This week, we continue to create Easter menus and focus on brunch. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has everything you need to plan a beautiful and delicious brunch for your guests. Here is a master shopping list to consider as you shop at the market.

Bacon & Sausage: These savory delicacies can be purchased at Grazin’ Acres Farm, Jireh Organics & Livestock of NY, and Long Lesson Farm.

Baked Goods: The farmers’ market is abundant with baked goods, including bread for toast and French toast recipes, bagels, scones, sweetbreads, croissants, muffins, babka, Danishes, and cinnamon buns, among other delicacies. You can explore items at Katie Bakes GF, Kokinda Farm, Night Work Bread, Parchment, Sweet Treats by Jennifer, Argyle Cheese Farmer, and The Bread Butler. Don’t forget jams from Kokinda Farm and assorted peanut butter at Saratoga Peanut Butter to slather on toast!

Beverages: Coffee is always a must; you can find it at Nally Coffee. Saratoga Apple has deliciously sweet apple cider. If you enjoy serving mimosas or breakfast cocktails, visit Slyboro Cider House and Yankee Distillery for local spirits.

Eggs: Eggs can be purchased at Jireh Organics & Livestock of NY, Kokinda Farm, Hepatica Farm, or Squash Villa Farm.

Fruit: Saratoga Apple has fabulous fresh choices direct from cold storage, including fresh apples, dried apples, and applesauce.

Hash browns: Hash browns always make a delicious side dish, and you can purchase locally grown items like onions and greens to bake or fry at Gomez Veggie Ville, Grazin’ Acres Farm, and Lovin’ Mama Farm. At Lovin’ Mama Farm and Muddy Trail Jerky Co, you can find herbs and spices to add to many dishes, like hash browns.

Honey: Honey is perfect for teas, topping baked goods, or as an alternative sweetener in recipes. You can find these sweet spoonfuls at Ballston Lake Apiaries and Slate Valley Farms.

Pancakes and Waffles: If you’re adding pancakes or waffles to your menu, you can purchase maple syrup at Slate Valley Farms, buttermilk at Argyle Cheese Farmer, and vanilla extract at Muddy Trail Jerky Co.

Parfaits: Parfaits are an excellent addition to a breakfast buffet. Argyle Cheese Farmer has assorted yogurts.  Sweet Treats by Jennifer often has freshly made granola.

Festive Decor: Decorate your holiday table with flowers from Halfmoon Harvest and Lovin’ Mama Farm. Ballston Lake Apriaries has decorative egg candles made from pure beeswax. 

If you missed our Easter dinner inspirations, visit the news section of our website.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

This weekend is St. Patrick’s Day. Many of us have traditional St. Patrick Day practices that we have carried over either from family or have created over the years. The holiday is honored in myriad of ways around the world, ranging from the preparation of classic Irish food like Irish Potato Pie, or the classic Corned Beef and Cabbage, to adorning homes with clever green-and-gold decorations, and even making leprechaun traps. Though the festivities have changed over the centuries, St. Patrick’s Day’s traditions still showcase much of what makes Irish culture so unique. What will bring you luck?  We can hope a little luck of the Irish rubs off on us when we partake in them. We think of leprechauns’ pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, pints of Guinness, bagpipers marching, and symbols like four-leaf clovers. Originally a religious feast honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has turned into a day to celebrate all things Irish. Surprisingly, the way the holiday is celebrated in Ireland looks a little different, as some of the customs we associate with it are actually Irish American traditions. But either way, we can hope a little luck of the Irish rubs off on us when we partake in them.

Making a green cheesecake may be a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year. To help make a cheesecake, you do need very important tools – the Spring form Pan.

Spring form pans are a kitchen essential for producing flawlessly smooth cheesecakes, perfectly crusted tarts, or intricate ice cream cakes without damage to their tops, bottoms, or sides. Meant to eliminate the risks associated with removing cakes from traditional pans, removing your product from the pan is the final step before placing your delicate treats on display, serving to your family or guests, or packaging them to go.

