Saratoga Farmers' Market

soup

Sea Scallop Stew

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*denotes ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

INGREDIENTS:

2 carrots,* finely chopped

Minced garlic,* shallot,* and/or onion,* to taste.

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped 

1-2 stalks celery, finely chopped

16 ounces fish stock* (or chicken or vegetable broth)

1 sprig fresh thyme* or another fresh herb* such as rosemary

1 dozen clams*

1/2 lb mussels*

1/2 lb sea scallops*

1/2 lb firm local fish, such as monkfish* or steelhead trout*

Salt and black pepper to taste

Olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Wash clam and mussel shells to remove any residual debris.
  2. Heat olive oil in a soup pan, and add carrots, celery, ginger, garlic, herbs and other seasonings. Sauté on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
  3. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow mixture to simmer until vegetables are soft. Add additional water, stock, or white wine, if desired.
  4. While vegetables are cooking, steam clams and mussels open. Remove from shells.
  5. Add sea scallops and any additional fish to stew, along with clams and mussels.  
  6. Cook on a medium-low heat until scallops start to split at edges, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat and enjoy with rice, oyster crackers, or a toasted baguette.* If desired, garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley* or a few micro greens,* as pictured.

Variations: 

Feel free to vary the types of vegetables and seafood in this recipe. You can obtain fresh fish stock from Pura Vida Fisheries at the farmers’ market or at their Moby Rick’s Seafood store on Lake Street.

Finding Freshness in the Freezer

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Mid-winter meals often call for “something fresh.”

At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, “something fresh” in February usually means stored fruits and vegetables from late summer harvests, or items like microgreens and pea shoots that can be grown in flat trays over heating mats or under lights, or small tomatoes and cucumbers that can be grown in greenhouses.

Late summer produce, photo By Eric Jenks

All that is good. But sometimes the taste buds want something more – out of season peppers, beans, broccoli, a wide variety of tomatoes, or corn.

In the past, saving foods for the winter was a necessity. In a practice known as “putting foods by,” families salted, pickled, dried, canned or otherwise preserved freshly harvested fruits or vegetables for later use.

The rise of global shipping and grocery chains caused many to abandon the practice, as did changes in the societal structure that led to longer working hours and more activities outside the home. It became faster and easier to just drop by the store.

But I hate buying non-local produce. I love growing food with my husband and supporting my farmer friends by buying what they grow. Last September I decided to try putting foods by in a simple way: I stored fresh tomatoes, beans, peppers, broccoli and sweet corn in freezer bags. On my mind then was Chowderfest, and its fabulous chowders, many of which get their zest from non-winter foods.

The result? Winter meals with more variety, flavor, and color – fresh tomato sauces, roasted broccoli, and braised beans served alongside the apples, turnips, carrots, and microgreens I can still get weekly at the market. 

I hope to finish off these delights by early May when the market moves to its outdoor location on Wednesdays and Saturdays at High Rock Park. Then, I will start planning for next winter. I invite you to join me in this venture as you visit the market now and in the future.

Clams & Mussels from Pura Vida Fisheries, photo by Pattie Garrett

As for chowder, I am thinking classic New England, made with clams (Pura Vida Fisheries) or chicken (Squashville Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, Mariaville Mushroom Men, and others), milk (Battenkill Valley Creamery), potatoes, and kernels of sweet corn, purchased last summer for weekends like this.

Summer Harvest Vegetable Soup

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Recipe courtesy of My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil*
  • 1 onion*, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups of peeled, diced tomatoes*
  • 1 medium zucchini*, chopped 
  • 1 cup green beans*
  • 2 cloves garlic*, minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 ears of corn*, kernels cut off the cob
  • ½ cup fresh basil*, chopped
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese*, optional

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and a pinch on salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Stir in the tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, and garlic with more salt the pepper.  Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the corn, basil, and cheese (optional). Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Enjoy!

Chilled Asparagus Soup

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Chilled Asparagus Soup

Recipe shared by Diane Whitten at Cornell Cooperative Extension

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 60 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0g sat fat, 8g carbs, 3g protein, 80 mg sodium.

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup sliced scallions*
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt*
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

Cut the tops off the asparagus spears and blanch the tips in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, cool and cut tips into 1/2 inch pieces, set aside. Snap the lower ends of the asparagus off, if they are brown or woody. Chop the stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on low, add scallions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus stalks (not the tips), cover and cook 5 minutes longer until the stalks are tender. Sprinkle the flour over the asparagus and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor. Combine the yogurt and lemon juice, stir 1/4 cup soup into the mixture until smooth, then add to soup. Stir in the asparagus tips, tarragon, and white pepper. Chill well.

 

Ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market on High Rock Avenue is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 pm and Saturdays from 9-1 pm. For information about food and nutrition contact Diane Whitten at Cornell Cooperative Extension at 885-8995 or email dwhitten@cornell.edu.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

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Adapted from recipe by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet Eats
yield: SERVED ABOUT 4
total time: 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS:
*Ingredients currently available to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

1 tablespoon olive oil*

1 tablespoon unsalted butter*

1 yellow onion, diced*

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped*

4 to 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 bulbs roasted garlic*

1/3 cup cream*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Roasted Garlic: Preheat oven to 375. Chop off the top portion of the garlic head to reveal cloves. Lightly rub back and forth to remove paper and peel any excess paper off. Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil on top the garlic cloves and let soak for 10 minutes.

Cover with foil and roast in a baking dish for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. To eat or add to the recipe: let cool, then squeeze from the bottom of the garlic head to remove caramelized cloves.

Garlic Potato Soup: Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Once melted, stir in the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover the potatoes – starting with 4 cups and using more if needed. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender and falling apart about 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Carefully add the mixture to a blender. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and add them to the blender too. Puree the soup until totally creamy and smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and heat over low heat. Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Taste and season additionally with salt and pepper if needed.