At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market in early autumn, there is a plethora of beautiful fruits and vegetables on display. Lush, leafy greens are abundant, and tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, carrots, radishes, and radicchio all attract the eye with their vibrant colors. 

Within this panoply, however, there are a handful of humble, mystifying vegetables, those more often overlooked than embraced. Celeriac and kohlrabi are two in this otherworldly group that deserve a taste. 

At first glance, celeriac (aka celery root) might inspire more fear than awe. This heavy, round, whitish vegetable has wrinkled, knobby skin, a tangle of roots, and, sometimes, a sprout of green stalks and leaves resembling its cousin celery. Those courageous enough to approach it might notice its delicate celery aroma. 

Yes, celeriac tastes like celery, only sweeter and richer. Under its thick skin is a dense, ivory-colored flesh that can have many uses. You can cube it and add it to roasted roots, hearty stews, and elegant purees, sliced thinly and made into gratins, and grated for the famous, refreshing, cold French salad: celerie remoulade. In addition to being delicious and versatile, celeriac is eminently nutritious due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This old-world vegetable is truly a diamond in the rough. 

Kohlrabi is another unusual gem. In German, kohlrabi means “cabbage turnip” and is in the same botanical family as its more familiar namesakes. It is a green or purple orb (technically, a very fat stem) that grows just above the ground. A mass of green leaves on long stems erupts at all angles. Beneath the green or purple skin is crisp, juicy, white to cream-colored flesh with a sweet, broccoli-like flavor. 

Kohrabi is easy to prepare: just cut off the root and peel the skin. Then, cut into wedges or sticks and sprinkle with salt or dip into hummus or a zesty sour-cream-based dip. Raw kohlrabi can also be thinly sliced and dressed with salt, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. Additionally, you can cook it in soups and stir-fries and use the leaves like collards. Try ditching the chips for kohlrabi. Your body will thank you, as it’s packed with vitamins and minerals.

Celeriac and kohlrabi might not be the prettiest vegetables, but they most certainly have their place in your kitchen. Be brave, wield a sharp knife, and give them a try!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in Downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Dinner can be a challenge especially with balancing new and creative ideas with our hectic schedules. Creating imaginative salads was always a favorite to do with my children.  When they were young (and still occurs) our eldest child, John would be accused (by his sister Aubrey) of not wanting to help in the kitchen with the making of the salads.  One of the best and fun solutions was to get a Salad Spinner. This tool assisted us back then and still does today. How did we know our son liked it? When we would come home and the video game would be on pause and salad ingredients were everywhere (we knew he was having fun and using the tool).

Why would you consider using a salad spinner? No one likes a wet salad. But there are two important reasons that go beyond personal preference that make spinning your salad a necessity. The first is that most salad dressings are oil-based. Water repels oil, and so salad greens covered in water will repel dressing. This will result in the dressing pooling at the bottom of your salad bowl instead of coating the greens.

The second reason to remove water from your salad is to retain its freshness. The more moisture that’s in your salad, especially if you’re not dressing the whole thing at once, the more quickly it will go bad. The leaves will turn brown and everything will lose its crisp texture if it sits in excess moisture. If you’re not planning on consuming all of your salad immediately, make sure each of its components is as dry as possible before combining them. 

If those two essential warnings against wet greens have not convinced you that you need a salad spinner in your life, fear not, there are plenty of other reasons to get one. Many people think of salad spinners as one-trick ponies that only serve a single purpose and otherwise occupy more than their fair share of precious space in your home, but they actually have quite a number of alternate uses. Salad spinners are useful for washing and drying a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. They are ideal because you can wash and dry things in a single container, and the spinning action they use is delicate enough that it won’t damage or bruise your produce. The next time you need to wash berries, broccoli, green beans, or mushrooms, try using a salad spinner. You’re sure to delight in how dry its contents become, and how quick and easy it is to use. You can also use the internal compartment of your salad spinner as a colander for fresh-cooked pasta. If you’re making a cold dish like pasta salad, spinning the noodles to remove the excess starchy water will cool them more quickly and also help keep them from sticking together.

