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winter

Swiss Chard and Kale Gratin

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 2 pounds Swiss chard*
● 1 pound curly kale*, stemmed and cut into 1 inch wide strips
● 2 garlic cloves*, peeled
● 3 cups rustic white bread*, cut into ¾ inch cubes
● 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
● 1 cup Parmesan cheese
● ¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
● ½ teaspoon pepper, divided
● 1 onion*, chopped coarse
● 1½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme*
● 1 cup heavy cream
● ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Stem chard, then cut stems into 2 inch lengths and set aside. Slice leaves into 1 inch wide strips. Bring 2 cups water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add kale, cover and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook until kale is wilted about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Add chard leaves, cover and continue to cook until chard is wilted, about 4 minutes longer, stirring halfway through cooking. Transfer to colander set in sink and let drain. Do not wash pot.
2. Pulse garlic in food processor until coarsely chopped, 5 to 7 pulses. Add bread and 3 Tablespoons oil and pulse until largest crumbs are smaller than ¼ inch, 8 to 10 pulses. Add Parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and pulse to combine. Transfer to bowl.
3. Add onion and chard stems to now empty processor and process until finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to now-empty pot. Add thyme, remaining 2 Tablespoons oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until moisture has evaporated and mixture is just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Using spatula, press gently on greens in colander to remove excess moisture. Transfer greens to pot with onion mixture. Add cream and nutmeg and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over surface. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling bubbles around edges 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Wintertime farmers’ market finds: new arrivals & hidden gems

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By Emily Meagher

Wintertime is a slower season at the farmers’ market. There are fewer vegetables and fruits in season, and there is a more intimate group of vendors. But innovation never stops for local businesses; customers can find new products almost every week. Here are some new arrivals and hidden gems to look out for the next time you shop in person or online at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

Muddy Trail Jerky, photo by Emily Meagher

More digestible than cow milk yogurt and less processed than most plant-based options, R&G Cheesemakers’ goat milk greek yogurts offer a solution for lactose intolerant yogurt fans. Choose from plain or strawberry. Their goat milk cheeses include more unusual finds like feta, which are also a great option.

Want an easy dinner solution that’s fresher than grocery store-bought? Try Argyle Cheese Farmer’s frozen pizzas, available in double cheese, garden veggie, and meat lovers- style (“Dave’s Fave”). They make the crusts with whey from their cheese which adds more protein, and they top the pies with their cheese curds.

Does your dog keep whining for a bite of your beef jerky? Next time you shop at Muddy Trail Jerky, add a chicken jerky pack to your bag. They make this jerky from dehydrated chicken breast, with dogs specifically in mind.

Nettle Meadow, photo by Madison Jackson

Do you hear more and more about the health benefits of some varieties of mushrooms? 518 Farms provides an even easier way to reap these benefits by offering pure lion’s mane and reishi mushroom powders. Add to loose leaf tea or coffee grounds, or make a mushroom tea or stock.

The cheesemakers at Nettle Meadow are always inventing. Their newest Schroon Moon, a line of spreadable cow milk cheeses, offers various flavors such as savory olive or chive or sweet lemon poppy seed.

Locally grown beans might not be what you’d expect to find in Upstate New York in February. But now is prime time to pick up some legumes from Squash Villa Farm as the 2020 harvest is dried and ready for consumption. Choose between heirloom varieties of pinto or kidney or a variety pack of black, red, and white beans.

Something’s Brewing, photo by Emily Meagher

Something’s Brewing is known for its coffee beans and drinks, but don’t miss products like herbal tea (their hibiscus, vanilla, rose, and rooibos blend is refreshing) and coffee sugar (organic sugar blended with freshly ground spices).

This week’s recipe: Slow-Cooked Beef Shank with Polenta and Vegetables

Sowing the seeds for a new season

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By Emily Meagher

Greenhouse full of seedlings at Pleasant Valley Farm

Walking around a farmers’ market, you see tables neatly displayed with mountains of produce. There is a long journey before produce lands on market tables and then, eventually, your table. Farmers are on a tight schedule to do all they can to make sure their crops flourish. Now that we are deep into winter, we asked local farmers how they are preparing for this year’s growing season.

Planting onion sets to be scallions, photo courtesy of Pleasant Valley Farm

Laurie Kokinda, owner of Kokinda Farm, says, “It’s the hardest time of year, in terms of grunt work.” Farms are working tirelessly to sanitize their greenhouses and tunnels and repair and order new equipment. Farms are starting their first seedings like tomatoes, alliums, and head lettuce. This year, many farmers ordered their seed supply earlier than usual due to Coronavirus-related increases in demand as well as mail delays. Paul and Sandy Arnold, owners of Pleasant Valley Farm, note, “Normally, we can get seeds in the day after we order. This year, we’re waiting weeks!”

Local farms often choose to work together to share resources. Pleasant Valley Farm’s Sustainable Farmers’ Network Group is hard at work in the mid-winter, bulk-ordering supplies so that farms may share discounts. Gomez Veggie Ville works with Denison Farm to get this year’s supply of organic potato seeds. And, for the first time, they will work to grow ginger. “I am learning how to grow ginger well in our climate. Hopefully, if it works out, we’ll be able to bring some to the market in September,” says Efrain Gomez.

