The Food Florist

Farmers’ Market Finds Success During Unprecedented Times

August 11, 2020 By marketeditor

By Madeline McCarthy

Normally, farmers’ markets are a space for customers to interact with their local food producers and community, sipping iced drinks while watching musicians play. But in the age of social distancing, making that gathering happen is impossible.

On March 20th, Governor Cuomo declared farmers’ markets essential businesses. Local food vendors were allowed to sell their products as long as they followed certain requirements, such as limiting the number of customers at their tables and changing the presentation of their stalls in order to encourage social distancing.

Fast forward nearly half a year, and our vendors have settled into the new way of doing business. We caught up with some of our vendors to see what this means for them, and noticed a trend: for many, the coronavirus has all but slowed down sales.

Feathered Antler, photo by Pattie Garrett

“My sales have been up 200%,” states Christophe Robert, a local meat producer who runs Longlesson Farm, as he chalks “sold out” next to another one of his products. He notes that since markets are outside and enforcing social distancing, more customers feel at ease. Robert continues, “Customers know that it’s only one person who’s touched the packaging, it’s not a big store where you don’t know where the product has been before it landed in your hands.”

In an effort to maintain these safe production lines, vendors have changed their displays to allow for more visual browsing.

“Usually, I have more of a built up display, but now I make sure everything is spread out and visible, so [customers] don’t have to pick it up in order to admire it,” says Gretchen Tisch, artist and owner of Feathered Antler. She believes that the alterations have changed shopping behaviors, causing customers to make more instant decisions about the products they purchase.

One concern has arisen for vendors that work with outside businesses. When chatting with Trisha Nussbaum from the Food Florist, which specializes in pre-made meals, she mentions that it became harder to acquire raw ingredients, encountering a chicken, pork, and beef shortage due to COVID. Though this has slowed down their production, it hasn’t slowed down their order demands.

“For us, we’re just doing what we always have, but with more ovens,” she summarizes with a laugh.

This week’s recipe: Boston Butt with Gravy

Psst… Some of the best things happen on Wednesdays

June 2, 2020 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

*Burger’s MarketGarden, photo by Pattie Garrett*

Weekends are market days for many farmers. But the Saratoga Farmers’ Market would like you to let you in on a secret – there’s a midweek market, as well.

Tucked into a corner of the Wilton Mall parking lot is the Wednesday market, featuring about 15 local farmers and prepared food vendors. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., they offer eggs, fresh produce, plants, baked goods, and prepared foods.

“It’s our best-kept secret,” says market board president Beth Trattel. “A simple way to pick up the freshest foods in a safe, no-fuss environment.”

In years past, the market association promoted its Wednesday market as a family-friendly space to gather for music, children’s games, and food purchases. This year, with COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings in place, live music and games are on pause. But farmers are still coming.

*518 Farms mushrooms, photo by Pattie Garrett*

Who’s there and what are they bringing? Here’s a snapshot.

As you enter the market from the former Bon Ton parking lot, flowering plants and other seedlings from Burger Farm greet you. Nearby, Shushan Valley Hydro Farms offers hydroponically grown herbs and vegetables. Surrounding Shushan are baked confections from The Chocolate Spoon, casseroles from The Food Florist, and Mediterranean meals to go from Euro Delicacies.

Further into the market are more farmers: Owl Wood Farm and Gomez Veggie Ville with their colorful piles of vegetables; eggs, chicken, and more vegetables at Squashville and Green Jeans farms; mushrooms and lavender at 518 Farms; and apples and cider of both the sweet and hard type from Saratoga Apple. On another end, you’ll find My Dacha Slovenian Café with its meals-to-go offerings. And tucked in between other stalls are Saratoga Garlic with its pickled garlic and aioli offerings, Gifford Farms with produce and baked goods; and Mister Edge’s popular knife sharpening service.

*Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Pattie Garrett*

More vendors will start attending as the state eases its COVID-19 restrictions.

For now, Wednesday remains a great space to get the fresh ingredients for one or two meals, perhaps a prepared meal for Friday, and a few sweet treats. Try carrots dipped in aioli , scrambled eggs with arugula, radishes and lettuce tossed in a salad, and more.

