Labor Day is just around the corner and it’s time to start planning the menu.  Grilled steak is always popular.  Here are few tips and tricks from the experts to help make your grilled steak just one bite tastier;

* Clean and Season the grill with a high-heat cooking oil like naturally refined avocado oil.

* If you are using charcoal, let the coals burn to a nice, even heat before grilling to get that delicious smoky flavor.

* Let the meat set to temper for one hour before grilling.

* Always season generously with salt and pepper.

* Don’t constantly move the steak once it’s on the grill; this helps to ensure a good crust on the exterior and juicy tenderness on the interior.

* Let the steak rest before slicing and serving.

There are so many different cuts, so here are a few extra thoughts depending on your menu;

Flank Steak, Skirt Steak and Tri-Tip are great to marinate due to their texture.

Rib-eye & Sirloin Steak  are best with simple seasonings but can also be marinated as well.

Filet Mignon is cooked best in a cast iron pan on the grill with butter and seasonings.

Strip steak is flavorful with simple seasonings, but is great topped with a wine and butter sauce.

And finally, don’t over cook any cut of meat.  Here is a guide depending on how you like to serve your steak cuts;

Rare: 115-120°F (to serve at 125°F)

Medium-rare: 120-125°F (to serve at 130°F)

Medium: 130-135°F (to serve at 140°F)

Medium-well: 140-145°F (to serve at 150°F)

Well: 150-155°F (to serve at 160°F)

Visit the market vendors where you can find all of your needs for your Labor Day plans. 

Meat vendors at the markets: 

Monday: Jireh Organic & Livestock

Wednesdays: Holly and Vine

Thursdays: Holly and Vine and Jireh Organic & Livestock

Saturdays: Grazin’ Acres, Hepatica Farm, Jireh Organic & Livestock,  Long Lesson Farm, May-k-Mark

The Saratoga Farmer’s 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 Springs. The Monday market at Clifton Park is open from 2-5 p.m. at the Shenendehowa Methodist Church on Route 146. The Thursday Market at Milton runs through to August 29th at the Burgess Kimball Memorial Park from 3-6 p.m. 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!   

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

Locally grown produce is in prime season and we have been exploring various ways to preserve all of this fresh goodness found at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Here are several ways to consider keeping your tomatoes to use throughout the year.

Canning:  Canning is one of the most common ways to preserve tomatoes.  Whole-peeled tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sauce(s), tomato paste, and salsa(s), can all be canned and used throughout the year.  In order to can tomatoes, they must be cooked prior to the actual canning process.  

Freezing: This is the simplest and best emergency method to preserve tomatoes if you have the room and are running out of time, or don’t want tomatoes to go bad before you can use them.  Simply place clean, dried tomatoes in a freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible and freeze the tomatoes.  Remove the frozen tomatoes to use as needed.  You can actually chop the tomatoes frozen and add them directly to various recipes throughout the year.  If you let them thaw slightly you can easily remove the skin if needed.

Oven Dried: Cutting the tomato depends on the type of tomatoes you are using to roast, but in brief, remove the core, seeds and juicy center.  Either halve them for smaller tomatoes or slice into thinner pieces for larger tomatoes depending on your future needs.  Place the tomatoes in a bowl and toss with a light coat of olive oil, salt, pepper and other seasonings you desire to use like basil, oregano etc.  Roast the tomato pieces on a parchment covered baking sheet for about 4 hours in a 200 degree oven.  Place the dried tomato pieces in a jar, cover with oil and keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.  These tomatoes add excellent flavor to various sauces, salads and other recipes.

However you like to enjoy your fresh tomatoes, now is prime time to grab your favorite variety, enjoy them in season and then consider preserving them to use throughout the cold weather months.  There’s nothing like farm fresh.

The Saratoga Farmer’s 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 Springs. The Monday market at Clifton Park is open from 2-5 p.m. at the Shenendehowa Methodist Church on Route 146. The Thursday Market at Milton begins Thursday, July 11th, through August 29th at the Burgess Kimball Memorial Park from 3-6 p.m. 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!   

