Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh veggie skewers: 

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

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

Take Care, John & Paula

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in Downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

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

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

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

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

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

Take Care,  John & Paula

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

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

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

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

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

• Bringing family and friends to their local markets;

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

• Talking to vendors about how they produce their goods;

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

• Supporting a market’s growth with donations.

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

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in Downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

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

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

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

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

Take Care, John & Paula

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3- 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in Downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

The horse racing season in Saratoga Springs is on. Many people come to not only be part of the atmosphere of our country’s oldest track, but to also admire the beauty of the racing horses. The horses are amazing to watch, they are truly spectacular animals. I always catch my breath at the majestic beauty of the horses that come to Saratoga Springs to race. My wife and I remember the first time we came to Saratoga Springs, NY. We were both part of a corporate relocation to the area and looking for where to settle down with our two very young children. Walking through downtown and driving throughout the city, the energy of our incredible area hit us as we held each other’s hands. We knew immediately this was where we wanted to live and raise our family. 

Over the years, as our family and friends have visited us from various parts of the country, we have always felt a sense of pride in sharing with them all that our community has to offer. Summer in Saratoga Springs is a beautiful time for entertaining. This time of year calls for delicious foods, amazing drinks, and wonderful company. Refreshing summer cocktails are the perfect way to stay cool. Fruit cocktails are an ideal way to enjoy a summery drink. We are also planning to entertain our guests. However, before you can entertain your guests with a refreshing pineapple margarita or a strawberry mint Moscow mule, you’ll need the right tools to make them. Be prepared this summer by checking out these must have tools to make the perfect summer cocktail!

An essential tool to use to make a Mojito is a “muddler.” The muddler is basically a stick you use to smash ingredients into a bottom of a glass. It is used like a pestle to mash or muddle fruits, herbs, and spices. The classic muddler is a rod with a slight flare on one end and a flat surface or teeth on the other side. Both the flat surface and the teeth surface are appropriate for “muddling.” The purpose to “muddle” is to release fresh flavors to the liquid that will enhance your drink. Bartenders use a muddler to crush ingredients such as lemons, limes, and mint against the glass before pouring ice in. The muddler can also be used to stir a drink.

Cocktails are fun to make, especially when it comes to the SHAKE. Cocktail shakers are crucial in crafting your summer cocktails as all ingredients need to be muddled, poured and mixed with ice inside. 

Another important tool is the bar spoon. With its tall handle, a bar spoon is specifically designed to stir and mix various drinks by fitting all types of cocktail glasses. Its spiral handle works well when layering drinks and makes for a classy look.

The presentation of your drink is just as important as the quality of its flavor. Pouring your summer cocktail into a stunning glass and adding the appropriate garnishes will make for a picture-perfect cocktail you can enjoy poolside.

To make any cocktail worth the sip, you have to measure your concoction to correctly bring about the right flavors. Mixology is about precision, and you’ll want to serve your guests cocktails with the proper ratios. This is where the jigger comes in— a double-sided measuring tool that measures your favorite spirits to add to your favorite cocktails.

Whether you’re looking to make a quick cocktail for one or a big pitcher of frozen drinks to share, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are a perfect addition to any lazy weekend afternoon. There are plenty of options for every taste, depending on what you’re looking for, from sweet, fruity drinks ideal for cooling off after a hot day. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place for the accoutrements’ you need for entertaining and having those delicious summer cocktails! Sit back and relax with something refreshing as you entertain this summer. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, 

John & Paula

It’s hard to deny that mid-summer at the farmers’ market is where locally grown fruits and vegetables are most impressive. Ripe produce overflows from market tables; squash, cucumbers, lettuces, tomatoes. Selecting from the season’s bounty turns the chore of shopping into a thrill.

After you’ve made it through the market, hands aching and shoulders sore from carrying heavy shopping bags, you may wonder, “What am I going to do with all this food?” Cornell Cooperative Extension Nutrition Educator and Certified Master Food Preserver Diane Whitten encourages you to embrace summer’s abundance and prevent food waste by preserving fruit and vegetables.

“I want people to know that preserving is relatively easy. And for people currently canning and freezing, there are things you can do to enhance and preserve quality,” Whitten explains.

Whitten will host three workshops at the farmers’ market on Wednesdays this summer, focusing on food preservation techniques. On Wed, July 26, Diane will present on Freezing Fruits & Vegetables: Hacks to Ensure Quality. On August 30, the topic will be Dehydrating Fruits & Vegetables: Equipment, Tips, Tricks. On September 20, Whitten will teach Fermenting Vegetables: Let Nature Do the Work.

Whitten will share information on a food preservation method at each workshop from 3-6 pm, with 15-30 minute presentations at 3, 4, and 5 p.m. This workshop series is free and open to the public.

Whitten has taught food preservation techniques for Cornell Cooperative Extension for 20 years and has had a regular presence at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, sampling seasonal foods, sharing recipes, and offering nutrition information. She provides a wealth of knowledge, encouraging those interested in preserving food to use research-based recipes.

