Hello my Foodie Friends!   

Finding that perfect culinary gift for someone can be a task that many of us experience. Giving the gift of a cutting board is offering something that is practical and functional. It is a gift that keeps giving. 

Why have a cutting board? Using a cutting board is an excellent way to protect your countertops from scratches and damage. When you cut directly on your countertops, you risk damaging the surface, leaving unsightly marks, and making it look worn out over time. A cutting board is an incredibly versatile tool in the kitchen. It can be used for a variety of tasks, such as chopping vegetables, slicing fruit, or preparing meat. Additionally, it can be used as a serving platter for appetizers or cheese and crackers, making it a multipurpose item in the kitchen. A cutting board can be easily stored in a kitchen drawer or hung up on a hook for easy access.

Additionally, cutting boards can be easily cleaned and disinfected, reducing the risk of bacteria growth on your countertops. This is especially important if you are preparing raw meats, as bacteria can easily spread from the cutting board to your countertops, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. By using a cutting board, you can maintain a more hygienic kitchen environment and reduce the risk of contamination.

Cutting on hard surfaces such as glass or ceramic can quickly dull and damage your knives, making them less effective and more dangerous to use. A cutting board made of wood or plastic, however, can preserve the sharpness of your knives and extend their lifespan. By using a cutting board, you can save money on replacing your knives and ensure that they are always sharp and safe to use.

One of our favorite cutting boards we offer at Compliments to the Chef, is the Epicurean cutting board. The signature Epicurean brand cutting boards have earned their place in the heart of the kitchen, meeting the highest standards of cooks and chefs worldwide. With a natural look and texture from a paper composite material, these boards are durable, knife friendly, and dishwasher safe. Epicurean is a USA-manufacturer using primarily USA-sourced materials. Its iconic paper composite material is manufactured 100% in the USA, using materials locally sourced in the USA. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. Keep your family together in the kitchen and involved with the prep and creation of your meals. Family recipes are a way of keeping our ancestry alive, as well as a part of ourselves. Traditions help bond us to those we love. Cooking together creates closer bonds and helps build lifelong memories. You can also use the time to listen, share and talk as a family. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Are you staycationing this winter break? Consider bringing the entire family to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as part of your week of staycation activities.

While it may sound like an odd staycation activity, the farmers’ market is filled with leisurely fun that the whole family will enjoy, leading to an educational experience while ultimately supporting local businesses that grow and produce all of their goods.  

Play Market I-Spy

Visit the market’s website at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and locate ‘Support the Market’ on the home page. Click ‘Learn More’ to find the Market I-spy game and download and print it.

Once you’re at the market, check the boxes as you identify the corresponding items to the pictures you discover as you wander by all the different vendors. This experience will help children realize how many locally made and grown items are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Keep reading to learn how your child(ren) can earn a $2 coin to spend at the market.

Culinary Fun

You can also print a free shopping list for your children to follow while at the market, corresponding with this week’s recipe: nutty apple pancakes. You can locate the list on the same page as the Market I-spy game.

Identify the items you need for making this recipe at the market and check them off as you locate where they are available. This practical activity is a perfect opportunity to expand your staycation fun by shopping and making a recipe together.

Rewards

If you download and complete an activity, bring it to the information table, and your child(ren) will receive a $2 token to spend at the market. 

The market is an exciting place to help children understand where local food and goods come from. Our vendors are always open to chatting about how they grow or create their goods and bring them to market.

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. The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Wilton Mall hourly 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.

The calendar pages are turning quickly, and before you know it, Game Day will be here, followed immediately by Valentine’s Day. Make the Saratoga Farmers’ Market part of your shopping plans to help you prepare for both events.

Game-day shopping

Visit Hepatica Farm for fresh chicken wings and Eat with Aliens for hot sauce. Check out Muddy Trail Jerky Co. for various dip mixes. Then, stop by Puckers Gourmet for their hummus, which goes perfectly with fresh carrots from Gomez Veggie Ville. Don’t forget freshly baked bread for dips from The Bread Butler and Night Work Bread.

Grab a pre-made pizza from Argyle Cheese Farmer or make your own with a pre-made crust at Katie Bakes Gluten Free. Add a pesto mix from Muddy Trail Jerky Co., specialty cheese from Argyle Cheese Farmer, or Nettle Meadow, and then top it off with fresh arugula mix from Lovin’ Mama Farm. You can use these items to make game-day calzones and quesadillas, too.

