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 skew 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 cream 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, 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

In February 2021, Leigh Rathner and his wife Cindy Rosenberg moved from Los Angeles to Saratoga Springs, where Rathner had lived earlier in life and raised his children. They had a dream: To feed people and build community. The center was bread. 

Seven months later, their dream has grown into NightWork Bread. NightWork is derived from Rathner’s previous work of logging difficult late-night hours in the film business. Now, those late hours mean care and passion. Rathner makes slow-rising, naturally fermented sourdough bread, often working late at night.

Rosenberg brings the bread to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings, where it sells fast. In seven months, Rathner has gone from making 25 loaves a week to 325. 

Their feat is remarkable. Besides learning the basics of business and the many factors that influence the making of artisan bread, they have had to figure out how to build customer support as newcomers to a place where old loyalties run deep.

The secret is bread.

“I’ve always been a community builder,” Rosenberg says. “Bread is a community builder, too.”

The connection got clear in 2020.

Rathner and Rosenberg lived in Los Angeles in a 145-unit condominium, where they knew three other people. Everyone was working or commuting. The COVID-19 pandemic brought people home, including Rathner who saw making bread as a means of calming the mind after his work dried up. As the loaves piled up, Rosenberg began distributing them. They met more people and in the once-lifeless building, a sense of community formed.

People began stopping in open-air hallways and other spaces to chat. Chats became meetups with food and drink. Neighbors began offering Rathner money to cover his bread-making costs. Then came preorders, and ultimately a product Rathner felt comfortable selling to others. 

“That’s how we lived through the pandemic,” Rathner says. “Bread was a part of it.”

He and Rosenberg yearned to move to a smaller town with a strong farm-to-table ethos. Saratoga seemed like a good fit.

Rosenberg, an acupuncturist, learned how to use Instagram from one of her clients in her last days in Los Angeles. En route to Saratoga, she posted reports via Facebook and began friending people and businesses locally, including me after a mutual friend put us in touch. 

Rathner’s past ties to Saratoga also helped. His children had attended the Waldorf School, and even after he left, his friendships with some Waldorf parents had remained strong. 

NightWork Bread is now available at three farmers’ markets, including Saratoga, and Rathner and Rosenberg hope eventually to open a store. 

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.

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

August can be a very warm month and it becomes a quest to stay cool. We tend to eat lighter and refreshing foods during this time of year. One of my favorite summer combos is strawberries and cream.  Our children love waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. When they were younger they probably could have eaten it every single day and not get sick of it.  This combo is also great on or in cake such as a gorgeous Swiss roll.  This is a perfectly refreshing summer dessert that is loved by all! Cake rolls look really fancy as well as complicated but they are actually quite easy to make. One essential item you need to make a cake roll is a jelly roll pan. A jelly roll pan (typically 10½ by 15½ inches) is simply a smaller version of a rimmed baking sheet (about 12 by 18 inches). When it comes to equipping your kitchen, baking sheets are more versatile. You can use one to roast a large batch of vegetables, bake a dozen or more cookies, or even make a large sheet cake. A jelly-roll pan has 1-inch-high sides and is perfect for making cake rolls; it can stand in for a cookie sheet in a pinch.

Love is all around especially when we bring and serve fantastic desserts. We have a ton of bakeware to assist with your fun summer culinary desserts. We also have strawberry hullers and slicers to help you with your strawberry desserts. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for those “cool dessert” culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen!.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

The meat vendors bring cuts of beef, goat, lamb, pork, and veal all year. They humanely raise animals and are not CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). Growth promoting hormones and routine antibiotics are never used, and no animal by-products are ever fed.

Josh Carnes started Ramble Creek Farm in 2018. The farm raises heritage-breed pigs to produce their “forest-raised pork,” which lives in their woods protected by an electric-powered net. The farm also produces beef.

Nathan and Meghan Mattison started Grazin’ Acres Farm in 2012 after meeting at the Washington County Fair, where they continue showing their cattle.  They offer beef cuts and will provide custom cuts that customers order. They also pasture-raise their heritage breed pigs. In the future, they’ll also offer cuts of lamb.