“A lot of online recipes are unsafe and can result in food poisoning, so I often refer people to recipes by the National Center for Home Food Preservation,” Whitten says.

In addition to three workshops at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Whitten will host in-person classes at Cornell Cooperative Extension’s offices in Ballston Spa. On August 16, Whitten will teach about canning tomatoes and making salsa, and on September 19, Whitten will teach a class on fermentation. For more information on these classes, visit Cornell Cooperative Extension Saratoga County’s website. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

I love to tell this story especially during the summer and thinking about being at the ocean. Our family has precious memories of our summer experiences being on the coast of New England. Prior to moving to Upstate New York, we lived on the coast of Connecticut. Our good neighbors and friends, Ron and Deedy, owned a fifty foot “boat” named “The Graduate” that they docked in West Greenwich, Rhode Island in Narragansett Bay. Weekend excursions included boating to Newport, Rhode Island or just hanging out on the boat. Ron was a master captain in boating and came from a military background in the Navy. He was also a master chef. Ron was always very proud driving “The Graduate,” and serving his crew incredible seafood dishes. Ahh…what fabulous memories of our rides. 

Our children were very young at the time of most of our adventures. There was one very special time when Ron allowed our three-year-old Johnny to take the helm and to sit in Ron’s chair to drive the boat. Johnny sat proudly with a very determined look in Ron’s captain’s chair, holding firmly onto the boat’s steering wheel and exclaimed “big boy driving the boat!” It was precious. Each summer that we were able to join Ron and Deedy on “The Graduate,” Ron would allow Johnny to take the helm and be the “big boy driving the boat.” These are among the special memories of being on the water, with amazing friends, breathing in the sea air and feeling it on your skin. 

With boating brought the feasting on spectacular seafood meals made by Ron and Deedy. Clams and oysters were one of Ron’s favorite seafood items to create delightful dishes with. Special tools that Ron would use included a clam and oyster knife and a cut proof glove. The clam knife was important for proper shucking of the clams. Once you learn the basics, shucking clams and oysters is not difficult. Practice makes perfect and the reward is delicious. It all starts in the preparation.

1. Make sure the clams you’re going to be shucking are alive. A clam shell that is open or opens easily by hand is dead. Throw away any open clams.

2. Clean your clams using a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any sand and salt.

3. You may skip this step, but soaking your clams will flush through any sand they may have inside. Use 1/3 of a cup of salt per gallon of cold water. Stir the salt until it dissolves. Soak the clams for 30-45 minutes then drain.

4. Either refrigerate your clams for at least an hour or pack them in ice for 30 minutes. This puts them to sleep and makes it easier for you to open them. I prefer the ice method.

5. Make sure you have a towel and a clam knife. 

This summer, make some seafood meals to remind you of the ocean and those precious memories you have made with friends and family. In my mind, I am dreaming of being the “big boy driving the boat!” Unfortunately, Ron is no longer with us to share and laugh at these stories. However, they are memories that I hold dear in my heart every day. Here’s to you Ron. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place for your seafood clam and oyster knives. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen” with good times, friends, and great food (gathering safely).

Take Care, John & Paula

Live music has been part of the Saratoga Farmers Market since its founding in 1978. It nearly disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic when social distance protocols discouraged shoppers from spending time at the market. Now, however, live music is back, and market regulars, visitors, vendors, and even the musicians themselves love it more than ever.

Market musicians don’t do it strictly for the money. They’re paid with tips from vendors and customers and gifts of goods from the vendors. 

They do it to showcase their talents, sell CDs, and promote their upcoming events. But they also do it for the love of connecting with others. 

Chloe Sova is one such musician. She performed at the market for the first time this summer. “I was excited for the experience… and very happy with how it went,” Chloe remembers. While she was singing there was a semi-circle of kids in front of her eating and dancing along. She remembers, “One little boy had a ukulele with him and played along- I just knew that this moment would be a lasting one for me, the little boy, and his parents.” 

Customers also appreciate the opportunity to listen to live music as Linda Allen says, the market not only offers great local food but also “amazing, local talent.” For Allen, the musicians “Give the market a relaxing atmosphere.” 

On Wednesday markets, one artist or small group of musicians will be under the pavilion. On Saturday’s market, there are two separate groups or artists in different locations. 

Some artists return again and again because they enjoy playing at the market. Running the River has performed at the farmers’ market for 14 years. The group can be found strumming guitars and playing violin on the first Saturday of every month during the outdoor season. 

“What is unique about the Saratoga Farmers Market is the permanent fixture of the pavilion, which makes it very much like a home or residence for vendors, attendees, and musicians alike. That sense of rootedness lends itself naturally to being able to play our music for people who come specifically for that unique atmosphere,” explains Neil Yetwin.

Some upcoming artists include Thomas Powers, Classical guitarist Maria Zematauski, Caffe Lena Music School, L.B. Walker, and Ethan Crowley. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.