Hello my Foodie Friends!   

For many of our foodie families, school is back in session. Bake sales, carnivals, fairs, and overall appreciation time may call for us to make some of our favorite baked goods. The back-to-school season may mean a few extra hours back to yourself during the day, but little ones still get out of school pretty early, and you could find yourself racking your brain for something to keep them occupied besides digital entertainment. Cooking together is a great learning experience, plus it’s interactive and hands-on. Out of all the dishes you can cook with kids, baking something sweet has to be the most rewarding. There’s so much warm-fuzziness to be felt as you watch their eyes light up when they crack their first egg, press the mixer button, stir the batter, decorate with icing, and watch the treats rise through the oven window. They might be experiencing some of this for the first time.

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. 

Cook up delicious recipes with your children. Take you taste buds on an adventure. Plan a good time to bake. Anticipate a child wanting to help. Keep on hand some easy mixes or ingredients for some easily made recipes. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutler 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

Small farms are the heart of our local food system, but owning and operating them are not for the faint of heart. Farmers work long hours, in all weather, and need to be skilled in running a small business. The pressure is high to get it right. In 2024, the median income of farm-owners in America was about -$1,500, and in many cases, off-farm income was necessary for survival. 

What’s life like for farmers in our area? This week, I asked five Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors; Lindsay Fisk and Mark Bascom of Owl Wood Farm, Corinne Hansch and Matthew Leon of Lovin’ Mama Farm, Rose and Dan Fera of Leaning Birch Farm, Meghan and Nathan Mattison of Grazin’ Acres Farm, and Ariel Garland and Matt Campbell of May-K-Mark; for their insights on farming’s challenges.

One thing is clear: our farmers start their days early and end late, particularly in the summer. Ariel and Matt get up at 5 am to feed and water their animals and milk their dairy cows before heading to their off-farm jobs. When they return after 5 or 6 pm, they feed, water and milk again, move their herds to new pastures, and do seasonal jobs like haying and caring for newly-born calves and their mothers. Meghan and Nathan work from sunrise to sunset tending their animals and vegetable gardens with help from their older children. Likewise, our vegetable and flower farmers and their crews work from 7 or 8 am to 5:30 to 7:30 pm (or later on Fridays) on field and greenhouse jobs like bed preparation, planting, weeding, pruning and trellising, and market-related tasks, including harvesting, washing, and packing. In the summer months, our farmers work up to 80 hours of week at physically and mentally demanding activities. 

With all to do on the farm, it’s hard to catch a break. Most of our farmers remark that they are able to relax a little on Sundays. The winter months are also less intense, with time for skiing, hiking, concerts, and in Lovin’ Mama’s case, writing a book and restoring a diner into a farm store and café. 

Overall, our farmers are able to make a living on their farms and are able support 4-8 employees with a living wage. That being said, some farm-owners remark that they earn far less than minimum wage, and retirement and benefits are lacking from those without off-farm jobs. The upfront costs of starting a farm and access to affordable, productive land are daunting. Moreover, crop losses, injuries, and labor challenges are stressful and it’s far from easy to maintain a work-life balance. By necessity, our farmers must be savvy with their marketing, and selling their products direct-to-consumer at farmers’ markets is key to their success. 

As Ariel remarks “farming is a labor of love; we certainly aren’t getting rich doing it, but our lives don’t feel full without it.” Our farmers truly love raising animals and growing flowers and produce and they are grateful for the support of their customers. Be sure to thank them the next time you’re at the market!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in Saratoga Springs and Mondays, 2–5 PM in Clifton Park. Visit saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for the weekly newsletter, and follow the market on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends! 

The summer went by so quickly. 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 slicer 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? We carry beautiful pie plates and tools you need to assist with your delicious apple treats. 

So, how do you like them apples? 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.

A trip to the farmers’ market can fill your shopping bag, but it can also leave you knowing something you didn’t know before. This September, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is offering four hands-on Wednesday workshops where participants will learn a new skill, meet local experts, and take some of that knowledge home.

Education and community have always been an important part of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association’s mission. Beyond providing a marketplace for local farmers and producers, the market aims to be a place where people gather, learn, and connect.

