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Be Thankful for Every Moment

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

The holiday season has become a traditional time for us to serve our glorious turkey and the side dishes that go with it. The holiday period is a time to start the preparations of items needed to create your fabulous feasts. At Compliments to the Chef, we have some gadgets which can make your holiday prep and serve a little easier. Good tools are essential to good cooking just like good tools are helpful to a carpenter building a house. One tool I think a lot of foodies don’t have or know how to use is the thermometer.  It is one of my must haves in a kitchen.  Undercooked turkey is a recipe for Salmonellosis!  Your turkey should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees for 15 seconds.  You should check the temperature in at least two places and in the thickest part of the turkey. Do not discount how much this tool means to not just you but your whole family. 

Our first recommendation is a simple Bi-Metallic stemmed thermometer.  There are others, such as digital but this is the simplest, easiest and most cost effective choice. It’s easy to calibrate and if you stop in to our new place I’ll personally teach you how. 

The second recommendation for a must have is a Flavor injector and there are many types.   Adding some flavor can really set your Turkey apart from Mom’s recipe. 

Our third recommendation is an open roaster. Roast meat, poultry, and vegetables to perfection with a large roaster. Open roasters can hold up to a 20-lb. turkey. The heavy-duty stainless-steel roasting pan features tall, straight sides, which help prevent splatters and spills, while its upright handles ensure a secure hold when transporting the pan to and from the oven, even when wearing thick oven mitts. The open roaster comes with a V-shaped nonstick roasting rack that elevates large cuts of meat to promote even cooking.

Another cool tool for your feast is a gravy/fat separator. There are various sizes and styles of gravy separators. Among the types is a 1 ¾ cup gravy separator that is made of FDA-approved, BPA-free polycarbonate and plastic. This gravy separator strains out fat, seasonings, and lumps for flavorful gravy, broth, soup stock, au jus, and sauce with lower fat and calories. The BPA-free polycarbonate and plastic structure resists breakage and is heat-safe to 248-degrees Fahrenheit. It has a large handle that allows for a safe grip The pierced lid strains out lumps and larger food bits with a low-set spout that pours flavorful liquids without the fat; drip-free spout for easy, mess-free pouring.  The fat separator also has a wide-mouth opening and markings in milliliters and cups (from ½-cup) makes straining and measuring easy; microwave safe for easy reheats. The fat separator is easy to use and is great for everyday or holiday meals and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Also, have your knives sharpened so you do not end up hacking away at your roast. Remember, we have knife sharpening services at Compliments to the Chef. 

These are just a small list of what can help you this season. Getting ready for the holidays doesn’t have to be a struggle! Let us help you prepare for this holiday season. 

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. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen!” Also, remember to compliment the chef. 

 Take Care, John & Paula

A Farm-to-Table Thanksgiving Guide: The Meats (& Meat Alternatives)

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and at the farmers’ market, there will be holiday offerings aplenty the next two Saturdays. Whatever the size of your gathering or the dietary preferences of your diners this year, market vendors are bringing plenty of options for every course. This week, we are looking at the various local meats in stock.

If you plan to host a traditional Thanksgiving meal, a turkey is likely to be on your shopping list. Preorder a pasture-raised, non-GMO-fed turkey at Ramble Creek Farm, with various bird sizes available from 10 to 18+ pounds. Order at the market or online, and pick up at the market on November 20.

Other meat vendors offer a full range of meats for those looking to try a different main course this year. Chicken may fill that turkey craving but better serve a smaller group of diners. This year, Squash Villa Farm offers Delaware breed heritage birds, a critically endangered species that is rare to find but offers great meat. Longlesson Farm offers whole chickens as well, and Ramble Creek Farm has various parts available.

