Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

It is amazing to see how quickly the summer is going by.  During my childhood, spending time outdoors in the summer was my favorite for many reasons; sunshine and swimming, the feel of grass on my feet, the sound of the ice cream truck, melting pop sickles and ice cream cones, and playing baseball outdoors until dark. My four siblings and I would try to sleep in late during the summer days, yet we would always awake early and would roll over and talk until my mother came in to get us moving to eat breakfast. Our yard was always full of the neighborhood kids. Some of them were there before we even finished breakfast, just waiting for the five Reardon children to come out to play. Among my childhood memories include the visual of the beautiful vegetable gardens that almost every family in my neighborhood had. Don’t get me wrong because as a child I did not like working in the garden. On hot humid days, my mother would order us to weed and remove bugs from her vegetables was beyond fun! 

My childhood back yard was a discovery zone. In late August, we were given the job of helping to harvest some of the beautiful vegetables. However, the best part was getting to eat what we picked. My mother and my grandmother took much pride in how big the tomatoes or the eggplants were. 

When we would come in from playing for lunch or a snack, vegetables were always part of what was served such as a wonderful cucumber and tomato salad, zucchini, or carrot sticks (all that came from the garden). Recently, I was reminiscing with my sister about; our childhood friends and us playing Hide N Go Seek in the corn fields next to our neighborhood, the outdoor fun we had, and shared our ongoing challenge of eating those vegetables as adults that we so often were eating as children.

This time of year, calls for an essential tool in the kitchen – the mandoline slicer.  Do you have a mandoline slicer hiding in the back of your pantry, just begging to be used? Essentially, you can accomplish much of a mandoline’s work with a steady hand and a sharp knife. However, when slicing up zucchini, eggplant, or squash, mandoline’s cut prep time down significantly and promise consistent, even results. And they’re fun to use; especially when you need to create consistently thick or thin slices for your favorite recipe. At Compliments to the Chef, we carry several different brands of mandolines. The OXO Good Grips mandoline is a perfect tool for home chefs. It is a trusty tool through thick and thin (produce). Slice or julienne cucumbers, potatoes and more with a turn of the comfortable dial on the Chef’s Mandoline Slicer. We also carry the Benriner mandoline.  The Benriner is a smaller, less bulky Japanese mandoline. The Benriner is a high quality, sharp mandoline-style slicer that is a standard in professional kitchens. Made in Yamaguchi prefecture of Japan, the stainless steel blades are actually compressed then heat treated, and the sharpening finish is done by hand. This explains the quality of the Benriner blades, which are comparable to knives. Each mandoline includes a food holder that protects hands and the stainless steel blade quickly makes even slices. All blades store safely on board and are removable for easy cleaning. With this easy-to-use mandoline hands and fingers stay away from sharp blades at all times. Most mandoline’s come with three or four slicing blades beyond the basic blade. These allow you to slice paper thin, a little thicker (think potato chips), thick julienne (think french fries), and thin julienne. If you’re not sure how your blades will slice, invest in a few potatoes and try each setting out. It’s usually a good idea to have a few extra veggies on hand when you’re learning to use your mandoline slicer as well so you can get the hang of the whole process. 

August is a month of endings and beginnings in the kitchen garden.  At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place, we have items that can assist with making your meals and enjoying your summer harvest. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

As the summer sun carries on and temperatures stay high into the fall, there’s nothing quite as refreshing and cool as a nutrient-packed smoothie. The combination of vibrant flavors, invigorating ingredients, and the ability to pack in various nutritional powerhouse ingredients make smoothies the ultimate go-to treat for the summer season. If you’re wondering what you can find at the market and tips for crafting these beverages to perfection, look no further – we’ve got you covered!

Upstate New York’s produce is in its prime this time of year. When browsing the market for smoothie ingredients, you’ll stumble upon classic staples and unique finds. With their high water content, cucumbers provide a refreshing and hydrating base for your summer blends. Celery and kale bring a crisp earthiness that complements the sweetness of fruits. Raspberries are full of antioxidants and add vibrant color and tangy flavor, while beets infuse your smoothie with earthy richness.

Grab some bee pollen and raw honey from Ballston Lake Apiaries or Slate Valley Farms to bring out the natural sweetness and an extra dose of nutrition. Pick up protein at Saratoga Peanut Butter, with fun varieties and exciting flavors, including “Just Almonds” butter. Stop by the Argyle Cheese Farmer for Greek yogurt, a great option for thickening smoothies. Add apple cider vinegar from Awakened Tonics or seed-cycling blends from Moon Cycle to support total health. 

