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sweet potatoes

Farm to Pantry: Making meals with ingredients on hand

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By Julia Howard

Pleasant Valley Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Our responsibility, by direction, is to stay at home and only head out for essentials when absolutely necessary. As we settle in safely for the weeks to come, many are looking to foods that store well, foods that are easy to prepare, and, most importantly, foods that are available right now.

While food bloggers hail smart and savvy ‘pantry meals’ that utilize canned goods, rice, and beans, the farmers’ market offers an expanded palette of foods that are easy to store and last longer than most produce found at grocery stores.

Vegetables like onions, garlic, potatoes, and carrots are often at the core of savory, hearty meals. They are durable and have a good shelf life, and these vegetables work well in diverse meals depending on preparation methods and seasonings. Please note that garlic is currently unavailable at market.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Milk, butter, cheese, and eggs are staples that most of us keep in constant rotation in the refrigerator. These binding ingredients are often what pulls the meal together. Milk may be used to create a creamy finish to soups and sauces like a classic roux – which is made from butter, flour, and milk. Eggs can be used to create satisfying omelettes and frittatas with endless possibilities for fillings. Cheese is essential for homemade pizza, quesadillas, baked ziti, and numerous other dishes.

Saratoga Apple, photo by Pattie Garrett

Shelf-stable vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, and turnips can last for several weeks when kept in a cool, dry place. These vegetables can be the main stars of any meal, soup, or salad, and they are high in nutritional value. Even fruits like apples can keep for 2-3 weeks. Having a variety of these long-lasting fruits and vegetables inspires cooking that’s creative, comforting, and simple.

Meat and poultry are necessities for most, and they can be bought directly from farmers. Ground beef, whole chickens, and steaks and roasts can be kept frozen and thawed under refrigeration once you are ready to prepare them. Leftovers from a large roast or a whole roasted chicken may be used in a variety of dishes and soups as well.

While shopping at the farmers’ market, please remember to follow universal precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please try to send one member of the household to shop and give 6’ space while shopping. Only touch products that you commit to buy and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and after shopping.

If you plan to shop for something specific, please check our website and social media pages for updates. These are changeable times and we are working to keep you up to date with vendor and product availability each week.

 

This week’s recipe: Pantry Pot Pie

Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

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Recipe by Friends of the Market, adapted by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 2

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts*
  • 1 sweet potato*, cleaned, peeled,and diced
  • 1 garlic clove*, unpeeled
  • pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup maple syrup*

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Place the butter into a roasting pan and melt in the oven. When butter is melted, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan and place the chicken, potatoes, and garlic clove into the pan. Sprinkle with pepper, turn the chicken, potatoes, and garlic to coat with butter.
  3. Bake in the preheated about 40 minutes, basting 3 times with pan drippings. Brush maple syrup over the chicken and spoon pan drippings over the potatoes.
  4. Return to the oven and bake until the chicken and potatoes are tender and browned about 20 more minutes.
  5. To serve, squeeze the garlic from the baked cloves and spread the soft garlic over the chicken. Pour pan juices over the chicken and potatoes.

Notes:

The original recipe calls for 6 Yukon gold potatoes and 6 chicken leg quarters, split into drumsticks and thighs. Also the recipe calls for much more garlic cloves.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 501 Fat: 26 g Saturated fat: 15 g Carbohydrates: 40 g Sugar: 29 g (25 added) Sodium: 468 mg Fiber: 2 g Protein: 27 g Cholesterol: 144 mg

Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

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Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients
● 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter*, cut into ½ inch pieces
● 1 shallot*, minced
● 1 cup chicken broth
● 1 cup apple cider*
● 6 sprigs fresh thyme*
● 2 bay leaves
● salt and pepper
● 1 pound carrots*, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick
● 1 pound sweet potatoes*, peeled halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
● ¼ cup coarsely chopped candied ginger
● 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
● 3 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro*

Instructions
1. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add broth, cider, thyme, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and sweet potatoes, stir to combine and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 14 minutes.