The basket is also great for defrosting meat and drying before cooking. Vegetables from which it is good to remove excess moisture before frying like zucchini, eggplant, and shredded potatoes, can also be dried in a salad spinner, rather than squeezed out by hand. It also works well as a small dryer for hand-washed delicates.

Do you wash your greens and berries?  Washing your salad ingredients can reduce the risk of illness.  Listeria and E-Coli are dangerous food-borne illnesses that have been present in unwashed salads.  It is difficult to wash salads. The Salad Spinner is a tool that has become a kitchen must-have. 

One of our favorites and best sellers is the OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner. We have them in larger and smaller sizes. Dry salad greens with a simple press of the soft, non-slip knob. The non-slip base keeps the bowl steady on the countertop and the built-in brake button stops the Salad Spinner for unloading. The basket doubles as a colander, and the lid comes apart for easy cleaning. Salad Spinners, they bring siblings together! Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad place to check out the OXO Salad Spinner and an assortment of other cool tools for cooks.  Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

While pumpkins are symbolic of fall, Saratoga Springs takes our favorite autumn icon and turns it into a seasonal celebration with giant pumpkins as the featured guests. The 8th annual Pumpkinfest will be held this Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Pumpkinfest is a community collaboration between the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Springs City Center, and the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

This Saturday’s free family-friendly event will have it all: pumpkin purveying, festive foods and activities, and a farmers’ market bursting with fall fun and local products. 

The farmers’ market is ideal for experiencing the seasonal transition into fall. Summer’s offerings give way to the upbeat of the autumnal rhythm, introducing winter squash, brightly colored mums, and freshly-picked apples. 

Pumpkinfest is a special day at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as vendors will feature pumpkin and fall-themed products like apple cider, cider donuts, mums and fall bouquets,  pumpkin spice chèvre, pumpkin peanut butter, pumpkin spice lattes, and, of course, the pumpkins themselves. Local farms will bring a plethora of pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The farmers’ market will host live music by Thomas Powers and Dave Moore, as well as non-profit community information tables from Cornell Cooperative Extension, the League of Women Voters, and more.

The farmers’ market will be open from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., staying open an additional hour from its usual times to accommodate event crowds. A select group of vendors will continue vending until 4 p.m., coinciding with the end of the Chamber’s event. 

At the Saratoga City Center Parking Garage on High Rock Ave., spectators will find the giant pumpkins on display, with a competitive weigh-off beginning at 11 a.m. Additionally, more vendors and food and beverages will be set up outside the parking garage until 4 p.m. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will have pumpkin painting for an $8 donation per pumpkin.

We are getting into the spirit of the season with a recipe for pumpkin puree and roasted pumpkin seeds!

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 www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Autumn is a beautiful time of year. The colorful foliage with brilliant hues of the trees change to russet and yellow and the warm scents of delicious baked goods. 

I remember all the fun I had walking home from school with my friends, kicking fallen leaves with my feet and listening to their “crunching” sounds. 

Have you noticed the delicious scents that accompany autumn? Food just tastes better in the fall, and it is fun to cook because the evenings are cool. It is a joy to have the oven going and the aroma of food around. Autumn just calls for something with cinnamon or apples, pumpkins or squash. Autumn is such a wonderful time to bake some of our favorite recipes. Recipes that include; apples, plums, cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel can be featured in warm and comforting cakes and desserts. 

How many of us have memories of baking as a child? I have to give my mother credit. Having five children running around the house and trying to get us all to join in to make an afterschool treat was not always a successful feat. Her methodology would include giving each of us an assigned duty with a designated spot in the kitchen. One thing to realize when baking with kids, is that it will be messy…it’s ok! My mother would take a deep breath and carry on as flour went flying or an egg hit the floor or the wall. Selecting which recipe to make included having to use some argumentation skills. What my mother did instead was to let us select two or three recipes, and then put on the calendar when we would make them. When the final product came out of the oven smelling delicious, the five of us would be so proud of what we accomplished. The best part of the experience was sharing what we made with friends in the neighborhood or bringing it to visit another family member, or even just taking about the experience at the dinner table that evening. My mother would smile, even if the experience made her crazy. 