Another beef and pork producer, Longlesson Farm, has been a vendor for many years. The farm, started by Christophe Robert’s wife Shannon’s parents, now has 450 acres that supply pasture and hay for their herd of Black Angus. They’ve learned that grass is good for cows, and cows are good for grass! And they’ll have new cuts of pork in the fall.

Hebron Valley Veal is also a new vendor. Ariel Garland and Matt Campbell raise calves from their dairy cows. Their calves are never tethered and receive milk from their registered Holsteins. When six months old, the calves are processed for rose veal cuts, which are lean and tender.

The Market’s goat meat producer, Squash Villa Farm, run by Himanee and Jim Gupta-Carlson, recently bought historic Wright farm in Easton, where French Alpine descendant goats enjoy grazing. Squash Villa is the only goat farm at Wednesday and Saturday Markets.

Mary and Bob Pratt have raised lamb since 1987 at Elihu Farm, named for Revolutionary Patriot Elihu Gifford. Their sheep are purebred Romneys (longwool) and crossbreds (medium wool). Their cuts of lamb are very healthy since most of the fat surrounds the muscles and is easily trimmed. 

Mariaville Mushroom Men is from Schenectady County. Bobby Chandler said that in addition to mushrooms, they raise pork and currently offer seasoned bacon, pork chops, and spare ribs. 

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.

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Part of the American summer road trip can include visits to roadside diners. What is your favorite childhood memory of summer food? I have so many childhood memories of eating with my family. My father was a truck driver so he loved to travel and make a day of driving around the American landscape. We would mostly go through Vermont which is where he grew up. He loved stopping at a local diner as part of our day’s exploration. My father loved diners! The reason being that diners are best known for their history, tradition, an extensive menu selection, large portions of comfort foods at fair prices, quick service served with diner spirit and hearty meals. Chefs and cooks showcased their occupational skill and skillet set through offering huge portions of comfort food classics, while no- nonsense but friendly waitresses served as unofficial family to customers with their welcoming ways. Locals, many with townie and patriotic tendencies, interacted through face-to-face spoken words instead of through technological devices. Truck drivers sat at the counter after long days and nights of life on the road. White collar America, some as business travelers walking briskly over from the adjacent hotel, took that well-deserved break from another anticipated day in the rat race to lighten the day with some home-cooked food. Landscapers and construction workers with clean hands, for now, were hungry, immediately decisive on what to order, and needing to get to work soon. They wasted no time ordering food while showing a close camaraderie as if they were brothers. 

You see, there’s really nothing like eating at a good old-fashioned diner when traveling the small towns and back roads. The experience, quite simply, brings a wonderful slice of American tradition to the senses and taste buds that can only be fully realized by frequenting these local treasures. The diner is an icon of American culture located in almost every city and town. 

I read a fun article about diners on Reminisce.com with some pretty funny diner slang that let the short order cook know what to burn, what to wrack , and what to put a hat on. It is considered “short-order shorthand. As I read these I laughed, while bringing back memories of eating at a diner with my family. By the way; I still love stopping by some of the mainstay diners throughout the northeast. 

Here is a small sampling of the article. Try to guess what the slang means before you read the answer: 

Breakfast: 

Adam and Eve on a raft………………………(poached eggs on toast)

Burn the British………………………………(English Muffin, toasted)

Sinkers and suds…………………………… (Doughnuts and Coffee)

Wreck’em…………………………………….(Scrambled eggs)

Lunch

Bloodhound in the hay………………………(Hot dog with sauerkraut)

Two cows, make ‘em cry……………………(Two burgers with onions)

First Lady……………………………………(Spareribs)

Condiments 

Axel grease………………………………….(Butter)

Paint it red………………………………… .(Ketchup)

Warts………………………………………..(0lives)

Dessert

Eve with a lid on it…………………………(Apple Pie)

Fish eyes……………………………………(Tapioca Pudding)

Houseboat…………………………………..(Banana Split)

Nervous pudding……………………………(Jello) 

This summer, make food memories with your family. My childhood memories almost always include sitting at the table eating with my four siblings, and my parents. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your neighborhood kitchen and cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to help you with your family culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

In 2015, Katie Rhodes began training for her first marathon. Constantly hungry from her busy schedule, granola bars became her go-to snack until she took a closer look at the ingredients she was putting in her body.

