One belief about eating local is that we cannot do it in February. The ground is frozen. Nothing is growing. It is cold. We grit our teeth as we head for the grocery store, knowing that what we’ll find will have traveled several hundred miles and will not be cheap. Pretty bleak? It need not be.

While it is true that farmers cannot grow much in frozen soil, they still can offer foods grown, raised, or made at their farms. That is what the Saratoga Farmers Market brings you every Saturday. Even though the offerings and number of vendors are smaller at this time of year, there’s good stuff available for delicious meals throughout the week.

Consider: 

• Soups made with butternut squash, carrots, turnips, and potatoes. Gomez Veggie Ville and Lovin’ Mama Farms have these classic winter vegetables. Cook them with bone broths from King’s Creek Farm or simply water. For a creamy touch, give the soup a light puree with a blender, and then stir in some A2 milk from the Argyle Cheese Farmer. Put some microgreens from the Perfect Plant Farm on top.

• Meats. Chicken, duck, goat, pork, beef, and veal are currently available. Think about  roasts, stews, meatloaf, chili, casseroles, and burgers – just to get started. Farm-raised meat might seem expensive by the pound. However, many cuts are available in smaller packages, such as stew meats and chops. And our meat producers are good cooks who know how to prepare a larger cut, such as a roast or a whole duck or chicken, and also how to create marvelous second, third, or even fourth meals with leftovers. They’re happy to share their tips. Stop by the tables of Hebron Valley, Hepatica, Jireh, King’s Creek, Longlesson, and Squash Villa farms, and ask.

• Homemade sides and treats. In addition to sweet and savory baked goods are stuffed dates, pickled beets and cabbages, jams, cheeses, granola mixes, and hummus. Combining farm-made foods with vegetables and meats can add a healthy, flavorful balance to winter meals. Look for such items at Kokinda Farms, Nightwork Bread, Puckers Gourmet Pickles, Parchment, Sweet Prophecy, and The Cookie Lab, among others.

And the days are getting longer, so popular items such as eggs, spinach, kale, and salad greens are becoming more available. 

One trick for making the most of a farmers market visit both now and year-round: Treat your shopping list as a guide, not a rule. Take in all of what the market offers. Let yourself make changes and substitutions because you can. That’s what makes eating local possible and exciting, even in February.

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

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Outside playing was part of my childhood. My mother felt it important to include hearty foods and carbs to keep us going during the winter months. Often times my mother would be stuck with five children during school snow days and kept us entertained during February break. During the winter break the five of us children wanted donuts. Desperately wanting to please us, my mother would make homemade donuts. Although getting me to come inside from playing outdoors was quite a feat, I did love coming indoors for my donut “fix.” 

My mother’s baked donuts were always a hit at the family gatherings. The evidence of the popularity of her donuts could often be found in my pockets and the pockets of my brothers, and cousins, as we would swiftly grab them from the table to ensure we did not lose out on getting our fill. 

So, why are baked donuts still so popular? They are extremely easy to make. No fancy ingredients are needed, and it comes together as easily as a cupcake. Both the mixing process as well as the baking process is very simple even if you are a beginner in the kitchen. The trickiest part is glazing the donuts, but if you follow a few simple rules and pay attention to the temperatures, you will be able make beautifully glazed donuts every time going forward. Another reason to bake donuts is that they are quick to make. Compared to yeast-based donuts, baked donuts can be made much quicker. Once you mix the ingredients you can proceed with baking, no need to wait for the yeast to get activated. Making donuts also allows your family and friends to create the type of donut and topping they want. They can add one topping or add them all! It can be their own creation. Oh course, the best part is eating them. 

An essential tool to help you make your baked donuts is a donut pan. You can make a half or full dozen donuts in the pan. Donut shaped pans are made to assist you in creating individual full-sized donuts. No rolling, cutting, or deep frying is needed. With a donut pan, you get perfectly shaped donuts with holes in the center. Just pour the batter into the wells and pop them into the oven. 

This winter, remember that life is a collection of memories. Good memories can happen anywhere. Over the years, I have discovered that one of the best places to make lasting family traditions is in the kitchen. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, to get the donut pans and supplies you need to bake your favorite creations. 

Take Care, John & Paula

On Saturday, thousands of people will hit the streets of Saratoga to partake in one of the year’s most anticipated events, Chowderfest. Then, on Sunday, sports enthusiasts across the nation will find their most comfortable spot on the couch for the Super Bowl or maybe just the commercials and halftime show. Monday will pass, and before we’ve had a chance to check the calendar, Valentine’s Day will be upon us. 

Whatever your plans are, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has all the goods to get you through the week!

Chowderfest comes first, and we invite you to stop by the farmers’ market on your way to the festivities downtown. We are at the Wilton Mall on Saturdays, 9:30 to 1:30 p.m. Pick up ingredients to make a flavorful chowder. Argyle Cheese Farmer has local milk, and Gomez Veggie Ville has vegetables: onions, carrots, leeks, potatoes, and winter squash.

For Super Bowl Sunday, Argyle Cheese Farmer has take-and-bake pizzas and savory herb dips to get things started. Hepatica Farm and King Creek Farms have chicken wings, and Muddy Trail Jerky Co. has poultry rubs to match. If sliders are on your menu, find ground beef at Longlesson Angus and onions at Gomez Veggie Ville.