There are many wonderful autumn traditions to bring in your home to help you embrace this beautiful season. Baking with your family is one of those traditions. As the weather cools, now is the time to get into the kitchen and start baking up a storm. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, to help with the baking supplies you will need to have fun making your creations; from baking pans, to rolling pins, measuring cups, spoons, spatulas, whisks, bowls, cookie cutters, scoops…you get the idea! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

This week both my wife and I celebrate our birthdays (having a birthday one day apart from each other was one of the many reasons I married her!). My birthday also reminds me of my mother who I lost years ago. I think about her every day. Back to school time brings back memories of my childhood and the chaos of getting five children to do their homework, eat dinner, brush their teeth and get to bed every school night. I often reminisce about the work my mother had in raising three boys and two girls. The family dinner was a very important mealtime during my childhood. Especially with going back to school, my mother was insistent that we were home and ate as a family during that time. Often times she had to explain why she chose a particular meal choice or why she wanted us to wash our face and hands before dinner. My mother was very patient but always used her standard answer to any of these questions: “I’m the mother that’s why.”  The biggest thing for my mom was to have the whole family eat dinner together. Even if Dad had to work late, she would have us wait. To tide us over she would let us snack on a glass of milk or some fruit. We would have an apple, pear peach or plum.  No crackers or bread. Having dinner with freshly washed kids and a great meal ready for my Dad was a sense of pride for her.  Dinnertime was special. There wasn’t a lot of conversation but my father would look at my mother with a very tired smile and say “you are the best”.  I think about these meals we had together often. Recently, when a friend of mine whose whole life is about going to meetings, told me he could not miss an upcoming family meal. I asked him why?  He said it was the last day before school started and they had a tradition to have a least that dinner together as a family and he would not miss it for anything. 

I know it’s maybe not popular but if I was asked, what’s important for the American family, I believe it’s sitting down and having that meal together every night. Chances are, when you think “family dinner” you imagine hearty, hot, home-cooked meals, served nightly.  Perhaps rethink out your expectations and take some of that pressure off. Maybe you commit to gathering for a meal once a week, possibly every Friday evening. The point is to eat together — regularly. I can honestly speak to this challenge. My wife and I were two ships passing in the night. Our lives were filled with long days, and the balance of sporting events and after school activities for our children. Dinner time was very much a challenge. Look at your family’s schedules – is there one night that looks more manageable than the others? If so, make that “family meal night.” Put it on everyone’s calendar and plan on being home at a certain time 

 We all know that families should eat together, but sometimes it’s tough to find the time. Work, school, sports practices and other obligations all seem to get in the way. As we all are working through our hectic schedules, remember that family time is the most important time. Eat together as a family, share stories, talk about your day, listen to each other, enjoy good food, and remember to compliment the chef. Bring your family together for at least an hour a day. Meal time is family time. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to get the cool tools you need for your family dinners. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Whether packing school lunches or struggling to find time to eat during the workday, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market makes it easy to eat healthy, locally-produced food even when you’re in a rush. Here are some of our favorite snacks and lunchbox go-tos at the farmers’ market.

Fruit smoothies and Greek yogurts

Argyle Cheese Farmer has probiotic-packed smoothies and mini Greek yogurts in flavors you will love. Their mini Greek yogurts come in perfect single-serving jars and include flavors like chocolate raspberry, maple, and blueberry. 

Apple everything

Saratoga Apple has some of our favorite fall treats, and their apple chips make a great healthy and mess-free snack option. Their perfectly sweet apple sauce is another healthful snack that’s also sugar-free. And, of course, tossing an apple in a lunchbox is a quick and easy way to go.

Bread and crackers for the win!

Nightwork Bread and The Bread Butler have loaves of scrumptious sourdough bread (and much more). Saratoga Cracker Co. has prepackaged crackers in flavors like garlic parmesan, everything, rosemary olive, and many more. Pair with some artisan cheese from Nettle Meadow and Argyle Cheese Farmer. Saratoga Peanut Butter Co. has various peanut butter blends to take traditional crackers and peanut butter to the next level.

Jerky & snack sticks

Muddy Trail Jerky Co. makes hand-crafted beef jerky and meaty snack sticks in 13 flavors, like teriyaki beef, jalapeno lime beef, and more. The Mushroom Shop makes oyster mushroom jerky with a savory flavor and texture that’s hard to beat – perfect for plant-based diets.