In recent decades, avocados have surged in popularity. We find ourselves making this one of our favorite foods by putting it on toast, in avocado bowls, smoothies, salads, fries, soups, scrambled eggs, dressing, gelato, brownies, pizza, pancakes, yes, and even ice cream. These are among the large number of ways we have incorporated avocados into our diets.  You can even just grab a spoon and eat avocado with some salt and pepper. Avocado’s can make just about anything taste better. Avocados may be considered a “high fat food”. However, they are also considered a super food. Not only does the fat from avocados provide essential nutrients, the also help to absorb nutrients such as vitamins from other foods eaten. They are also considered a high source of fiber. From avocado toast to guacamole, avocados are incredibly versatile and packed with nutrients that can be beneficial for health. 

Avocados can be challenging to cut. They may seem harmless, but can be a bit troublesome in trying to remove the pit. With the growing popularity of avocados has many people learning that cutting the tasty and healthy fruit the wrong way can lead to a term called “avocado hand”, when an individual injures their hand trying to remove the pit from the avocado in a way that causes injury to the hand.

There is a tool that can assist in avoiding this injury. Removing the pit is the most dangerous part of avocado preparations. The avocado tool makes the job way easier thanks to the rounded blades, which grip onto the avocado pit so you can twist and remove it without cutting through your hand. The Avocado Tool from Microplane features a straight edge blade with an exaggerated wide curve and rounded tip to effortlessly slice through avocado’s tough skin and scoop the flavorful flesh inside. Three prongs at the base of the tool safely and easily handle the tricky task of pitting the avocado without resorting to using knives. For easy clean up, it’s also dishwasher safe. Use the straight edge to cut through tough avocado skin, then pierce the pit with the tool’s prongs and twist to remove the pit! 

We also carry other items to assist with your love of avocados; the avocado flip pod for serving and storing dips to stay fresh and order free, and the avocado storage pod to assist with storing leftover avocado halves in your refrigerator. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we offer Avocado slicers and savers for your avocado culinary creations. “Avo nice day”. Remember Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

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 waste 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.

So kick back and enjoy those delicious summer fruits that are available. Cherry-ish the time you have with your family while of course, savoring your own bowl full of sweet, juicy cherries—it’s a treat you can feel good about!

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

Take Care,
John & Paula

Corn on the Cob is at the market. It is farm fresh and absolutely delicious!  But, how do you preserve these fresh found flavors for cooler months?  Well, there’s more than one way to freeze corn.  Here are a few different methods so that you can discover your personal favorite.

Blanch It!

Shuck the corn and remove all of the silk.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. 

Blanch the cobs for approximately 7 to 11 minutes depending on their size.

Immediately transfer the corn to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  

Drain the corn and pat it dry.

Place the ears in an airtight freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.

Label, date and freeze for up to one year.

The Simple Freeze

* Using fresh purchased corn, not ears that have been sitting on the counter or in the refrigerator.

* Trim the excess green from the top and the bottom of the corn, but don’t expose the corn.  

* Wrap each individual ear in plastic wrap.

* Place the individually wrapped ears in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.

* Label and freeze for up to 6 months.

Raw Kernels

Shuck the corn and remove the silk.

Remove the kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.

Place the kernels in a freezer bag removing as much air as possible.

Label and freeze them for up to 6 months.

Blanched Kernels

Shuck the corn and remove the silk.

Remove the kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

Place the kernels in boiling water for 4 minutes.

Immediately place the kernels into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Drain the corn and pat it dry.

Place the kernels in an airtight freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.

Label, date and freeze for up to one year.

Blanching is more time consuming, but it does extend the freezer life of the corn and some say it also has an impact on the flavor. However, the raw freezer method is a HUGE time-saver in a very busy world.  There are many options to discover and ways to freeze your own all summer long.

The Saratoga Farmer’s 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 Springs. The Monday market at Clifton Park is open from 2-5 p.m. at the Shenendehowa Methodist Church on Route 146. The Thursday Market at Milton begins Thursday, July 11th, through August 29th at the Burgess Kimball Memorial Park from 3-6 p.m. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

It’s that zucchini time of year! Zucchini plants are bursting and people are wondering just what to do with their zucchini, or maybe you see them at the market, and you’re just not certain how to save these fresh summer bites for cold winter months.