The series begins September 9 with Pickling 3 Ways, led by Alyssa Hayes, Nutrition Educator with Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Participants will learn refrigerator pickling using beets, green beans, and cucumbers. It’s a simple way to preserve peak-season vegetables, and participants can pick up fresh produce at the market and put their new skills to work at home.

On September 16, Jai Stockin, owner of 9 Pine Designs, will lead Introduction to Plant-Based Dyes. Participants will learn how vegetables and plants, including some found at the farmers’ market, can be transformed into natural dyes. Each person will experiment with the process and naturally dye a reusable cotton bag to take home.

On September 23, mushroom expert Jake Howard and owner of The Mushroom Shop will teach participants how to grow shiitake mushrooms outdoors on logs. After learning about the growing process, participants will get hands-on, inoculating their own shiitake log to take home and care for.

The series finishes September 30 with Fall Candle Making, led by Amy Hartman, owner of Bella Blends. Participants will select a fall-inspired essential oil blend and hand-pour a candle using a coconut and beeswax blend. While the candles set, there will be plenty of time to shop the market before returning to pick up the finished candle.

All workshops begin at 4 PM under the High Rock Park pavilions and will be held rain or shine. Space is limited, and registration is required. The September 9 and 16 workshops are free; the September 23 and 30 workshops have a $10 donation. To register, email manager@saratogafarmersmarket.org or message the market on Facebook.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in Saratoga Springs and Mondays, 2–5 PM in Clifton Park. Visit saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for the weekly newsletter, and follow the market on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

The summer brings back many fond memories for me of weekend family gatherings. You see, back in the day, you knew all your cousins, Aunts, Uncles and grandparents very well. Family gatherings were a requirement, not an option. Sometimes friends would be allowed to attend the family gatherings, but not very often. Summer meant finger foods eaten outside and for kids, there was nothing better. We could eat with our hands, and we didn’t have to wash them. Mom was almost always the hostess and that suited Dad just fine as he didn’t want to go anywhere unless it was Vermont. One of the “go to” foods for the outside gatherings was corn on the cob. Mom would purchase baskets full of ears of corn and give the kids the task of shucking. Dad, who grew up on a farm, gave us kids lessons in shucking and then challenged us as to who could shuck the most. Imagine about fifteen little boys lined up with corn in front of them and my dad would instruct us stating, “now take the ear and put the stalk end on your hip, then with two hands grab the silk on either side and pull.  Ready, set, go!”  We would laugh and squeal and rip the corn apart! Mom loved it as I now know that it kept us occupied and out of trouble. Most of the time my cousin Mike would win as he listened intently to my dad and I think he practiced at home. One cooking vessel my Mom had for the corn, included quart stock pots for boiling corn to meet the corn-on-the cob needs for fifty or so relatives all day. My cousins and I still talk about those days fondly, and worry that families just don’t know each other nowadays as we did. It’s funny but every weekend of those summers we got together, and I can’t remember any rainy days ruining them?

As the summer comes close to an end, many of us will continue with backyard barbeques extending the outdoor cooking days with burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and chicken being popular choices. The smoky aromas of grilled meat and vegetables are definitively summer. Don’t forget classic barbeque sides like potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, corn-on-the-cob, and watermelon. Cool beverages like lemonade, iced tea, and beer complement the fiery flavors from the grill.

There are a number of tools to use when serving corn-on-the-cob. Remember your corn-on-the cob dishes, holders, and if you don’t like to eat directly off the cob, we have corn-on-the-cob corn strippers to help cut the corn off the cob. We carry a number of different size stock pots to assist with your corn-on-the-cob needs. 

This may be corny but call your relatives and invite them over for fun, games and good food especially when we make the family traditions that will bring back memories of a time past. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to pick up the essential tools you need for your end of the summer celebrations. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Most of us know more about where our morning coffee was grown than where the meat on our dinner plate came from. At the farmers’ market, that can change with one simple question: How did you raise this?

Buying meat directly from a farmer gives you something that is difficult to find on a supermarket label: access to the person who raised the animal. You can ask what it ate, whether it lived outdoors, how it was cared for, where it was processed, and even how to cook the cut you’re taking home. And the answers aren’t always the same.