Most traditional granola bars are highly processed and packed with sugar. Looking to keep herself both full and healthy for her training, Katie decided to make her own granola bar using healthier ingredients and the Charlie Bar was born: a dark chocolate, apricot, and almond bar. Not long after, friends and coworkers began placing orders for bars and the personal venture became a business: TogaNola was formed. “With a mission to provide clean energy for everyone who aspires to be a better version of themselves,” says Rhodes.

In the past 6 years, TogaNola has expanded its range beyond its now 5 flavors of granola bars, adding granola clusters and “protein bombs” in a variety of flavors, like Maple Almond Butter and Blueberry & Ginger Sunflower Seed. All TogaNola products are free of gluten, dairy, and soy, and several flavors are vegan, so there are many options to accommodate dietary restrictions of all types. The business is committed to using locally sourced ingredients, compostable packaging, natural sweeteners (such as local honey and maple syrup), and small-batch baking. 

Whether it’s a hike on a warm summer morning or skiing on a cold winter day, granola is the perfect snack for all types of adventures. Rhodes can attest to that herself: TogaNola granola bars and clusters have accompanied Katie on countless trips including a single season round of the 46 High Peaks last winter. “The bars are hearty and easily transported in a mess free package. They don’t freeze solid, even in the freezing winter temperatures in the Adirondacks, which is crucial to support Katie on her big hikes,” says husband and co-owner Ken Rhodes.

TogaNola got its start selling at local farmers’ markets and has recently expanded to include an online store and partnerships with local businesses. Katie and Ken are excited to be joining the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as an opportunity to interact directly with their customers and meet other local vendors. 

TogaNola’s next adventure? Handmade, locally sourced dehydrated meals to fuel trips that span multiple days. Keep an eye out for this new product later this year at the farmers’ market, and stay full and fueled with TogaNola’s granola bars, clusters, and protein bombs, available every Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

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.

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Our American English language has many common expressions we use to express ideas. For example: when we say something is like “a drop in the ocean,” we mean it is a very small amount compared to what is needed. You may also hear the expression “drop in the bucket.” But a drop in the ocean is much more dramatic. If someone is “slippery as an eel,” they are tricky and difficult to catch. We often use this expression as a warning to others. If something is a “whale of a … thing,” it is a very good thing. If you performed very well at work, your boss could say you did “a whale of a job.”

Some people consider oysters a delicacy – a rare food that you only eat once in a while. Oysters are great for another reason. They make pearls! So, oysters are rare indeed. And that brings us to our next expression. When we say “The world is your oyster!” we mean that you are able to make the most out of life. You take every chance given to you and put it to good use. Language experts say this is one of the many expressions created by the English writer William Shakespeare. He used it in his play The Merry Wives of Windsor. However, some people use this expression a little differently. It can also mean that you have every chance or opportunity you could possibly want. You have money, skills, ability and freedom to do exactly what you want. 

Oysters are a delicious sea food to eat this time of year. Raw oysters are great—but do you know what’s not great? Trying to shuck them at home? For most people, shucking them isn’t the easiest thing to do. We have just the tool to help you with shucking oysters. The Zyliss Oyster Tool helps you shuck oysters quickly while keeping hands safe. The specialty designed stainless steel blade opens oysters safely and easily while preserving oyster liquor and features a non-slip handle with protective guard. The silicone oyster pocket and non-slip feet provides leverage while keeping hands safe during use. No need for a bulky glove! Also features a built-in knife holder for safe easy storage. Focusing on functionality, durability, design, cleanliness and safety, Zyliss has relied upon a heritage of excellence that began in Switzerland over 60 years ago. Building on this time-held tradition, the company has advanced to produce and distribute kitchen equipment that is world-renowned. Zyliss has pioneered the design of more than 200 kitchen essentials, with quality and engineering that cannot be duplicated.

