Saratoga Farmers' Market

Summer

Packing the Perfect Plant-Based Picnic

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By Barb Biagioli

Summer is finally here in Saratoga! Those sunny Saturday mornings can now be pleasantly spent perusing the abundance of vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

The summer season yields such a beautiful harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables – ones that are perfect for your next picnic in the park. On your next trip to the market, look out for those summer staples that you can use for packing a plant-based picnic, like radishes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash, pickles and sauerkraut, carrots, and all of your greens – spinach, kale, arugula, and lettuces galore. You can use these plant foods in a variety of picnic-perfect snacks, like:

  • Homemade hummus with sliced carrots, cucumber, radishes, and zucchini
  • Homemade green pesto with sliced carrots, cucumber, radishes, and zucchini
  • Homemade pickled radishes with fresh herbs
  • Pesto and veggie wraps or hummus and veggie wraps
  • Zucchini noodle pasta with cherry tomatoes and pesto
  • Garden picnic pasta salad (see recipe below)
Photo by Pattie Garrett

It’s time to dust off that picnic basket, soak up the sunshine and get outside before the sun sets on summer. My favorite summer memories are filled with days spent lounging by the pool, making forts in the woods, traipsing through the cornfield, homemade lunches on my parent’s back porch and picnics at the lake. Picnics, that likely included some variation of a summer pasta salad.

Inspired by fresh finds from the farmer’s market, my Garden Picnic Pasta Salad includes a healthy helping of dark leafy greens, summer vegetables, and a tangy sun-dried tomato dressing. It contains 25g of plant protein per serving and is a hit among the kids. It’s fresh, seasonal and delicious. Beyond your next picnic, this pasta may accompany you to a friend’s BBQ, boat day on the lake, the beach, camping or a regular ole summer shindig.

Barb Biagioli is a board-certified holistic health coach and nutrition consultant, mother of two, and an avid farmer’s market shopper. She works with women and families to improve their health by implementing sustainable diet and lifestyle changes. Barb offers one-one-one coaching programs, workshops and classes, grocery tours, pantry rehab, and menu and restaurant consultation.

Planning a Summer Supper on the Grill

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

A great perk of summer is eating outdoors. My husband and I do this as often as we can manage. About 7 p.m., he gathers up wood and gets a fire going in our old charcoal goal. As the wood burns down to coals, I prep. Then, we cook and eat slowly, sipping wine and beer, watching the sun set and sky darken to dusk.

What goes on the grill? Where does it come from?

Most of what we eat comes from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market or our farm. What goes on the grill depends on what’s in season.

Grilled sirloin from Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

The centerpiece of most of our meals is meat, farm-raised and brought to an ambient temperature, maybe brushed with a bit of Dancing Ewe Farm’s olive oil, maybe sprinkled with black pepper or garlic, maybe topped with finely chopped rosemary or sage.

The “maybes” are truly that. Options. The meats our farmers bring to market come from animals that feast on the flavorful bounty of outdoor pastures, and rarely require much to enhance their flavor. We rotate between chicken, goat, pork, fish, lamb, and beef.

With meat as the main course, vegetables in all shapes, textures, and tastes enhance the overall meal.

I plan a supper’s vegetables around three basic cooking styles: roasted, sautéed, and right on the grill. Roasted is usually a starch – such as hakurei turnips, trimmed, wrapped in foil and cooked until fork-soft and slightly caramelized. For sautéed, try a bunch of seasonal greens such as tatsoi, tossed into a frying pan or wok with olive oil, lemon juice, and maybe chopped onion, green garlic, or chive. Stir fry the greens for 2-4 minutes until they have wilted. Right on the grill is anything that likes a slight singe. For instance, zucchini, cooked until tender with a blackened patten from the grill.

Grilled lamb chops from Elihu Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Summer supper possibilities on the grill are endless. Try your own combinations and stop by the market to share your results.

On Wednesdays, locally raised meat and poultry may be found at Ramble Creek Farm, Slate River Farms, and Squashville Farm. On Saturdays, Elihu Farm, Lewis Waite Farm, Longlesson Farm, M&A Farm, and Ramble Creek Farm. Fish and seafood may be found at Pura Vida Fisheries. And, cured meats not for grilling may be found at Dancing Ewe Farm.

Eating with the Season: Summer Meals

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By Catherine Morba

We have waited patiently, our farmers have worked tirelessly, and the Upstate New York soil has recognized the efforts and responded with annual generosity. Market tables are beginning to overflow with rainbows of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. With so many ingredients for the taking, cooks can indulge in cravings for juicy peaches, leafy greens, and heirloom tomatoes of all sorts while paying homage to the local lands that bore them.

