Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

We are in that week of after all of the holiday gatherings and bringing in the New Year. The office parties, holiday shopping, travel planning, family, friends, partners, and children have been grabbing your attention and can easily take its toll. Before you know it, the new year begins and you are be back to your pre-holiday routines and habits.

The start of a new year is time to reflect and look at our past year in terms of the relationships developed, the experiences we have had, and lessons learned. It’s that time again for us here at Compliments to the Chef to thank all the wonderful acquaintances that have helped us throughout the year. As Clarence said to George Bailey “No man is a failure who has friends.” We have foodie friends which is even better!  So many wonderful people have come through our door with questions and some with suggestions. We believe that we have a tremendous extended family who share in our joy of cooking and creating our own masterpiece meals. We have introduced many new tools into our store as a result of customer suggestions. Coming to work every day in one of the finest cities in America is a blessing. Now that we are about to begin 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, keep in mind some tools that can help to make your celebrations in 2024 run smoothly. Tools such as the foil cutter, wine openers, corkscrew, cocktail shaker and strainer, along with wine, whiskey, champagne, martini, and more types of glasses, can be very useful with celebrations this year. Whatever your needs, I hope that our store can continue to be your first thought for your culinary and wine supplies. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. 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!  Cheers to a happy 2024! 

Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Thank you for all that you do to make our business special. 

Take Care, John & Paula

When you visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, each vendor is a small business sharing their expertise and carefully crafted or grown products with you. Each vendor has a unique story to share. We recently had a conversation with Leah, the owner of Sweet Sprig.

When did you start Sweet Sprig?  

In 1997, I created and sold my first batch of artisan soap at 14 years old; I was hooked and started selling my soaps at craft fairs. During college, I always had a side hustle creating natural skincare. Four years ago, I left my career to run Sweet Sprig full-time.

Tell us about your products, the ingredients, and the ‘why’ behind them.

I started with soap making and was drawn to natural essential oils and ingredients. Growing up on a small homestead with a fiber artist for a mother, I knew about natural plant colorants. After a short time, I added bath bombs, creams, candles, haircare, and more. I often experiment and add products based on what customers are looking for.  

All my colorants are plant or mineral-based, like fresh carrot juice, parsley, indigo, and paprika. Every ingredient is researched and selected for its skin benefits and eco-friendliness. I’m constantly reading new studies and industry literature to ensure the ingredients I put into my products are up to my standards. 

I have a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and approach soap making with artistic integrity. Every botanical is added to the tops of my bars by hand. Colors, textures, and fragrances that evoke memories are all thoughtfully planned out. I want to give my customers tiny moments of everyday luxury.

Tell us about the future of Sweet Sprig.

Farmer’s markets are some of my favorite spaces on earth. They are filled with talented and kind farmers, chefs, artists, and small business owners. I love being a part of what can be described as a family. Building connections with new customers is so rewarding. 

Visit Leah to learn about her classes and other community activities. We are delighted to have Sweet Sprig at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Christmas Eve is right around the corner. For many of us, the holidays generate some of our most vivid memories. It can be funny the interesting things that stick with us. It’s often not at all the presents or the eggnog. It could be a story of spying on “Santa” setting up the presents in the living room, or the first time you watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart and watching it with a group of family or friends crammed on a couch. 

When I was a young boy, I shared a small bedroom with my two other brothers Danny and Billy. We had made a pact to finally catch Santa in the act. I was age five, my brother Danny was four and my other brother Billy was almost three. It was a huge undertaking for young boys because we were told that if we didn’t go right to sleep then Santa would not come. However, I needed proof of Santa’s existence. If you know me then you know if I say I’m going to do something, then by golly I’m going to give it my best shot. My father was very aware of his oldest son’s determination and made sure we were all tucked in as he read: “The night before Christmas” to his three conspirators. Now Billy being very young and not quite age three, was really not up to the task after my father’s story reading. He was out fast asleep and Danny was wavering with heavy eyelids. I was focused on my spy caper. I could not sleep and waited about 15 minutes before shaking Danny and saying “let’s go”! We checked on Mom and Dad’s room and made out two figures sleeping. We then turned to go downstairs to say “hello” to Santa. 