For non-poultry meats, find many different cuts of lamb, such as shanks, loin chops, and riblets, at Elihu Farm. Hebron Valley Veal will have roasts, chops and cutlets of veal available. Squash Villa Farm offers goat leg roasts. Pork, including roasts, hocks, and sausages, will be available at three vendors: Pork & Greens (a new vendor at the farmers’ market offering various breeds of sustainably raised pork), Ramble Creek Farm, and Longlesson Farm, where pork returns in stock on November 20. The latter farm has plenty of beef available, as well.

Looking for a vegetarian or vegan centerpiece instead? You can use various in-season produce items to create a flavorful and visually stunning meal without meat. Try dishes like whole roasted cauliflower, lentil shepherd’s pie with a parsnip and potato mash, or a “squashducken” (a squash, stuffed in a squash, stuffed in another squash!).

For the other courses, the farmers’ market is sure to fill your needs as well. More on the vegetable sides, desserts, and dressings you can source at the market in next week’s edition.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. The CDTA’s routes 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Wilton Mall on Saturday mornings. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

FM TurkeyAccidental

A Slice of Life

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

A sharp knife is a cook’s best friend. This is evident with the use of a ceramic knife that offers tremendous ease and saves time as we cut up the vegetables. Ceramics are a fun and interesting breed of knife that are deceivingly sharp. Professionals and home cooks use ceramic knives due to their sharpness, strength, density, and precision making it a great tool to add to your culinary collection. Kyocera advanced ceramic knives are the perfect compliment to your cutlery at home. As soon as you pick up a Kyocera advanced ceramic knife, you will be intrigued with the benefits of using ceramics. The knife is light in weight yet balances perfectly in your palm. It is excellent for slicing fruits, vegetables, and boneless meats. The blade is ground to razor sharp perfection and holds their edge 10 times longer than other professional cutlery. Ceramic knives will not brown foods or transfer a metallic taste or smell. Ceramic is impervious to acids, oils, and salts. The blades will never rust. Can they break? Sure, but don’t we hand down ceramic plates over generations? Steel knives can break also so be careful with your cutlery.

Ceramic knives are intended to complement, not replace your cutlery. Use steel for carving, prying, and boning product. Ceramic knives come in a variety of sizes making them perfect for all types of culinary tasks. Because of the manufacturing process, the blades of a ceramic knife are flat and free from buckling. As a result of this technological advantage, the edges need to be ground with a diamond wheel or diamond sharpener. Traditional knife sharpeners cannot sharpen a ceramic knife. You can purchase one of their sharpeners made specifically for their ceramic knives. 

Caring for your ceramic knife is important to ensure proper care and the prolonged life of the knife:

• Please exercise the necessary caution when working, as the blades are very sharp.
• Ceramic knives are intended for the cutting of food. They are unsuitable for hitting and levering.
• Ceramic blades are not shock resistant! Do not allow the knife to fall onto a hard floor or similar surfaces!
• To ensure that the blade remains sharp over a long period, we recommend the use of a cutting surface made
   from wood or plastic.
• Never try to cut hard objects such as frozen food, bones, metal, etc!
• Never hold the knife in an open fire (high conductance of heat)!
• Never clean with a wire brush!
• Clean with a mild detergent after use.
• Store the ceramic knife in the supplied protective cover.
• Cleaning in a dishwasher is not recommended, unless it can be ensured that the knife cannot come into
   contact with other objects.
• Store out of the reach of children!

Looking for a different type of gift to give for the holiday season? Consider a ceramic knife for your special foodie. Advanced Ceramics are a cutting-edge technology that can help make your culinary prep easier and fun. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store located at 33 Railroad Place, for an assortment of Kyocera Advanced Ceramic knives. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

 Take Care, John & Paula

 

REARDON BreakfastCasserole

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is on the Move: Winter Season Starts Nov. 6 at the Wilton Mall

When there is no daylight left at 6 p.m. when Wednesday market vendors pack up their stands, and it’s too cold for Saturday market vendors to feel their hands when setting up in the early morning, we at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market gratefully know the indoor winter season is coming soon.

