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Eating the Rainbow

By

By Caroline Moran

“Taste the rainbow” applies to more than just Skittles! Every color of produce provides a unique selection of beneficial nutrients, meaning that incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables can be an easy and delicious way to ensure that your body receives all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it needs to keep you energized and healthy.
 While we don’t want to put you to sleep with too many nutrition facts, let’s recap some of the benefits of the different colors of the rainbow. Red produce is an excellent source of antioxidants, while orange foods support your vision (ever heard the old saying that carrots are great for your eyesight? It’s true!). Your microbiome will benefit from incorporating yellow veggies, and your heart will thank you for adding some blueberries with breakfast. Green fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, and even the “colorless” brown and white foods (think onion, garlic, ginger, and parsnips) can serve to strengthen your bones.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Graciela Colston

The best part of “eating the rainbow” is the wide variety of foods that fall under each category, allowing for flexibility in food choices and more satisfying meals and snacks. Don’t love kale? Try eating more green apples, asparagus, cucumbers, or kiwi. Looking to switch up your favorite mango smoothie? Toss some peach, nectarine, or orange into the blender instead.
 Here’s a fun challenge for your next trip to the farmer’s market (that kids will love too): try loading up your basket with items featuring each color of the rainbow. Beets from Green Jeans Market Farm and yellow squash from Gómez Veggie Ville are a great place to start. Bonus points if you grab a bundle of rainbow chard from Owl Wood Farm!

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Graciela Colston

Turning over to this week’s recipe, author and registered dietitian Erica Baty is a huge proponent of maintaining a colorful diet. Her nutrient-dense orzo dish can be customized with any fresh vegetables of your choosing, though she offers up several great suggestions. Combine some freshly roasted local veggies with orzo pasta, a bright lemon vinaigrette, and, of course, crumbled feta or goat cheese for a quick, balanced weeknight meal.


 The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Burgers with Onions & Mushrooms

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Adapted from recipes by My Nourished Home and The Kitchn, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 8

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the Onions and Mushrooms:

  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 large sweet onions*
  • 16 ounces mushrooms* (shitake* and/or oyster*)

For the burgers:

  • 2 pounds ground beef*
  • 1/2 small onion*, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 hamburger buns, split

Instructions

For the onions the mushrooms:

  1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter on medium-low. Peel and slice the onions into long, thin slices. Place the onions in the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and carefully toss to coat all the onions in the oil and butter. Allow to caramelize, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes. They’ll turn a warm brown color.
  2. Add the mushrooms to the onions, carefully toss to coat them with oil. Continue to cook on medium-low. The mushrooms will become soft and browned.

For the burgers:

  1. Heat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill to high heat (about 450°F). On a charcoal grill, arrange the coals to create high heat and a low heat cooking zone (direct and indirect grilling). Meanwhile, prepare the burger patties.
  2. Season the beef. Place the ground beef on a baking sheet and gently pat it into a log. Use your thumb to make a deep trough in the center. Sprinkle the onions evenly into the trough. Whisk the Worcestershire, tamari or soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Sprinkle this over the onions. Finish with a few grinds of fresh black pepper over everything.
  3. Shape the patties. Pinch the ground beef closed around the onions. Divide the meat into 8 equal portions using a chef knife, a bench scraper, or your fingers. Use your hands to gently flatten each portion into a patty about 1-inch thick. Try not to compact or overwork the meat. Let the burgers sit at room temperature until the grill is ready, about 20 minutes.
  4. Grill the burgers. Place the patties on the grill in a single layer. Cook until grill marks appear about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until grill marks appear on the second side, about 2 minutes more. If using a charcoal grill, move the patties to a lower-heat (indirect) area of the grill. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium. Grill 2 to 3 minutes more for medium-rare burgers, 3 to 4 minutes more for medium, or 5 to 6 minutes more for well-done burgers. 
  5. Assemble the burgers. Place a patty on each toasted bun and serve with toppings.

 

 

Bark Hill Farm brings a bounty of flowers and vegetables to the farmers’ market

By

By Julia Howard

 

Amy Hoge cares deeply about living things, from the countless flowers and vegetables that she grows to the cats, chickens, and six dogs that live on her farm. “It gets noisy around here,” she laughs in response to the farm’s name. Bark Hill Farm, located in Hebron in Washington County, is one of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s newest vendors.

Seven years ago, Amy and her family purchased an 11-acre plot with an 1800s farmhouse that stands on the property. In 2020, Amy decided to shift from her career as a veterinary technician to pursue farming full-time.

“The decision to start Bark Hill Farm felt right for my family and me as we pivoted through 2020,” Amy says. “It was time to pursue my passion for growing flowers and vegetables and making them available to the community.”

Bark Hill Farm, Photo by Pattie Garrett

 

Amy grows approximately forty varieties of seasonal vegetables and several types of flowers on three-quarters of an acre. The rest of the property is pasture and woodland that she utilizes for grazing laying hens and hay production.

“I believe that locally-grown, nutritious food is something that our community deserves access to. The same can be said about our flowers; I love seeing the joy they bring to people, and I feel good knowing that our growing methods are good for the environment.” Amy explains.

Bark Hill Farm is Certified Naturally Grown, meaning there is no use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or GMOs.

Bark Hill Farm, Photo by Pattie Garrett

As a female business owner in agriculture, Amy takes each day with its blessings and challenges. “I love offering new products as the weeks change, and I love the community aspect of growing for local markets and getting to talk directly with customers,” Amy says. “It’s also challenging to grow as a business without outgrowing what I can handle.”

You can find Bark Hill Farm at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays from 3-6 pm at High Rock Park and the Spa City Farmers’ Market on Sundays. Seasonal varieties of produce and flowers are available at Bark Hill’s farmstand, open seven days a week at 2079 County Rt 47, Hebron, and through the farm’s CSA, available at www.barkhillfarm.com.

This week’s recipe: Roasted Root Vegetable

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. This Saturday is the final market at the Wilton Mall for the season. Markets will return to High Rock Park on Wednesday, June 1. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.