Once you get home from the market, start by freezing fruits to maintain freshness and enhance creaminess. Frozen fruits result in a consistency that’s icy but drinkable. Haley Gerarde, owner of Jenny Joe’s Smoothies, emphasizes prepping in the freezer: “At Jenny Jo’s, we do not use any water or ice in our smoothies. Freezing your fruit ahead of time is a great ‘hack’ to gain that desired consistency and temperature for your smoothie without having to use ice, which essentially waters down the smoothie.” If it’s too thick, you can always add juice, coconut water, or your favorite choice of milk, plant-based or cow. 

As the market stalls burst with seasonal delights, embrace the world of summertime superfood smoothies. Create your own blends, explore the market’s offerings, and craft a cooling concoction that nourishes your body and delights your taste buds.

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.

In celebration of the mid-summer bounty that our local farmers have to offer, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be hosting its first-ever Flowers and Fruits Festival on Saturday, August 19.

From 9 a.m.-1 p.m., market-goers will be greeted with a fresh flower by market staff while supplies last. And, of course, farmers’ tables will also hold beautiful bouquets for purchase if just one flower isn’t enough!

August’s botanical offerings of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, melons, and dates will occupy tables throughout the market. Shoppers will also find other fruity and floral treats such as lavender lemonade, fruit smoothies, jams, various berry yogurts, cherry scones, blueberry honey, berry granola, blueberry chevre, apple sauce, and more.

Scotch Ridge Flower Farm is well known for its bundles of peonies, dahlias, and snapdragons. Burger’s Market Garden is always ready to supply customers with various hanging baskets, outdoor plants, and bouquets. Balet Flowers & Design, Lovin’ Mama Farm, and Old Tavern Farm bring stunning floral arrangements to spruce up your kitchen table and brighten your home.

For those looking to create their own unique arrangements, Amy Hoge of Bark Hill Farm will host a free floral arrangement workshop from 10-10:45 am, with limited spaces available. Email julia@saratogafarmersmarket.org to register.

An abundance of the season’s produce can be found at our farmers’ stalls, with summer delicacies like heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, and green beans waiting to be grilled, turned into soup, or added to your next salad.

Kids in attendance will be able to meet vendors as they complete a market-wide scavenger hunt. Those who complete the task will have their names entered in a raffle for market goodies. Market-goers can enjoy lawn games, such as cornhole in the prepared food area, with talented local musicians performing nearby.

No shopping experience compares to the feeling of walking away from the farmers’ market with a bundle of fresh flowers and a carton of juicy blueberries, so stop by High Rock Park this Saturday! Join us in enjoying the beautiful August weather with the farmers and crafters of the Saratoga region.

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!   

With the warm temperatures, we are left wondering about how to meet the hydration requirements (especially for our children) from the food and drinks we consume. Not everything that children like to have in summer is necessarily hydrating, nourishing and immunity-building. To cruise through the summer heat and loss of fluids and essential nutrients, seasonal fruits are a recommendation, especially when taking long trips or hanging out in your flip-flops. Eating summer fruits can be a healthy way to keep your body cool and additionally get all the goodness of nature.

As I think back on my childhood memories and raising my own children, the challenge was to keep as much fruit in the house as a go-to for all of us. One fruit that has always been one of my favorites are cherries. I can remember the sheer joy of seeing my mom bringing a heaping bowl of bright red cherries to the table. We now know that eating cherries as a part of a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables may provide health benefits. Cherries are a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant. Cherries are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Summer is cherry season time, and that means time for cherry pie, cherry crumble, cherry cobbler, cherry preserves, cherry sauce to drizzle over vanilla ice cream; you get the idea. But before you break out your baking dish and turn on your oven, you will need to remove the pits of these sweet ruddy fruits. A good cherry pitter that removes the stone and leaves the fruit intact can be a cook’s best friend this time of year. 

Use a cherry pitter to help you with taking the pits out. It will make your life easier. At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry cherry and olive pitters that can quickly and easily remove pits from cherries and olives without bruising or crushing fruit or wasting fruit. They are perfect for canning, freezing, dehydrating and baking cherries. You can freeze sweet cherries to enjoy in baked goods, smoothies, and sauces throughout the year. Simply rinse the cherries with cool water and remove the stem. Pitting them is your choice. They’ll lose some juice, but they’re easier to pop into a recipe later if they’re frozen sans pit. Once the cherries have been pitted, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer overnight to freeze. After they’re completely frozen, put them in an airtight container or freezer bag to store in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. You won’t even need to thaw them before using them.

