank Rose are demonstrating each Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, it is versatile, somewhat healthy and very delicious.

The Roses own Saratoga Chocolate Co., one of the newest vendors at the farmers’ market. They offer handmade and hand-wrapped chocolate bars, barks, truffles, and hot chocolate mixes.

Chocolate-making began as a “foodie passion” and “kitchen experiment” for Alli about 15 years ago, after her day-job in clean energy was done. She created treats for her family, gifts for friends, and occasionally larger orders for weddings, caterers, and wine bars.

Then, Hank’s job ended. “We always talked about doing something more on our own, where we could work together,” says Alli. “The time was right.”

The couple launched Saratoga Chocolate Co. in November 2016, after a year of structured, conscientious planning.

“We tasted about 500 varieties of chocolates being sold locally,” said Alli, “and tested almost as many blends on our own. We had these enormous spreadsheets where we kept track of the results, trying to get a feel for what tasted best to the palate.”

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

The Roses are not “bean to bar” chocolate makers, though that is a future prospect. What this means is they do not start to make their chocolate from the cacao bean itself. Rather, they make their chocolates from carefully sourced couverture, which is a high-quality chocolate produced by grinding the bean to a finer texture and adding a higher percentage of cocoa butter to the finished product. Couverture is especially suitable for creating the bars, barks, and truffles that Saratoga Chocolate features.  

The Roses’ work with chocolate in a region that does not grow the cacao beans, but this helps convey an understanding of how making local products might convey global consciousness. For instance, they are careful in trying to select chocolate that is not only of a high quality but is responsibly sourced, harvested, and often processed in a single country of origin. From there, the Roses blend their favorite chocolates and ingredients to coax the flavor they seek in each of their confections.

Alli calls chocolate a healthy food in moderation. It lifts the spirits and contains some health benefits. And of course it tastes delicious.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Holiday Market Showcases a Different Facet of Farming

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Dark Horse Designs, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Often we think that farms are only about food. We know and love our favorite farmers at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for the produce they grow and the animals they raise. Less known perhaps is the creativity that comes from farming and its spirit of doing things one’s self.

That creativity shows itself in full force at the holiday market.

The holiday market is a special offering of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market that takes place through Dec. 30 alongside the regular market. It features specialty foods, handicrafts, and opportunities to participate in such activities as making your own wrapping paper.

Last Saturday at the market, I headed upstairs where the holiday vendors were based. For the next half hour, I sampled Saratoga Chocolate Co. niblets, sniffed beans roasted by the Upper Hudson Coffee, and admired the horseshoe wine racks made by metalworker William Herrington, and the ceramic creations from Zoe Burghard, and the market’s newest holiday addition handmade furniture from Dark Horse Designs in Ballston Spa.

The artists behind these creations greeted market shoppers and described their creations. Dark Horse’s Heather Mason, for instance, noted that the workbenches, dog beds, and kitchen islands on display all came from the horse farm itself. The farm recently replaced its fencing. Rather than throw out the wood, owner Kyle Hauptfleisch turned it into kitchen islands that contain shelving, work tables, drawers, and even horseshoes for hanging dish towels on the side. Mason added paint and other designs.

Living Resources at 70 Beekman, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

I also made wrapping paper with help from Emily Valle, of Living Resources Art. Valle laid down a sheet of plain packaging paper and handed me raw potatoes, purchased from the vendors downstairs and cut to create stamps of trees and stars. I created my paper by dipping the stamps into the paint and imprinting them on paper. Valle taped my paper to some railing and I did my weekly shopping as the paint dried.

Living Resources will be at the market again on December 23. Its gallery at 70 Beekman St. also is open weekend afternoons from 2-4 p.m. for those who wish to create more intricate wrapping paper designs with self-carved linoleum blocks, for a $10 fee.

 

 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.