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Vegetables in their ‘Baby’ Stage Add a Touch of Green to Winter Market

March 4, 2019 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

For Shane Avery, Saturday mornings begin early. He rises before 5 a.m. to harvest, prep, and bring his tiny little “vegetables” – known as microgreens – to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

At 9 a.m., the market bell rings and the greens – beets, broccoli, peas, radishes, and more – sit nestled in clear reusable containers, gleaming. Soon, market goers surround his table. Often, by the market’s 1 p.m. close, Avery has sold out.

A Sampler Pack. Photo by Pattie Garrett

Avery owns Saratoga Urban Farm. The farm is based in Gansevoort and produces microgreens, wheatgrass, culinary herbs, and other products. Avery started the business a year ago and joined the Saratoga Farmers’ Market last November. His clientele has expanded to include two farmers’ markets and a few local restaurants.

Microgreens are essentially vegetables in their youngest stage, harvested when the seeds from which they’re grown have produced their first true leaves.

“They’re about 10 days old,” says Avery. “At this stage, they have the strong flavor of their parent vegetable and a very high level of nutrient density.”

Pleasant Valley Farm offers pea and sunflower shoots, among other vegetables. Avery specializes in microgreens. His packages include the greens of individual vegetables and mixes.

For many, the appeal of microgreens is ease. They require minimal washing – just a quick rinse under running water and a shake dry – and little prep. They can be sprinkled over omelets, folded into sandwiches, added to stir fry dishes, casseroles, or soups. Avery offers a handout with 52 ideas for using them, one for each week of the year.

He likes them best fresh in a bowl, with a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Unlike sprouts, which are typically grown in water, microgreens are grown in soil. Avery soaks his seeds for a day, plants them in trays filled with an organic soil, and gives them three to four days to germinate, at which point they go under grow lights. Three to four days later, the tiny plants are ready for harvesting.

Avery times the soaking, planting, and germinating so harvests come just before market. They arrive at market 1-2 inches long, bright, crisp, and packed to remain fresh for seven days.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: baby vegetables, beets, Broccoli, easy, greens, micro greens, microgreens, nutrients, nutritious, pea shoots, Pleasant Valley Farm, radish shoots, Saratoga Urban Farm, sunflower shoots, versatile, wheatgrass

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TGIF! We've got the perfect cure for an exhausting TGIF! We've got the perfect cure for an exhausting week: grab ready-to-eat meals to munch on this weekend while shopping for your groceries to meal prep for next week. (Pro tip: Petra's pita pockets never disappoint. 😉) Stop by the market this Saturday, 9:30am - 1:30pm at the Wilton Mall food court!
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Happy National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day! Here a Happy National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day! Here are a few of our favorite peanut butter products from around the market:

🥜Assorted Peanut Butters- Saratoga Peanut Butter Company
🥜Roasted Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookies- The Chocolate Spoon 
🥜PB Cookie Cups Organic Dog Treats- Mugzy’s Barkery 
 
Online preordering for curbside pickup this Saturday opens tonight at 9 pm, be sure to stock up on these tasty treats and more! Just click the “Shop Now” button on our page.
 
What’s your favorite peanut butter product from the market? Let us know in the comments! 
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