Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

We are in that time of year where we plan for meals that warm us up during the chilly days and plan for the upcoming snow days. I reflect on many winter days that include my fondest childhood memories playing in the snow. I enjoy sharing this story with you each winter.

I grew up during a time when the average household included at least four children and you were literally thrown outdoors to play and told not to come back home until the street lights came on. Playing in the snow included making homemade sleds to slide down the golf course hills, making snowmen, and of course, building the best snow fort in the neighborhood. In our house we divided up the tasks to ensure that our “fort” could withstand repeated attacks of snowball wielding elementary school kids. In the creation of our snow fort, my brother Danny was the engineer and he mapped out how high and thick the walls should be. My youngest brother Billy was the builder and shaped the inside of the fort for the chairs, refrigerator and snow TV. The baby of our family Patty was the support staff. Since I was the oldest of the Reardon children clan, I was the recruiter and went door to door finding my soldiers and builders. We were not allowed to use the phone back then (adults only), so when I came to the door and knocked you could hear a stampede of children in the house trying to get to the door. To get them to work on the fort I would tell them that my mother was making meatball sandwiches! My mother’s meatballs were the envy of the neighborhood and far exceeded the bologna and spam the other kids were getting. My first stops were Dave and Karl’s houses and they lived next door to each other. They were my age but already almost as tall as most of our fathers at the age of six. Dave turned out to be 6’8” and Karl is 6’6”. If you want your walls to be the highest, I thought, get the tallest kids. My mother would grimace when she saw them coming as she knew she would need a lot more meatballs. Our first forts were wrecked at night by teenagers until my brother Dan came up with the idea to put water on the outside walls and it would turn them to ice. You could hear the howls of the mean teenagers when they kicked the walls, and they didn’t give so easily. 

To this day, when I talk with some of my childhood friends, they join me in reminiscing about the fun snow forts, and the reward of my mother’s meatball sandwiches. To this day, her meatballs remained unparalleled. However, Paula’s meatballs are on target with them especially since my mother did share her “secret” method with Paula. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry skillets to make your meatballs in, saucepans to make your sauce, baking sheets to pop your meatball sandwiches into the oven with, and other really “Cool Tools for Cooks.” Meatball sandwiches are a great way to deal with these frosty winter days. The neighborhood kids will love you!! 

Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen”

Take Care, John & Paula

While there are usually easy meal solutions for breakfast and lunch, simple, healthy dinner ideas are challenging. Finding a recipe your family will enjoy is only a part of the struggle. We crave a quick fix for dinner, a wholesome meal that doesn’t take hours to prepare and cook and won’t require piles of dishes. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has meal motivation and locally-sourced ingredients to get you through these dinner difficulties.

Sheet Pan Dinners

For an effortless, delicious meal with minimal cleanup, sheet pan dinners are one of our favorite approaches to dinner. Choose your favorite seasonal vegetable(s) and pair it with a protein like chicken, pork, or beef. Think steak with Brussels sprouts and potatoes, sausages with apples and carrots, or chicken with mushrooms and leeks. The internet has many ideas, and finding the right ingredients is super simple between your pantry and the farmers’ market.

Farmers’ Market Frittatas

Frittatas can be very easy to make and are a great way to clean out your refrigerator. Ingredients include eggs, vegetables, fresh herbs (optional, and returning to the market in Feb.), cheese, and bacon or sausage – or omit for a vegetarian option. Simply sauté the vegetables, add cooked bacon and herbs, pour whisked eggs over the mixture, top with cheese, and broil for 3-4 minutes. We love M&A Farm’s recipe and remember that you can put just about anything in your frittata.

Simple Soups

Soups are one of the most satisfying, healthy, and easy one-pot meals. Simply chop up your vegetables, sauté the aromatics (leeks, onions, carrots, garlic, but the list goes on), add chicken or vegetable stock and simmer, then puree or leave chunky depending on the soup and your preference of texture. Some ideas are vegetable soup, potato and leek soup, mushroom soup, and butternut squash soup.

Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Meals

Slow cookers and Instant Pots have turned complicated, time-consuming meals into one-pot wonders. A quick Google search can reveal recipes from tacos to pot roasts to soups and stews. Once your ingredients are in the pot, you typically don’t need to pay attention to them until the meal is cooked and ready to serve. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. 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!   

Flavors, taste, and smell are part of another dimension of food. Our senses allow us to create a sense of comfort and bring us back to places and time that we hold dear. 

I love the smell of coffee being made. Growing up with many relatives, coffee was also in the center of the kitchen table and part of the conversations that were made. As a child, I have vivid memories of my parents, aunts and uncles sitting around a table after a big meal, laughing, and having a cup of coffee or espresso in their hands. I remember Sunday evenings involved all of the adult family sitting around the table playing Pinochle, and drinking espresso (with anisette in it) while all of the children were placed in front of the TV watching the Lawrence Welk show or Judy Garland movies. In the background were the relatives yelling at each other in Italian. Along with the espresso, homemade Italian cookies were served (which all of the kids would sneak into their pockets since they we were only allowed one which was never enough). Each of my family would take bites of the wonderful sweets, sip espresso, and talk about the family. Maybe that is why I am crazy about coffee; it’s ingrained in me from childhood. There’s nothing better than the smell of espresso being brewed. 

To make the espresso, our family always used a Bialetti stove top coffee pot. True coffee lovers know there’s more than one way to make a “cuppa” coffee, and they’ve tried them all: French press, drip coffee, cold brew, fancy espresso machines, and so on. One of the most humble and effective machines for making a strong cup of coffee is the stovetop espresso maker also known as the moka pot. The moka pot, or macchinetta del caffè, which literally translates to “small coffee machine,” is a stovetop machine that moves boiling water, pressurized by steam, through ground coffee to make a delicious brew. The Moka produces a rich, authentic espresso in just minutes.

The aluminum pot features Bialetti’s distinctive eight-sided shape that allows it to diffuse heat perfectly to enhance the aroma of your espresso. In 1933, an Italian inventor named Luigi De Ponti patented the design for Alfonso Bialetti, and the company is still making stovetop espresso makers with the same basic design. Bialetti’s classic moka pot is so reliable, that it remains the best stovetop espresso maker you can buy. The Moka Express has become iconic for the stove top espresso maker and has allowed millions of consumers to enjoy great Italian coffee.

Making stovetop espresso:

1. Rinse the pot out with hot water, including the underside of the ‘jug’ part of the pot where coffee grounds will stick to the filter. 

2. Make sure the threads on the jug and the reservoir section are clear of grounds, or the two parts of your pot won’t join properly and your pot can start to spit and hiss when it’s on the stove.

3. Fill the reservoir with water up to the fill-line. If your pot doesn’t have a fill-line, or you can’t see it, fill the reservoir to about half an inch below the safety valve.

4. Place the basket in the reservoir and spoon coffee grounds into it. You want the coffee to be quite loose, so don’t tamp it down – coffee expands when it gets damp, so it needs a bit of room to do this. Fill the basket about three-quarters full.

5. Screw the jug part of the pot back onto the base, and put the pot on a low heat. If you turn up the heat too high, the coffee will boil in the pot and taste bitter.

6. The Moka Pot takes about five minutes or so to make the coffee. Many people recommend taking the pot off the heat as soon as it starts to make gurgling noises, but if you use a very low heat, you may find that removing the pot too soon leaves the reservoir half full and the pot half empty. Using a low heat means that the coffee never boils, so you won’t have to worry about the coffee tasting bitter.

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry the Bialetti Moka Espresso pot. You can use these pots anywhere. Take them on vacation, camping trips, or to a friends’ house. As I sit and have my morning cup of coffee or espresso, those incredible memories of family members past and present bring me back to a time that was precious. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”, at the kitchen table playing, talking, and sharing with each other.

Take Care, John & Paula

Running a small business can be both liberating and challenging. While new and established businesses have different priorities, knowing and understanding customers’ needs is always at the center. Vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market observe this first-hand. 