We were almost frozen with fear and Danny clung to me like we were attached. We took one squeaky step at a time and our eyes were as big as saucers so we could see in the dark. We made out a figure from the back in a red coat and a big red hat putting presents under the tree. We took another brave squeaky step to see him better and that did it! We then heard a booming low voice saying” WHO’S THERE”? Danny looked at me and tried to scream but nothing came out. We turned and ran back to our beds with so much fear and excitement that we had our proof that Santa really did exist. We repeated this story to our little playground friends for many years. It could not have been Mom and Dad because we were sure they were in their beds. Our parents never commented on the story and always just smiled. When my father passed in 2010 at the age of 88, we were cleaning out his things and I found a box with a Santa hat and a red coat hidden in the back of his closet. I never told my brothers because I wanted to keep the Christmas magic alive. 

What was your best gift ever? Or what were the “little things” that were done that made your holiday special and created that pure holiday magic for you? Make sure you have the must-have supplies you need to stir up your holiday feasts. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. Let us help you with the tools you need to make your food traditions and the gifts to help others create their own. Christmas time is a period of when our past, present and future come together in a magical experience. Our past blends together with our present as we hold dear the traditions set before while creating new memories and traditions in the present that will endure for the future. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Put a little holiday magic on your table

Take Care, John & Paula

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market began in 1978 with just a handful of farmers coming together in a parking lot in the City of Saratoga Springs, creating a place where Saratogians could access farm-fresh items. 

Since then, it has become a popular destination with a permanent home hosting over 80 vendors in the summer at High Rock Park and close to 50 during the winter months at the Wilton Mall. The market continues to grow and is committed to serving the community.  

As the market has expanded, its support for locally grown and produced goods from local farms and businesses has also grown. This past month, the market opened its doors to holiday-themed markets supporting others in our community, such as local crafters, artists, and authors.  

This week, some of our guests from the past few holiday markets will join our weekly vendors again for one more celebration for the holiday season. If you’ve missed any of our articles highlighting the holidays, peek at our website (saratogafarmersmarket.org/news/featurearticles) to discover how the market can be a part of your holiday experience:

• Breakfast items and ingredients for the holidays

• Holiday baking ingredients and ready-made baked goods

• Holiday entertaining & wine and spirits at the market

• All of the fixings for your holiday meal

As the market prepares for the New Year, it’s important to note that it will remain open at the Wilton Mall on Dec. 23 and 30 and continue at Wilton Mall every Saturday, Jan. 6, through the end of April, which includes fresh produce vendors.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market sells gift certificates, which make wonderful last-minute gifts for friends, family, and neighbors. It’s a gift that continues to give because shopping at the market is an experience that supports local.

The market vendors look forward to celebrating the New Year with you. Join the market e-newsletter on our website. It will keep you up to date with all of the themed activities coming to the market throughout the year.

You can read more about the history of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at the website: www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/history/

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

It is officially the holiday season baking frenzy time. What better way to celebrate and get into the spirit than to share your baked treats with family and friends? Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit quite like making a mess in the kitchen with sugar, flour, and all of the sprinkles. 

As my wife and I exchanged childhood memories of making cookies, Paula shared that one year as a teenager, she made 72 dozen cookies. My stories were a bit more adventurous (due to five siblings trying to share a kitchen and help make cookies). Each year around this time, my mother would stock up on bags of flour and sugar to begin the process of making her treasured holiday cookies and goods. They were always a special treat in our family. Many of her recipes were handed down through generations before. Worn index cards have been handed down and shared with my siblings with recipes written in her perfect cursive; I am reminded of the winter days where we would watch her drop heavy balls of dough onto the floured counter in the kitchen and vigorously roll out the sticky batter until it was thin enough for cookie cutters. She would roll out the dough and try to give the five of us equal amounts that we could squeeze through our hands and attempt to help make shapes with. In an effort to keep each of us focused, my mother would give each of us a specific duty that ultimately created the end result of a cookie recipe. My sisters were given the task of gathering, measuring, and putting the ingredients into a bowl; my youngest brother would stand on a chair and help my mother mix the ingredients. I was the keeper of the rolling pin and had the responsibility of scooping the dough (based on what recipe we were making), while my other brother would select which cookie cutter we were going to use. The assignments did not always result in a well-oiled machine. Usually, heated words over who gets to stand closest to the mixing bowl would end with powdered sugar poofing all over the floor. Power struggles would occur between each of us on who would crack the egg, who got to hold the rolling pin, and who would do the dough-scooping (just try to pry that cookie scoop out of my hands). Santas, candy canes, Christmas trees, holiday bells, reindeer, snowmen, gingerbread men and women, and stars were our favorite shapes to create with cookie cutters. Decorating the cookies was always the most fun with sprinkles and icing. 