Have you considered freezing zucchini? Here are a few tips and ideas so that you can have this summer squash on hand to pull out and use all winter long when it’s not zucchini season.

These freezing steps do not require blanching, which is great! We all love when we can actually skip a step (wink).

Zucchini Noodles (zoodles): Cut off each end of the zucchini, rinse, dry and make your zucchini noddles with a vegetable spiralizer.  Spread out the zucchini noodles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them. Once they are frozen, place them in a freezer storage bag or container and keep frozen until ready to use.

Sliced Zucchini:  Cut off each end of the zucchini, rinse, dry and slice.  Freeze and store the same way as the zucchini noodles (see above).

Shredded Zucchini: Cut off each end of the zucchini, rinse, dry and shred. Place the shredded zucchini into a clean towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible.  Place the shredded zucchini in a freezer bag and freeze.  Personally, I like to label and measure shredded zucchini before freezing based on what I will be using the it to make.  A good example would be making chocolate zucchini muffins.

Par Roasting: This is my favorite way to freeze zucchini!  I prep my vegetable mix (zucchini, peppers, onions, eggplant, etc.) Toss them in a very light coating of olive oil, season and place them on a parchment covered baking sheet and roast them in an oven of 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  I let them cool completely, place them in a labeled storage container and when I’m ready to use them, I simply place them back onto a baking sheet, put then back into a 375 degree oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

Zucchini are inherently watery so often you should add your frozen zucchini directly to any recipe without thawing first to cook; soup, sauté, sauce, etc. 

Here’s a fun, or not so fun, zucchini fact:  We often think of a zucchini as a vegetable, but botanically it’s classified as a fruit. Whatever it is, vegetable or fruit, you can enjoy them year round fresh out of the garden, from the farmers’ market and hopefully your freezer.

The Saratoga Farmer’s 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 Springs. The Monday market at Clifton Park is open from 2-5 p.m. at the Shenendehowa Methodist Church on Route 146. The Thursday Market at Milton begins Thursday, July 11th, through August 29th at the Burgess Kimball Memorial Park from 3-6 p.m. 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!   

This time of year is filled with events of having family or friends visiting, or traveling and often times 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

The market is exploding with all kinds of fresh finds: fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, baked goods, flowers, meats, eggs, cheeses, syrup, honey, handcrafted items, and much more. 

Every time you shop at the local Saratoga Farmers’ Market, you do so much more than simply enjoy the ambiance, although that’s important too. Your participation in your local farmers’ market provides you with the opportunity to: 

Buy Fresh—You eliminate and avoid long-distance travel and food treatments often used to ensure the stability of your food. The fruits and vegetables harvested at your local market are usually handpicked the ‘day of’ or just before the market, ensuring freshness. 

Help the Environment—When you shop the market, you typically use less packaging and have a smaller carbon footprint, as locally produced goods reduce out-of-state deliveries, etc. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has a composting program at the Wednesday and Saturday markets that helps to continue the development of nutrient and fresh soil.

Support the Local Economy—The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is a small business incubator filled with local growers, creators, and producers. Your purchases help create income and jobs in your community, making it an investment in your neighbors.

Support the market with a simple gesture by voting for the market at markets.farmland.org (search Saratoga and pick the one with our address, P.O. Box 94, Saratoga Springs, NY) by July 31st.  The market strives to achieve the ‘People’s Choice’ Award through America’s Land Trust. The grant, if received, will support the market’s administrative costs and events. The funds are very much needed now, and the market is a 501(c)3 organization.  Please invite your friends, family, and co-workers to vote, too.

The Saratoga Farmer’s 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 Springs. The Monday market at Clifton Park is open from 2-5 p.m. at the Shenendehowa Methodist Church on Route 146. The Thursday Market at Milton begins Thursday, July 11th, through August 29th at the Burgess Kimball Memorial Park from 3-6 p.m. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.