At Ghost Light Farm, Bill Morrow raises Black Angus cattle as a “whole-life beef producer.” Calves are born on the farm and spend their entire lives on pasture with access to grass, spring-fed water, and sunshine. Finishing cattle are also fed corn and spent brewers grain.

At Wintervine Farm, Beth and Bob Bartell raise White Dorper sheep entirely on pasture without grain. Their flock is moved to fresh sections of pasture every few days using a cell-grazing system that allows previously grazed areas 50 to 60 days, or longer, to recover. The sheep graze, fertilize and aerate the soil before moving on.

And at Grazin’ Acres Farm, Meghan Mattison and her family raise heritage-cross pigs outdoors on pasture, where they can roam, root and wallow in the mud. The pigs are fed locally sourced non-GMO grain, and the farm uses a local butcher.

That’s part of what makes knowing your farmer so valuable. You don’t have to make assumptions about how an animal was raised. You can ask. 

Buying directly also gives customers a better understanding of what it takes to raise animals on a small farm. Morrow notes that 96% of New York cattle herds have fewer than 50 head. These farms don’t have the purchasing power, infrastructure or transportation advantages of large-scale meat producers. Purchasing from a local farm helps pay for fencing, local feed and hay, processing, transportation, and the many other costs of running a farm. In turn, much of that money supports other businesses in our region. 

For many customers, the next question is understandably about cost. One way to stretch your budget is to look beyond the most familiar cuts.

“There is only so much bacon and so many pork chops on a pig,” Mattison says. She encourages customers to try cuts such as fresh ham, which her family marinates overnight before baking. Morrow recommends Denver steak, a well-marbled cut from the chuck that he says is tender like a ribeye at about half the price. Bartell remembers her mother marinating inexpensive lamb stew meat in a homemade teriyaki sauce before turning it into grilled kabobs, a favorite she still enjoys today.

Buying larger quantities can also help. Wintervine Farm, for example, offers half and whole lambs at a lower price per pound.

Perhaps that’s one of the greatest advantages of buying meat directly from a farmer: you don’t have to know everything before you approach the table.

Ask how the animals were raised. Ask what fits your budget. Try something unfamiliar. And when you’re holding a cut you’ve never cooked before, ask the farmer the simplest question of all:

“What would you do with this?”

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga and Mondays, 2–5 PM in Clifton Park. Visit saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for the weekly newsletter, and follow the market on Facebook and Instagram. 

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

Zucchini: one of the most popular summertime vegetables that I have found so many ways to use. My earliest memory of eating them for the first time was when I was in middle school. I remember my late grandmother making breaded zucchini as a side with dinner when I was visiting her house once, and I think my love for them was born from that point on. Since then, I’ve made them as fritters, used them in yellow squash soup, and consumed them in noodle form. As tasty as they are in smaller quantities, I am excited to share the different ways I’ve experimented with zucchini in entree form

Last weekend, I went back to Long Island to see my family, and we ate zucchini every night. Usually when I visit, my dad requests that I cook at least one day I’m there, and last Friday, he and my mom wanted pasta with oily, garlicky zucchini, which he makes when they want something simple that won’t take too long. Luckily for me, what I assumed would be overly complicated at first because of how charred I had to get the zucchini turned out to be child’s play.

In a pan, I fried up a single zucchini that I cut into half-moon-shaped pieces in olive oil over medium-low heat. After a few minutes, when the skin began to blister but not change color, I added two sliced garlic cloves to the mix and a few cranks of salt, then continued stirring so nothing stuck to the bottom of the pan. I knew the zucchini was ready to be mixed with the penne I’d been boiling in a separate pot on the stove when both sides of the zucchini bits were golden-brown. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was with minimal additives.