Many people ask me how I won Paula’s heart and I tell them on our first date I brought a dozen Red Roses and a cheesecake to meet her Mom and Dad.  When I entered their home carrying both of them Paula said, “Wow, how did you know my mom loves cheesecake?” Thinking quick on my feet, I looked at Paula’s mom and said “here I got these for you!”   Paula’s mom quickly responded: “no one ever gets me flowers and cheesecake!” Her dad (retired Army Master Sergeant) just smiled at me and said in his southern drawl: “nice job young man”.  I was on a roll with my improvising and I told them that, in my family, it is a custom to give gifts to the mom.  So, my sage advice to all young suitors out there is take care of the Mom and good things will follow.  

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. We have an assortment of spring form pans and accessories to assist with adding that special dessert to your menu this St. Patrick’s Day. Remember my Food Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

It’s a busy month of holidays, and Easter is approaching. While creating your holiday menu, consider shopping and supporting local growers and producers at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market to prepare fabulous dishes to share with your guests.

The Main Course

Various meats can be purchased at Bowterra Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, Hebron Valley Meats, Hepatica Farm, Jireh Organics & Livestock, Long Lesson Farm, and Squash Villa Farm.

If you don’t feel like cooking or need a break from cooking the day before the big event, visit Euro Delicacies, Daily Fresh, Perogi-Pierogi-Pyroogi, or Vashti’s Kitchen Delights for delicious prepared foods. 

Sides, Meatless Options, and Appetizers

Veggies can be found at Gomez Veggie Ville and Lovin’ Mama Farm and occasionally at Squash Villa Farm.

Mushrooms can be used in various ways, so consider visiting The Mushroom Shop.

Breads can be purchased at Katie Bakes GF, Night Work Bread, and The Bread Butler.

Cheeses are available at the Argyle Cheese Farm and Nettle Meadow.

Puckers Gourmet has many fermented products to choose from.

The Muddy Trail Jerky Co. is stocked with various seasonings for cooking and other items to explore.

Desserts

Pre-made desserts make life a little easier and can be ordered at Goodway Gourmet, Katie Bakes GF, Parchment, Perogi-Pierogi-Pyroogi, Night Work Bread, Sweet Treats by Jennifer, and The Bread Butler.

If you are preparing a special recipe, shop for baking supplies at the farmers’ market: 

Apples can be purchased at Saratoga Apple.

Argyle Cheese Farm has yogurt and buttermilk.

Eggs are sold at Hepatica Farm, Jireh Organics & Livestock, Kokinda Farm, and Squash Villa Farm.

Honey can be found at Ballston Lake Apiaries, and Slate Valley Farms has honey and maple syrup.

Saratoga Peanut Butter has various peanut butter blends that are excellent for baking.

Muddy Trail Jerky Co. has homemade vanilla extract.

Beverages

Hard cider and spirits can be found at Saratoga Apple, Slyboro Cider House, and Yankee Distillery.

Non-alcoholic beverages like apple cider can be purchased at Saratoga Apple, and coffee is always available at Nally Coffee.

Don’t forget festive decor! Halfmoon Harvest and Lovin’ Mama Farm have flowers for your holiday table.

The Saratoga Farmers Market is 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays in the food court of the Wilton Mall. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for previews of what’s fresh.  

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Making someone special their favorite meal can be one of the nicest gifts to give someone. Gifting a meal takes the experience – both for you and the recipient – to the next level. What better way to acknowledge exciting news than with a gourmet dinner experience? Gifting a meal is a unique way to show your appreciation, whether it’s for a special occasion, new baby, birthday, sympathy, or just because you want to show someone you care – making a special meal can be an invaluable gift that the recipient will surely love. Food is wonderful because it is involved in nearly every part of our lives. We celebrate by eating; we welcome people into our lives by eating and inviting them to share a meal with us. We begin new relationships often over meals and drinks. People display their love and care for others by giving them the best they have of their food and inviting you to participate. 

In preparing that special meal, there may be some cool culinary tools you need to help.

One tool that has become a “must have” in the kitchen drawer is the bench scraper. A bench scraper, which is also called a pastry scraper or dough scraper, is also used in working with pastry, bread, and other doughs. But even if you don’t bake regularly, it can still be a worthy investment for general cooking prep. It’s also space-efficient and easy to stow away in a prep drawer and is a crazy-easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe tool that can last you for decades. A bench scraper is one of those inexpensive utensils that lasts a lifetime and has a million uses. 

