Hello my Foodie Friends!

June 16 was our daughter Aubrey’s birthday. It was also National Fudge Day! How old is Aubrey do you ask? Well, I’m not supposed to say but to me when I look at her, she is still five years old and she still would like more than the wrapping paper for a gift. Aubrey had a request that we use Sundae’s Best Hot Fudge for her Birthday dessert. In the past several months, we have all been sharing a lot of stay “in the house” family time, so her party was small. 

However, it was with those that made it sweet. Paula and I love to use products from family-owned businesses, especially if they are locally owned. Among our favorites is a wonderful product of Katie and Jeff from Sundae’s Best Hot Fudge Sauce, which is a product of Greenfield’s Greatest Food Company, Inc. They use only the very best ingredients including real chocolate and cocoa. They also use award-winning NY State (Dake Family Owned) Stewarts® wholesome milk, cream and sweet butter. Sundaes Best Hot Fudge Sauce is great on ice cream, fruit, cake, in recipes or just grab a spoon and dig in. Jeff’s mom has been making this homemade hot fudge for family, friends and her church congregation for more than forty years…and she still does. Katie and her grandmother have had a Saratoga tradition enjoying hot fudge sundaes from ice cream shops since Katie was a little girl. They’ve combined mom’s recipe with their love for hot fudge to offer Sundaes Best. Katie, Jeff, Paula, John and Aubrey encourage you to start a Sundae Tradition of your own. You should see the smiles from those that receive Sundaes Best Hot Fudge Sauce as a gift. Did you see our Katie on Good Morning America on Saturday, June 13, 2020?

Stop by our family-owned Compliments to the Chef, downtown Saratoga’s neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located on 33 Railroad Place to get some of Sundae’s Best Hot Fudge Sauce. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen” especially when that special someone has chocolate to share.

 Take Care,
John & Paula

At the farmers’ market, fragrant herb bouquets and pots spilling with over with leafy herb plants offer market-goers an abundance of culinary exploration. While common herbs do compliment specific foods, there are no rules for what to use them in. Fresh herbs may be mixed and matched to your liking. 

Common herbs can be put into two categories: woody herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and sage, and soft herbs such as basil, parsley, and cilantro. Woody herbs can be added earlier in the cooking process while soft herbs are commonly added towards the end of the cooking process or as a garnish. 

Herbs can be easily stored upright in a jar of water or between a damp paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Here are just some of the common herbs available on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the farmers’ market.

Basil is recognized by its glossy, pointed leaves and sweet-savory flavor. Basil pairs well with tomatoes, strawberries, mozzarella, beef, and shrimp.

Parsley is a mild bitter herb that many use as a garnish for food, but it helps dishes like stews achieve a more balanced flavor. As an added benefit, parsley can aid in digestion. 

Cilantro is a delicate citrusy herb most commonly used fresh at the end of cooking. Cilantro is popular in Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisines.

Mint has a subtly sweet and peppery flavor, and it is used for a variety of culinary and medicinal purposes. Its powerful flavor compliments lamb, feta, mojitos, and even chocolate.

Dill is a delicate and feathery herb with slender stems. Dill pairs with salmon, cucumber, and potatoes, and is commonly used in pickling mixtures, dressings, and egg dishes. 

Chives have a subtly oniony flavor with hints of garlic. Recognizable by its grass-like leaves and vibrant green color, chives make the perfect garnish for dishes with eggs or potatoes.

Thyme has small, pale green leaves and pungent aroma that pairs well with hearty meat like pork and chicken. Thyme holds up well to heat and can be used during the cooking process.

Oregano is a sweet, slightly peppery member of the mint family. This herb is commonly used in dishes like tomato sauce, yogurt sauce, and kebabs, and is a staple in Italian and Greek cuisine.

Rosemary has been prized for its sturdy, aromatic sprigs and oil for centuries. Its needle-like leaves can be used for roasted vegetables, goat cheese, and even flavorful bundt cakes. 

Sage is known for its fuzzy leaves and savory flavor with a peppery bite. Fresh sage leaves are commonly used in sausage and gnocchi. Sage can be cooked or fried as a garnish for squash.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

A basic cheese can be easy to make. You heat milk to a particular temperature, stir in an agent such as vinegar or lemon juice to create curds, drain off the liquid known as whey, and wait for the curds to cool. Making a really great cheese, however, is more complex. 

