Food King Creek Farms: A Trusted Source of High-Quality Halal Meats

Skillet Steak with Rosemary Potatoes and Mushrooms

YIELDS: 4 servings | PREP TIME: 20 min | COOK TIME: 30 min

INGREDIENTS:

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

• ½ pound mushrooms* of your choice, sliced

• 1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes*, quartered

by Dustin Dyke for Saratoga TODAY

King Creek Farms, a family-owned Halal meat and poultry farm in Delanson, NY, provides highquality and ethically sourced meats to the local community. Adhering to Halal guidelines during processing and packaging, the farm ensures that the animals are treated humanely, and the products are of the highest quality.

King Creek Farms is a trusted supplier of Halal meats for many local Muslim families during Ramadan, offering beef, lamb, goat, and chicken. This year, the farm expanded its reach by selling its products at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, providing an opportunity for customers to purchase their products directly from the source.

For Muslims, Halal meats are an important part of the iftar meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. “Finding halal meats is still difficult today, so to be able to provide that option is to promote healthy living within the Muslim community,” says Azim, one of the owners of King Creek Farms.

The family’s journey began when they moved Upstate to pursue their dream of growing their food and living a sustainable lifestyle. They were shocked to learn that the food they were consuming was raised through industrial farming methods and contained harmful chemicals.

“It wasn’t easy to find back-to-the-earth, wholesome, natural food [that was] affordable back in the ’90s,” exclaims Azim. This realization inspired them to raise their food free of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.

After years of farming on rental properties and teaching in Saudi Arabia, the family saved enough money to purchase an abandoned 40-acre property in Delanson, NY, and make their dream of sustainable living a reality.

Today, King Creek Farms continues to grow and expand while remaining committed to ethical practices, high-quality products, and sustainable agriculture. The farm’s dedication to Halal practices and its role in providing high-quality meats to the local Muslim community during Ramadan has made it a beloved and trusted supplier in the area.

You can find King Creek Farms’ Halal meats and poultry at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and at High Rock Park beginning in May. Their products are also available at the Schenectady Greenmarket and their year-round farm store in Delanson.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 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. The farmers’ market will return to High Rock Park on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 1¼ -inch-thick New York strip steaks*

• 1 ½ tablespoons steak seasoning*

INSTRUCTIONS :

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 3-5 minutes; drain well. Return to pot and cook on low heat, stirring often, until potatoes are very dry.

3. Place potatoes and mushrooms in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons butter and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.

4. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring halfway.

5. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven.

6. Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season with steak seasoning.

7. Remove skillet from the oven and heat over medium-high heat.

8. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Place the steaks in the middle of the skillet and cook until a dark crust has formed, about 4-6 minutes. Using tongs, flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until desired doneness. Let rest 5 minutes.

9. Serve immediately with potatoes and mushrooms, garnished with rosemary, if desired.

by John Reardon for Saratoga TODAY

The idea of making ravioli may seem daunting, but once you’ve got the hang of rolling out pasta, it’s pretty easy. Ravioli fillings can, and should, go beyond cheese. Think of ravioli as a pasta pocket for just about anything from meat to fish to veggies and more.

Homemade ravioli isn’t just for the expert home cook; in fact, fresh pasta is one of the easiest ways to start adventuring into the wide world of cooking.

Ravioli is just filled pasta, and ravioli dough is just your basic pasta dough made with flour and egg yolks. Use a pasta maker or a rolling pin to roll out sheets of fresh pasta. You cut the pasta into squares or circles, add your ravioli filling, then lay another same-shape piece of pasta on top. Make sure you brush a little bit of water around the edges first, then crimp the edges shut with a fork. Once you have your ravioli filled, you can freeze them for later or drop them into boiling water to cook. Or you can go for fried ravioli, especially for a fun