"Food news you can use" by Food Forum

Here is an ongoing compendium of area food events, as well as numerous kitchen tips and tricks that expound on information found in the Gazette’s Wednesday food section. Check back for additional postings and feel free to submit your own.

Reader comments are encouraged. Such information should be sent to Gazette reporter Elysia Nest at nest@dailygazette.com.

Farmers Markets

Paula Schafer at Cornell Cooperative Extension has sent over a listing of Saratoga and Washington County farmers markets for the season.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available.

Saratoga County

Ballston Spa, Wiswall Park, Front Street — 3 to 6 p.m. Thursdays from June 12 to Sept. 25 and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays from June 14 to Sept. 27.

Town of Ballston, Dollar General Plaza parking lot on Route 50 — 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays from May to Oct. 30 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday May through Oct. 25.

Clifton Park, St. George’s Church, Route 146 — 2 to 5 p.m. Thursdays from July 3 to Oct. 30.

Corinth, Arthur White & Son True Value Store Parking Lot — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from July to October.

Gansevoort, Village Park — 3 to 6 p.m. Thursdays from June 5 to Oct. 30.

Saratoga Springs, Summer Market at High Rock Park — 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays from May to Oct. 31 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from May 5 to Oct. 27.

South Glens Falls, Village Park — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays from June 2 to Oct. 27.

Waterford, Waterford Harbor Promenade — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays from June 1 to Oct. 26. No market on Sept. 7.

Washington County

Cambridge, Cambridge Freight Yard at East Main Street — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays from May 18 to Oct. 19.

Fort Edward, Broadway Lanes Parking Lot, Route 4 — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays from June 6 to Oct. 31.

Granville, in downtown Granville — 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays from June 3 to Oct. 28.

Greenwich, Main Street in the former IGA Parking Lot — 2 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays from June 5 to October.

Hudson Falls, Sutherland Farms at Lower Dix Avenue — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays from June 3 to Oct. 28.

Middle Granville, Middle Granville Road, next to bowling alley — 2 to 5 p.m. Mondays from May 26 to October.

Salem, Salem Park on Main Street — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from May 24 to October.

Whitehall, The Boulevard Park — 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays from June 3 to October.

Tidbits

Feast for Famine

This year’s Feast for Famine, the annual benefit for the Hunger Action Network, is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at The Egg in Albany. The benefit will feature food, microbrews and exotic teas and coffees from many area restaurants.

Among the suppliers so far: Bayou Cafe, Bongiorno’s, Brownstone Catering, Cascade Mountain Winery and Restaurant, Dakota Steakhouse, DeJohn’s Restaurant & Pub, DiviniTea, El Loco Mexican Cafe, El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant, Healthy Community Harvest, Jack’s Oyster House, Justin’s, McCadam Cheese, Miss Albany Diner, Moon and River Cafe, My Linh, New World Home Cooking, Olde Saratoga Brewing Co., Rock Hill Bakehouse, Shalimar, V&R Restaurant and Yono’s.

The event raises money for area food pantries that serve 40,000 people monthly. Tickets, at $45 per person, are available from the Hunger Action Network in Albany.

Tofu class

A tofu primer is being offered at the Honest Weight Food Co-Op in Albany at 6:30 p.m. May 21. The class is free, but reservations are requested. The co-op is located at 484 Central Ave.

The demonstration/discussion will cover topics including the difference between firm and soft tofu, stir-frying, smoothies, storage and preparation, recipes for beginners and freezing tofu to produce a meaty texture.

Ales for Trails

A local group training for the upcoming Hike For Discovery at the Grand Canyon, a fundraising adventure to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, will hold an event at the Orchard Tavern and Restaurant in Albany at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10. The Orchard is at 68 North Manning Boulevard.

Called Ales for Trails, the event costs $25 and includes a selection of beers from Saranac Brewing, food, live music from the Matt Maguire Jazz Quartet, raffles and prizes. All proceeds go to the Hike for Discovery Program of Upstate NY Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Call the Orchard Tavern for more information.

Wine pairing

The Hudson Valley Wine & Grape Association will hold a Hudson Valley Wine & Culinary Food Pairing on Friday, May 30, at St. Andrew’s Cafe at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.

The winners of the five major wine categories from last weekend’s fourth annual Hudson Valley Wine Competition will be paired with haute cuisine prepared by award-winning chefs at the culinary institute. An awards ceremony will follow the dinner. Tickets are $75 per person and are available by e-mailing hvwgacce@gmail.com.

Top brewery

During the 11th annual TAP-NY Craft Beer Festival in Hunter Mountain, the Ithaca Beer Co. swept a field of 35 New York state breweries. Ithaca won both the gold and silver medals for individual brews, and received the F.X. Matt Memorial Cup as the state’s overall best craft brewery.

The festival, held in late, drew a crowd of professional tasters and beer lovers from across the state. During the two-day event, they tasted and ranked nearly 150 craft brews. Ithaca Beer’s “TEN” — part of its specialty “Excelsior” series — won the gold as the best-tasting beer in the state. The silver went to Ithaca’s Flower Power, its signature India Pale Ale.

Buying asparagus

It’s best to buy asparagus as soon as possible after it’s been picked. How can you tell?

Once the asparagus is picked, it starts becoming woody and fibrous, beginning at the bottom. So you want to look for the shortest possible fibrous sections — the cut end should be either white or light-colored, as well. You also want to make sure that the tips of the spears are tightly closed, and the stalks are firm and juicy-looking.

That woody fibrousness is inevitable with asparagus, but it’s definitely not appetizing. You can deal with it one of two ways: either peel the fat end of each stalk, which means you get more asparagus for your money (but it’s a lot of work), or you can gently bend each stalk until the woody part snaps off.

Asparagus is great steamed with a hollandaise sauce as an appetizer or sautéed in risotto as a side dish. You can also wrap it in puff pasty, phyllo dough, or prosciutto. Put it in a quiche with smoked salmon or try stir-frying it with chicken and mushrooms.

The one thing that’s difficult about asparagus is that it contains a chemical that when consumed with wine can make the wine taste somewhat vegetal. To avoid that, the best wine to pair with asparagus is a crisp, high-acid white, with powerful flavors that won’t be dulled.