When chopping vegetables, a bench scraper makes short work of transferring the veggies from the cutting board to the skillet or soup pot without losing half the veggies onto the floor during the transfer. Think of that flat piece of metal as a wide extension of your hand. Imagine the joy you would feel by only making ONE journey from your cutting board to your soup pot instead of your usual six trips as you balance those diced veggies on your knife or in your hand. You can also use your trusty scraper to smash whole cloves of garlic or to smash boiled potatoes before frying them.

I have to admit, I love a home cooked meal. Bonding and showing love during a delicious meal is a great example of food bringing people together. We cook with our hearts as much as with our hands, because usually when we cook, it is for other people, to make them happy and content.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get chopping. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Every week at the market, there’s a line at Katie Bakes Gluten Free. I recently chatted with Katie Moore to learn more about her business and what brought her to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

What led you to start Katie Bakes Gluten Free?

“My partner has celiac disease, so it was extremely important to maintain a dedicated gluten-free kitchen for the sake of his health. I had over 12 years of professional baking experience, and I was determined to create recipes that we could both enjoy. After years of experimenting, I developed a handful of great recipes and knew I needed to share my baked goods with the rest of the gluten-free community.”

When did you start your business?

“Katie Bakes Gluten Free will be officially one year old next week on Pi Day (3/14), but it wasn’t a full-time endeavor until September 2023.”

What brought you to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market?

“Last fall, I wanted to expand my reach beyond the small following I had developed in the previous few months. I saw that the Saratoga Farmers’ Market was accepting applications, and once I was approved, it was the final push that I needed to dive in head first and make this a full-time business! My experience has been overwhelmingly positive! Other vendors have been supportive and welcoming, and I’ve developed an amazing group of regular customers who have made me realize that I definitely made the right decision in pursuing this path. I’m so grateful to be a part of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market community and am looking forward to joining this summer on Saturdays in High Rock Park starting in May.”

What advice do you have for the gluten-free home baker?

“Don’t get discouraged. Gluten-free baking is challenging, and it takes a lot of trial and error; emphasis on error!”

What is your number one hot seller?

“It has been bagels, but it’s recently becoming cinnamon buns.”

What is your favorite product to make?

“Decorated sugar cookies. I love being creative, and sugar cookies allow me to sit down, slow down, and focus on making something beautiful.”

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

What do you serve for St. Patrick’s Day dinner? Many dish up the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner. I love a good Reuben sandwich with a twist – I swap the sauerkraut for a deliciously easy, homemade coleslaw. However you like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’ve discovered how you can support locally produced and grown goods at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market to complete your menu.

For corned beef brisket, Grazin’ Acres Farm sells beef brisket along with DIY corned beef brine kits. It takes 7 to 9 days to brine corned beef, so plan on grabbing your brisket this weekend. They also have ham in the event you prefer a baked ham dinner. 

When shopping for a brisket, remember there are two different cuts: a flat cut that’s rectangular and relatively equal in thickness and a point cut with a point at one end and uneven thickness with more fat marbling throughout. 

Trim the outer fat before cooking or brining your brisket. Once the meat is cooked, let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Find the grain of the meat, then turn the brisket to cut across the grain for the most tender cut. Slice thin, and enjoy every savory bite!

Carrots, onions, and cabbage are St. Patrick’s Day staples available at Gomez Veggie Ville. You’ll find potatoes and onions at Lovin’ Mama Farm and Gomez Veggie Ville. Squash Villa also has potatoes.

Irish Soda Bread is a tangy scone-like bread, and both Jennifer’s Sweet Treats and The Bread Butler offer this traditional treat. In addition, Katie Bakes Gluten Free has gluten-free Irish Soda Bread.

Rye bread for the Reuben sandwich lover is also at the farmers’ market. Night Work Bread has a sour dough-based rye bread, and The Bread Butler has traditional rye bread.

Sauerkraut as a side or to layer onto a Reuben is an excellent addition. Be sure to stop by Puckers Gourmet.

Festive desserts will be abundant with Katie Bakes Gluten Free’s specialty cupcakes and St. Patrick’s Day cookie packs. Night Work Bread will bring brownies and cookies. Sweet Treats by Jennifer always has their Chocolate Mint Dream cookie and shamrock sugar cookies. The Bread Butler will have their infamous black-tie brownies.