The first winter market returns to the Wilton Mall food court on Saturday, November 6, from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., where it will take place weekly until the end of April. Over 50 local vendors will sell a full range of locally produced items, including fresh farm items, ready-to-eat foods, and artisanal products. Several holiday boutique vendors will be present as well, so you can get your holiday shopping started early this year.

Alongside many returning vendors, the winter market will also feature some new vendors and products, including alcohol-infused ice cream at Boozy Moo!, (house)plants at J. Adkins Cultivation, Scandinavian baked goods at Parchment, and several fan favorite vendors that were new at the markets this summer. This season, the market is also grateful to bring back several seasonal events and holiday celebrations like Maple March, family activities, and more.

The first holiday that will get the local treatment is Thanksgiving, which is just three markets away. Customers can preorder holiday meats, stock up on fresh produce for sides, and find plenty of dessert options at the next few weeks of markets.

While it’s hard to beat the excitement of outdoor markets at High Rock Park, there is something about the winter market season that brings out something even better: a closer sense of togetherness with our local community. When we spend more time indoors together during the holiday season, we queue our stovetops and ovens to heat our homes and hearts when we prepare homemade dishes stuffed with local market ingredients. There’s nothing quite like a warm plate prepared with quality ingredients over which to connect.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. from November through April. The market will be in the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the TrustCo mall entrance, across from BJs, or the mall interior. The CDTA’s routes 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Wilton Mall at least once an hour on Saturday mornings. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the latest vendor and event news.

Market Vendors:

  • Ballston Lake Apiaries
  • Boozy Moo!
  • Daily Fresh
  • Elihu Farm
  • Euro Delicacies
  • Feathered Antler
  • Freddy’s Rockin’ Hummus
  • Giovanni Fresco
  • Gómez Veggie ville
  • Green Jeans Market Farm
  • Happy Things
  • Hebron Valley Veal
  • J. Adkins Cultivation
  • Junbucha
  • Kim Dolan Designed Jewelry
  • Kokinda Farm
  • Leaning Birch Farm
  • Longlesson Farm
  • Lovin’ Mama Farm
  • Mean Max Brew Works
  • Moon Cycle Seed Company
  • Moxie Ridge Farm
  • Mrs. Londons
  • Muddy Trail Jerky Co.
  • Mugzy’s Barkery
  • Native Farm Flowers
  • Nettle Meadow
  • Night Work Bread
  • Owl Wood Farm
  • Parchment
  • Petra Pocket Pies
  • Pleasant Valley Farm
  • Pork & Greens
  • Puckers Gourmet
  • R&G Cheese Makers
  • Ramble Creek Farm
  • Rishka’s on Broadway
  • Saratoga Apple
  • Saratoga Chocolate Co.
  • Saratoga Garlic Company
  • Saratoga Peanut Butter Co.
  • Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff
  • Scotch Ridge Berry Farm
  • Slate Valley Farms
  • Something’s Brewing
  • Southy Sweets
  • Squash Villa Farm
  • The Food Florist
  • The Mushroom Shop
  • TogaNola Snack Company
  • Underwood’s Greenhouse/ Shushan Valley Hydro Farm
  • Vashti’s Kitchen Delights
  • Yankee Distillers

Eat, Drink, & Be Scary: Halloween at the Farmers’ Market

With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s time to start planning your spooky snack spreads. Candy and desserts are the stars of this holiday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables in a fun way too. The farmers’ market is the perfect place to get your shopping done to incorporate fresh, local produce into your Halloween celebrations this year. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just a small gathering, here are a couple of festive recipes that are sure to impress.

Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers 

Cut off the tops of 3 orange bell peppers and set them aside. Remove and discard the cores and seeds. Carve a Jack O’ Lantern face into each pepper using a sharp knife. Drizzle the inside of each pepper with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the peppers in a baking dish along with the pepper tops. 

