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Seasonal cooking

Sweet Potato Salad with Apples, Raisins and Shallots

By

Adapted from the recipe by Miss Annie on www.geniuskitchen.com

Serves 6-8

Cook and prep time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 4 cups sweet potatoes*, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
  • 2 tart apples*, peeled, cored and chopped
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup pecan pieces, toasted (optional)
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot*, finely chopped
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1⁄3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. To cook the sweet potatoes: In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Once the pan is sizzling, add a scant ¼ cup water, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low to avoid burning the contents. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sweet potato is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
  2. Mix the sweet potatoes, apples, raisins, pecans, and shallots in a large bowl.
  3. Combine the juices, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  4. Whisk together, then add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
  5. Pour over the salad, toss well to combine well, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

CHEESE & HERB QUICHE

By

Adapted from the recipe by Anna Helm Baxter and featured on www.womansday.com

Total time: 2 hrs

Makes 16 servings

INGREDIENTS

*Ingredients currently available farmers’ market

  • 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion*, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 large eggs*
  • 1 c. crème fraîche*
  • 1 c. whole milk*
  • 4 1/2 oz. extra-sharp cheese*, coarsely grated (about 11/2 cups)
  • 2 tbsp. chopped chives
  • 1/2 c. flat-leaf parsley*, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Make pie crust: In a food processor, pulse together flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add 1/4 cup ice water and pulse until dough comes together into a ball. Divide dough in half, shape each into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  2. Working 1 at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll dough piece into 16 x 7-inch rectangles, then place into two 13 x 4-inch rectangular tart pans with removable bottoms; cut away excess. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
  3. Heat oven to 375°F. Place tart pans on a large baking sheet. Place a large sheet of non-stick foil inside each and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes, then carefully remove foil and weights and bake until bottoms feel dry and sandy and are starting to turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
  4. Make filling: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil on medium and cook onion and pinch each salt and pepper, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until starting to caramelize, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, crème fraîche, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in cheese, chives, parsley, and onion. Fill tart shells with egg mixture and bake until just set in center, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: The pie crust can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month and the quiche can be baked up to 1 day ahead of time. Two round tart pans may be used in place of rectangular pans.

Learning to Cook, Farmers’ Market Style

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Callie Noland started her senior year at Skidmore College full of excitement. She and her housemates had signed on for a weekly CSA share, and she was looking forward to a fall of kale, bok choy, and kohlrabi. With the Internet at her disposal, she felt sure she would be able “to find something to do” with all of the luscious, vitamin-packed vegetables.

Soon, reality hit. As a college student with limited time and few cooking skills, she felt almost intimidated by the prospect of cooking for herself. More often than not, she ended up picking up pre-made foods on campus or eating at the dining hall. Much of the produce went to waste.

From Noland’s frustration came inspiration. She and a group of Skidmore students are teaming up with Saratoga Farmers’ Market volunteers to create a series of cooking classes for students based on easy, healthful, and flavorful meals that feature seasonal items available at the market. The first class is this Sunday.

The menu includes two hummus dips – one featuring sweet potatoes and the other parsnips; a beet salad, kale with caramelized onions and barley, roasted vegetables, and a potato cheese soup. Students will work at cooking stations set up in the college’s test kitchen with market volunteers serving as guides. Produce and cheese will be obtained from market vendors tomorrow, and students will go home with a booklet of recipes for their own use.

The goal, from market volunteer Ann Haden’s perspective, is to teach how cooking with fresh food doesn’t have to be complicated.

For Noland, a public health major, the classes are a way of helping students feel empowered about cooking with local produce. For her, she says, “I’m hoping for myself to gain some confidence.”

Noland hopes to add a few staple dishes to a chili she tries to make weekly, based on a recipe from her father.

“I feel that the stakes for cooking on a given day are high,” she says. “It’s an investment of time, of money, of food that should not be wasted. If it ends up tasting bad or failing in some way, so much is wasted.”

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.

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

By

Adapted from recipe by Lucy Parissi of Supergolden Bakes

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market.

  • 2 ½ lbs fresh spinach*
  • 14 oz feta cheese crumbled*
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten*
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped dill*
  • ½  cup or a small bunch of fresh chopped parsley*
  • 8 scallions, finely chopped*
  • 2 large leeks, white part only finely chopped*
  • 1 pack frozen phyllo pastry thawed overnight in the fridge
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • Olive oil
  • salt and pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a tray on the middle shelf.
  2. Warm olive oil in a pan over medium heat and gradually add the spinach in batches until it is all cooked.
  3. Allow to cool. Then drain excess water from the spinach using a cheesecloth or strainer.
  4. Sauté the green onions and leeks in a pan with a splash of olive oil until soft. Add the spinach and herbs and cook for a bit longer. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Add the crumbled feta and eggs to the spinach. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix together.
  6. Brush your pie dish with the melted butter then start layering the phyllo pastry, brushing each leaf with butter, in the dish letting the ends hang over the edge. Layer 5-6 phyllo squares over the bottom of the dish then add the filling in an even layer. Fold the edges over the top and brush with butter.
  7. Brush 4 phyllo squares with the melted butter then scrunch together and cover the entire surface of the pie.
  8. Bake for 45 minutes, covering with foil after 15-20 minutes to avoid the pie coloring too quickly. Cool before slicing (otherwise you won’t be able to slice neatly).

Root Vegetables with Herb Biscuits

By

Adapted from recipe by Local Milk, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 cups fennel*, ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups parsnips*, ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups celery root* (celeriac) ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups carrots*, ½ inch pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup shallot*, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic*, minced
  • 1½ cup celery, diced

Sauce:

  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese*
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • juice of half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Biscuit:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary*
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme*
  • 4 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter*, diced
  • 1 cup buttermilk*

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Steam fennel, parsnips, celery root, carrots until just tender.
  2. Heat olive oil in skillet until shimmering. Saute the shallots, garlic until fragrant and translucent. Add celery and cook until tender. In a large bowl, toss with the steamed vegetables.
  3. Sauce:
  4. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Whisk in a cup of flour. Cook to thicken (roux). Slowly whisk in vegetable stock. Add cheese, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper. Whisk to melt the cheese completely. Simmer while whisking until very thick. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir vegetables into the sauce. Stir occasionally.
  6. Biscuit:
  7. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, rosemary, thyme, and cheese. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until pieces are smaller than peas. Using a folk, stir in buttermilk to just combine.
  8. Drop the biscuit batter on top of the vegetable sauce to cover. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown, bubbling, and topping is cooked through.

 

Tossed Apple and Kale Salad

By

Looking for a crisp and festive complement to your holiday table? Try this quick and healthy starter, compliments of chef and yoga instructor Meg Affonso.

 

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 bunch kale*
  • 1 pound firm apples*
  • ½  cup pumpkin or squash seeds*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup*
  • Salt, to taste

 

Orange Mustard Vinaigrette

  • 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon (or other) mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup*
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 shallot*, minced

 

Preparation

  1. Lightly toast pumpkin seeds in a pan with olive oil and salt. Remove.
  2. Remove kale leaves from stems and tear into bite-size pieces. Steam in water until wilted. Drain and set aside.
  3. Chop apples into bite-size chunks.
  4. Combine kale and apples, and toss with maple syrup.
  5. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over kale and apples.
  6. Top with pumpkin seeds. Toss lightly and serve.