By the time the first batch came out of the oven, my brothers and I would wander off to play, while my excited sisters stayed around to help sprinkle sugar on warm cookies. How my Mom put up with us, I’ll never know. However, the cookies were so good that five children would be very quiet in order to receive a child’s handful of warm cookies. Our creations may not have been the most artistic, but they sure were delicious. 

This holiday season, use the secret weapon of cookies to win over your family. Stop in to see us at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs. We have a large assortment of baking supplies to help with making everyone happy. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Have fun baking and sharing your delights with those you love.

Holiday gathering ideas are limitless; it’s a time to celebrate everything, from the ugly sweater to the cookie swap and everything in between. 

What makes a good gathering? A lot of things, but here are a few to consider:

• The people you spend it with; keep the list tailored to the ‘good list.’

• Consider a theme with some fun activities mixed in. Add a festive game that gets everyone involved and laughing like a holiday ‘minute to win it,’ try a simple ornament swap, and maybe add a gag gift/white elephant game that surprises your guests at every turn. 

• The menu! It’s probably the most essential part of the party.

• Always overestimate and plan on having more than enough because leftovers are better than empty trays. Have containers or take-home bags to share; everyone will enjoy a snack the next day.

• Consider a themed cocktail – they are festive and memorable in a good way (wink).

• Contemplate a theme: international, appetizers only, dessert only, etc.

If you’re curious how the Saratoga Farmers’ Market can help, visit the vendors with your event in mind and consider shopping fresh and local finds.

Cocktails: The market has wines and spirits to discover, like Galway Rock Vineyard & Winery, New Scotland Spirits, Saratoga Apple, and Yankee Distillers. Some of the vendors have great mixed-drink ideas to consider.

International Nibbles: Save time and purchase pre-made items from Vashti’s Caribbean Delights, Euro-Delicacies, or Pierogi, Pierogi, or Pyroogi.

Veggie Tray Prep: Grab your fresh veggies from Gomez Veggie Ville, Lovin’ Mama Farm, Owl Wood Farm, or Squash Villa Farm. Then get your dip mix from Muddy Trail Jerky Co.

Charcuterie Board Planning: Start with cheese by visiting Argyle Cheese Farmer and Nettle Meadow. You can add jerky meats from Muddy Trail Jerky Co. and nuts and nibbles from Healthy Treats. Visit Meg’s Media for your own unique wooden board base.

Sweet Treat Tray: Visit Goodway Gourmet, Katie Bakes Gluten-Free, NightWork Bread, Parchment Bakery, and Sweet Treats by Jennifer for all kinds of yummy bites.

Chips & Dip: Muddy Trail Jerky Co. has an assortment of dip mixes.

Whatever your holiday gatherings look like, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is where to start shopping!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

This week includes one of my favorite holiday stories to tell, since it reflects community, and the genuine feel of downtown holiday shopping. When I was a young boy the holiday season was my family’s favorite time of year. Of course, my parents used it to its full potential to keep three boys and two girls in line. Our biggest thrill was the chance to go downtown and peek into the store front windows seeing the latest toys and letting Santa, Mom, and Dad know what we wanted under the tree. For myself and my brothers, it was especially hard to refrain from becoming the Three Stooges avoiding our usual antics and teasing of each other. If we didn’t get along then we risked getting nothing and my Dad was a man of his word. We also loved this time of year because Mom and Dad became a dynamic team and focused on our happiness instead of the day-to-day problems they faced with finance issues that were typical of the middle class back then. It seemed like Mom and Dad knew every shop owner by their first name and all the shop personnel always fussed over their children. Shopping downtown was a magical event for us. The snow-covered trees, merchants’ store fronts decorated with animated figures, holiday lights, decorations, and music. Each of us would run free to pursue the treasures that we wanted from Santa. We loved every store. For us a clothing store was a place that kept us from the toys. However, the clothing store mom loved was located on the top floor of one of the downtown buildings and you needed an elevator to get to it. An ELEVATOR!!! Do any of you remember what the older style elevators were like? It was like a carnival ride. It even had an elevator operator (what I wanted to be when I grew up). At the end of our shopping day, we would have a wonderful meal as a family, sitting exhausted filled with memories that would last a lifetime. 