Finished planting garlic, photo courtesy of Squash Villa Farm

Owl Wood Farm is taking this year’s seed shortages as an opportunity to try a new practice: seed saving. “We’ve wanted to save seeds that aren’t offered commercially, like tomato heirloom varieties and Abenaki flint corn, for a while. It involves a lot of work and isn’t very economical; you have to dedicate a new plot of land and grasp a whole new knowledge base,” says Mark Bascom. “But we see that seed saving is important this year especially.”

Squash Villa Farm (formerly Squashville) is trying not just a new crop or practice but also a whole new land plot after moving farms in 2020. “There’s lots of anticipation! As soon as the snow melts, I’m eager to walk the new land and just get a feel for what it’s like to step into the soil,” says Himanee Gupta-Carlson.

This week’s recipe: Beans and Greens

Beans and Greens

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Mark Bittman, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 8

Ingredients
* Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 pound of dried beans*
● 1 medium onion*, unpeeled
● 2 teaspoons salt
● 1 teaspoon pepper
● 2 bunches (about 3 pounds) escarole (or other greens such as broccoli rabe, kale*, or swiss chard*) with no stem over ¼ inch thick, well washed and roughly chopped
● 2 Tablespoons minced garlic, or more to taste
● ¼ cup olive oil
● 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or other aged hard cheese* of choice
● Optional garnish: fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions
1. Rinse the beans under running water, picking through them for stones or debris. Soak them if you have the time, and put them in a large pot with enough cold water to cover by about three inches. Add the onion. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat so bubbles are barely visible. Cover the pot tightly and let the beans cook undisturbed for 45 minutes.
2. Try a bean. If it’s at all tender, add the salt and pepper. Make sure the beans are still covered by about an inch of water. Add a little more if necessary. If the beans are still hard, don’t add seasoning yet and make sure they’re covered by about two inches of water, if not, add some.
3. Return the liquid to its very gentle bubble and cover. Now start checking for doneness every 10 to 15 minutes and if necessary add enough water to keep the beans just submerged. Small beans will take as little as 15 minutes or more. Older or larger beans can take up to an hour or more. If you haven’t added salt and pepper yet, add them when the beans are just turning tender.
4. Add the greens and cook until they are tender, 10 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the stems. If you want a soupy mixture add more water. Remove the onion. A few minutes before serving, stir in the garlic and olive oil. Spoon the beans and greens into bowls, and garnish with Parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Notes: Use any white bean. Substitute dried with canned beans.

Keep it simple with soups from scratch

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Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Madison Jackson

By Madison Jackson

Whether you spend your days working from home or out and about, these long winter months are hard on us all. What could be more comforting than a warm bowl of soup full of fresh and nourishing ingredients after a long day? Soups are generally healthful with benefits including high nutritional value and low fat. They are also easy to prepare, inexpensive, and delicious!

Kokinda Farm, photo by Madison Jackson

January is National Soup Month, so we encourage you to put together a simple soup by stocking up on vegetables, meats, and herbs at Saturdays’ farmers’ market. You will be all set to enjoy a satisfying meal on Sunday or a busy weeknight when you are low on time. Soups are easy to customize to your liking; make a simple soup a bit heartier with some noodles, beans, or rice. Or if you’re looking for something light, you can keep it basic with broth and vegetables. Just follow this introductory method and tailor it to your preferences and available ingredients.

Start with stock – preferably homemade, by simmering chicken or beef leftovers in water, or utilize vegetable parts like onion skins, root vegetables, and herbs. A good quality stock can make a good soup great! Then choose your aromatics such as carrots, celery, onion, garlic, leek, etc. For a little smokiness, add an item like a hambone or bacon. Saute your aromatics in a big stockpot with oil or butter until softened, then stir in herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Bay leaves and thyme rarely goes wrong.

Shushan Valley Hydro Farms, photo by Emily Meagher

Add a carb if desired, like vermicelli or potatoes. And then, lots of vegetables to add nutrition and bulk to your soup. Seasonal vegetables to consider are kale, chard, and mushrooms. Add the stock and let simmer until ingredients are tender. You can optionally puree your soup after simmering for a silky smooth finish. Finally, add any extra meats, garnishes, and flavorings (like cream, lemon juice, or even hot sauce) for added fullness and flavor.

We’re sharing a recipe aptly called “Whatever Soup”, because it lets you use whatever you have in your pantry. It features produce from Gomez Veggie Ville’s “soup bags,” which you can pick up every Saturday at the farmers’ market. If you pick up a soup bag from the market, you’ll have several options, including carrots, onions, beets, potatoes, turnips, and cabbage.

This week’s recipe: Whatever Soup

Whatever Soup

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Samin Nosrat for New York Times Cooking, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
● 2 medium onions*, sliced
● 3 garlic cloves*, sliced
● 6 to 8 cups diced vegetables*
● 1½ pounds raw boneless chicken*
● 6 to 8 cups of chicken stock
● Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Set a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add onions and garlic.
2. Reduce the heat to a medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Place the chicken and vegetables in the pot. Add enough chicken stock to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook until the flavors have come together and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more. Remove chicken from the soup once it’s cooked through, allow to cool enough to handle. Shred and return it to the soup.
5. Add more hot liquid if needed.
6. Serve hot.

*Note: Currently in season at the farmers’ market: cabbage, carrots, celeriac, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mushrooms, potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash, and more.