“In my opinion, it’s the best place to incubate new products and ideas,” said Shane Avery in an interview on his businesses Junboucha and Earth to Mind. “You get instant feedback, and customers’ reviews are honest, accurate, and high-quality.” 

Many business owners at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market share Avery’s sentiments. Customer interactions provide an excellent opportunity to create a positive experience and build relationships that are the foundation of a successful business.

Lindsay Fisk of Owl Wood Farm shared similar feedback in a past interview. “We like the idea of farmers’ markets because we get to meet the customers and get to know them, and they get to know us,” said Fisk. “We also decided on farmers’ markets as an outlet when we started because we felt we could have more flexibility with what we could bring and not feel the pressure from pursuing wholesale outlets.”

This year marks the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s 45th anniversary, an achievement that can be attributed to the diverse business community with that they have had the opportunity to grow. They hope to inspire new and established businesses to explore vendor opportunities in their markets.

The online application for the summer season of outdoor markets on Wednesdays, 3-6 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at High Rock Park is currently open. These markets will run from May through the end of October. The Clifton Park Farmers’ Market, their affiliate, is also accepting applications for Mondays, 2-5 p.m., at the Shenendehowa United Methodist Church parking lot. The application for these three markets is open until January 31, 2023.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is known for hosting various businesses. Local farms, artisans, crafters, and specialty and ready-to-eat food makers are welcome to apply. Businesses must be within a 50-mile radius of Saratoga Springs, and all products must be made or grown locally.

For more information, visit saratogafarmersmarket.org/vendor. You will find detailed information on the farmers’market, seasonal application dates, and a link to the vendor application.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. 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!   

Happy New Year in 2023. Making New Years’ resolutions and resolving to change and improve yourself and your life is an almost unavoidable part of the transition to a new year. One definition of the word resolution is: “a promise to yourself that you will make a serious effort to do something that you should do.” 

However, it is important to remember that the New Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is a time for people to reflect on their past years’ behavior and promise to make positive lifestyle changes. For some people, that might mean to start cooking, period. For others, it might mean to stop eating out so much and get back into the kitchen. For still others, it might mean finally tackling that challenging recipe you’ve always meant to try but have never had the motivation or nerve. 

Why should you cook? Cooking is good. Cooking is pure. Cooking is one of those human things you can do that will improve almost every aspect of your life, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of having mastered some dish where you know you could make it blindfolded if you had to. Just about anything you concoct in a kitchen is going to be healthier for you than what you might order in a restaurant, even if it’s the cheesiest, most pepperoni-laden pizza you can dream up.

Consider using cast iron for the hearty winter dinner recipes you make this year. Cast iron has had a resurgence in demand. These pans are extremely versatile and can last a lifetime. Everything from frying eggs, cooking a stew and baking a pie can be done in a cast iron pan. With a little care, these pans can become a hand-me-down family heirloom. Owning one can open up a whole new world of cooking, and the flavor that a cast iron pan can add to food is amazing.

In order to be successful when using cast iron, you have to know how to care for it, basically what to do and what not to do to your pans. If you treat them right, they will be so easy to cook with and will quickly become your go-to pan. First, season your pan. Seasoning is basically oiling the pan to give it a nonstick surface and prevent rusting. Even though most pans are sold “pre-seasoned,” you’ll still want to season it before its first use. Give your new pan a good rinse with plain old water and then heat it on the stove over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add a small amount of oil. Using a cloth, work the oil all around the inside bottom and sides of the pan. Give it a good coat, about a teaspoon for a 10-12 inch skillet, but not so much that there is standing oil in the pan. Then let it cool to room temp. You’ll want to repeat this process a few more times until the surface is glossy, but not sticky. and if needed, scrub lightly. A properly seasoned pan is naturally nonstick; however, if there is stuff stuck to the pan, you can scrape it and scrub with a hard bristle brush. After washing or scrubbing if necessary, make sure to fully towel dry your pan to prevent rusting.