For Irish coffee, get your ground coffee and beans from Nally’s Coffee.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

First let me thank all of you that have stopped in personally to let me know that you enjoy this column. Your kind words and well wishes have inspired me to keep coming back each week with new stories from the kitchen. I recall a visit from a young lady who came in and asked me for help buying cookware. It seems that there is something called “The Engagement Meal.” This works by cooking your significant other a great meal so they will finally propose. The young man in question had been taking a long time to pop the question. There is a lot of great karma in this strategy. As I discussed options for cookware, it brought me back to the first time my wife cooked for me. I still remember the candles and the gleam in her eyes. It was chicken and fried dough that we had picked up at a local farmers’ market. There were green beans and potatoes too. I called my mom and she said eat everything on your plate because it will mean so much to her. Yes, I was a lucky young man, at least that is what the emergency room doctor told me the next day. It seems I had salmonella poisoning but that is when I knew she was the one for me. She tried her best and I remember the love she put into it and how she held my hand as they loaded me in the ambulance. Although the dinner was a learning curve for her, today she is an awesome cook. The culprit was undercooked chicken. 

A cooking vessel that may have helped with my special dinner would have been the Chinese Wok – a must have for your kitchen. A wok is a wide bowl-shaped cooking vessel with handles used commonly in Chinese and Asian cooking. The types of foods generally cooked in woks are stir frying, stewing, boiling, braising and steaming. At Compliments to the Chef, we carry assortments of high-quality woks and Stir Frys that suit the needs of the Asian cooking enthusiast each that spread heat evenly and are easy to clean up. Though Cast Iron woks are superior to carbon steel woks in heat retention and uniform heat distribution, they also allow to form a more stable layer of seasoning which makes it less prone to food sticking on the pan. Carbon Steel woks are a little less expensive and still perform very well. Although there are several sizes, my customers prefer the 12” and 14” wok. It allows for big and small cooking. The handles are designed to stay cool on the stovetop, so you can easily remove the pan from the burner without using potholders. Its curved sides diffuse heat and extend the cooking surface, which helps with tossing and stirring. The great depth allows ample room to cook a whole fish, if so desired. Simmering, deep frying, or steaming are just a few of its multiple uses. Season them with vegetable oil before use and after cleaning. Wherever your tastes take you this pan can deliver. 

Stop by and visit us at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for those cool tools to help you with your special dinner. Oh, and when you are looking into each other’s eyes from across the table remember Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Edible mushrooms are mystical-looking delicacies. They may not sound appetizing when you refer to them as a fungus, but there is much to discover about these delicious eats. They are nutritionally dense with vitamins, minerals, and fiber that have many health benefits and contribute to immune support and anti-inflammatory effects

When you visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, The Mushroom Shop has an abundant, eye-catching display of mushrooms. The owners, Jacob Howard and Elise Olsen, are there to educate shoppers on their flavors and attributes. They will also guide you on how to incorporate them into culinary creations. We recently talked with The Mushroom Shop to learn more.

When did you begin your journey with The Mushroom Shop?

We started growing mushrooms in the spring of 2021.

What led you to create The Mushroom Shop?

Our interest in foraging and cultivating mushrooms started as a hobby. After we partnered with a local vegetable farm, we decided to go into business. We saw an opportunity to provide the region with our high-quality mushrooms.

How many varieties of mushrooms do you grow?

We cultivate over a dozen unique species. Some of our most popular mushrooms are oyster, lion’s mane, and enoki.

What’s one of your favorite mushrooms to prepare?

Lion’s mane is 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.

What mushroom products do you offer at the farmers’ market besides fresh mushrooms?

We produce a variety of mushroom teas and seasonings, oyster mushroom jerky, and a varied selection of dried mushrooms. We also sell mushroom grow kits upon request.

Tell us a little about the health benefits of mushrooms.

Many medicinal mushrooms have anti-inflammatory properties and help strengthen the immune system. Lion’s mane is a well-known medicinal mushroom that enhances focus and memory. 

What’s your number one best seller at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market?

Our chef’s mix of fresh mushrooms is our most popular product. It includes a selection of 4-5 varieties of fresh gourmet mushrooms that change each season.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance, across from BJs, or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.