See our full listing of this season’s Wednesday vendors

10 Things You Might Not Know Are Sold at the Farmers’ Market

March 10, 2020 By marketeditor

By Julia Howard

Upon the first look, the farmers’ market can be overwhelming. Tables are piled high with produce, coolers are full of meat and cheeses, and display cases tower high with bottles of syrup and jars of jam. In addition, products available at the farmers’ market change slightly each season. Here’s a peek at 10 things you might not know are sold at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

*Shaving soap from Moxie Ridge Farm, photo provided*

1. Shaving soap
“Soft Serve” shaving cream is an old-fashioned wet shaving soap made from goat milk and pig lard. This nourishing specialty soap is made exclusively at Moxie Ridge Farm. Just add some water, lather with a shaving brush, and enjoy the lather for a smooth shave.

2. Mushroom coffee & teas
Mariaville Mushroom Men have made it easy to enjoy a daily serving of mushrooms with their perfectly blended mushroom teas that come in easy to use teabags. Looking for something a little more robust? Scoop, stir and enjoy their instant mushroom coffee.

*The Vermont Spätzle Company, photo provided*

3. Spätzle (gluten-free)
The Vermont Spätzle Company has traditional spätzle that is no-boil, ready in 5 minutes, and gluten-free. What’s even better is that this spätzle is as versatile as it is tasty. The Vermont Spätzle Company has dozens of quick and easy spätzle recipes on their website.

4. Goat
Goat has a distinct flavor that is leaner than lamb and can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as being stewed, curried, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, fried, or made into sausage. Find a variety of cuts, ribs, and roasts at Squashville Farm.

5. Dog treats
Dog treats are serious business at the farmers’ market. Longlesson Farm and Lewis Waite Farm both offer beef bones specifically for dogs. Something’s Brewing makes ‘beastly bites’ dog biscuits from all-natural ingredients. And, Mugzy’s Barkery has a whole line of treats and cakes made from all-natural and organic ingredients.

6. CBD oil
With high-quality hemp grown and processed here in New York, Earth to Mind CBD products are designed to help relieve stress, soothe pain, and attain a sense of well being when added to your holistic routine. If you’re looking for an alternative form of healing, visit Earth to Mind about adding CBD oil to your holistic routine.

7. Take-home meals
The Food Florist offers a variety of frozen take-home meals made with carefully sourced ingredients so you won’t have to compromise over convenience. The Food Florist offers a variety of casseroles and lasagnas to choose from, even breakfast and gluten-free options.

8. Hormone balancing seed blends
Seed cycling is an easy and functional way to get nutrients in the body to help women rebalance their hormones. Moon Cycle Seed Company blends four seeds: pumpkin, flax, sunflower, and sesame. When ingested in a specific combination daily, they provide the body with essential nutrients.

*Pea shoots at Pleasant Valley Farm, photo provided*

9. Shoots
Whether you eat them by the handful, put them on a salad or sauté them with garlic, pea and radish shoots offer a burst of nutritious and delicious flavor. Varieties of shoots are growing in the greenhouse at Pleasant Valley Farm and Green Jeans Market Farm.

10. Beef Jerky
Muddy Trail Jerky offers handcrafted beef jerky in 13 flavors. Sweet, savory, or spicy options include Bourbon Barbecue, Habanero Mango, Bacon & Molasses just for starters. Visit their stand for over 50 varieties of dips, rubs, seasonings, and meal starters. Is beef not your thing? Try Zen Jerky by Vital Eats. This flavorful, plant-based jerky is packed with protein.

Exploring the Sweet Side of the Farmers’ Market

September 9, 2019 By marketeditor

By Julia Howard

*The Chocolate Spoon, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett*

Beneath a dozen eggs and some carrots with sprawling greens lay some of the most delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. The Chocolate Spoon was the last stop on my list this past Saturday, and the farmers’ market crowd was beginning to swell. Once the cookies were safely tucked away in my basket, I headed for my car.

Indulging in a sweet treat has become a part of my Wednesday or Saturday shopping ritual – a reward for working hard all week. The rewards vary. Last week, it was applesauce from Saratoga Apple. The apples, slowly and gently cooked, have the perfect chunky consistency and balance of sweetness and tart. With no sugar added, I felt like I was doing something good for myself. The week before that, my treat was Mrs. London’s famous buttery almond croissant. And, the week before that, I fondly recall rich, creamy chocolate milk from Battenkill Valley Creamery.