Our favorite and best-selling cast iron is Lodge. Lodge is pre-seasoned cast iron cookware so they begin the seasoning process for you. Lodge provides the pre-seasoned cookware with no synthetic chemicals; just soy-based vegetable oil. The more you use your cast iron, the better the seasoning becomes. Lodge is MADE IN THE USA and has been making cast iron cookware in South Pittsburg, Tennessee since 1896. With over 120 years of experience, their cast iron is known for its high-quality design, lifetime durability, and cooking versatility and is FAMILY-OWNED.

For 2023, cook something new each week. Everyone wants to eat healthier in the New Year, but you should also try to eat more diverse foods. After all, variety is the spice of life. This year, choose an easy dinner recipe you’ve never tried before at least once a week. Sing, dance, play music really loud, and have fun eating your very own creation. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, for the cool tools to help make your cooking resolutions a reality. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Wishing all a Happy New Year for 2023,

Take Care, John & Paula

The cold winter months call for hot, comforting foods, so just in time for National Soup Month, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is showing some love for soup. There are infinite combinations of stocks, vegetables, and proteins that, when simmered together, create flavorful and lively liquids that make us feel nourished and satisfied.

Making soup from scratch can be a simple process with satisfying results. While there are culinary rules to follow for specific recipes, soups allow creativity in the kitchen and when shopping for ingredients. We recommend strolling through the farmers’ market for fresh, in-season ingredients.

First, let’s talk about aromatics – combinations of vegetables, herbs, and meats that are the foundation of your soup. Some options are onions, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, sweet potatoes, and squash. Vendors’ tables have even more stored vegetables. Chicken breast, veal, goat, and beef stew meat are excellent options for protein. Let your palette guide you and build a soup with what you love.

Sautée aromatics in fat like olive oil, coconut oil, or butter. If beef, goat, or veal are on your ingredients list, brown this first over medium-high heat and set aside. You may cook vegetables and herbs together, adding minced garlic once the vegetables soften. If using chicken breast, cook it along with the vegetables. Embrace the mouthwatering smells during this process.

Next, add stock and water and perhaps some diced hydroponic tomatoes. Bone broth is available at the farmers’ market or use any broth of your choice. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. The vegetables should be tender, and the meat, if used, should be thoroughly cooked. At this point, you can adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

How about some health-building greens like kale, chard, or Chinese cabbage? Greens pack flavor and nutrients into homemade soups and should be added in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to soften but maintain their texture.

Building a soup can be fulfilling using what’s available from local farms at the farmers’ market. Perhaps you have something specific in mind, like your mom’s chicken noodle soup or a borscht recipe on your favorite food blog – visit the farmers’ market for all your soup-making needs.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. 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!   

Each of us may have our “good luck” traditions for bringing in the New Year. Throughout the globe, each country has its own way of bringing in the New Year with the “good luck foods” and other cultural traditional ways that carry importance for the New Year. No matter what way you choose to bring in the New Year, we could all benefit from some fortune coming our way. Bringing in the New Year gives us a chance to reflect on what we have faced in the year and the things we are grateful for. 

For us at Compliments to the Chef, we are thankful for family, friends, and all of the wonderful acquaintances that have helped us throughout the year. As Clarence said to George Bailey in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “No man is a failure who has friends.” We have foodie friends which is even better! So many great people have come through our door with questions and some with suggestions. We believe that we have a great extended family who shares in our joy of cooking and creating our own masterpiece meals. We have introduced many great tools in our store as a result of customer suggestions. For me, coming to work every day and being part of our incredible Saratoga Springs community in one of the finest cities in America is a pure joy. Now that we are at the end of another successful year, it’s time to gather in our kitchens and raise our glasses to our family, friends, past and present, and to the new friends to come. 

While making your toasts this New Year, keep in mind some tools that can help to make your celebration run smoothly. Tools such as the foil cutter, waiter’s corkscrew, cocktail shaker and strainer, and champagne saver/pourers can be very useful this time of year. 

Whatever your needs, I hope that our store can continue to be your first thought for your culinary and wine supplies. And when you come through our door, you will notice that a bell rings…and we all know what happens every time a bell rings! Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. 

