~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saratoga Springs Farmers' Market November 6, 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Market News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOMORROW  WE BEGIN THE 2009 WINTER MARKET! In our new site!!   Yes, the winter market will begin 9am, Saturday November 7th at the Division Street Elementary School!  We are very excited about new digs and hope you will be too.  The school will allow us ample parking for all, easy handicap access and more room for MORE VENDORS!  Product will plentiful.  Leeks are in, brussel sprouts are gorgeous, winter squashes abound and beautiful greens are plentiful.  In addition we will be having new baked goods, new prepared foods, new mushroom vendor and all our wonderful true blue regulars: yogurt, cheeses, meats, eggs, apples, soaps and holiday greens. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FALL FESTIVAL was a great success at our last outdoor market.  Whinnie the Pooh and gang made a day of it at the market, much to the delight of our younger customers.  Our musicians, 3/4 North, got our toes warm with unavoidable toe tapping and the sun even decided to show up!  Congratulations to Russ winning the Great 137 pound pumpkin and the gracious Jeanne who also had the right guess, but lost in a stick draw. (She got a market T-shirt and a mini gourd!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MARKET SHED has been converted to the Market Table  at the winter market and will continue to provide "market money" (tokens) for those short on cash, but are carrying credit cards or EBT cards.   We also have the great gift ideas: market tote bags (canvas and insulated),  t-shirts and gift certificates!    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIRST RAFFLE OF THE INDOOR MARKET proceeds from the winter market basket raffles will be going to offset the extra expense of our beautiful new location at the gym of Division St Elem School. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enter now! For one dollar* enter to win a BASKET FULL OF MARKET GOODIES.   You can enter as often as you like.  Enter at the market table.  BASKET WILL BE GIVEN OUT  NOVEMBER 7th, 11 am  at the FIRST INDOOR MARKET!! *Starting next week our monthly raffle basket with a Thanksgiving theme will begin, but the ticket prices will go up to $2 each or 3 for $5.   The gift baskets have over a $100 in product value.  Tomorrow's basket is worth over $125!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   LIVE MUSIC:will be on hold until we find suitable space at the market ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECIPE OF THE WEEK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS Cabbage is a much-aligned vegetable, but its versatility is astounding and is a wonderful resource for many varying culinary dishes.  Cabbages have evolved into a diverse family and have been challenging chefs to keep coming up with new ways to use them.  Cabbage is good braised, steamed, fried, or sautéed.  It's the basis of American coleslaw, German Sauerkraut, and many oriental dishes.   It is inexpensive and grows easily in many conditions and are plentiful now at your farmers' market.  Americans are very familiar with the head cabbage, which comes in many varieties from green to red.  Then there is Bok choy, the mild-flavored Asian cabbage in bright colors.  Chinese cabbages have oblong heads with thin, juicy, full-flavored leaves.  Each presents a never ending lists of uses and all are found locally produced.   Cabbage is a great accompaniment to rich meat dishes and all root vegetables.  It goes well with spices, red wine, apples, onions, chestnuts, radishes, beets and sour cream.  My family loves stuffed cabbage rolls on a cold winter night.  I like it as it lends itself to be cooked ahead, frozen and then ready to go on days that are short for time.  My husband loves them in a tomato sauce and my daughter covered in a soy sauce.  I could see them being finished in a wine and brown sugar topping.  They are generous in their adaptation to personal tastes.  Your palate is the selecting criteria.   Ingredients 1 pound of ground meat (beef, lamb, turkey, sausage) 1 large egg 1/2 cup bread crumbs (West Village market crumbs are super) 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice  (white for oriental, mixed brown/white ok with tomato) 1/2 cup water 1 large carrot, grated 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 savory or green cabbage (approximately 2 lbs.) Directions Combine in a large bowl all the ingredients above, except the cabbage and set aside. Take the cabbage and cut out the core.  Drop the cabbage into 3-4 qts of boiling water.  Boil for 5-10 minutes and remove from the pot and carefully remove the softened out leaves.  Return the cabbage to the simmering water to continue softening the inner leaves as you begin to stuff the leaves.  Leaves need to be supple enough to roll.  Wrap the meat mixture in the leaves and folding much like you would a tortilla.  (Stuffing down center, fold in the sides and roll up the middle).  Repeat this process until all the stuffing is used.  You can tie them closed with string or place seem side down to cook.  At this point you can freeze (up to a month) or store (up to 3 days) for later use. Hubby's Tomato based sauce Chop up one cup of cabbage leaves (can use remaining cabbage leaves from above).  Combine with 1 medium onion chopped.  In a large dutch oven type pot, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and add the chopped cabbage/onion mixture and sauté until golden brown.  The add 1/2 cup dry white or red wine and bring to a boil, then reduce immediately to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Add 4 large tomatoes, diced with their juices, 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 8 gingersnap cookies, crumbled and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.  Bring all this to a boil for 5 minutes.  The reduce heat and add cabbage rolls, seam side down, adding a little water to just cover rolls.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, shaking pan a couple of times throughout,  to be sure sauce does not stick.  Serve hot with sour cream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is open for its winter season, Nov.-April, Saturdays 9a-1p at the Division Street School in Saratoga Springs, NY. For more info go to www.saratogafarmersmarket.org