In a large skillet, stir together 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice, one diced bell pepper, one diced onion, 2 medium to large diced tomatoes, 2 ½ cups vegetable broth, and 2 tbsp of taco seasoning. Stir and bring to a simmer—cover and cook for 20 minutes on low. Once cooked, add in one can of black beans and one cup of corn. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill peppers with rice mixture and top with shredded cheese. Cover the peppers in the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes until peppers are tender. Place the tops on the peppers and enjoy your Jack-O’-Lantern stuffed peppers! Adapted from the recipe by Ayla Rianne.

Chocolate Covered Mummy & Ghost Apples

Wash your apples of choice and pat dry. Slice thinly into ¼” slices and remove any seeds/stem. Insert popsicle sticks. 

Add chopped dark or milk chocolate and 1 tbsp of coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each time. In another bowl melt white chocolate.

To make ghost apples, dip your apple slices into the white chocolate and place on a parchment paper-lined tray. Then use the dark chocolate to make your ghost’s face.

To make a mummy, dip your apple slices into the dark chocolate, then use a spoon to drizzle the white chocolate and add eyes. 

You can also add a variety of other toppings as desired like melted peanut butter, nuts, chopped candy, caramel and more! Adapted from recipe by Pastry & Beyond.

However you choose to spend this Halloween, we hope you can enjoy some sweet treats such as these. You can stop by the market this Saturday, October 30, from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. at High Rock Park to pick up some supplies. This week marks the end of our outdoor summer season so we will be celebrating with some extra fall fun on Saturday. These markets will include children’s activities, a “guess the weight” pumpkin contest, giveaways, live music, trick-or-treating, and more!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park through the end of October. The market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court starting November 6. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Halloween Memories

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

It’s that time of year for me to share my annual Halloween memories. Halloween is only a few shorts days away and for the little chefs out there, the excitement is building. In looking back on my childhood on a certain Halloween night, the four Reardon children, John 8, Danny 7, Billy 6 and Patty 5 would be almost too excited to eat our dinner before we went trick or treating. My mother knew she had to prepare something we would all like and it was always her homemade pastina chicken broth soup that we could not resist. We would get our little bodies fueled up and were ready to take on the neighborhood. 

Also in my childhood, it was a big thing to have homemade costumes and our moms worked overtime to have the cutest kids. Store-bought costumes were a sign of no imagination. On Halloween evening, the four of us would set off with orders to stay together or else. I was told that since I was the oldest it was my job to keep a count on my brothers and sisters or I would lose my candy. My sister Patty was always the first to run out of gas followed by my brother Billy. So, we would have to get them back home and Dan and I would start out again. My brother Dan could outlast us all, but my problem was that he always had to stop and admire someone’s car or truck. The Dads of these houses were always impressed that a seven-year-old knew more about his car than they did. We did manage to fill our pillow cases with lots of candy and then with tired feet head home. The next two weeks were spent dipping into our stash of candy. 

As I think of those childhood Halloween nights, I can still taste and smell the soup my mother made. Chicken broth is a staple in most Italian households. You can rest assured that there will be a few quarts in the freezer at all times. You need a really good homemade broth to make pastina, vegetable soups, risottos, sauces, and chicken dishes. 

Fill up your trick or treaters with something that will keep them warm during the chilly Halloween evening this year. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to assist with your heartwarming treats. We carry the supplies you will need to make your chilly night soups. Remember my Foodie Friends that “Life Happens in the Kitchen!” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

 

“Stop Loafing Around!”

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

How many of us foodies have cookware, baking products, or cooking gadgets that have been handed down over the generations? As our children have grown and moved out of the house, we have also moved much of our cookware and cooking gadgets with them. Some of the items have been handed down from prior generations. Recently, my wife found a loaf pan that was her grandmothers. It brought back memories of various items that both her grandmother and mother made in that pan.  The loaf pan is a cool kitchen tool and often overlooked for its plain design. It is definitely an indispensable item in the kitchen.  Every kitchen should have a loaf pan to bake a variety of sweet or savory recipes – from meatloaf and lasagne to ice-cream and baked delicacies. A loaf pan is in the shape of a narrow rectangle, a convenient form which enables uniform slicing. 