This New Year, make some noise, get a kiss at midnight, make a New Year’s toast, or stir up your favorite good luck food to make your new year the best yet. Here is to new beginnings, hopes, and realizing that anything is possible. Wishing you and your nearest and dearest a very Happy New Year. Cheers to 2023! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Many start a new year with fresh resolutions for a healthier, happier self. If you can’t get your healthy food resolutions to stick, perhaps change how you approach them. Instead of cutting out foods you love and feeling guilty if you fail, alter your diet with fresh, healthy ingredients to nourish your body and mind. Here are a few tips on what to look for at the farmers’ market.

Listen to your gut

A healthy balance of gut bacteria aids in the digestion of the foods we eat, helps our body to absorb nutrients, and uses those nutrients to fuel and maintain our body. Probiotic-packed fermented foods like kimchi and kraut from Puckers Pickles are packed with fiber and are delicious snacks or side dishes. Yogurt is another food known to add beneficial bacteria to the body. Argyle Cheese Farmer brings Greek and traditional yogurt in various flavors. Kombucha is a refreshing fermented tea drink full of good bacteria and is available in several flavors from Junbucha. 

Powerful produce

Incorporating produce into your diet doesn’t have to mean eating salads vs. the comfort foods we love, but it does require cooking creatively. For example, when making mac and cheese, mix half the roux in the recipe with roasted and pureed butternut squash. Kale pesto packs powerful nutrients to fuel your body, and it’s delicious on pasta, toast, or in an omelet. Incorporating root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, and carrots into meals like pot pie, stir fry, soups, stews, and even meatloaf can boost the flavor and lessen the need for rich ingredients like cream and butter.

Lean meats and meat substitute

Regarding meat, certain types and cuts tend to be leaner. Veal is lean meat on par with chicken and turkey, and Hebron Valley Veal brings ground veal and various cuts and roasts. Longlesson Farm’s Christophe Robert suggests trying beef shanks. It is a less fatty cut of beef that benefits from being cooked low and slow in a crockpot or dutch oven.

If you are trying a no- or low-meat lifestyle, mushrooms can provide a fantastic, bold alternative. From lion’s main “crab cakes” to mushroom burgers, The Mushroom Shop has a wide variety of mushrooms for versatile and satisfying meals.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket

The farmers’ market considers farmers and producers to be the ultimate foodies. They are on the pulse of what’s in season, follow food trends (and sometimes start them), and have a wealth of cooking knowledge for the foods they make and grow. At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, vendors and farmers share their favorite foods to eat during the holiday season.

“During the holidays, I love eating struffoli, also known as honey balls, topped with colorful sprinkles,” says Jessica Arceri, owner of Saratoga Peanut Butter. “My mom makes them every year, and I just love her recipe and the tradition,” Arceri adds. “I’m also partial to Saratoga Peanut Butters Mistletoe and Catch Me peanut butter.”

“During the holidays, I love eating desserts and sweets,” says Laurie Kokinda of Kokinda Farm. “My family made pierogies during the holidays, but I was always interested in the pies, chocolate, and cookies – I’m a sweetaholic!” Kokinda adds with a laugh.

“During the holidays, I love eating mac and cheese,” says Max, the salesperson for Yankee Distillers. Comfort foods are often at the center of our cravings this time of year. Between the sentiments of the holiday season and the dip in temperatures, cream sauce and carbohydrates are just the things to warm our hearts and fill our stomachs.

“During the holidays, I love a good beef roast,” says Sean Dean, the salesperson for Nettle Meadow and Ballston Lake Apiaries. “It’s the time of year to make something special that you wouldn’t typically make for a weeknight meal.” Beef roasts make for a memorable holiday feast that doesn’t have to be complicated. Just prepare it with garlic and herbs. 

“During the holidays, I love eating chickories,” says Himanee Gupta, co-owner of Squashvilla Farm. Chickories are bitter greens like frisée, escarole, and radicchio varieties that grow in the spring and fall. Pairing rich sides and hearty meats with a fresh, healthful salad offers balance to a heavy meal and aids digestion. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturday, December 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Stop by for fresh ingredients for your favorite holiday staples.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.