You’ll find a variety of meats from Grazin’ Acres Farm, Hepatica Farm, Jireh Organics & Livestock, and Long Lesson Farm for festive meals, like sliders and pizza with toppings: taco pizza, fajita flavors, chicken pesto themes, and meatballs. 

Add mushrooms to your specialty creations from The Mushroom Shop and other delicious herbs and veggies from Lovin’ Mama Farm and Gomez Veggie Ville.

For dessert, visit Katie Bakes Gluten-Free, Night Work Bread, and Sweet Treats by Jennifer for their Game Day and Valentine’s offerings.

THIS WEEKEND ONLY, you can purchase eclairs from Argyle Cheese Farmer. If you want to get some, email an order to acheesefarmer@gmail.com before the market and pick them up on Saturday. 

Valentine’s Day shopping

Consider fresh tulips, dried flowers, and wreathes from Halfmoon Harvest and Lovin’ Mama Farm for that special someone.

You can pick up a bottle of wine from Slyboro.  If you prefer spirits or hard cider, visit Yankee Distillery and Saratoga Apple to discover their specialty items.

Or, consider specialty gifts from vendors like Sweet Sprig, featurning hand-crafted soaps, bath bombs, and lotions. RK Designs has home decor.

If you’re thinking about what to serve your Valentine for breakfast, visit the ‘news’ section on our website, SaratogaFarmersMarket.org, for a complete list of ideas.

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!   

How many of you like to eat breakfast foods any time of the day? As a child, one of my favorite breakfast items was and still is waffles. I love the smell of cooking waffles when you walk into the kitchen. 

One of our family treats was waffles on Sunday morning. My mother would offer to put blueberries, strawberries, bananas and various fruits on our waffles. I have always loved waffles’ crispy wafer surface, soft interior and tiny golden pockets filled with maple syrup. The waffles of my dreams (and by now you realize this is nearing psychedelic-flashback territory), include the proper waffles are dark golden brown, crisp and served with butter melting into the square holes, maybe a salty pork product nearby such as bacon and real maple syrup. I would beg for a scoop of ice cream on top – but that idea was quickly nixed.

Waffles have been a favorite food for hundreds of years, possibly dating back to the 13th Century. Although,waffles were brought to Pennsylvania centuries ago by German settlers, they are experiencing a modern-day comeback that extends long after sunrise. There are many new food concepts out there that include creative approaches to waffles as an all-day food. It is safe to say that Americans have developed a bit of a fascination, perhaps an obsession of making waffles a novelty breakfast items to decadent masterpieces. Making crisp and fluffy homemade waffles has gotten easier since the days when you had to hold a long-handled waffle iron in the fire to get them perfectly browned. Modern waffle makers require little more effort than plugging them in and heating them up, but it can take a little practice to effortlessly turn out golden grids that pair perfectly with real maple syrup or crunchy fried chicken. A generously oiled and thoroughly preheated waffle maker should produce an irresistible result every time.

I never met a waffle I didn’t like. After hearing the ways waffles can answer the never-ending “What’s for dinner?” question or liven up a winter party, you’ll never look at a box of Eggos the same way again. Who says waffles are just for breakfast? You could eat them for lunch, dinner and dessert too. Here are some ideas: 

Chicken and Bacon Waffles. Call it a meat-lovers waffle. Top your waffle with fried chicken and crispy bacon, and even mix bacon into the waffle batter. Save it for a lazy  Sunday morning when you don’t have to leave the couch too quickly.

Waffled Brioche French Toast. If you’re the type who always waffles (har har) between French toast and waffles on the diner menu, you can get the best of both worlds at home. Pop a chunky slice of brioche in the waffle iron, and you’ll wind up with crispy divots (perfect for flooding with syrup) and maintain the fluffy, chewy texture typical of French toast.

Waffled Banana Bread. Banana bread is another morning favorite that can get a waffle update. Pour banana-bread batter straight into the waffle iron for a treat that’s both new and familiar — and cooks in way less time than typical banana bread.

Breakfast Grilled Cheese

Waffles to-go sounds tricky until you realize that two waffles can sandwich all the gooey stuff (cream cheese and jam) inside for a handheld breakfast. 

These are just some ideas…

There are so many options to make with a waffle maker. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to pick up the essentials to make your culinary delights. Have fun in the kitchen; tell that special someone they are “Waffle-y Cute.” Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and there’s nothing like showing a little extra love with a homemade breaakfast served at the kitchen counters or in bed. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has a wide variety of locally grown and produced goods for whatever your perfect breakfast combo might include.

