Saratoga Farmers' Market

Saratoga Indoor Farmers' Market

A Peek into the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Winter Season at the Lincoln Baths

By

by Kristin Cleveland

As the Saratoga Farmers’ Market wraps up its outdoor season at High Rock Park this week with Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday, October 27 and Halloween festivities on Wednesday, October 31, vendors are gearing up for the indoor winter market at the historic Lincoln Baths at Saratoga Spa State Park.

Moving into the Baths for the colder months means two floors full of a wide variety of nourishing foods from our local farms, dairies, bakers, distillers, and speciality foods producers, plus an array of unique hand-made jewelry, clothing, artworks, and other items made by area artisans. Acoustic music and free children’s activities round out the festive atmosphere, making the Farmers’ Market a perfect place to shop and connect with the community any Saturday of the year.

The Lincoln Baths location offers ample parking, wheelchair accessibility, and a warm place for shopping no matter what the weather outside. Many vendors now take credit cards, and an ATM is on site for when cash is needed. Customers can also take advantage of the new FreshFoodNY App to order and pay online and have local products delivered curbside right in front of the Lincoln Baths!

Every Saturday in November and December features our annual Holiday Market, a gathering of vendors who make a wide variety of items perfect for gift giving. Saratoga Farmers’ Market gift certificates are also available to help fit even the pickiest person on your holiday list.

Customers can expect to find fresh late-season vegetables like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and many types of greens, plus hearty storage crops including squash, onions and all kinds of root vegetables, and even greenhouse and hydroponically grown tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and herbs! Our agricultural products also include local milk, yogurt, cheeses, eggs, frozen chicken, beef, lamb, pork, goat, duck and turkey. In addition there are hot meals ready to eat for breakfast or lunch, and frozen soups, casseroles and other prepared dishes to take home for an easy meal anytime! Specialty foods at the indoor market this year include homemade jams, pickles, hummus, wheat grass juices, coffee, baked goods, meat jerky and other trail treats, and even puppy treats and vegetarian dog foods!

Special events at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market are listed in the calendar section of our brand new website at saratogafarmersmarket.org. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter to get updates about special events, musical guests, vendor promotions, and all-ages activities and educational workshops. Come to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Saturdays November through April, from 9 am to 1 pm at the Lincoln Baths.

Saratoga Farmers Celebrate Easter with Colors, Flavors of Spring

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By Julia Howard, Market Director

Our late winter snowstorms and early spring chills are finally giving way to warmth. Daffodils and tulips are popping open, the berry bushes and fruit trees are starting to bud. And with spring of course comes Easter, and a plethora of bright colors and festive foods to mark the symbolic rebirth that the holiday encompasses.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market invites you tomorrow to celebrate Easter with us. Our day-before-Easter Saturday market will offer several specials on fresh vegetables, meats, and prepared foods.

And, of course, we will have eggs. For children of all ages, the volunteer Friends of the Market group is offering a no-mess egg dying activity. If dying your own eggs isn’t your thing, pick up some pre-decorated eggs at Malta Ridge Orchard & Garden.

Mrs. London's by Pattie Garrett
Mrs. London’s
Photo by Pattie Garrett

As for food, start with breakfast. Mrs. London’s is featuring freshly baked hot cross buns among its other selections of pastries, breads, and sandwiches. To further sweeten the palate, visit The Chocolate Spoon for teacakes in citrus ricotta, chocolate, bourbon butter, carrot cake and lemon varieties. Malta Ridge also has freshly baked fruit pies and cookies among its offerings.

If your Easter dinner features a ham, consider pre-ordering one from Lewis Waite Farm by calling 518-692-3120. They will bring it to the market for you to pick up thawed and ready to cook.

Every Easter dinner should include veggies. Our vegetable vendors have a wide selection of root vegetables, fresh greens, onions and garlic. Think about parsnips, the funny carrot-shaped roots that are wonderful roasted or mashed. Also, think mushrooms. Mariaville Mushroom Men is selling its variety boxes of chestnut, shiitake, lion’s mane, and oyster mushrooms for 25 percent off. They’re also offering a buy one, get one for half-off special on their other boxes.