Did you know that oysters are delicious mollusks that provide the human body with a number of unique nutrients and minerals, which result in great health benefits These include the ability of oysters to aid in weight loss, boost metabolic activity, increase tissue repair and growth, lower cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, improve immune functions, aid in wound healing, and promote healthy growth. Furthermore, they are a powerful aphrodisiac, can improve blood circulation, and also increase bone strength to reduce osteoporosis. If you’ve never prepared oysters yourself, it can be intimidating. But it can also be easy and a great experience. Give oysters a try and be sure to remember the following:

• Buy oysters from reliable vendors (whether grocer or fishmonger) and be sure to look for the shipper’s tag. That way you’ll know the oysters came from an area that is approved for growing and harvesting oysters.

• Check through your oysters when you get home. Always throw away any oysters that don’t seem right, have broken shells, or that are partially or fully opened. You can try to tap the open oysters to see if they close up. If they do, they should be OK. If not, toss them.

• Prepare fresh, live oysters for eating. Consider serving them the day you buy them.

• Keep your oysters very cold before prepping them. Don’t store them in a plastic bag in the fridge, but put them in a bowl covered with a wet towel.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, for the Zyliss Oyster Tool. It will make your life a bit easier. Have fun shucking with family and friends. The world is your oyster. All the options are available to you… the world is yours for the taking, whatever you make of it. Getting the pearl requires the oyster to be opened. But despite the hardness of the oyster shell, they can be opened with ease. Enjoy life. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Happy shucking.

Take Care,
John & Paula

There’s a magical time in July and August where we get to the sweet spot of fresh produce at the farmers’ market here in upstate New York. Every week farmers’ tables are piled even higher with a rainbow of colors, and the literal sweet spot lies in the sweet corn, lush tomatoes, and colorful berries that come fresh off the land.

Since the seasons change faster than the blink of an eye, we at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market won’t let the sweetness of summer go by without a celebration. This Saturday, July 31, from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. at High Rock Park, join us for our third annual (excluding 2020, of course!) Blueberry Jam-boree.

Blueberries are native to North America and have been for over 10,000 years, so it’s no wonder that it’s one of America’s favorite berries. And to enjoy the fruits from local farmers, grown without pesticides and picked fresh, is to experience an extra sweet and nutritious taste of summer. 

Several local farms will bring the best of this season’s blueberries, ranging from snack cups, to pints, to quarts. Many other vendors will feature blueberry-flavored or inspired products, like blueberry jams from Kokinda Farm and hand pies from The Food Florist and Night Work Bread. Ballston Lake Apiaries will bring blueberry-infused honey, and Slate Valley Farms has blueberry maple syrup and blueberry-lavender lemonade. Other items include blueberry-lemon fromage frais at Nettle Meadow and blueberry Italian cream soda at Something’s Brewing. Well-behaved four-footed friends are welcome, too, and can enjoy blueberry pupcakes at Mugzy’s Barkery. More blueberry specials as well as samples will be listed day-of.

Market staff will host free activities and tastings for children and adults, like a scavenger hunt, craft, and blueberry corn hole. Recipe cards and preservation tips will be available at select vendors to help you find inspiration to cook or bake something new with fresh blueberries. Live music by Geo Beat will add even more jam to the jam-boree!

To learn more about the Blueberry Jam-boree and keep up with news on the event, find our event page on Facebook. Then come to High Rock Park on July 31 to join the fun!

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. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter on our website.