Granola

TogaNola offers various healthful granola bars and protein bombs sustainably made with the best ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. Moon Cycle Seed Company has pumpkin and flax energy bites for a tasty on-the-go snack made with natural and organic ingredients. These bars are specifically prepared to help women rebalance their hormones. 

Fresh fruit & vegetables

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning fresh snackable fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Snap off a stalk of crisp celery or snack on sweet carrots. Cauliflower florets and cherry tomatoes also make healthy and satisfying snacks. Eating fresh and fast can be healthy and easily tossed into lunch boxes or briefcases.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in Downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

September can be a busy month with students returning to school, many getting back to regular schedules, and Paula and I getting to celebrate another birthday!

The cooler evenings remind us of the change of seasons. Sometimes, food memories are bound up in the food itself. Other times, it’s about the setting, or the people you’ve experienced it with. In my mind, it’s childhood food memories that are often the most powerful. Going back to the decades of my youth, one skillet meals were very popular such as sloppy joe, Goulash, cheeseburger macaroni skillet, and stuffed peppers. I always loved the smell of my mother’s cooking when I came home after the fall sports practice, having a huge appetite and ready to devour her specialties. I loved to watch my mother cook. As I assist customers in finding the tools they need for certain recipes, I find myself reminiscing about the tools I watched my mother use. One tool that was especially used with the recipes that required ground beef was chop/stir/mash tool. 

At Compliments to the Chef, we carry a version of this multi-use tool. This tool is the ultimate food chopper with a unique beveled, wavy shape breaks down foods quickly and easily as it’s being cooked. Using a chop & twist motion, quickly break down ground beef, turkey or sausage into a fine consistency as it cooks, chopping and stirring at the same time while mixing in seasonings, sauces or vegetables quickly. This tool can be a time saver when making homemade tacos, chili, and spaghetti sauce, or sausage gravy, right in your frying pan. Easily breaks down tomatoes for sauces, avocado for guacamole or mash potatoes quickly. Great for breaking down boiled eggs for egg salad, cooked vegetables for healthy option meals and mashing homemade apple sauce. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get chopping and mashing. Relish the memories of cooking and eating together as a family! Try out some new tastes and flavors this season. Follow your taste buds and try new things. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, 

John & Paula

Of all the reasons to love Saratoga Springs, its various locally-owned businesses undoubtedly contribute, providing excellent shopping and dining and making it a fun and unique city. Interestingly, one of the most positive effects of a thriving area supported by local businesses is that it inspires more people to become business owners, continuing a positive cycle that supports the local economy. 

Since its opening in 1978, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has rallied support for local producers of all kinds, offering new and established businesses an opportunity to connect with the community, brand their business, and grow. As the farmers’ market prepares to move to its winter location at the Wilton Mall this November, they invite local producers to consider opportunities to become a vendor.

“As the longest-running farmers’ market in Saratoga, we encourage local farms and producers to apply to sell at our markets. We have a dedicated customer base excited to support new vendors,” says Mark Bascom, president of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association.

While pursuing selling opportunities at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is a simple process, there are rules. All businesses must be within a 50-mile radius of Saratoga Springs, a standard that keeps “local” authentic to the farmers’ market and its customers. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market also requires that products sold on-site must be grown or produced by the business selling them, not manufactured elsewhere, and brought to the market.

The online application for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s Winter Market is currently open and will close on September 15. Interested individuals can access the application at the farmers’ market’s website, www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, and refer to “Vendors” at the top menu. The farmers’ market offers affordable seasonal rates for November through April and also an opportunity to sell products exclusively during the holiday season.

“Supporting and promoting local farmers is a priority,” explains SFMA vice-president Beth Trattel. “The Saratoga Farmers’ Market provides an affordable opportunity for farms and small businesses to showcase their products to a local audience.”

If you have any questions before applying, please contact the farmers’ market at info@saratogafarmersmarket.org. Farmers’ market staff will happily answer questions and assist with the application process. 

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.  