2. Remove pot from heat. Discard thyme springs and bay leaves and stir in candied ginger. Push vegetable mixture to sides of the pot. Add mustard and remaining 2 Tablespoons butter to center and whisk into cooking liquid. Stir to coat vegetable mixture with sauce, transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Sweet Potato and Cranberry Sauté

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Recipe by Liza Porter, cookbook editor and former owner of Homestead Artisans & Longview Farm
Serves: 4


Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market
● ¾ cup apple juice or water
● 1 lb sweet potatoes*, sliced
● 1 medium cooking apple*, chopped
● ¼ cup dried cranberries
● 2 T maple syrup*
● ¼ tsp salt
● ¼ cup whole hazelnuts or walnuts

Instructions
Place the nuts in a dry frying pan, over high heat, and toast, stirring frequently, until they smell toasted and are not scorched. Immediately pour onto a chopping board or into a chopping bowl and chop finely. Set aside. Pour the juice or water into a 10-inch skillet. Add sweet potatoes and shake the pan to spread them out. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook, covered, until potatoes are almost fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in apple, cranberries, maple syrup, and salt. Boil gently for 5-6 minutes until the apple is just tender and the liquid is syrupy. Place in serving bowl. Sprinkle with nuts. Top with a tarragon sprig if desired.

Cornbread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

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Recipe adapted from Bake from Scratch magazine 

INGREDIENTS:

* Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

BREAD PUDDING:

6 cups cubed cornbread (make your own using dried corn*)

2 medium sweet potatoes* (4 cups cooked potatoes)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar, divided

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup whole milk*

1/2 cup heavy cream*

3 large eggs*, lightly beaten

1 large egg* yolk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ground nutmeg

TOPPING:

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 finely chopped pecans

SAUCE:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup heavy cream*

2 Tablespoons bourbon*

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

  1. For bread pudding: place cornbread cubes on a baking pan. Bake until dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside.
  2. Increase oven temperatures to 400 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and wrap tightly in foil. Bake until tender, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven, let stand for 10 minutes.
  3. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potato pulp into a medium bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons brown sugar and ginger and mash with a fork. Set aside.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  5. In a large bowl, combine cornbread and pecans. Gently fold in mashed sweet potatoes. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and remaining 1⁄2 cup brown sugar. Pour milk mixture over cornbread mixture and let stand for 10 minutes.
  6. Lightly grease 12 (6 ounce) custard cups or ramekins. Pour cornbread mixture into prepared cups. Arrange cups on baking sheet.
  7. For topping: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and pecans. Sprinkle mixture on top of bread pudding. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pans between lower and upper racks, and bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes clean, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  8. For sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, butter, and cream until melted. Do not boil. Add bourbon. Drizzle sauce over pudding or serve on the side. Serve warm.

Growing Sweet Potatoes – From Scratch

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Sweet potatoes from Pleasant Valley Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Late last winter, I wanted to try growing sweet potatoes from my own slips. I asked Paul Arnold, of Pleasant Valley Farm, for advice.

Arnold, a year-round produce vendor at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, donates a bin of these tasty, nutrient dense tubers each week to the Franklin Community Center food pantry. He pulled out a few and handed them to me.

“Cut these in half and put them in water or very wet soil,” he said. “Then transplant the sprouts when it’s warm enough for them to survive.”

I followed Arnold’s advice but started too late. By the time the sweet potatoes began to sprout slips – small roots trailing in water from the base of the tuber and purple-green leaves at the top – it was late July. Our gardens were full and so was my schedule. The slips never made it into the ground.

This year, I have a plan: I will start my slips next week, and transplant them in mid-June.

Sweet potatoes, unlike “regular” potatoes, are the root of a vine. The vine roots itself into the soil and produces a root, each time it touches the soil. Slips are the start of that process.

Although sweet potatoes require time, sunshine, and warmth to prosper, they are becoming an increasingly popular crop.

One sweet potato, cut in half lengthwise (producing two halves each with a round base) will sprout slips. These roots, once planted in deep trenches or raised rows of soil, will each yield several sweet potatoes.

To grow slips, do as Arnold suggests: Gather a few sweet potatoes, and cut them in half. Place the halves in damp potting soil or water, with half the tuber submerged. Use toothpicks to keep the sweet potatoes upright in water-filled jars.

Like plant cuttings, the sweet potatoes over six to eight weeks will first produce roots and then leafy stems. When the stems are about six inches tall, twist them gently off the tuber, and place them in fresh water for about a week until a new root forms. After all frost danger has passed, transplant them into the soil.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through April at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Spa State Park. Our outdoor season begins Wednesday, May 2 at High Rock Park. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.