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Grilling up burgers is a summertime staple for many of us. How do you like your burgers? When you got your burger fresh off the grill and sitting there all juicy and delicious on that bun…how do you make this perfect food even more perfect? Cheese is a good choice. But which one? American? Cheddar? Swiss? Maybe some crisp, smoky bacon. How about barbecue sauce? We could go on forever. Making hamburgers seems like something that should be simple—how hard can it be to cook those beefy delights? Yet somehow, nailing the perfect burger can elude even the most seasoned home cook. Make the patty too thick and you risk biting into a raw mess. Leave it on the heat for too long, and it’ll end up dry. The secret to making juicy burgers at home is all in the meat. Did you burn your burgers while cooking them? The culprit is likely uneven thickness. While the shape of the patty doesn’t matter, the thickness does. You really want to make sure the patty is a uniform, even thickness, or it’s not going to cook properly, which can lead to a burnt outside and undercooked inside. A solution could be to flatten the patties by pressing them flat using a burger press. 

Burger presses create consistently shaped and sized burgers. The presses allow you to pack patties without squishing the meat between your warm hands. Heat radiated by your hands can cause proteins to denature. Using your hands to pack raw meat can cause the fat to melt and the meat to break apart which causes a mushy, unappealing texture when it’s time to devour your burger. The burger presses make uniform patties: same weight and diameter every time. Uniform patties cook evenly throughout and will come to temperature around the same time on the grill.

The presses also help achieve the weight you’re going for ¼, ⅓, and ½ lb patties. And you get a prettier burger patty. The burgers look good. Who doesn’t marvel at a perfectly round, evenly dense patty?

Elevate your grilling game this summer with less stressing and more pressing. Get the tools you need to make the burgers you yearn for. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for the burger presses and other cool tools to help you with your burger creations. Maybe even put on the SNL‘Cheeseburger Cheeseburger’ sketch with the original SNL cast. The classic skit of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd at the Olympia diner yelling: “Cheeseburger and a Coke,” “Ah… no Coke… ah Pepsi,” replies Belushi. (And that’s the first time the catch phrase is uttered.) “Okay, Pepsi and french fries.”, “No fries… chips.” “Okay, chips.” Belushi barks out the order to Aykroyd: “One cheeburger, one Pepsi… chips.” “Cheeseburger,” confirms Aykroyd. And SNL history is made!! Have fun laughing and cooking. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen” or even the grill. 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Ensuring that fresh, local, and healthy foods are accessible to the local community is a top priority for farmers’ markets. Thankfully, there are various programs available that can help bridge the gap.

Year-round at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s Wednesday and Saturday markets, customers who own an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card can exchange their SNAP benefits for farmers’ market tokens to purchase fresh foods, including fruit and vegetables, bread and baked goods, meat, fish, and poultry, dairy products, honey and maple products, and value-added foods like soup mixes, sauces, and jams and jellies. Herb plants and plants that produce food are also approved purchases with EBT coins. The market additionally offers SNAP incentive programs, such as FreshConnect, that provide extra coupons or tokens to spend, meaning customers receive more value than they spend. With FreshConnect, every $5 a customer spends with their EBT benefits; they receive a $2 FreshConnect coupon to spend at the farmers’ market.

More seasonally, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is a New York State program that offers WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) participants and seniors coupons to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Our local WIC office distributes WIC coupons. Senior coupons will be distributed by the Saratoga County Office for the Aging on-site at the Saratoga market on Saturday, August 7 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Wednesday, August 11 (3-5 p.m.) at High Rock Park. The Office for the Aging will also distribute the coupons at the Clifton Park market on Monday, July 26 (2-5 p.m.) and Monday, August 16 (2-5 p.m.) at the Shenendehowa United Methodist Church. Individuals aged 60+ who live on a limited income may pick up a booklet of coupons containing five $4 coupons (limit one per person). 

To spend your WIC or Senior FMNP coupons at the market, look for the blue poster at participating vendors’ stalls or simply stop by the market information table for a complete list of farms accepting FMNP coupons. The FMNP season runs from June through October, after which unused coupons expire.

Utilizing the available nutrition assistance programs is a win-win-win situation. Low-income consumers have more access to healthy foods, local farmers gain income and connect with new customers, and more food dollars stay in the local economy.

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 saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.