“It is about using old world craftsman methods to produce cheese in a deliberate and careful, hand-crafted way,” says Sheila Flanagan of Nettle Meadow. “It is not overly industrialized or mechanized. It is connected to the animals whose milk is used. It is a way of life.” 

That way of life is reflected in the broad array of cheeses that Nettle Meadow brings each Saturday to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, along with R&G Cheese Maker and Argyle Cheese Farmer.

The cheeses are made from goat, sheep, and cow’s milk. They include soft chevres, camemberts, cheddars, mozzarellas, manchegos, blue cheeses, and more. 

Artisan cheesemakers such as Flanagan, Argyle’s Marge Randles, and R&G owner Sean O’Connor draw on historic customs to create cheeses with minimal machinery. Often, recipes are unique to the cheesemaker and evolve over years. 

For instance, Dave Randles’s favorite cheese – Mercy – evolved out of a recipe that Marge found in an old British cookbook, accompanied by several farmstead processes for making cheddar cheese.

Flanagan notes that many Nettle Meadow cheeses are complicated to make. “Those complexities make them stand out.” 

One favorite – Briar Summit – is made with goat, cow and sheep milk with raspberry leaf tea and cream added in. The ratios of milk vary by season. Two cultures plus a coagulant create the cheese. 

“After two hours, the curd is cut and then we wait an additional two hours to pour the cheese by hand into pyramid molds,” Flanagan says. “The next morning, we flip the molds and let the cheese fall out of them and place them on a tray where they travel down to the again cellar to rest for two days.”

Flanagan applies salt and a mold powder to help ripen and flavor the cheese. She turns it every few days while it ages.

Flanagan says, “It is a true cheesemaker’s cheese.” 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

Now that things are starting to open back up; I ask you, isn’t summertime wonderful? Summer is my favorite time of year. Along with beautiful weather, are moments of making memories through family gatherings and celebrations. Summertime is always filled with food and fun. Pineapples remind me of summer and its flavor is unmistakable. Think about it, whenever you think of pineapples, you almost always think of warm summer nights, camping trips, and backyard barbecues. 

The fruit was named pineapple by European explorers in 1493 because it resembled a pine tree. The name spread out, but the Tupi language called it “nanas”, meaning “delicious fruit” and this fact was recorded by a French priest in 1555.

So, what can we make with Pineapples? How about putting fresh slices on a pizza or on your Ice Cream? How about making a Pineapple Cobbler with freshly cut pieces?  If there is anything I have learned, it’s that fresh is always tastier than getting it from a can. My family was very strict about snacks while I was growing up. We could eat as much fruit as we wanted but no candy or chips. We were allowed to help mom prepare all the food and fruit and vegetables except pineapples. That was Dad’s job. Come to think of it, it might have been his only job. Cutting a pineapple up required the big knife! Was there an echo just now?  Yes, the Big Knife or the machete would come out of hiding to the delight of the three little boys in our family. Dad would lower his voice and look at us straight in the eyes and declare; “you three boys are never to touch this knife. Do you understand me?”  We would all nod that we understood as the blade smith used his weapon. “Thwap” came down his blade on the unsuspecting pineapple. His arm was strong and the prickly pineapple was no match for our version of John Wayne. 

However, there is a better way to cut your pineapples. A tool that we sell that would have really helped the three little boys get their chance to tackle the fearsome pineapple, is the stainless steel Pineapple Slicer by OXO. 

• It cores and slices whole pineapples quickly and easily
• Comfortable, non-slip knob ratchets to allow for continuous rotation without adjusting your grip
• Measurement markings help prevent piercing the bottom of the shell
• Parts separate for removing rings and easy cleaning
• Lays flat in drawers for storage
• Ratcheting turning knob for continuous rotations
• Measurement markings on shaft help preventpiercing the bottom of the pineapple shell
• Knob and shaft separate with the press of a button for easy cleaning and are dish washer safe
• Sharp, medium-sized blade is shaped for compact storage
• Accommodates most pineapple sizes
• Soft, comfortable, non-slip grip and BPA free

I wish we had this tool when the “Duke” ruled the prickly pineapples. I still have his knife, but it somehow doesn’t look as big as it did in the golden age of the Pilgrim. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your neighborhood kitchen and cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs, for cool tools to help you serve up some classic dishes and memories. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Celebrate, reflect, and listen to the stories from generations beyond us. Savor the memories and bring back some of the recipes that those before you cooked for you.

 Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!

Our family is holding up well during this stressful time. Like many of you, when we received our stay at home instructions we purchased a lot of canned goods. This seemed strange to my daughter who is not used to seeing many food items in cans except maybe Spaghetti O’s.  I am of the age of remembering when cans ruled the pantry. When my brothers and I were very young, one of our jobs to help mom was to open the cans with a can opener! To three young boys, a can opener was a technological marvel. We would open a can and beg to open two more so every brother got his turn. We fought each other for the chance to open a can for mom. 

Billy, the youngest, almost ruined it for us as he ended up with a bad cut from the edge of the can. The middle child, Danny, negotiated with mom an age limit on using the can opener. It was to begin at his age and little Billy had to wait another six months. In looking back at my childhood time (historically), we were all hiding under our desks and preparing for Air Raids and worse. Therefore, family households were well stocked on canned goods. There were so many canned options to choose from: green beans, soup, corn, creamed corn, Spaghetti O’s and many more.

As I look at the shelves in the supermarket today, I see we are buying a lot of canned goods again. There are many types of can openers.  Often times the culinary connoisseur seeks to get the easiest and safest can opener they can for quick and efficient opening. I’m very happy to sell safety edge can openers now as well as the originals. OXO offers a can opener that has an auto safety lid lifter making it possible to open a can and never touch the lid.  This smart little device combines a can-do attitude with amazing efficiency. Its super sharp wheel cuts cleanly beneath the lid to open cans without leaving behind any sharp edges. Thanks to OXO’s famous ergonomic design, using the opener is a breeze.

• Efficient can opener quickly removes lids andleaves behind a smooth, safe edge.
• Easy-turn side grip and soft, nonslip handles make this tool very comfortable to use.
• Stainless-steel cutting wheel doesn’t touch your food, so it stays fresh and clean.
• Built-in pliers for no-touch lid removal.

By cutting on the side of the can below the edge, the Smooth Edge Can Opener leaves no sharp edges on the can or lid. The sharp, hardened stainless steel cutting wheel stays clean, avoiding contact with can contents, while the lid pliers allow for no-touch lid removal.

If you prefer the old fashioned tried and true method, OXO has some to choose from. 

One of them is the locking can opener: With its modern design and updated features, this OXO can opener is as easy on the eyes as it is in the hand. As you squeeze it closed, the locking mechanism snaps shut on the can, making it simple to open. To release, press the lock open with your thumb.

• Sharp stainless-steel cutting wheel.
• Designed to lock in place for easy opening without a tight grip.
• BPA-free.

These are some great examples to add to your collection of kitchen gadgets. 

Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen” – even for little boys. Somewhere, someplace, someone is using a can opener!!

 Take Care,
John & Paula

Weekends are market days for many farmers. But the Saratoga Farmers’ Market would like to let you in on a secret – there’s a midweek market, as well.

Tucked into a corner of the Wilton Mall parking lot is the Wednesday market, featuring about 15 local farmers and prepared food vendors. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., they offer eggs, fresh produce, plants, baked goods, and prepared foods.

“It’s our best-kept secret,” says market board president Beth Trattel. “A simple way to pick up the freshest foods in a safe, no-fuss environment.”

In years past, the market association promoted its Wednesday market as a family-friendly space to gather for music, children’s games, and food purchases. This year, with COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings in place, live music and games are on pause. But farmers are still coming.

Who’s there and what are they bringing? 

Here’s a snapshot.

As you enter the market from the former Bon Ton parking lot, flowering plants and other seedlings from Burger Farm greet you. Nearby, Shushan Hydro Farm offers hydroponically grown herbs and vegetables. Surrounding Shushan are baked confections from The Chocolate Spoon, casseroles from The Food Florist, and Mediterranean meals to go from Euro Delicacies.