Consider shopping local this season. Shopping locally helps you connect with the people in your community and learn more about what is going on around you. When people come in my store during the holiday season, they call out to me and exclaim; “Hello Mr. Reardon! We are some of your Foodie Friends!” Economically, spending money locally gives back to the community. Why not make holiday shopping a family event? Shopping should be an enjoyable experience with interactions that leave us feeling good versus feeling like we have to do a chore. I find that’s far more likely to happen when I’m patronizing local independent businesses. Learn and experience product quality and durability, getting expert advice without having to waste time doing your own research. Aside from the experience, physical contact with an item makes people feel more certain about a purchase decision. When you go to a store, you know what you’re getting. The price is there. There’s no shipping fee. You can see the item, hold the item, and get the instant gratification you desire from buying the item. Savor the sights, sounds and smells of the season while shopping. During the holidays the shops are filled with festive decorations, sounds and smells. When you step through the doors and hear “Jingle Bells” or “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” playing throughout the store, you can’t help singing along as you walk around. 

Another great experience of shopping in your local shops is to spend time out shopping with the family. Your holiday tradition may involve shopping with your children, your spouse, or your friends or an event to shop for gifts then go to your favorite restaurant for lunch or dinner. This holiday season, visit our beautiful city of Saratoga Springs and all of the unique shops within the city for those special treasures. Make it an event where you actually spend time with people (and not the computer) to select those special gifts to give. 

Cherish your moments together and stop by and fulfill your holiday culinary needs at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located of 33 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs. This holiday season, shop local and nab those ideal gifts for the ones you love. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Take care, John and Paula. 

Here is a delicious Holiday Recipe to serve during our chilly evenings to help keep the shoppers ready for an exciting holiday season. 

Take Care, John & Paula

Breakfast is part of the overall holiday experience. In my home, we’ve enjoyed many delicious bites over the years as a family, but we often enjoy keeping it simple and making homemade egg sandwiches. With only a few weeks away, here are a few thoughts to consider as you make your next visit to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and begin to think about your holiday breakfast plan!  

Are you planning pancakes, waffles, or eggs? Consider fresh buttermilk and milk from Argyle Cheese Farmer and eggs from Grazin’ Acres Farm, Hepatica, or Jireh Organic Farm & Livestock. Of course, you will want to top them off with some delicious maple syrup from Slate Valley Farms. And consider flavoring them with perpetual vanilla from Muddy Trails Jerky Co.

If you are planning omelets or hash browns, don’t forget the veggies from Gomez Veggie Ville, Lovin’ Mama Farm, Owl Wood Farm, or Squash Villa Farm. And, of course, a little sprinkle of cheese from Argyle Cheese Farmer or Nettle Meadow. Kokinda Farm still has potatoes available as well.

Are you looking for savory sides like ham or sausage? Stop by to peek at all the goodies from Grazin’ Acres Farm,  Hebron Valley Meats, Hepatica Farm, and Jireh Organic Farm & Livestock.

Or maybe you’d like a little fruit? Grab some homemade applesauce, dried slices, or fresh apples from Saratoga Apple. 

Consider trying a breakfast charcuterie board as a creative alternative to a traditional breakfast. You can fill it with bagels, specialty breads, muffins, croissants, and other delicious baked goods from Katie Bakes Gluten-Free, Night Work Bread, Parchment Bakery, or The Bread Butler. And, of course, you need something to top them off, like jams from Kokinda Farm or honey from Ballston Lake Apiaries. You may even want some delicious maple Greek yogurt (or another flavor) from Argyle Cheese Farmer.

Don’t forget the sips! Check out the fresh ground coffee from Nally Coffee or fruit-infused probiotic beverages from Junbucha.

There are many fresh ideas at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market to help you plan your holiday breakfasts with delicious local ingredients.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

This time of year brings many family reunions, friendship gatherings, and special events that include great food and fun times. The holiday season is celebrated in myriad ways around the world.  Every family has their own traditions that are rooted in cultural customs that go back for many generations. However, there is one similarity with these traditions that spans across the globe – food.  Different cultures celebrate their holidays in different ways, but cooking and enjoying special foods and drinks is a tradition that transcends throughout the world and all religions.  