A loaf pan is great to use when you’re looking to bake a smaller portion of a recipe or are cooking for one or two. This versatile pan is excellent for baking bread loaves, loaf cakes, and zucchini bread. You don’t have to make your own bread, or even bake, to love the loaf pan. Despite their specialized name, these rectangular pans are extremely adaptable to cooking, freezing, desserts, and more. And with all the creative ways you can use them, loaf pans are anything but idle in the kitchen. 

There a many uses for loaf pans. These pans are the ideal shape for the ultimate comfort food, meatloaf. Marinate meats. Keep more of each steak, chicken breast, tofu slice, or veggie skewer in contact with the marinade you made by placing the foods in a loaf pan, then pouring the marinade on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and slip the loaf pan into your fridge for the allotted time. If you have a bit of meat or a few sides of the skewers sticking out, use tongs to rotate them in the marinade for full coverage.

Rectangular pans are perfect for lasagna or baked ziti, especially if you’re only serving a few people. If you cut recipes in half, a square baking dish may be too big. Use a loaf pan instead. Savory pies like shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie don’t have to be round just because that’s convention. You can bake them in a loaf pan and still have a hearty one-dish meal.

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutler store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry several different size loaf pans. Make some memories with the heirlooms that you have collected over the years. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

REARDON FrozenPBandChocTerrine 

The Mushroom Shop: Fungi for Every Season

Saratoga’s Wednesday farmers’ market, which concludes its 2021 season at the end of October, is a gem for finding less conventional varieties of fresh, local produce. This season, a crowd favorite has been the diverse offering of seasonal mushrooms by The Mushroom Shop, a new vendor.

Partners Jacob Howard and Elise Olsen have always enjoyed gardening, growing vegetables and flowers, and keeping houseplants. About six years ago, they decided to try growing something new, one of their favorite ingredients to cook with: mushrooms. That hobby turned more serious this past winter when a local farmer offered a part of their land in Salem to build a proper mushroom farm. Thus The Mushroom Shop began.

The past year has been full of learning curves for the young farmers. Through the seasons, weather affects how mushrooms grow – even in a controlled environment. To provide fresh, quality products, they don’t sell mushrooms cut more than three days before markets, so preparing the crop for harvest close to market days can be challenging.

The unpredictability of the crop also makes for happy surprises. This summer, Howard and Olsen changed the recipe for the medium they use to grow their fungi. The lion’s mane variety took very well to this change – just four of the mushrooms weighed over 15 pounds!

An abundance of lion’s mane wasn’t a problem for the couple since it’s their favorite variety to cook. 

“It’s so versatile. Its tender, meaty texture makes for a great seafood substitute, perfect for recipes like lion’s mane “crab” cakes, “shrimp” scampi, or hearty chowder. Or cook it like steak by searing thick slabs in a cast-iron skillet or on the grill,” says Howard.

The Mushroom Shop offers a variety of seasonal mushrooms, both farm-grown and foraged during the couple’s woods walks in Salem. Their products also include dried mushrooms, mushroom seasonings, and grow kits.

This November, The Mushroom Shop will join the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s winter season at the Wilton Mall with 50 other local vendors. Howard and Olsen look forward to sharing their enthusiasm for all things fungi with market customers, who can expect to see several new cold-weather varieties at their stand this winter, like enoki, beech, black pearl oysters, king trumpets, and nameko.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