No Easter is complete without a basket. Fill yours with spun maple sugar and molded maple sugar candies from Slate Valley Farm, jars of Saratoga Peanut Butter, packages of Saratoga Crackers, and Ballston Lake Apiaries honey products. Add a package of Wash Green & Clean’s all natural laundry soap, and top it with Malta Ridge’s fresh cut pussy willow branches.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through April. The market moves to High Rock Park 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays on May 3.

Natural Dye Easter Eggs Photo by Pattie Garrett
Natural Dye Easter Eggs
Photo by Pattie Garrett

Coloring Easter Eggs Using Natural Dyes

Shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Supply List
*supplies available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

• 1 dozen eggs, any color*
• 1 cup chopped red cabbage per cup of water* — makes blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs
• 1 cup shredded beets per cup of water* — makes pink or purple on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric per cup of water — makes yellow eggs

Cooking Instructions:

1. Bring 1 inch water to rolling boil in medium saucepan over high heat.

2. Place eggs in steamer basket and place the basket in the saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook eggs for 13 minutes.

3. Combine 2 cups ice cubes and 2 cups cold water in medium bowl. Using tongs or spoon, transfer the eggs to ice bath. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Dyeing Instructions

1. Add a cup of water for each color into a saucepan. Add cabbage, beets or turmeric and bring the water to a boil.

2. Cover, and turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. You can cook longer for a deeper color. Drip a little of the colored water onto a white dish to check the color. When it has reached to color you like, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

3. Pour the cooled colored water through a fine-mesh strainer into another saucepan or bowl.

4. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar per cup of strained colored water. Pour the water over cooled cooked eggs in a bowl. The eggs must be completely under the water.

5. Refrigerate until the desired color is reached. My Saratoga Kitchen Table refrigerated eggs overnight.

6. Try rubbing dry dyed eggs with oil (olive or melted coconut oil) will allow them to shine.

New Lambs Usher in Spring at Elihu Farm

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By Mary Pratt

Mary Pratt of Elihu Farm
Mary Pratt of Elihu Farm

Lambs, lambs and more than 70 new lambs were born on our farm in Easton last month; we call it a lambalanche. As we watch those healthy lambs race through the barnyard, we celebrate our 31st year of raising sheep.

When we named our farm, Elihu Farm, we honored Elihu Gifford, a Revolutionary War patriot and the first person on our deed. We began with 43 acres and later added another parcel. Gifford’s cemetery will always look out on fields and pastures, because 108 acres of our land is now protected as Forever Farmland by the Agricultural Stewardship Association.

When we bought our farm in 1985 we thought about raising specialty vegetables and small fruits. Then a friend saw our rolling land and said, “You could raise sheep!”

We always enjoyed eating lamb, and perhaps our friend’s suggestion was serendipitous: We found a book that the previous owner had left behind, entitled Raising Sheep the Modern Way. We were hooked.

We joined the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as vendors around 2007. These days, we sell eggs, holiday geese, and lamb. The customers at are among our best ever. They’re friendly and knowledgeable, and appreciate our work and the care we give our animals.

The quality of our products has always been the top priority, as shown by numerous chefs who have used our products. David Britton and Larry Schepici both took cuts of our lamb to dinners at the James Beard Foundation. Steve Barnes from the Albany Times Union followed one of our lambs from birth to plate.

We show our sheep and our wool at fairs and festivals throughout the area, and have won several championships. In addition to our lamb and eggs, we look forward to making our lovely, soft wool available when the market moves to High Rock Park.

For Easter and Passover, we’re taking orders for any cut of fresh lamb through April 11. Customers can pick up their orders on in Saratoga Springs on April 14 or at the market on April 15. Call us at 518-744-3947 or e-mail us at elihufarm@yahoo.com.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Saratoga Spa State Park through April. The first outdoor markets will be 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at High Rock Park.

Elihu Farm - RECIPE

Family Favorite Lamb Leg with Roasted Potatoes

Adapted from recipe by American Lamb
Makes 12 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 ½ hrs

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 6 to 7 pounds lamb leg, trimmed of visible fat*
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 medium red potatoes*
  • 8 rosemary sprigs*
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup apricot jam*
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed

 

Directions

1. Coat potatoes with oil and place around edge of roasting pan. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt. Place rack in pan and arrange lamb roast on rack. Season lamb with salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 325ºF.

2. Combine jam, mustard seeds and thyme. Halfway through roasting, baste lamb with jam mixture.

3. Roast to desired degree of doneness. When lamb is done, cover and allow to stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with roasted potatoes.