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

The summer went by so quickly. It is hard to believe it is already Labor Day weekend! September is a beautiful month. Not only does it mark cooler days and evenings, it is also a harvest month. Seeing the ripening apples on the trees reminds me that it’s Back-to-School time. Who doesn’t like a crisp sweet apple in the Fall? So many delicious apples are grown in this region. Many of you may already know this, but the apple is New York’s state fruit. Another fun fact is; New York is the second-largest apple producing state in the United States, averaging 25 million bushels of production annually with varieties that include; McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Rome, Crispin, Gala, Fuji, and many others. 

Did you recently go apple picking and now don’t know what to do with all those apples? Sure , it is great to eat an apple as a snack on its own (or maybe dunked in salted caramel sauce), but you are probably in need of some apple recipes so they do not go to waste. I swear, apples sometimes multiply in the bags after picking them…that, or I just don’t realize how many apples I’ll truly end up with when I pick a bushel. Making desserts and dishes with apples is endless. There are so many ways to prepare apples like; Apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie, poached apples, caramel apples, apple cake, apple muffins, apple cider donuts (yum), apple chutney, or even apples in a Sangria. 

When we get our bushel of apples home; well, first we eat some of them raw – delicious! Then we get creative and make lots of tasty creations with our apple picks. And of course, we use the best tools.

There are cool culinary tools available to help you with your apple creations, At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, we have apple peeling machines, apple slicers, mandoline slicers, and even cookie cutters. Cookie cutters are a fun way to get fun way to dress up a dessert, or get kids involved and eating new foods. Cutting apples into stars, hearts, or even letters is tedious but a fun surprise to include their school lunch for special occasions. A mandoline lets you cut apples into different widths or with crimped edges. It’s great for making the base of an apple sandwich and can also dress up any snack plate. If you want to secure the apple, but get rid of the core, use an apple corer. This distinctive tool easily removes the core and makes disposal quick and effortless. The unique leveler splits in half for easy release after you twist or push the corer through the apple. 

Of course, who can resist a homemade apple pie for Labor Day weekend? We carry beautiful pie plates and tools you need to assist with your delicious apple treats. 

So, how do you like them apples? Have a wonderful time with your family and friends. Enjoy the harvest moon while listening to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” (one of our favorite songs). Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen” under the harvest moon.

Take Care, John & Paula

Farming is a family affair for the Mattisons. From sun up to sun down, Nathan and Meghan are hard at work on their 270-acre farm in Hebron, NY. More often than not, their children, McKenna (10), Landon (8), Kylie (4), and Nolan (1), are alongside, learning and helping. 

The Mattisons are happy to return to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market with their all-natural pastured pork and poultry, grass-fed beef and lamb, and golden honey. The family began attending the market in 2021 but took one year off after Nolan was born. Meghan, her girls, and the baby are at the market every Saturday. 

Nathan and Meghan met at the Washington County Fair in 2003 and bonded over their love of beef cattle. They decided to go into business together in 2010 when they merged their herds. A year later, they added pigs, chickens, and turkeys to the mix. In 2012, they had their first child and began to raise a family. Their farm and family have only grown since!

The Mattisons are strong proponents of regenerative agriculture. Nathan and Meghan’s beef, pork, and chicken are New York Grown and Certified, and they work closely with New York Soil and Water to ensure that they follow good environmental and animal welfare practices. Their cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens are regularly rotated on their land, giving them regular access to fresh pasture. They also put up their own hay and supplement the animals’ feed with local, non-GMO grains. Currently, the family is working with the USDA’s Natural Resources and Conservation Services to explore silvopasturing their pigs in their 70-acre forest. Clearly, all of their animals are lovingly and humanely raised, resulting in high-quality products.  

In addition to raising animals, the Mattisons have two acres of sustainably-grown vegetables, which they sell at the Chestertown and Glens Falls Farmers’ Markets and through their online store and CSA program. They also blend various seasoning mixes for their meats and are thinking of adding salads and minimally processed vegetables to their offerings now that they have a licensed 20c commercial kitchen. 

Find out more about Grazin’ Acres at https://www.grazinacresfarm.com/ and follow them on Instagram @grazinacres and Facebook at Grazin’ Acres Farm. And be sure to visit Megan and her kids at the Saturday Saratoga Farmers’ Market for delicious meat and honey!

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.