Paella is one of our family’s favorite dishes and is the iconic rice dish of Spain. Cooked with care, but not requiring the fussy attention of a risotto, it’s the perfect way to cap off a happy holiday celebration. The dish has the further advantage of customization and built-in appropriateness for a couple of different special diets — it naturally has no gluten and no dairy. Vegetarians may forgo the typical use of Spanish sausage and chicken, using a vegetable stock to cook the rice. Those that love seafood can find plenty to love going all seafood with a seafood stock to complement the required rice, saffron, tomatoes and olive oil.

Paella is a perfect party dish because it’s a one-pot meal, and because it feeds any size group. Paella is a rice dish from Spain that has become very popular and is known around the world. It originated in the fields of a region called Valencia in eastern Spain. Paella is meant to show off the rice itself and to highlight a few special ingredients. These can be vegetables, fish, shellfish or meat including sausage in seafood paella and you may also find chicken in it. Do not forget the saffron — it is the essential spice of the dish.

Whatever paella you make, it should use short- or medium-grain rice, which should be cooked uncovered in a flavorful stock. Spanish Bomba rice is the best to use. It’s fun to make paella over a grill or on the stove.  However, it is important that you have the right pan for this dish; the Paella Pan!  The Paella pan should be shallow and have sloping sides, which helps the rice cook evenly and develops more intense flavor. As the pans get larger, they grow in diameter rather than depth, which allows for more delicious socarrat. And like all authentic paella pans, they do not have matching lids (since paella is traditionally cooked in an open pan). We sell the traditional carbon steel pans and some stainless steel pans.  Either will work well for you. A good pan has dimples on the bottom to serve several functions.  They trap small amounts of liquid and thus promote even cooking, they make the pan rigid, and they prevent warping. Now what the heck is socarrat?   When you make paella, socarrat is the caramelized bottom layer of rice that sometimes forms on the pan. Many people consider the socarrat the prized part of the paella.  Also, there is speculation that socarrat has aphrodisiac powers, and that it is what fuels the passion of those renowned Spanish lovers. I myself am Irish, French and Italian so the passion is taken care of by the French and Italian parts. But I might like a little Antonio Banderas side of me to crop up from time to time!  How about: tu es muy bonita Paula? If you are not sure what dish to serve for your holiday meal; consider Paella. At Compliments to the Chef, your neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store located at 33 Railroad Place.  We sell Paella pans and other cooking tools to help you with your holiday creations. Create your holiday traditions. It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas! Stop by for the holiday supplies you need to eat, drink and be merry with family and friends. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Who’s ready? It’s that time of year when we pull out and dust off our recipe books and sort through cards to prepare to bake up a few holiday treats that we only tend to make and enjoy once a year. That ‘once a year’ makes them special; it’s the secret ingredient in creating the nostalgia many of us look forward to and embrace during the holiday season.

What can you find fresh at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market to help you embrace family traditions and create lasting memories with holiday baking?

You can find farm-fresh buttermilk and Greek yogurt from Argyle Cheese Farmer.

Honey, which makes a fantastic sweetener in many recipes, can be found at Ballston Lake Apiaries and Slate Valley Farms, as can maple syrup, which you can also find at Slate Valley Farms.

Applesauce, cider, and fresh apples are always available at Saratoga Apple; equally good alternative sweeteners to consider, and applesauce can be an excellent replacement for oils in many recipes.

Looking for deliciously locally made jams that are perfect for thumbprint cookies, Linzer cookies, and anything jam-filled? Visit Kokinda Farm.

Consider making your peanut butter cookies pop this holiday season with unique flavors from Saratoga Peanut Butter.

Are you making Tiramisu? Grab locally fresh-roasted coffee from Nally Coffee.

And, of course, there are fresh farm eggs at Hepatica Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, and  Jireh Organic Farm & Livestock.

Is bread pudding on your holiday menu? Grab that main bread base from Katie Bakes Gluten-Free, NightWork Bread, or The Bread Butler.

And check out Muddy Trail and their Perpetual Vanilla; it’s fantastic. They also have nine convenient baking mixes to browse and explore!

If you don’t want to bake, that’s A-OK, too! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has the non-baker, ‘need a break,’ or ‘need something quick’ covered too. Just visit one of the pre-made sweet treat vendors: Goodway Gourmet, Katie Bakes Gluten-Free, NightWork Bread, Parchment Baking Company, Sweet Treats by Jennifer, Perogi, Pierogi, Pyroogi.

Whatever you decide, we hope you have a ‘sweet’ holiday season of discovery at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.