Puckers Pickles will have their new masabacha, a garlicky fermented chickpea dip that pairs perfectly with vegetables, chips, crackers, or pretzels. Muddy Trail Jerky Co.’s various sweet and savory baking mixes are made with King Arthur Flour. We recommend garlic cheddar biscuits for your pregame. Stop by The Mushroom Shop for plant-based snacks like oyster mushroom jerky.

Prepare for Valentine’s Day with help from Saratoga Chocolate Co. They will have assorted chocolates and heart-shaped cocoa bombs. Lovin Mama Farm has vibrant, long-lasting dried flower bouquets. And you can find pastries, cookies, scones, and sweet treats from NightWork Bread, parchment, Cookie Lab, Sweet Prophecy, and Pam the Baker. 

King Creek Farms has gourmet stuffed dates with organic nut butter, tahini, and dark chocolate. Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a button of Kunik from Nettle Meadow paired with honeycomb from Ballston Lake Apiaries. You can even find Valentine’s treats for canine friends at Mugzy’s Barkery!

Local food and beverages make every day flavorful, healthful, and fresh, no matter your plans!

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

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

During the post-holiday time period with a new year, we tend to get back to eating right and using great tools to make that happen. It’s a new year and a fresh start so let’s make some delicious food together. My older sister CarolAnn, is a master with mandoline slicers while using them frequently in her food prep.  Since she is eight years older than I am, when I was very young, I thought she was the smartest person in the world. When she taught me something it always stuck with me.  I was a terrible listener with everyone except for her. I remember when I was young and allowed to visit her at her new house after she had gotten married. I would sit in her kitchen and watch her make the best salads.  She would include many ingredients in her salads so that you were as full as if you had eaten a plate of Italian food. CarolAnn’s secret weapon in her prep was the mandoline slicer. She would peel and make cuts to cucumbers and many other vegetables, then would run them through the mandoline slicer to make the perfect bite sized pieces. As she was doing all of this, she would explain every step and how to be safe. She would also add in words of wisdom about life and work.  

As I reminisce on these times, I learned that food creates a home, connections, celebrations, and embraces family and friends. In creating meals, we are creating homes and a nurturing environment. The meals do not have to be fancy or gourmet. It isn’t about how special the recipe is. It is about being conscious of an important part of life and honoring that importance. By elevating the importance of food in our family’s lives, you pass that importance on to them. Families connect around the dinner table, all sharing the meal they know is just for them. Whether I’m making a salad or a meal, CarolAnn’s teachings are always on my mind. As she is currently challenged with illness, I feel and appreciate those learning’s even more.  

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 ribbons, slicing eggplant or shredding brussel sprouts, mandolines 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.  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. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, we have items that can assist with making your meals. Show your love through the foods you cook and if you have a big sister give her a hug. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place and let us know how we can help you with your culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Sweet Prophecy, one of the farmers’ market’s newest vendors, invites you on a culinary journey to the Wallachia region of the eastern Czech Republic. Wallachia is famous for its smoked sausages, slivovitz (plum brandy), and frgál cakes (a round cake with yeast-based dough and various toppings). It’s a unique area tucked into the Carpathian Mountains, where people speak in a traditional dialect.

Janek Palat is Sweet Prophecy’s main baker. His wife Katya helps to prepare smaller items, and his father-in-law Viktor specializes in apple pastries and strudels. Each week, they bring freshly baked confections traditional to Central and Eastern Europe; frgál cakes, apple strudels, apple sharlotkas, zucchini muffins, various cookies, and meringues (with gluten-free options, too). 

Frgál cakes attract attention amongst Sweet Prophecy’s display of European confections. The round, leveled cakes are layered with combinations of brilliant red currants, blueberries, and plums. Sweeter options of frgál cakes are topped with a poppy seed mixture, farmers’ cheese, and pears. Flavors dance with hints of fresh herbs that pair with the fruit.

“We hope this tradition of frgál cake will be recognized beyond the Czech Republic,” says Palat. “We think it’s a great and versatile dessert perfect for breakfast with coffee or tea or as a dessert at a large gathering. It has a beautiful rustic look, and there are choices from tart to sweet for varying tastes,” he adds.

Palat uses a 200-year-old recipe that has been held in his family for generations, and he and his wife Katya were trained to perfect the cake while living in Wallachia.

“We had done baking before this and thought about starting a food business with an experience for some time,” explains Palat.

When the couple moved to Saratoga Springs three years ago, they began regularly baking and cooking Czech foods to share with friends – reigniting their love of preparing and sharing traditional foods close to their hearts.

In addition to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Sweet Prophecy plans to attend more pop-up markets this spring and summer and expand its offerings to smoked meats and savory dishes from Palat’s home country. Follow them for updates and recipes on Instagram @sweetprophecybakery. Their Facebook page is coming soon!

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

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

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

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

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

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

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

Take Care, John & Paula

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

Sheet Pan Dinners

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

Farmers’ Market Frittatas

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

Simple Soups

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

Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Meals

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

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

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

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

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

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

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

Making stovetop espresso:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take Care, John & Paula

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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