Local Farmers Creating a Niche for Kohlrabi

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By Mary Peryea

Kohlrabi – that knobby looking, bulbous green vegetable – is beginning to gain a footing at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

I first spotted this vegetable at a summer market up north several years ago. More recently, Paul Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm gave me a crash course on this vegetable.

Arnold, who is an amazing source of information on all things vegetable, described kohlrabi as a member of the Brassica family. That means it is related to cabbage, broccoli, and kale. It is popular in German and eastern European cuisine, as well as Indian cooking, especially in the mountainous Kashmir region. Arnold said it is the number two vegetable for storage, topped only by celeriac.

Gomez Veggie Ville by Pattie Garrett
Gomez Veggie Ville
Photo by Pattie Garrett

Translated from German, kohlrabi means cabbage-turnip and it has a flavor similar to those vegetables, but milder and sweeter than either. It is rich in fiber, as well as Vitamins A and C. There are two main varieties, one a deep purple and the other a vibrant green. Both have a sweet and crisp flesh that is either white or pale green in color.

Arnold plants kohlrabi in July and harvests it in November. He says it is hardy with few insects attacking it. The storage type that he grows lends itself well to sale at winter markets. While it resembles a root vegetable, kohlrabi grows above the ground, with a stem that swells to a turnip-shape and leaves growing off the bulb. The leaves are also edible.

When choosing your kohlrabi, look for a firm spherical bulb with no brown spots or spongy bits. There may be white slashes where the leaves have been removed for storage of the bulb.

Kohlrabi can be eaten raw in salads or slaws, or cooked in a variety of ways. Arnold likes his steamed and added to a white sauce flavored with a little nutmeg. I roasted mine with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and it was delicious. My husband, a confirmed “vege-phobe,” tried it but passed on more than a small spoonful. Maybe next time I’ll try the cream sauce to see if that goes over better.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park. The market begins its outdoor season May 3 at High Rock Park, when it operates from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Kohlrabi

Roasted kohlrabi, carrots and parsnips

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 kohlrabi, ends and knobs trimmed, and sliced into chunks
1 parsnip, peeled, and sliced into chunks
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
2 Tbsp canola oil
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5-6 Italian parsley sprigs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Place all ingredients in a roasting pan. Add oil and garlic and toss to coat.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife.
Turn several times during cooking.
Add salt and pepper and serve garnished with parsley.

 

 

Celebrate Spring at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Julia Howard, Market Director

More often than not, spring arrives in Saratoga with snow. Temperatures still struggle to climb above freezing, and a warm cup of soup seems more soothing than a frozen fruit smoothie.

Still, we know spring is coming as the snow starts to melt and the days lengthen. And with it comes a fresh start, an opportunity to reflect on lessons of the past alongside a chance to learn something new. In this spirit, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will host its annual Spring Festival at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park tomorrow.

Last year’s inaugural festival drew a rousing crowd of newcomers and regulars, eager to learn about keeping bees, cultivating mushrooms, and preserving fresh foods. This year, we hope to see an even bigger crowd. Our lineup includes:

One-hour workshops:

• 9-10 a.m.
Using Native Plants in Your Landscape, with Susan Schurman O’Donnell of Dutch Girl Garden Design.

• 10-11 a.m.
Food Preservation 101: Canning, Freezing & Dehydrating, with Diane Whitten of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

• 11-Noon a.m.
The Ins and Outs of Composting, with Michael Cohen of Sustainable Saratoga.

• Noon-1p.m.
Live cooking and food sampling, with Chef Dan Spitz

Cornell Master Gardeners Photo by Pattie Garrett
Cornell Master Gardeners
Photo by Pattie Garrett

Cornell Cooperative Extension information tables, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Master Gardener advice on gardening, soil preparation, plants and trees, along with soil testing for $1.

• Food preservation methods.

• Cooking with seasonal produce, healthy eating, and nutrition.

Children’s activities, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Planting seeds in eggshells, with Sustainable Saratoga.

• Making paper plate banjos, with the Northeast Parent and Child Society.

All workshops are free and will take place on the second floor of the Lincoln Baths Building. Please ask market volunteers or staff at the informational table for elevator access, if you need it. All workshop attendees also will receive a gift for attending.