Another dish that I enjoyed while I was home was my dad’s stuffed zucchini, which is made by cutting a zucchini lengthwise and hollowing out the middle, filling it with a mixture, then grilling (or baking) it until tender. My dad did his “Italian style” with a tomato sauce meatloaf mixture and layering it on top of zucchini from the grill. I’m a big fan of zucchini boat-style, and I love the cheeseburger-flavored ones my partner and I make at home in our air fryer. Feel free to do yours however you want, though! The filling can include ground meat, cheese, grains, vegetables, herbs, breadcrumbs, or a combination; it’s up to your personal preference.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga, and Mondays, 2–5 PM in Clifton Park. Visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for the weekly newsletter and follow the market on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

This time of the year is filled with events of having family and friends visiting, or our own traveling and includes finding gifts for those who have done something special or bringing a taste of our hometown to others. Whether you’re shopping for a neighbor or a friend, or family member who has visited, a locally made gift has value beyond the price tag. Local gifts can remind the recipient of some of their favorite memories of their travels or represent the beauty or culture of their hometown. One item that is useful and beautiful to give is a hardwood cutting board.

At Compliments to the Chef, we love wood cutting boards!  Good hard woods such as oak, maple, walnut, ash, and cherry are tough cutting surfaces that have been used for centuries to cut food or butcher meat on.  Early man just cut down any old tree to butcher and cut meat on but quickly realized that soft woods got people sick.  A good cutting board properly maintained can last a life time and they are safer than plastic which if it isn’t sanitized or left wet can actually harbor bacteria.  Some of the reasons for this are:

1. Plastic is not water-absorbent, so it stays wet longer, which means longer bacterial survival.

2. Wood is water-absorbent, so it dries faster, which means shorter bacterial survival.

3. Wood contains natural antibiotic agents that retard bacterial growth.

We carry beautiful hand-crafted wood cutting boards made by Saratoga Springs Artisan Adam Cielinski. Choosing an Adam Cielinski wood cutting board can make a great “Saratoga” gift to bring to family or friends or it can be one for your own home. Bring one as a housewarming or thank you gift or choose from one that may reflect a special love or hobby of a person you are buying for. They are simply beautiful and functional.  

Adam’s boards are part of Saratoga Springs Art History. They are each different and no two are exactly the same.  We have boards shaped like horse heads, owls, guitars, violins, hearts, cats, dogs, handled serving boards, and smaller boards. He also makes large cutting blocks that are great for larger items. The good news is they are reasonably priced too. Wood cutting boards have been in my family for generations and we hand them down.  Stop in and pick up a piece of Saratoga History and have something that you can hand down in your family.  A little advice on their care:

1. Dry the board immediately after (hand) washing, and 

2. Once a month, rub the board with oil, to keep it water-repellent and warp-free. Apply a coat of warm food-safe mineral oil, let soak in, and then wipe off the excess. Scratches can be sanded out then re-oiled.

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — to other people, nature, or a higher power. Stop by Compliment’s to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. Give that gift that gives the gift of happiness to someone special in your life. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

As a farmer, I know how much work goes into growing the abundance of food at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Your farmers labor long hours cultivating and planting their fields, tending their animals, and harvesting and washing all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables that grace their tables every week. 

By coming to the market and eating with the seasons, you honor the efforts of your farmers and are nourished by food grown with love and care. Fresh produce harvested at its peak is bursting with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruits like tomatoes, peaches, melons and berries typically have a higher brix value (a measure of sweetness) in the summer. Seasonal foods are flavorful, healthy and vibrant.

Summer produce like corn, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, sweet onions, and cucumbers are plentiful right now. Be on the lookout for specials! Some vendors may offer moderate discounts when buying in bulk, such as tomatoes for sauce or cucumbers for pickling. Canning, freezing and dehydrating are great ways to preserve the harvest for future enjoyment.

Seafood and meat are seasonal as well. In the northeast, bluefin tuna, swordfish, black sea bass, flounder and lobster are readily available in the summer. Additionally, be on the look-out for grill-ready fresh chicken. Quickly-defrosted products like burger patties, sausages, steaks and cutlets are perfect accompaniments to summer favorites like corn-on-the cob, cucumber salad, and sliced tomatoes. 

It can take some creativity, flexibility and an adventurous spirit to incorporated more seasonal foods in your diet, but the benefits are vast. Your farmers and your taste-buds will thank you!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga, and Mondays, 2–5 PM in Clifton Park. Visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for the weekly newsletter and follow the market on Facebook and Instagram.