FM ChickenSpinachSalad

Scents of Autumn

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

I love the scents of autumn. Everyone has a favorite season. It’s the one that makes them feel energized or serene. For me I have a favorite smelling season. While spring is my favorite part of the year visually, autumn is my favorite smelling season. My nose hits overdrive when October rolls around, and it has nothing to do with allergies. There’s a reason we love the smell of autumn. Think of all of the spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice. This is also why we covet fall-themed desserts. Cinnamon is the earthy spice that we all love in the fall and winter. I take it to the next level and add cinnamon sticks to the slow cooker with sliced oranges and a good amount of water. They simmer all day, and my home smells like a warm hug. Pies and autumn go hand in hand. Taking someone a pie represents love and comfort and pies are a wonderful way of bringing people together. Pies seem to generate a nostalgic longing for days gone by and simpler times. During the end-of-the-year holiday time, pie is a seasonal reminder of nature’s bounty and even though there is a pie to celebrate almost every month of the year, the fall is when they shine the brightest. Who doesn’t love the smell of a pie baking in the oven!!

Having the right tools to bake a pie is important. Virtually all pie-making equipment will prove useful for other baking chores as well, so each piece will be sure to earn its keep. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up, these are the pie-making essentials. It is difficult to make a great pie without a great pie plate. Pie plates come in a variety of styles, and the differences aren’t just aesthetic—a pie plate’s material, thickness, and color all affect the final product.

A pastry brush is the easiest way to apply a thin, even egg wash over pies with a double crust, like a classic apple pie. Choose between the natural (or thin nylon) bristles or the thicker silicone style.

If you’ve always felt anxious about rolling out pie dough, it’s worth playing the field to find a rolling pin that makes you feel confident in the kitchen. While choosing the best rolling pin is a highly personal process, I love the simplicity of a French pin, which is lighter and more maneuverable. After you’ve rolled out pie dough, a sturdy bench scraper will make quick work of any mess. It will scrape up all the flour and stubborn dough scraps left behind, helping you clean up in a few easy swipes. Plus, it’s handy for dividing blocks of dough without scratching the counters.

Hopefully, trying out fall pie recipes is at the top of your list of things to do this season. Making pies is a classic way to enjoy the season’s best flavors while pleasing your sweet tooth. Not much can beat the tastiness of a homemade pie! 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Pick up the cool tools for cooks to help you with your Autumnal delights.  Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care,
John & Paula

 

Using the Whole Vegetable: Root to Stem Cooking

One of the great benefits of shopping at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is having access to the whole form of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. When making my recipe for sheet pan chicken with carrots, potatoes, and carrot top pesto, you can gather most ingredients from local farms at the farmers’ market.

You will find brightly colored piles of fresh young carrots in the fall with their vibrant green tops still attached. Carrot tops are highly nutritious and packed with vitamin A and vitamin C and a decent amount of calcium and iron. Carrot tops can be used just as any other dark leafy greens and can be stirred into soups, sauteed with butter and garlic, or blended into a flavorful fall pesto. 

If carrot tops are unavailable, you can make this recipe with fresh parsley instead. The carrots are sold with their tops attached, freshly harvested and have tender skin that does not require peeling. Just scrub the carrots well to remove any dirt and ensure the carrot tops are clean. You can leave 1-2 inches of the stems attached to the top for added visual interest for this dish. If your carrots vary in size, cut the larger ones in half lengthwise so they have a similar diameter to the smaller ones to ensure even roasting. 

Potatoes work well in this recipe, but other in-season fall vegetables such as delicata squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts would be delicious as well. You can use any size of potatoes, but, just like the carrots, make sure they are all cut to be about the same size. Cut smaller potatoes in half and larger ones into quarters. 

Any leftover carrot top pesto can be stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This pesto also makes an excellent spread for grilled sandwiches, a topping for fried eggs, or a base for homemade salad dressing. 

I enjoy developing recipes and sharing wholesome food using my background in nutrition and culinary arts. For more seasonal, whole-food recipes for the everyday home cook, visit my Instagram @Lemon.thyme.kitchen. And visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for the freshest, locally sourced ingredients.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

FM ChickenSpinachSalad