Shop Local, Eat Fresh at the Saratoga Farmers' Market | Food, Crafts, Music in Saratoga Springs

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

tomatoes

Growing memories and traditions through the love of food

By

Madison Jackson with her Grandma Jo, circa 2006

By Madison Jackson, market intern

Each year I find myself looking forward to the late summer when everything seems to slow down a bit as we soak up the last long, hot days that mark the bittersweet end of another summer. Before we trade our swimsuits for back to school and office outfits and switch our summer salads for pumpkin recipes, we enjoy one last late summer harvest.

Growing up, the late summer always brought with it one of my favorite treats: my Grandmother’s fresh chocolate chip zucchini bread. My Grandma Jo’s beloved garden sat in the field behind her and my grandfather’s home in Upstate New York, surrounded by a small fence to keep out the deer and rabbits that frequented the property. She tended to her garden often, loading her many tools onto a four-wheeler and setting out to work in the hot sun to ensure her fruits, vegetables, and herbs were properly taken care of.

In early August, her small garden overflowed with an abundance of zucchini, raspberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The meals of the following weeks were filled with produce from the garden in every way imaginable. Zucchini bread and muffins for breakfast, cucumber and tomato salads for lunch, and cakes with sweet raspberry sauce for dessert.

Madison Jackson at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

This flood of fresh fruits and vegetables brought some of my favorite meals of the summer, as well as some of the most cherished memories of my childhood. Long afternoons surrounded by my siblings and cousins, following directions to make delicious raspberry jam we liked to call “Grandchildren Jam” and enjoying her homemade desserts out on the deck surrounded by family as we watched the sunset. But what I looked forward to most was the late summer surplus of zucchini that meant homemade zucchini bread, with a special batch she would set aside for me made with chocolate chips.

As we enter the last few weeks of summer, as always, I look forward to sharing this recipe with my family and taking in the dog days of August.

Cooking provides such a special way to connect with family and friends and emphasizes the importance of nourishing ourselves with fresh, healthy foods. Come browse the market this month to stock up on seasonal summer produce grown by your favorite local farmers. It is food that you can feel good about eating and sharing.

 

This week’s recipe: Grandma Jo’s Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

By

AdobeStock

Recipe provided by Echo Creek Farm

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 6-8 tomatoes*, halved
● Olive oil

Instructions
Spread the halved tomatoes out on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Bake the tomatoes for 4 to 6 hours at 250° degrees. The longer you bake them, the more concentrated their flavor will be. Cool the tomatoes before transferring them to a platter. They can be served right away or will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Serve these simple but flavorful tomatoes as a garnish for a brunch or as a side with roast chicken or grilled steak.

Instant Pot Bolognese

By

Recipe by Healthy Gourmet Kitchen
Makes: 8 servings
Total time: 30 min

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 lb. ground meat of choice (beef*, lamb*, pork*, turkey, or plant-based)
● 1 package Healthy Gourmet Kitchen Bolognese meal starter kit*
● 1 onion diced*
● 2 lb. tomatoes* OR 1, 28 oz. can whole or diced plum tomatoes
● 1 cup white wine
● 1 cup milk*
● 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter*
● 12 ounces penne pasta

Directions
1. Turn Instant Pot to saute medium. Add butter and allow it to melt slightly. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add ground meat and break it up so that it crumbles. Continue to saute until the meat is brown.
2. After meat is browned, add white wine and the Healthy Gourmet Kitchen Bolognese meal starter pack on top of the meat.
3. Add milk and tomatoes. If you are using fresh, whole tomatoes, squish them or chop them up. Add pasta and push so that it is submerged under the liquid.
4. Secure the lid on the Instant pot and close the vent. Press manual for 4 minutes.
5. When the cooking time is complete, allow 5 minutes to pass for natural release, then move the vent to remove the rest of the steam. Remove the lid, top with grated cheese, and enjoy!

Grilled Lamb Chops

By

Recipe by American Lamb, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Marinade:
● 3 Tablespoons olive oil
● 4 garlic cloves, chopped
● 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary*, minced
● 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
● zest from 1 lemon
● ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
● ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
● 2 pounds lamb chops* (4 chops)
● 1 pound cherry tomatoes*, on vine or skewered
● 1 teaspoon plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil

For the salad:
● 5 ounces baby arugula*
● 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
● 4 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes

Instructions
1. For marinade: Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season the chops with salt. Place the chops in a shallow dish. Rub the marinade into the chops to coat evenly on all sides. Cover loosely and marinade at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Rub the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of oil and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt.

3. Allow the excess marinade to drip off the chops and place on a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the tomatoes around the perimeter of the pan. Cover and cook, turning the chops once until nicely charred on both sides and it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees. Cook the tomatoes until blistered and lightly charred.

4. Transfer the grilled chops and tomatoes to a large platter and cover loosely with foil to rest.

5. For the salad: In a large bowl, toss the arugula with remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil, vinegar, and salt. Mound the salad in the center of a serving platter and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Arrange the chops and tomatoes on the salad. Serve immediately.

Note:
The original recipe grills the lamb chops on a gas grill.

Farmers’ Market Vegetable Tian

By

Adapted from the recipe on www.theblondcook.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
● 1 tablespoon olive oil
● 2 large yellow onions*, cut in half and sliced
● 2 garlic cloves*, minced
● 1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
● 2 medium-size potatoes*, unpeeled and thinly sliced
● 3 medium tomatoes*, thinly sliced
● 1 cup semi-soft artisan cheese*, shredded (anything that melts well)
● 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme*
● Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a skillet. Spread the onion and garlic mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.
  3. Evenly arrange the vegetable slices vertically and tightly in the casserole dish, alternating vegetables.
  4. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
  5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes (uncovered), or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Three Sisters Chili

By

Recipe courtesy of Squashville Farm
Serves: 4

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 onion*, peeled and diced
● 1 tablespoon olive oil*
● 1 lb ground venison or beef*
● 3 cloves garlic*, minced
● 2 tsp chili powder
● 1 tsp cumin
● ½ tsp dried oregano
● 1 ear corn*
● 1 carnival squash*, seeded and cut into one-inch pieces
● 1 green pepper*, seeded and diced
● 3-4 fresh tomatoes*, cut into chunks
● 3 cups vegetable broth
● 8 oz dried red beans
● salt and pepper to taste
● Optional garnishes: fresh chopped cilantro*, toast pumpkin seeds, cheddar cheese*, plain yogurt*

Preparation

  1. Wash and soak dry beans for 30 minutes. Rinse and place in 1 cup of water until ready to use.
  2. Remove kernels from corn cob.
  3. Heat oil in a pot, and add onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until onions are translucent.
  4. Add ground meat and brown.
  5. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
  6. Add squash, corn, and green pepper. Stir in broth, beans with water, and tomatoes. Simmer until squash is soft and ingredients have combined to create a thick, chunky soup.

    Note: This chili tastes better if it is refrigerated overnight and reheated the next day.