In addition, many of our regular farmers will be providing information on their seasonal community shared agriculture programs (CSAs). CSAs offer subscribers a chance to receive seasonal produce on a regular schedule while investing in local farms. Like our Spring Festival, they build community and help sustain our region’s rich agricultural heritage for the generations to come.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market remains at the Saratoga Spa State Park, Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 29. The summer season at High Rock Park begins Wednesday, May 3, 3-6 p.m.

 

 

Recipe photo by Pattie Garrett
Recipe photo by Pattie Garrett

Potato Gratin Topped with Fresh Spinach

Adapted from recipe by Cook’s Country, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 1½ cups heavy cream*
  • 1 cup salt free chicken broth
  • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese*
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 8 cups fresh baby spinach*
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced*
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced bacon, chopped fine*
  • 2 pounds potatoes, russet or desired potato, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick*

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Whisk milk, broth, ½ cup Parmesan and nutmeg together in bowl. Set aside.

2. In 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove, allow to cool on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop the bacon into small pieces. Add spinach and garlic to the skillet and cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer spinach mixture to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3. Arrange potatoes in even layer in prepared dish. Distribute spinach mixture evenly over potatoes. Pour cream mixture over spinach mixture and sprinkle remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until potatoes are tender and cheese is spotty brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.

 

What I Eat When My Wife’s Away

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By Jim Gupta-Carlson

My home state of Minnesota is known for a few things: SPAM, Prince, and hot dish. The beauty of “hot dish” is that one word: dish. Everything goes into a single dish.

Potatoes by Pattie Garrett
Photo by Pattie Garrett

I love food, particularly the good food that we make with produce and meats and other goods from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, where I spend nearly every Saturday. I do not love doing dishes.

My wife Himanee is a good complement to my simple tastes – she believes every meal should contain 57 flavors, and every one of them should be prepared and served in its own dish.

Running our homestead by myself when Himanee travels for work is tough. But it comes with some pleasures: Simply prepared fresh food, bourbon, and listening to Prince and Phil Collins without ear plugs. So, as she began planning a trip to India with her parents, I started dreaming about food. Food that can be cooked in a few minutes. Food that can be eaten directly from the pan in which it’s cooked. Food that is healthy and flavorful but lacks frippery. For instance:

Saratoga Apple by Pattie Garrett
Photo by Pattie Garrett

• apples and cider from Saratoga Apple;
• carrots from Gomez Veggie Ville;
• Asian greens from Pleasant Valley Farm;
• Potatoes from Sheldon Farms;
• Steak from Longlesson, Lewis Waite or M&A farms.

These are good healthy, hearty local foods that can be cooked easily and cleanly – and without a kitchen full of dirty dishes.

My favorite meals when I’m home alone? To some extent, it depends on the season. But being a Minnesota kid, I’m a meat and a potatoes man. So a steak thrown on the grill, pork chops seared in a cast iron cooking pan, goat riblets, chicken roasted with a little rub of black pepper, paprika, and garlic is the first step. And then we have potatoes, which I like best as fries. I slice them up, wrap them in foil, bake them until they’re soft, and then give them a quick fry. I eat them with catsup or barbecue sauce that I make from our garden. I might also add some horseradish or Ballston Spa Apiaries’ honey mustard to my meat, and I will eat salad greens. Or maybe kale, as long as I can cook it quickly in a pan with nothing more than a little water, lemon juice and oil.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park.

 

Jim’s Spicy Meatloaf

Recipe by Jim Gupta-Carlson
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced*
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1/4 cup milk*
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 eggs, beaten*
  • 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs*
  • 1 pound ground goat, lamb, mutton, or beef*
  • 1 pound ground pork*
  • 1 cup salsa*
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy 10″ skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, and cook uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the salt, peppers, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce and mix well. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool 15 minutes.

4. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and stir in the milk, ketchup, eggs, and bread crumbs and mix well.

5. Then add the ground meat and ground pork and mix gently with your hands, just until combined. Place the meatloaf mixture into a greased, 9″x5″ loaf pan, patting gently and evening off the top.

6. Combine the salsa and tomato paste in a small bowl and spread over the top of the meatloaf.

7. Bake the meatloaf, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until it is dark brown and the meat pulls away from the sides of pan. The interior temperature should be 160 degrees F as measured with a meat thermometer. Carefully drain the fat from pan. Cover the meatloaf and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the pan and put it onto a serving platter before slicing.