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

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

vegan

A Farm-to-Table Thanksgiving Guide: The Meats (and Meat Alternatives)

By

By Emily Meagher

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and at the farmers’ market, there will be holiday offerings aplenty the next two Saturdays. Whatever the size of your gathering or the dietary preferences of your diners this year, market vendors are bringing plenty of options for every course. This week, we are looking at the various local meats in stock.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

If you plan to host a traditional Thanksgiving meal, a turkey is likely to be on your shopping list. Preorder a pasture-raised, non-GMO-fed turkey at Ramble Creek Farm, with various bird sizes available from 10 to 18+ pounds. Order at the market or online, and pick up at the market on November 20.

Other meat vendors offer a full range of meats for those looking to try a different main course this year. Chicken may fill that turkey craving but better serve a smaller group of diners. This year, Squash Villa Farm offers Delaware breed heritage birds, a critically endangered species that is rare to find but offers great meat. Longlesson Farm offers whole chickens as well, and Ramble Creek Farm has various parts available.

Elihu Farm, photo by Emily Meagher

For non-poultry meats, find many different cuts of lamb, such as shanks, loin chops, and riblets, at Elihu Farm. Hebron Valley Veal will have roasts, chops and cutlets of veal available. Squash Villa Farm offers goat leg roasts.

Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Pork, including roasts, hocks, and sausages, will be available at three vendors: Pork & Greens (a new vendor at the farmers’ market offering various breeds of sustainably raised pork), Ramble Creek Farm, and Longlesson Farm, where pork returns in stock on November 20th. The latter farm has plenty of beef available, as well.

Looking for a vegetarian or vegan centerpiece instead? You can use various in-season produce items to create a flavorful and visually stunning meal without meat. Try dishes like whole roasted cauliflower, lentil shepherd’s pie with a parsnip and potato mash, or a “squashducken” (a squash, stuffed in a squash, stuffed in another squash!).

For the other courses, the farmers’ market is sure to fill your needs as well. More on the vegetable sides, desserts, and dressings you can source at the market in next week’s edition.

This week’s recipe: Accidental Turkey

Packing the Perfect Plant-Based Picnic

By

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.