*Slate Valley Farms, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett*

Whatever farmers’ market sweets I choose to indulge in, they are always fresh, delicious, and an ode to quality, local ingredients. Perhaps that’s why they have become my shopping tradition. And, they are treats that I don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing myself.

*Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett*

Market sweets come in a variety of sizes to accommodate any desire or occasion. Satisfy a small craving with a honey stick from Slate Valley Farms or personal-sized Sweet Greek yogurt from Argyle Cheese Farmer. Looking for a larger quantity to share? Perhaps a pie from The Food Florist or cheesecake from Grandma Apples Cheesecakes. Tiramisu from Giovanni Fresco is some of the best you’ll try, and baklava from Euro Delicacies is authentic and sweetened with local honey. Dickinson’s Delights’ Nutella crepes are filled with seasonal fruit and make for a decadent and gooey dessert that could be eaten for breakfast.

Looking for gluten-free or dairy-free options? Farmers’ market vendors have those too.

What about the unique chocolate craving that we all succumb to? Saratoga Chocolate Company has a variety of handmade cocoa creations to satisfy that specific desire that must be met.

The next time you’re shopping at the farmer’s market, make time for something on the sweeter side. You’ll be glad you did.

For this week’s recipe, I leave you with chocolate chip zucchini muffins. They are cake-like, sweet, and satisfying with a healthy touch.

Comfort Food from a Truck

March 9, 2016 By marketeditor

By Jeremy Riccardi

Trisha Nusbaum, owner of The Food Florist, has brought comfort food via a “pop-up” food truck to Saratoga Springs. She joins the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as its newest vendor.

Nusbaum, who has 16 years experience of restaurant ownership, relocated last year with her husband to Saratoga from Indianapolis. She had started The Food Florist in Indianapolis as an expansion-arm of her former business and brought it to Saratoga Springs in October 2015. “When my husband transferred to Saratoga Springs for work, it was natural that The Food Florist would move with me”, Nusbaum said. “I felt Saratoga Springs was a fabulous location and thought it would be a great place to build my business”.

The Food Florist offers a wide-range of meal choices from Swedish meatballs to chicken pot pies. She uses many of the other market vendors’ products to produce her meals, including Longlesson Farm’s Angus beef for meatballs, Battenkill Creamery’s milk and cream for sauces in casseroles and lasagnas, and Argyle Farms’ Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute.

Nusbaum uses organic, all natural, or locally produced products in her recipes. She plans to feature a market ingredient list on her website (http://thefoodflorist.com/), by late April. The website’s product list will also work with Nusbaum’s newest endeavor, opening Food Florist Farms, a six-acre farm with a commercial kitchen and a farm-to-table dining experience later this year.

The Food Florist truck is lined with freezers. Nusbaum cooks and prepares the food in a commercial kitchen at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Saratoga. She freezes her preparations to bring to sell to the market. “My food truck is not an ordinary food truck,” said Nusbaum who describes her concept as a “pop-up truck.” Instead of cooking on the premises, she sells her meals made in advance that customers can finish cooking at home.

Nusbaum hopes that her “pop-up truck” will inspire others to become passionate about no-frills comfort food. “I love the Saratoga Farmers’ Market,” Nusbaum said. “Showing that you’re authentic is what is important to become a vendor. Every vendor has made me feel welcome and the customers have been so nice. ”

You can get additional information via The Food Florist’s website and Facebook page, or by e-mailing orders@thefoodflorist.com. You can also visit Nusbaum’s truck at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Saturdays, 9am-1pm at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Recipe courtesy of The Food Florist

Ingredients:

*Ingredients available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs*
• 1 tbs salt
• 1/2 tbs dill*
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped onion*
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 3 eggs*
• 3/4 cup milk*
• 2 1/2 lbs. ground Angus Beef*

Directions:

Mix together bread crumbs, salt, dill, ground mustard, pepper, chopped onion and nutmeg.

Add eggs and milk to the mixture and whisk together.

Then add 2 1/2 lbs. ground Angus Beef. Kneed in by hand until all ingredients are mixed together. Roll into 1.5 oz balls

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until internal temperature is at 165 degrees.

Serve over your favorite egg noodles and enjoy.

The Food Florist

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