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Dear Fellow Runner, Registration for this year's First Night Saratoga 5K Run is now in its second week and registrations are running (no pun intended) ahead of last year.    Why miss out on this great New Year's Eve tradition in Saratoga Springs.  As in the past, we are only taking 1,000 registrations.  Register now or download an application at www.ymcasaratoga.org .   We are still the ONLY NEW YEAR'S EVE RACE IN THE SARATOGA/CAPITOL REGION.  If you want to run under the stars on New Year's Eve, you should be registering now.  Runner's World magazine has listed our race as one of their favorite races for December.   The Awards (5 year age categories) will begin after the last runner crosses the finish line, which gives you and your family plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the First Night celebration in downtown Saratoga Springs.  For your convenience, you can also order your First Night Buttons, and we will have them ready for you at packet pick-up.   All finishers will receive a First Night commemorative medal.   We will not be mailing out applications.  For complete information go to www.ymcasaratoga.org where you can register right now.  We are not charging any additional fees for registering on-line.   The $20 early registration fee is good until November 27, when it will then go to $25.   Hope to see you on New Year's Eve.   Jeffrey Allen Race Director First Night is presented by the YMCA of Saratoga

Maestro's "A Fine American Bistro"  Holiday Gift Promotion Personal Chef Gift Certificate A Personal Chef Gift Certificate is the gift of a very special night of dining for two people. Once a person receives a certificate they call Chef John LaPosta personally to plan their night out. John customizes and prints a one of a kind menu for their enjoyment based upon their culinary tastes. From the minute they enter the restaurant they are treated to a night of great food and hospitality they will not soon forget. It is a gift of great taste and fond memories.  Promotion Pricing     1-4 Personal Chef Certificates $99 ea.   5-10 Personal Chef Certificate     Including a bottle of wine with dinner $99 ea.   11-25 Personal Chef Certificates $89 ea.   25 or more Personal Chef Certificates $79 each   The perfect gift of appreciation for your entire staff! A great gift in place of a Christmas Party. The certificates NEVER expire! Gift Certificate Sale Can be issued in any amounts    $250-$450 10% Discount   $500-$1000 15% Discount   $1200 or more 20% Discount   Personal Chef Certificates Excluded Location Title 371 Broadway Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 518.580.0312 Save 15% Enjoy a great lunch for a great deal. Receive 15% off your entire lunch bill for up to 4 guests. Cannot be combined with any other discount promotions including simply certificates. Offer Expires: DEC 23, 2009

I've lived in many parts of New York State and let me say we are fortunate here in Saratoga Springs to have so many options for entertainment, dining, and other enjoyable events.  I've lived in areas where there's so little going on, or what was going on was simply so unappealing that it seemed that many of the locals just sat in dreary bars and drank.  Here it's a different story.  Whether it's a sports event, great dining, something at SPAC, or a music or comedy act downtown, we have great choices year round.  We shouldn't take any of this for granted, and we should do our best to patronize these venues, both for our own enjoyment and to ensure the success of these entities so they will continue to help make Saratoga Springs such a great place to live.  If you would like more information about The Comedy Works, call (877) JOKE-TIX or go to www.thecomedyworks.com

Click here for the review via the T-U's Saratoga Seen blog.

Click here for some great pictures via the T-U's Table Hopping blog.

Above:  The Grand Union Hotel, which was razed in the early 1950s.  Below: Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas strip. 

I am usually very comfortable at Uncommon Grounds, which has offered free Wifi for at least a couple of years, although it can get crowded there at times.  Perhaps the Borders offering will lighten up the crowds at our favorite bagel and coffee place, or at least give us an alternative should Uncommon Grounds get annoyingly crowded.  FYI Saratoga Coffee Traders also offers  
free wifi, and of course library cardholders can use the computers there and also bring their laptops to use the library's free wifi. I assume there are other downtown establishments where you can get on the internet with your laptop, but I am just not sure where.  It would be nice if the entire downtown area had free internet service - maybe that day will come.  One place we know doesn't have free wifi is of course Virgil's House, which disallows laptops, cell phones, and similar technology. OK, next time you see someone typing away at one of the downtown establishments, it just might be me posting an entry.  Enjoy the rest of your week.

• $5 Maestro's entrees in November
• Reviewing the Irish Times In Saratoga