Bacon & Sausage. Discover these savory delicacies at:

• Grazin’ Acres Farm has maple breakfast links
• Jireh Organics & Livestock of NY’s bacon and ground sausage
• Long Lesson Farm has bacon and breakfast sausage

Breads and other baked goods. Various baked goods are useful in recipes or purchased ready-to-eat.
• The Bread Butler’s assorted breads are great for toast and French toast—their chocolate croissants are a breakfast win.
• Katie Bakes Gluten Free has bagels, muffins, and scones
• Kokinda Farm’s assorted baked breads
• Night Work Bread’s sourdough bread and other baked goods such as bagels, scones, babka 
• Parchment has brioche-style cardamom bread, which is delicious toasted or for French toast and other baked goods.
• Sweet Treats by Jennifer’s English muffin bread and cinnamon buns
• The Argyle Cheese Farmer’s blueberry danish and cinnamon buns

Coffee is a must on most breakfast trays (wink), and you’ll find locally roasted beans at Nally Coffee.

Find farm-fresh eggs at:

• Jireh Organics & Livestock of NY
• Kokinda Farm
• Hepatica Farm
• Squash Villa Farm

Fruit. While it’s not growing season, Saratoga Apple has fresh choices direct from cold storage, like fresh apples, dried apples, and applesauce.

Hash browns always make a delicious side dish, and you can grab locally grown items to bake or fry them:

•  Gomez Veggie Ville’s potatoes, onion & kale
• Grazin’ Acres Farm’s potatoes
• Lovin’ Mama Farm’s  potatoes, onions, kale, spinach & herbs
• Muddy Trail Jerky Co’s spice mixes

Honey is the perfect sweetener for tea and to top off some of your baked goods or to use in recipes like pancakes as an alternative sweetener. 

• Ballston Lake Apiary has honey and honey sticks
• Slate Valley Farm has honey

Pancakes and syrup are a popular winter treat, and the market has both pancake mix and the ever-popular maple syrup.

• Sweet Treats by Jennifer brings pancake batter
• Slate Valley Farm maple syrup

Smoothies, yogurt, and granola are perfect for parfaits:

• The Argyle Cheese Farmer has smoothies and assorted yogurts
• Sweet Treats by Jennifer makes granola

Other baking supplies:

• The Argyle Cheese Farmer makes buttermilk 
• Muddy Trail Jerky Co. vanilla

Other toppings:

• Kokinda Farm has homemade jams and jellies
• Saratoga Peanut Butter varieties

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.

Fermented products are often part of a discussion regarding gut health. According to Harvard Health, the products that bring us these sought-after and beneficial probiotics result from natural processes containing natural probiotic cultures. In search of gut-friendly products that use these natural fermentation methods, we discovered several vendors you can visit to have more in-depth discussions about their products and their processes while discovering locally fermented goods.

Ballston Lake Apiaries 

If you’re looking for a sweet wine, consider trying Ballston Lake Apiaries honey apple cyser. This recipe is based on the earliest fermented beverage! It’s popular in England and is excellent on ice or simply sip. This mead is made with champagne yeast, rendering it at nearly 13%. It’s mellow and aged for years and also comes in cherry-infused flavors. 

Junbucha 

If you visit Junbucha at the farmers’ market, they have a variety of flavors for you to taste test. They toast their product as the champagne of kombucha, made with a base of green tea and honey. They will share the fermentation process and provide the beverage’s probiotic attributes that add healthy bacteria to the gut, contributing to a healthy biome and overall immunity.

Night Work Bread 

At Night Work Bread, artisan bakers use a sourdough process to create baked goods. Weekly, they make ten different breads, bagels, cookies, scones, cinnamon rolls, brownies, focaccia bread, and other occasional specialty items. Their old-world fermentation process is tried and true, and their sourdough base helps to break down the lipids and carbohydrates our bodies cannot absorb.

Puckers Gourmet 

If you visit Puckers Gourmet, they also have a variety of taste-testing options and a long list of deliciously popular fermented products, 12 in total. They boast the fact that their products contain prebiotics coupled with probiotics. You will find a wide assortment of items, including various pickle flavors, kimchi, sauerkraut, a fermented hummus-inspired dip, and other delicacies.

Our 40+ vendors are always ready to chat about their products and processes regardless of what they grow and create. Visit the market for more fabulous discoveries.

