Leavened Dumplings with Blueberries

“We had done baking before this and thought about starting a food business with an experience for some time,” explains Palat.

When the couple moved to Saratoga Springs three years ago, they began regularly baking and cooking Czech foods to share with friends – reigniting their love of preparing and sharing traditional foods close to their hearts.

In addition to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Sweet Prophecy plans to attend more pop-up markets this spring and summer and expand its offerings to smoked meats and savory dishes from Palat’s home country. Follow them for updates and recipes on Instagram @sweetprophecybakery. Their Facebook page is coming soon!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www. saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

YIELDS: 14 dumplings | PREP & COOK TIME: 30 min

INGREDIENTS:

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

• 6 ¾ oz. lukewarm milk*

• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

OR 4 ½ teaspoons of fresh yeast

• 3 ¼ cups flour

• pinch of salt

• 1 egg*

• ¼ cups sugar

FOR THE FILLING:

• blueberries (or any other fresh fruit: apples*, apricots, plums, peaches, etc.)

FOR THE TOPPING:

• confectioners sugar

• Farmers cheese (or substitute with chèvre*)

• Melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS :

1. Combine milk, yeast and a pinch of sugar in a bowl and cover it with a cloth. Allow it to set until it rises (about 10 min).

2. Add all the other ingredients and mix together (by hand or using a mixer) until the dough has a smooth texture and does not stick to the spoon. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 14 pieces. Process each piece into a flat round shape then add the blueberries (3-5) and close it from all sides, shaping into a ball. You will prepare 14 balls from this batch.

4. The best cooking method for these dumplings is steaming –just remember to allow enough space between dumplings when placing them into a steamer. They will grow dramatically during steaming and almost triple their volume. You don’t want them to stick to each other, which is why it’s best to leave enough space between each dumpling.

5. Steam for about 5-8 minutes, check the dumpling with a skewer to ensure that dough does not stick.

6. Once the dumplings are ready, you can serve them immediately. Add some farmer cheese on top of each dumpling, sprinkle it with confectioners sugar, melt some butter and pour over the dumplings for a delicious multi-dimensional taste. “Dobrou chuť!” or Bon appetit!

NOTE: Another way to prepare the dumplings is to cook them in boiling water. Make sure you have a pot full of water and don’t overfill it, so there is only 1 layer of dumplings in the pot. Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes.

Recipe provided by Janek Palat, owner of Sweet Prophecy

by John Reardon for Saratoga TODAY

During the post-holiday time period with a new year, we tend to get back to eating right and using great tools to make that happen. It’s a new year and a fresh start so let’s make some delicious food together. My older sister CarolAnn, is a master with mandoline slicers while using them frequently in her food prep. Since she is eight years older than I am, when I was very young, I thought she was the smartest person in the world. When she taught me something it always stuck with me. I was a terrible listener with everyone except for her. I remember when I was young and allowed to visit her at her new house after she had gotten married. I would sit in her kitchen and watch her make the best salads. She would include many ingredients in her salads so that you were as full as if you had eaten a plate of Italian food. CarolAnn’s secret weapon in her prep was the mandoline slicer. She would peel and make cuts to cucumbers and many other vegetables, then would run them through the mandoline slicer to make the perfect bite sized pieces. As she was doing all of this, she would explain every step and how to be safe. She would also add in words of wisdom about life and work.

As I reminisce on these times, I learned that food creates a home, connections, celebrations, and embraces family and friends. In creating meals, we are creating homes and a nurturing environment. The meals do not have to be fancy or gourmet. It isn’t about how special the recipe is. It is about being conscious of an important part of life and honoring that importance. By elevating the importance of food in our family’s lives, you pass that importance on to them. Families connect around the dinner table, all sharing the meal they know is just for them.