Further into the market are more farmers: Owl Wood Farm and Gomez Veggie Ville with their colorful piles of vegetables; eggs, chicken, and more vegetables at Squashville and Greenjeans farms; mushrooms and lavender at 518 Farms; and apples and cider of both the sweet and hard type from Saratoga Apple. On another end, you’ll find My Dacha Slovenian Café with its meals-to-go offerings. And tucked in between other stalls are Saratoga Garlic with its pickled garlic and aioli offerings, Gifford Farms with produce and baked goods; and Mister Edge’s popular knife sharpening service.

More vendors will start attending as the state eases its COVID-19 restrictions.

For now, Wednesday remains a great space to get the fresh ingredients for one or two meals, perhaps a prepared meal for Friday, and a few sweet treats. Try carrots dipped in aioli, scrambled eggs with arugula, radishes and lettuce tossed in a salad, and more.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter

Wednesday Market Vendor List

Wednesday’s Market Offers: Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit, Mushrooms, Meat, Poultry, Eggs, Handmade Goods, Jams & Jellies, Flowers, Bedding Plants & Potted Plants, Honey, Maple Syrup, Baked Goods, Take-Home Meals & Ready-to-Eat Foods, Knife & Tool Sharpening

• 518 Farms 
• Burger’s Market Garden
• Euro Delicacies
• Gifford Farms
• Gómez Veggie Ville
• Goode Farm 
• Green Jeans Market Farm 
• Left Field 
• Mister Edge Sharpening
• My Dacha Slovenian Café
• Old World Farm
• Owl Wood Farm 
• Saratoga Apple
• Saratoga Garlic Company 
• Scotch Ridge Berry Farm 
• Squashville Farm
• The Chocolate Spoon 
• The Food Florist
• Underwood’s Greenhouse / Shushan Valley Hydro Farm 

Demand for local meat has increased at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market since the Coronavirus pandemic erupted. Farmers often sell all of what they bring to market each week.

Meat shortages appear likely nationally and regionally. However, local farmers who sell their meat primarily via direct sales to customers at farmers’ markets expect a steady supply through the winter. They are able to weather crises such as the pandemic for several reasons:

PLANNING.
“It takes three years for me to raise an animal from its beginning to the time it’s ready for processing,” says Christophe Robert of Longlesson Farm, which offers pork, beef, and chicken. 

Robert has his cows and pigs butchered at a local processor. He booked all of his processing appointments for 2020 last December.

Robert also cannot change his quantities. “I raise as many animals as I can on the land I have.”

PROCESSING FOR OTHERS.
Ramble Creek Farm also offers pork, beef, and poultry. Owner Josh Carnes processes the chickens and turkeys he raises on-site. He also processes chicken for others.

“I’ve been getting more calls from people who are raising their own chickens,” he said. “Backyard farmers who want to try raising their own meat.”

PROMOTING HEALTH.
For many, the pandemic has reinforced the value of buying meat directly from a farmer. “It’s basically my farm to you, with my processor in between for some items,” says Carnes. “Plus, you’re coming to an open-air environment when you visit the farmers’ market. That means more space, less jostling.”

BEING ADEPT AT CHANGE. 
At Squashville Farm, my husband called our processor to book appointments for our goats, only to learn the first available opening was in February. We decided to raise more chickens and ducks for the fall and winter and to pasture our goats a little longer. 

ACCEPTING WHAT IS. 
Elihu Farm’s processor of lambs also is booked through mid-winter. Owner Mary Pratt says she will continue her practice of raising her lambs on pasture and offering them some grains, which produces tender, flavorful meat. A customer endorsed the quality of her meat with this note: “I was raised in New Zealand, and you have the best lamb. It makes me homesick.”

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

It looks like the nice weather has finally arrived and has stayed!! The season between Memorial Day and Labor Day brings the opportunity to host many outside events. Having a picnic with family and friends on a beautiful day can be a time that creates those unforgettable moments and memories that last a lifetime. 

Having or attending a picnic remains one of my favorite things to do during the summer. This stems back to my childhood. As I have mentioned in past articles, I am one of five children. Having two sisters and two brothers always meant that the house was crazy, and my mother would do what she could to keep us outdoors. 