Summer vegetables on the grill

This special season deserves cooking that is equally so. The ideal recipe is light, refreshing, and a celebration of all summer has to offer. Another consideration is temperature. During the dog days of summer, the less time spent inside with ovens ablaze the better. When heat is required, a grill can be a saving grace. Grilling up a large batch of fresh vegetables tossed in a simple marinade such as minced garlic, lemon juice, and good quality olive oil provides options for the next several meals. I use a grill basket, skillet, or shish kabob set depending on the vegetable but prefer to put them right on the grate for the coveted grill marks. Serve them as-is, then combine leftovers with grains like bulgur, quinoa, or rice. Grill whole bell peppers and stuff with any of the above, or beans and cilantro for a Southwest take. Experiment with fresh herbs, cheeses, kinds of vinegar, and seasonings to round out the dishes.

This week, try Polenta with Grilled Eggplant, Tomatoes and Basil. While the grate is still hot, make way for a dessert of Grilled Peaches with Browned Butter and Cinnamon Crumbs. The options for different flavors, textures, and pops of color are endless and impressive, but not time-consuming. Meals that are quick to come together allow for more precious moments in the backyard with feet kicked up, full plate in hand, and family and friends abound.

Learning the Power of Produce

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Power of Produce Club, photo by Pattie Garrett

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

School’s out for the summer. No lunchboxes to fill, no homework, fewer structured activities, and more free time. It’s a perfect time to add a Wednesday family outing to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for the Power of Produce Club.

Power of Produce, or POP, is a free 12-week program at the market. It begins next Wednesday, June 26, and runs through early September. The goal is to help children learn more about where their food comes from.

POP Coin

Children can join the POP Club by visiting the Saratoga Farmers’ Market with their parents. Each time members visit the market they receive a $2 POP coin that can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, children receive a POP passport that is stamped at each visit. After receiving four stamps, children are eligible for a prize. Although the club is open to children, it is especially geared toward those aged 5-12.

Buying produce with a POP coin gives children a chance to meet farmers, learn money skills, and make smart food choices.

In addition to the POP coins, the POP Club features weekly activities and music. The Christopher Dailey Foundation sponsors the program and several community partners host the club’s activities. Opening day will feature music by first-time market performer Jeannine Ouderkirk, a Humpty Dumpty craft activity sponsored by the Saratoga Springs Public Library, and a sampling of Shushan Hydro Farms’ cherry tomatoes.

Friends of the Market host POP Club, photo by Pattie Garrett

Julia Howard, formerly the market coordinator, started the POP Club at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market four years ago. This summer, her five-year-old daughter Taiga will be a club member.

“With a climate crisis and pesticide-ridden foods in our present day, it’s so important that children understand where their food comes from,” Howard says. “It’s important that we give them the tools to be involved in agriculture and community, to help them understand the impacts of climate change. The POP Club is a great outlet for children to get involved and to learn how to make changes on a local and worldwide level.”

To join, look for the green POP Club tent at the Wednesday market, across from the market information booth.

Ravioli in Olive Oil

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Recipe courtesy of My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 2

 

Ingredients

All Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 package of homemade ravioli (about 10)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • ½ Tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
  • Optional: ½ Tablespoon of Peperonciono sott’olio from Dancing Ewe Farm

 

Instructions

  1. Bring water to a boil. Add ravioli stirring so it doesn’t stick, and water returns to a boil. Cook pasta until it is tender about 4 to 5 minutes. Test the pasta after 3 minutes if you prefer it al dente. Drain and reserve 2 Tablespoons of the pasta water to create a sauce.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until light brown. Do not burn the garlic. Add the reserved pasta water. Gently mix in the ravioli. Sprinkle in the parsley and basil. If using Peperonciono, top the dish after plating.

 

Notes: Peperonciono sott’olio can be purchased from the Dancing Ewe Farm or add ½ Tablespoon of red pepper flakes when you add the garlic. Top with favorite Pecorino (made from sheep’s milk) cheese, e.g. Pecorino Riserva.

PB Banana Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats

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Recipe shared by Jamie Kelley, owner, and creator of Mugzy’s Barkery

 

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the market

  • 32 oz. organic plain Greek yogurt *
  • 3 Tbsp organic peanut butter *  (make sure it contains only peanuts and no xylitol)
  • 1 organic banana
  • 1 Tbsp local raw honey *

 

Instructions

  1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor
  2. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for 2 hours or until solid. 

Your pup will enjoy a nice cold and nutritious treat on a hot summer day!