Kick back and enjoy those delicious summer fruits that are available. Savor your own bowl full of sweet, juicy cherries—it’s a treat you can feel cherrific about! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Grilling in our backyards during the month of August is among my favorite summertime pastimes. Your BBQ, grilling, and outdoor cooking missions can eventually bring you to one of life’s simple joys: meat on a stick. One tool that can help those who are firing up in the backyard is the skewer. Creating food on a stick offers the ability to be creative and to offer various food choices for your family and guests. Serving food on a stick is not only convenient, but it’s also fun! 

Skewers can be made of bamboo, flexible stainless steel or stainless steel. Finding the right skewer for your grilling mission is key since skewers come in a variety of lengths and shapes, with handle embellishments and smart features. If you’re using a grill with a lid, make sure you choose a skewer length that will allow you to close the grill lid. Metal skewers now come in flat, round, spiral, or square shapes, and some also have double shafts. A square or spiral shape is especially helpful in keeping foods from sliding off the skewer or spinning around the shaft as you turn them on the grill. If you’re already working with spinning skewers (round metal or wooden), you can try using tongs to cradle the foods as you turn them and keep things grilling evenly.

Shish kabobs, usually just called kabobs, refers to meat and vegetables cut into one-inch cubes and put on a skewer. “Kabobs,” translated, simply means a meat dish of Middle Eastern origins. In America, most skewered meats and vegetables have been come to be known as kabobs. Some common ingredients for a kabob is onion, bell pepper, various meats, mushrooms, and a variety of other foods. There are many specialties of various skewered meat dishes from all around the world, but in America, kabob has come to mean any of them. While kabobs are not necessarily always cooked on a grill, they usually are. This allows the meat to take on the smoky grill flavor as well as get a nice char on it. With wooden skewers, the skewer has a nice char as well. The key to grilling great kabobs is making sure they cook evenly. Make sure before you place anything on the grill, it’s at medium temperature. Then, as the kabobs cook, rotate them regularly, so they don’t burn on one side while being raw on the other.

If you’re going to make shish kebabs with both meat and veggies, you must precook the meat so that you’re just heating it. Otherwise, by the time the meat is cooked, the veggies will be charcoal. Also, make sure the foods that take longer to cook (like onions and peppers) are cut into smaller pieces than the quick-cooking foods (like pineapple and cherry tomatoes) so that nothing burns. 

Other skewer suggestions: Fruit skewers: Just like above, you can put similarly sized chunks of fruit onto a skewer, chill, and serve. It’s even better if you serve a yogurt or cwream cheese dip or chocolate fondue with them.

Fresh veggie skewers: 

Whether you cook them or not, a skewer makes veggies infinitely more appealing to children. The novelty might get veggies into little tummies where they otherwise would not go. As with the fruit, if you serve a dip with them, they might go over better. Or, forget the kids and make grilled mushrooms to add to a steak.

This summer let the aspiring little chefs help create unique and memorable food on a stick. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, for an assortment of skewers to help you create your food on the stick creations. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

Take Care, John & Paula

If you’ve ever struggled with getting your child to eat fruits and vegetables, I understand how frustrating it can be. Family mealtime can feel like a nutritional battleground where no one wins, and everyone feels defeated. But don’t lose heart. Exposing your child to fruits and vegetables without pressure is key, and the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s new partnership with the Better Bites program is here to help.

The Better Bites Bunch recently joined Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s POP Club for Kids with engaging character messaging in an environment abundant with fresh fruit and vegetables. POP Club is a 12-week Wednesday market program offering children and families fun activities. Children who participate receive a $2 POP coin to spend on fruit and vegetables of their choice; this may be the moment that your “picky eater” takes a bite of something new. 

“The farmers’ market and Better Bites are a natural fit,” says Jodie Fitz, Better Bites program developer. “Children are having an immediate connection and building a positive relationship with healthy foods by participating in games and activities at the farmers’ market.”

Better Bites is a licensed, registered dietitian-approved program designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle by bringing awareness to proper hydration, an active lifestyle, and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

The character messaging within Better Bites immediately engages children with Jodie’s cast of loveable characters that embody the program’s philosophy. For picky eaters, Better Bites introduces Teeny the Tiny Taste Tester, a fairy who reminds children to try a teeny tiny taste  because ‘…you never know if something is thumbs up or thumbs down until you actually try it.’  While Teeny shares other messages, Fitz explains that the characters have a magical touch with their messaging that has an impact.