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!   

One of our family’s favorite food is pizza, especially Paula’s homemade pizza. Pizza is an excellent all-around family food that every person can personalize and enjoy on the day it is cooked, or the following day (Breakfast Pizza?). It is also a perfect “on the go” food to help with the crazy schedules that we all have. Back in the days before children, pizza was a frequent meal for Paula and me. Our lives were basically like “two ships passing in the night.” 

When Paula and I first dated one of our favorite romantic places to eat was an Italian restaurant called Verdolini’s. We were there so much they knew our order when we came in. The waitresses used to elbow each other and fuss over the young lovers. They were planning our wedding even before we even thought about getting married. The lighting and ambiance were straight out of a movie. The whole Verdolini family worked there and when he was old enough, my brother Bill, worked there also. They made a pizza that was different from any pizza I have had before or since. Paula was curious about their ingredients and how it was made. She would ask and they would say “it’s a secret.” We had my brother Bill, however, as our spy on the inside. Bill would bring home any leftover pizzas at the end of the night and hand them out to whoever wanted them. He could not manage to get the entire recipe from the owner, but he got enough that he and Paula came close. One of the special parts was baking them in their stone oven. We have tinkered with it over the years, and I think Paula’s pizza is now perfect. That’s the thing about pizza; it’s a personal taste type of food. The way I like it might be different than the way someone else likes it and that’s ok.  

A pizza stone is one of the keys to making a perfect pizza. The science behind pizza stones is relatively simple: the stone conducts and holds heat, which keeps the oven temperature steady even when a cold ingredient (such as an uncooked pizza) is introduced. This not only helps the pizza cook more evenly, but also allows the bottom to get crisp. The trick to a crispy pizza is to heat the stone in the oven prior to putting your prepared pizza on it.

Learning how to clean a pizza stone correctly can help it last a long time and produce mouth-watering pizzas. The one small problem: How do you remove all that baked-on cheese and grease once you’re done devouring your culinary masterpiece? Follow these steps to clean a pizza stone so it lasts for many years to come. It’s best to clean a pizza stone every time it’s used—a quick wipe works. This makes it easier to remove stuck-on food and cheese. And it helps avoid having to deep clean your stone as often. Let your stone cool down before removing it from the oven. 

Stop by downtown Saratoga Springs’ Compliments to the Chef, Your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place where we have cool tools for your pizza making. Get creative with your pizza and make lasting memories.

After 60 years in business our hometown Italian Restaurant, Verdolini’s had to close due to a flood and family health problems but they live in our memories forever. 

Enjoy making pizza with your family and friends. Sing, dance, play music really loud, and have fun eating your very own creation. Remember; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Fortunately, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is inside the Wilton Mall during these chilly, sometimes frigid, winter days. Did you know that you can sip a hot cup of coffee from one of our vendors while shopping at the market? I recently had a great chat with Sam, owner of Nally Coffee, about the brand and beans.

When did you start Nally Coffee?

I started Nally Coffee in February 2021. 

What led you to create your coffee brand?

I was interested in specialty coffee and trying it from different parts of the world. I discovered roasting coffee after my brother gave me un-roasted coffee beans for Christmas, so I started researching and learning. Things fell into place a couple of years ago, and I knew it was time to jump in and give it my best shot! 

How many flavors do you have?

Currently, I have five blends with new flavors coming. I currently offer The Adventure, The Heritage, The Puffin, The Tune Skis, and a decaf Honduran coffee blend.

In making the Adventure and Heritage Blends, I use Fair Trade organic Honduran Coffee with a heavier body with caramel and butterscotch notes. The Heritage blend is a darker roast with nice smokey and nutty-like flavors. I make the Puffin and Tune Skis Blends from Fair Trade and organic Colombian coffee with fruity notes like cherry and orange. The darker roast has a subtle hint of smokiness. The Decaf is very popular; it’s smooth with a brown sugar tone.     

What makes each blend unique?

Each roast has a great story on the back of the bag that I pride myself in sharing. As for the coffees themselves, the beans and roasting level differentiate them from each other and other coffees roasted in the area.  

What products do you offer?

My blends are available in whole bean or ground. I have three K-cup varieties, and visitors can purchase brewed coffee on-site.  I also have hand-made mugs and storage containers to keep your coffee fresh! Come on by and say ‘hi’ at the market!  My name is Sam (I don’t like green eggs, but I do like ham), and I love to chat. 

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.