Picnic time was a word that would stir up excitement and anticipation of having our favorite potato and egg salads, hamburgers, hot dogs, and other fabulous items that our family and friends would bring to the picnic. One tool that I continue to use to make some of my favorite picnic dishes is the egg slicer. The egg slicer is a kitchen utensil that is used to cut hardboiled eggs into uniform round slices. This kitchen utensil is typically made of aluminum or stainless steel with wire blades that slice through the egg as it rests in an oval pocket. An egg slicer can be used to create individual slices for sandwiches, salads, canapes, or other similar needs. 

Even though it is somewhat of a single-purpose tool, I get more use out of a simple egg slicer than just about any other item in my kitchen. Here are a group of common kitchen ingredients that can be used with an egg slicer. Once you realize how easy it is to use the slicer over slicing manually, you’ll have a hard time going back—at least, if you’re slicing a large quantity at once, or small, slippery things like…

OLIVES
Whether you are team green or black, an egg slicer will make slicing olives for everything from simple salads to pizza toppings effortless. Make sure to place the appointed olive in the center of the slicer and quickly bring the slicing top to hold it securely in place before slicing it, since they can be quite slippery and apt to roll. Slicing a few olives should do the trick for most recipes that call for sliced olives.

BANANAS
No classic fruit salad is complete without the addition of sliced bananas. Same goes for banana pancakes. It might be easy enough to slice bananas (even without a cutting board), but having them uniform and cut in a flash is a whole other level of efficiency. This method works best with bananas that are not too ripe: cut a banana in quarters, so each piece can be sliced properly, then center the banana and press the blades down.

BUTTER
The egg slicer is your weapon of choice for slicing beautiful, picture-perfect pats of butter for your guests. Cut a stick of butter in quarters to make sure each piece can properly be sliced, then center the butter before slicing.

KIWIS
Kiwis are delicious in everything, from fruit tarts to fruit salads, but not always the easiest to cut by hand. Enter the egg slicer. Peel the skin (check out this link for the easiest way to do it!), cut the kiwis in half, then place each one in the cradle of the slicer to make uniform slices. 

MUSHROOMS
There is nothing better than sliced mushrooms as a pizza topping or grilled alongside a burger with onions. For an easier way to cut an entire mushroom, there is no better kitchen appliance than the egg slicer. 

STRAWBERRIES
Sliced strawberries are extremely versatile and can go on top of anything, from pancakes to ice cream sundaes. To quickly slice an entire strawberry, center it in the cradle of the slicer; seconds later, you’ll have pretty uniform pieces for all your baking and cooking whims. 

COOKED CARROTS
Cooked, sliced carrots add a pop of color to many meals, including salads and fried rice.

HOT DOGS
Sliced hot dogs have many uses, including being used as toppings on pizza or a great addition to chili. After cooking the hot dogs, let them cool off, then cut them into quarters so they’ll fit into the cradle of the slicer.

FRESH MOZZARELLA
Whether you are making caprese salad or simply want to add some slices of mozzarella to your salad, slicing fresh mozzarella has never been simpler using an egg slicer. Place the entire ball into the slicer for a quick and painless way to get uniform slices.

AVOCADOS
You can’t beat sliced avocado on top of a fried egg or chicken tacos. And with the extra assistance of an egg slicer, your avocado slices will be much cleaner than cutting them by hand. Just place an avocado half in the slicer, then cut it in one swoop.

Wow, so many uses for a single, versatile kitchen tool! Stop by Compliments to the Chef in Saratoga Springs to pick up the kitchen accessories for your culinary needs. Take a slice of happiness with you and have a beautiful backyard outing with your family. Call or leave me an email and I can work with you on how to get you the cool tools you need. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer. Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. We would like to thank all who have either served or are currently serving our country for your service. My father served in WWII fighting on the beaches of Normandy under General George Patton; my father-in-law served 22 years in the army, training and commanding young recruits in Korea and beyond. Our parents come from a period that is called “the greatest generation.”  The stories that both my father and father-in-law have given over the years about their time in the war or in the service, and the stories both my mother and mother-in-law have told, reflect an incredible period of our history. 

Now we have a new group of Heros fighting on the front lines for us. They are our Health Care Professionals, Nurses, Doctors, EMT’s, Firefighters and Police. Everyday they use their experience and risk their lives for us. 