At POP Club, Better Bites activities have included a fruit and vegetable memory game, farmers’ market bingo and scavenger hunt, and character coloring sheets displayed at vendors’ farm stands. All activities are paired with prizes and $2 POP coins.

Better Bites will return for POP Club’s season finale on Wednesday, September 6. The program continues to build community relations at area schools and community programs, servicing pre-k to 5th-grade students. For more information, visit www.jodiefitz.com/better-bites.

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!   

August can be a big travel month especially with welcoming visitors to our area. Saratoga is filled with people from all over the world. We enjoy talking to many of our culinary guests and hearing about what can be eventful travels from afar. Most recently, a couple from overseas shared a story about their son that brought back memories of a family vacation we had to Disney. 

Back in 2004, going through security at the airport had become a planned task to anticipate when beginning your travels. My son was age twelve and my daughter was nine at the time. I was bound to a wheel chair having just had surgery on my foot. Security had chosen our family randomly to do a full security check. We all moved to the side and cooperated with the officers who held wands in their hands to check us. My wife, daughter, and I all went through quickly. However, as I glanced to find my son – he was being held by one of the security officers. We stood watching as the officer placed his wand and tapped on my son’s pocket of his cargo pants. My son reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of candy. The guard then moved to the other pocket of my son’s pants and tapped on the pocket. My son pulled out another bag of candy. At this point my wife and I looked at each other wondering why our son packed all of this candy – since he never ate it and we rarely had it in the house. The security check was not quite over. The security officer continued to tap all of the pockets in my son’s cargo pants. As you may know – cargo pants have many pockets. My wife and I stood with our mouths open and were laughing each time our son reached into his pockets and pulled out more and more candy!! We could not believe what we saw. The security officer tried not to laugh as we kept proclaiming amazement of what we saw. Once we made it past airport security – our vacation was incredible with many wonderful memories to add to our candy cargo stop. 

Our son was able to keep all of the candy he had stashed away like a squirrel. To this day – we are not quite sure why he had that much candy on him, especially now as an adult with his own career and lives out in San Diego – he is not a big candy eater. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry an assortment of culinary tools. For those traveling, bring a special gift for your foodie that may be either back home or who you will be visiting. There is always something someone needs in their culinary arsenal. Visit our cool tool gadget wall, beautiful cutting boards, baking supplies, knives, maybe that non-stick pan that someone needs, or something simple like a wooden spoon, pepper or salt mills, instant read thermometer, or visit our wine and cocktail accessory section. Traveling can be quite an event. 

We welcome our many visitors to Saratoga Springs, New York and look forward to hearing more of the fun stories that exist in traveling. Have fun in your travels and adventures this summer. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care,  John & Paula

The value of farmers’ markets to communities is immense, and strengthening that bond is one important mission of the Saratoga Farmers Market. Behind that bond are the farmers whose hard work, dedication to agriculture, and beautifully produced foods make the market possible. In honor of next week’s August 6-12 observance of National Farmers’ Market Week, we want to share a bit about what makes our market stand out.

The Saratoga Farmers Market, founded in 1978, is among the oldest continually running farmers’ markets in New York State. It is a producer-only market, which means all items sold at the market are grown, raised, or made by the farmers and other artisans who are a part of the market. The market also defines “local” quite specifically to those whose farms or businesses are within a 50-mile radius of downtown Saratoga Springs. 

As an entity run by a non-profit association consisting of current and former vendors, the Saratoga Farmers Market sees the bond between customers and vendors as a key asset and strives each week to create an enjoyable and welcoming atmosphere for everyone. That connection is important to the market because it helps customers know more about the foods they buy, says Charles Holub of Scotch Ridge Berry Farm. “It builds trust between the customer and producer, particularly for organic growers,” Holub says.

The market has changed considerably over its 45 years but remains what Phyllis Underwood of Shushan Hydro Farms calls “a place where consumers can meet their farmers and learn about how they grow and provide food.” Such programs as the Power of Produce Club (PoP Club), Wednesday workshops, and the expansion this year of the market’s long-running community compost project help inform shoppers and give them opportunities to participate in creating a thriving local economy.

