Changes to the Product Line

Since I keep track of inventory and sales every week, I periodically review the trends to see what sells well and what is fading in popularity, then adjust my product line as needed. Usually I'm adding to the line, but after this week, you'll no longer find cheese-herb artisan breads and cheese rolls in the lineup.

Several factors have led me to this decision:

--A better understanding of the regulations the Ohio Department of Agriculture has for cheese breads
--Inconsistent availability of the cheeses I most like to use from the Local Roots producers
--Cost
--Declining sales of these items

I have ideas about new breads to try, not really to replace these but as something different. If you have suggestions about breads you'd like to see me try, please let me know!

Spinach-Feta Rolls

After last week's rapid disappearance of the spinach-feta rolls from the bakery case at Local Roots, I figured I'd better make more this week. This time, I actually remembered to catch them for a photo while they cooled!

So here they are: a little crusty on the outside, tender artisan bread on the inside, rolled around a filling of sauteed green onion (from my garden) and spinach (from Adonai Acres) pureed with goat's milk feta cheese from Lucky Penny Creamery. These are substantial rolls, big enough to be a sandwich on their own, so you might want to try them for lunch today or tomorrow.

These may well become a weekly item in the bakery case -- with changes in filling based on what vegetables are in season -- so if you like them, let me know!

At the Market 4/16 and 4/17

By mid-morning, I'll have my shelf at Local Roots full of good stuff:

--Sesame thins
--Cheese-herb artisan bread: three varieties -- garlic cheddar with basil, chèvre-rosemary, or Ludlow (creamy and caramelized like a 1-year-old Gouda) with fresh chives
--Maple oatmeal bread
--Pain aux noix
--Pumpernickel bread
--Whole wheat pita (in bags of four)

In the bakery case for Friday, I'll also have:

--Buckwheat Butter Cookies using homegrown buckwheat and Hartzler Family Dairy butter


--Cheddar-Scallion Rolls, with garlic cheddar curds from Blue Jacket Dairy, scallions from Breezy Hill Farm, whole wheat flour from Stutzman Farms, honey from Schmidt Family Farm, butter from Hartzler Family Dairy, and homegrown dill. They smell very good fresh out of the oven this morning!

On Saturday, you'll also find a special treat:


--Whole Wheat Croissants, buttery and flaky and fresh from the oven Saturday morning. Ingredients include whole wheat flour from Stutzman Farms and butter and milk from Hartzler Family Dairy. Get these early!

If you're around the market between 9 and 11 Saturday morning, be sure to check out Betsy Anderson's French toast demo. She'll be using a selection of breads from Local Roots producers, including my maple-oatmeal bread.

Enjoy!

Cheese-Herb Artisan Bread

After two journeys to France, I came home with a lingering fondness for real French bread. It isn't easily found around here (if at all), and while I don't claim to make a perfect replica of French baguettes or any other French bread, I enjoy making a simple artisan bread and adding different flavors to it.

Of course, nothing goes better with this kind of bread than good cheese, and at Local Roots, we have so many good cheeses that it's difficult sometimes to know where to begin! That's why I started pairing these local cheeses with homegrown or local herbs to add a little kick to the basic artisan bread recipe. Among the combinations I've tried so far are:

--dill cheddar curds from Blue Jacket Dairy with more dried dill
--garlic cheddar curds, also from Blue Jacket Dairy, with minced fresh basil
--creamy chèvre from Lucky Penny Creamery, either with dried thyme from Adonai Acres or minced fresh homegrown rosemary
--salty, creamy Chouda (cross between Cheddar and Gouda) from Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese, with dried thyme

And there are more cheeses to sample and experiment with! I could probably go on forever...

These breads are generally all made with unbleached wheat flour, but I hope to develop some half-whole grain variations over time. All are marked with the traditional "scallop" cuts on top of the loaf, something I've adopted as reminiscent of the Grain Maker logo.

Look for these on the shelf weekly, with combinations to change as cheeses are available. Stop by after work on Friday and pick up a loaf to go with your dinner!