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weekly article

Farm fresh zucchini flowers add beauty and versatility to many dishes

August 17, 2022 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta

 

We know the jokes about zucchini: If you leave your car doors unlocked, you might come back and find your back seat filled with them.

But the flowers from zucchini and other squash plants are a different story. Brilliantly yellow, they are just as tasty and versatile as the fruits they produce.

At Leaning Birch Farm, Dan, Rose, and Nic Fera have made squash flowers a seasonal staple.

“Last year, people kept asking us about the blossoms,” says Rose. “We only had a few, and they sold so fast.”

Over the winter, Dan did some research and found a zucchini variety known for producing more male than female flowers. Flowers produce fruits but only if they are female and have been pollinated by their male counterparts. Once the pollination is done, male flowers are best picked off so the plants can focus on producing fruits.

“We ordered the seeds, and planted a row,” Rose says. “They produce flowers like crazy.”

Photo provided by Leaning Birch Farm

Now clamshell boxes filled with them sit stacked at the Leaning Birch stall, along with some boxes of female flowers with baby zucchini attached. The boxes sell fast.

Rose picks zucchini flowers early each morning. The blossoms from this variety, she says, are bigger and firmer, making them much easier to cook. 

“The easiest way is to dip them in a light batter and fry them,” says Rose.

Another way, says her son Nic, is to create simple ricotta cheese filling with herbs and a tempura-like batter of flour, cornstarch, and cold water. Dip the stuffed flowers in the batter and deep fry. 

I tried it. The outcome was delicious – and my kitchen a mess.

“Experiment,” urges Rose. “Use your imagination.”

Photo provided by Leaning Birch Farm

I mixed fresh oregano and minced garlic into the ricotta and filled the flowers. I lightly coated a baking dish with olive oil and rolled the flowers in it. They roasted in a 350F oven for about 12 minutes while I snacked on some chard I had roasted in the same dish beforehand. I arranged the blossoms over the chard and sliced up a fresh tomato. I had a meal full of color and one baking dish to clean.

Rose suggests tearing up the flowers and tossing them into salads, topping pizzas, creating a soup, scrambling them with eggs or adding them to pancake batter. 

The flowers are likely to remain plentiful at the Saratoga Farmers Market for a couple more weeks.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: farm to table, Leaning Birch Farm, recipe ideas, Squash, weekly article, zucchini flowers

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Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you to everyone who came by today. We hope you had fun! 😋🌎🌾
Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flav Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flavor Fest is happening tomorrow! 🎉🍴 Our vendors have amazing samples for you to taste, including mouth-watering chorizo and bratwurst from Hebron Valley Meats and delectable Chicken Briyani from Perfect Plant Farm. 😍 Don't forget to grab your passport for a chance to win a prize by collecting stamps from market vendors! 🛍️ @worldkidsmuseum will also be joining us with a fun kid's craft to make your own fortune cookie 🥠, and CCE food is back with a fermentation activity. 🌱 See you there! ✈️🌎😋

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #thingstodoinupstateny #internationalfood #flavorfest #farmersmarket #kidsactivities #smallbuisness #shoplocal
Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at th Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at the Saratoga Farmers' Market! 🍄🌱 This week, we're thrilled to highlight the Mushroom Shop and their incredible selection of locally grown and harvested mushrooms. We spoke with owner's Jacob and Elysee to learn more.

Q: What are some of the health benefits associated with consuming mushrooms?

A: Mushrooms contain a multitude of medicinal compounds. The mushroom species Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, which increases your blood's ability to absorb and transport oxygen, improving exercise performance. Mukitake or Panellus serotinus possesses compounds that have shown in recent studies to improve liver function in people suffering from fatty liver disease. Reishi mushrooms improve immune health, warding off sickness and reducing inflammation. Other medicinal mushrooms include Turkey Tail, Chaga, Agarikon, Maitake, and Lions Mane.

Q: What inspired you to start selling mushrooms at the farmers' market?

A: We initially got our inspiration from a mushroom farm based in Tennessee called Mossy Creek Mushrooms. They have many videos on Youtube covering every aspect of operating a mushroom farm from building and maintaining equipment to harvesting and marketing mushrooms. Jacob has had an interest in growing mushrooms as a hobby for about eight years when he discovered a patch of oyster mushrooms growing in the wild. We got the opportunity to lease land in the beginning of 2021 and shortly after started selling at farmers’ markets.

Q: How do you recommend customers prepare and cook the mushrooms they purchase from you?

A: At our farmers markets we always provide printed recipes that utilize the mushrooms available during the current season. Like meat, mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéing, roasting, and grilling to create a flavorful dish. One of our recent favorites is a Spicy Crispy Lion's Mane Sandwich- a thick slab of Lion's Mane mushroom battered and fried on a toasted bun with spicy mayo and pickles. This is a delicious take on a chicken sandwich made entirely of whole, natural produce. 

*Find the Mushroom shop year round at our Saturday markets!*

#saratogafarmersmarket
Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Join us on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market's International Flavor Fest in the Wilton Mall food court! 🎉 Indulge in frgál cakes, julekaker, burek, curries, samosas, and more, representing cuisines from all around the world! 🌎 There will be live music, family-friendly activities, and food tastings that will take your taste buds on a journey around the globe! 🎶👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Plus, our friends at the World Awareness Children's Museum will be hosting a paper fortune cookie making session for the kiddos! Don't forget to pick up your passport for a chance to win a prize by filling it with stamps from market vendors! Let's celebrate our traditions, history, and community through the language of flavorful food! 😍🍴

 #InternationalFlavorFest #SaratogaFarmersMarket #FoodieAdventure #CommunityConnection

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