That participation is something that farmers’ markets nationwide encourage, says Diane Eggert of the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York. She suggests several ways for you to get involved, such as:

• Bringing family and friends to their local markets;

• Posting pictures of market purchases on social media and tagging the markets;

• Talking to vendors about how they produce their goods;

• Trying a new vegetable or other food item available at the market;

• Supporting a market’s growth with donations.

“Shopping at farmers’ markets nourishes us – our bodies as well as our souls,” Eggert says. “The foods that people purchase at farmers’ markets are the best they can buy for their families.” 

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!   

During the summer months, we tend to want to use appliances that make our lives easier so we can spend more time outdoors. The immersion blender is one of those tools that is so versatile and does not take up a lot of space in your kitchen. This compact tool comes in handy whether you are making a creamy milkshake, or a fruit filled smoothie, blending or whipping up a frothy beverage to keep cool in the heat, this tool can handle your needs. 

An immersion blender is a handheld kitchen appliance that blends and purées large-batch dishes. This popular kitchen tool is helpful for making blended dishes like soups, mashed potatoes, stews, sauces, and smoothies. An immersion blender—also called a speed hand blender, stick blender, or blending wand—is shaped like a short pole with stainless steel blades at the end and a power button on the handle. Some models have variable speeds that allow you to control the blending power of the blades. The blender can be used for pureeing soups, sauces and dips, batters, and dressings as well. What is the difference between an immersion blender and a regular blender? The key difference between an immersion blender and a traditional blender is the way that they function. With a regular blender, you place your ingredients inside the jug of the blender, which purées them together with blades located at the bottom of the device. By contrast, you place an immersion blender into a pot of ingredients and move the blades through the mixture by hand to blend it together. This gives you more freedom and control over the blender blades.

One of our favorite immersion blenders is the Control Grip by Breville. While many immersion mixers can be clunky and hard to handle, Breville makes blending easier with their unique Control Grip™. This ergonomic trigger grip can be operated from a very natural hand position. Plus, the innovative, oval-shaped blade housing reduces suction for greater control and more thorough blending. The mixer features 15-speed variable speeds with trigger operation for precision mixing and ease of use, an 8” stainless steel immersion shaft with stainless steel blade, and a 6-foot power cord for increased portability and movement. The non-scratch edge protects surfaces of pots, pans and bowls. Includes wire whisk attachment, 3-cup chopper bowl with stainless steel blade, and 5-cup mixing/measuring jug with dual-purpose storage lid and anti-slip mat.

This summer, stop into Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Find the tools that help you with your summer cooking. We have all types of “cool tools for cooks” and plenty of culinary essentials to assist you with your summer entertaining. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Tomatoes are one of the most anticipated and popular summer fruits that vegetable vendors offer at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. To everyone’s delight, they are finally in season. 

Customers have a wide variety of tomatoes to choose from at the market, from round red beefsteaks to colorful cherry and grape tomatoes and, most special of all, sweet and juicy heirloom tomatoes. 

All heirloom tomatoes share the same trait: they are open-pollinated or non-hybridized. This means that every fruit produces seeds that are “true to type” and can easily be saved for planting next year. Heirloom seeds come from worldwide, selected and saved for their special character and flavor. In contrast, hybrid tomatoes, intentionally bred from cross-pollinating two different cultivars, do not produce “true to type seeds” that can be saved. The newer “hylooms” (hybrid tomatoes that resemble heirlooms), most red beefsteaks, and many cherry and grape tomatoes are hybrids. 

From a grower’s standpoint, heirloom tomatoes are among the most challenging tomatoes to produce successfully. Unlike hybrids, heirloom tomato plants tend to be less productive and more prone to foliar diseases. The fruits are more likely to crack and deform because they have softer flesh and thinner skin. Nevertheless, farmers and home gardeners continue to grow heirloom tomatoes every year because they are so beautiful and delicious. 

Heirloom tomatoes come in a panoply of shapes, colors, and sizes, and each has a different story and flavor profile, as suggested by their names: Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Striped German, Speckled Roman, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, and Goldie to name just a few. Their flavors range from light and fruity to rich, deep, and complex. Every heirloom tomato is special.

The best way to enjoy heirloom tomatoes is the simplest: Slice up a variety and arrange them on a platter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Enjoy with fresh bread to mop up the juices. This is the epitome of summer!

Ask your favorite vegetable vendors about the heirloom tomatoes they grow and love. Then try a variety to enjoy with family and friends at home. Your tastebuds will surely thank you.

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.