It’s sad that we may not be able to celebrate with as many of our friends as we would like but when you set this paper down look around the room at the most important people you’ll be celebrating with, your family!  If the weather co-operates many of us will be grilling outside and we have a couple of tools that can be used on your grill.

The First and most important tool is a Thin Tip Thermometer. 

Range is from -40F to 450F.  It is for thin and thick cuts of meat with a 6 second response.  Why is it important?  How about E-Coli 0157:H7 or Salmonellosis? Rule of thumb is cook ground beef to a temperature of 155 degrees F for at least 15 seconds and poultry to 165 degrees F for at least 15 seconds.  There are other temperatures for other foods so please check.

The second tool is the 20”x10.5” Cast Iron Reversible Griddle/Grill by Lodge.

Lodge Cast Iron has been making heirloom-quality cookware and accessories since 1896. They currently operate two foundries in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, their home since the very beginning. Backed by over 120 years of experience, each piece of Lodge cookware is crafted for durability and versatility. They don’t just make cookware — they make memories that last for generations. This 20 Inch double-burner Reversible Grill/Griddle functions as a dual cooking surface with both a smooth griddle and a ribbed grill. Fits over two stovetop burners. When used on the stove, set both burners to the same temperature for even cooking and excellent heat retention. Seasoned and ready to use.

• Seasoned with 100% natural vegetable oil
• Unparalleled heat retention and even heating
• Use in the oven, on the stove, on the Grill, or over a Campfire
• Get a restaurant-quality sear
• Use to sear, sauté, bake, broil, or grill
• Made in the USA

I personally love this tool because it’s easy to clean and with the two sides, I can cook almost any food and have even heat distribution. You can make pancakes in the morning, flip it over and cook burgers and dogs in the afternoon.  I can just hear Tim Allen say “UUUEEGGHH!?!” 

Contact John either through e-mail: john@saratogachef.com or call us at 518-226-4477. We can work with you on how to get those cool tools to assist with your culinary needs. We can take orders via phone or e-mail at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store! Just before you’re ready to eat, stop and raise a glass to reflect and cheer all those who have given so much for us. Have a nice weekend and remember my foodie friends the “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

While the mainstream media reports on crops rotting in fields due to the food chain disruption caused by COVID-19, the local agriculture scene is experiencing a different reality. Local farmers are responding to the demand for fresh food and CSA’s, once considered to be a niche market, are gaining momentum. 

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) by Echo Creek Farm’s definition is “a mutually beneficial commitment between farmers and their community.” Members of a CSA ensure a customer base and stable income for farmers throughout the growing season. In return, the farmer provides CSA members with a weekly share of seasonal produce.

Local farms are experiencing a surge in CSA signups as consumers are looking for food that has been handled minimally on the journey from farm to table. Consumers are also looking to avoid the stresses of shopping and CSA shares offer a solution: a variety of ripe, freshly-harvested products on a consistent schedule.

Echo Creek Farm, Owl Wood Farm, and 518 Farms currently offer CSA shares. These shares vary in pricing, products, and frequency, and each farm offers pick-up and delivery options to meet customers’ specific needs.

Echo Creek Farm offers a ‘harvest share’ that runs for 15 weeks from June through September. “Our share relies heavily on familiar items. Each week you’ll receive a collection of vegetables that are in season and grown using organic methods. The amount varies a little as the growing season changes, but it’s generally appropriate for a family of 2-4 people,” says Mike Palulis, farm owner. Pickup is at their farm in Salem.

Owl Wood Farm offers two CSA options: a standard ‘box share’ that runs for 20 weeks from June through October and a ‘market share’ where credit is added onto a gift card in increments of $100 and customers use this credit while shopping at their farmers’ market stand. Owl Wood offers ‘box share’ pickup at the farmers’ market, drive-thru pickup at their farm in Salem, and home delivery.

518 Farms offers a variety of mushrooms in their weekly ‘small ½ lb. share’ or ‘large 1 lb. share’. Subscribers may select from blue and yellow oysters, lions main, nameko, chestnuts, maitake, and shiitake with pickup on Tuesdays at the farm in Hoosick Falls.

In addition to these CSA farm shares, Elihu Farm offers an egg subscription, Slate River Farms offers ‘box selections’ on their pastured pork and grass-fed beef, and Goode Farm offers a weekly flower subscription.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.