Author: Saratoga TODAY

Hellomy Foodie Friends!   

There is something delicious and nostalgic about strawberries. 

When I just see them, my mom flashes into my memory.  Growing up, I lived by a farm that grew strawberries. The last weeks of the month of May would bring the start to some beautifully ripe and delicious strawberries.  My mom used to love taking all of us strawberry picking. Maybe it was her grand plan to tire out her three rambunctious boys or she just loved how happy it made us to accompany her on the strawberry picking adventure. We would race to fill our baskets and run them back to mom.  My two sisters were diligent in looking for the biggest, reddest strawberries. However, my brothers and I preferred to create a “bug competition” looking for the most bugs and different bugs we could find. The other issue was when we did pick the strawberries, it was difficult not to take a bite out them. My mom would often find our buckets filled with little bites taken from several of the strawberries. I have to admit the best part of the day was eating the strawberries.

During our strawberry excursions, my brothers and I, John, Danny and Billy, always competed in everything we did so we would split up to find our own patch. On one of our strawberry picking adventures my brother Danny who was usually the one who got into mischief, was kneeling on the ground talking to a very cute animal. Since we were about the ages of five or six, we had no fear of animals yet.  I said “Danny, is that a cat? He then responded “yes, I think so and he’s wearing a mask!” He was saying “here kitty would you like a strawberry?”  You know what happened next, the “kitty” took the strawberry and bit Danny’s finger. We were then off on another adventure to the emergency room where Danny saw a very big needle. That is also when the doctor told all three boys what a raccoon was and how much they enjoyed strawberries as well. We still talk about that day whenever we get together. 

Being involved with creating a garden or visiting one is a wonderful way to encourage eating fresh garden harvests. Although my mother and grandmother did not have strawberry fields, they did have beautiful vegetable gardens. One of my favorite memories is when my mother would ask us to gather rocks for her garden. Picking out the largest and coolest rock kept the us three, highly energized boys busy for hours.  Another favorite memory was plucking the fruits of my mother and grandmothers gardens. Snacking on the garden vegetables was another challenge for us to avoid. We would play hide and seek in the garden while nibbling on some of the garden treasures. My brothers and I would try to hide and flatten our bodies close to the ground as soon as we heard either my mother or grandmother asking us what we were up to.

Getting children involved with gardening and harvesting fruits is a great way to create memories. Being involved with creating a garden or visiting one is a wonderful way to encourage eating fresh garden harvests. With picking strawberries, we get to celebrate having fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This is one of my favorite desserts and snacks. There are so many ways to use strawberries; you can eat them for breakfast and add granola for some texture, drizzle chocolate on them, or make strawberry cream pie or shortcake 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry tools to help you with your strawberry creations. One item is the strawberry huller. A strawberry huller is a small kitchen tool used to remove leaves and the hull from the top of a strawberry. Lots of dishes call for it. The huller, which resembles a mini set of tongs with tips or you can get the one with teethlike edges, allows you to push the tips into the top of a strawberry (around the stem), grip, twist, pull, and you’re done. The advantage to using a huller is that you lose much less fruit than if you just cut the ends off of your berries. Yes, you could use a knife. However, the huller is much safer. Another item to have is a paring knife to help you slice up your strawberries. This spring, step into the strawberry fields with friends and family or stop by the farmers market to pick up some strawberries.  While you are creating your favorite strawberry dish, maybe even put on the Beatles and listen to “Strawberry Fields Forever” (oh! I am showing my age). Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market started in 1978 with a small group of farmers opening the first area market in a parking lot. They appear to be the first farmers’ market in Saratoga and the surrounding Capital Region. The market has gone on to serve the community for over 46 years and is in constant motion, growing and changing.

They have become a 501(c)3, as well as a small business incubator and area host that provides an opportunity to bring locally grown and produced goods to the area. They now host indoor and outdoor markets, striving to serve their membership and the community year-round.

The market is at an exciting growth point and is striving to add to its growing list of free programs for the community. This includes educational events, a kids club, weekly entertainment, festivals, cooking demos, the SNAP/EBT program, and expanding SNAP benefits at satellite markets in Clifton Park and Milton.

Growth and expansion require funding, and the market is excited to announce that the American Farmland Trust is offering a $5,000 prize to the farmers’ market of the people’s choice. The market wants to get the word out to the public and ask for your vote.

It’s easy and takes a few minutes. Please consider visiting markets.farmland.org. Look on the site for America’s Farmers’ Market Celebration and click ‘vote now’ to cast your vote.

Please vote for the first option listing the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Every vote counts, and we hope to be the People’s Choice for 2024, striving to continue to serve the community in new ways.

Visit our markets throughout the year:

• Saturday outdoor market at High Rock Park, Saratoga Springs (May through October, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

• Wednesday outdoor market at High Rock Park, Saratoga Springs (May through October, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Monday outdoor satellite market at Shenendehowa Methodist Church, Clifton Park (June through Mid-October, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

• Thursday outdoor satellite market at Burgess-Kimball Memorial Park, Milton (July 11 through the end of August, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Saturday indoor markets at Wilton Mall, Saratoga (November through April, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) 

The Saratoga Farmers Market is 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays in the food court of the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for previews of what’s fresh.