Maple Hickory Pie

Even though the leaves are still drifting down from the trees, it's time to start thinking about the holidays. At Local Roots, we're encouraging people to plan a local Thanksgiving feast, and several producers will have special holiday items available for pre-order.

I've got a whole list of items I'll have available for the holidays, both at Local Roots and by special order, and if you stop by the market later this weekend, you can pick up one of the new brochures listing what will be available. Most items will be familiar, but one completely new item on the list will even be available in the bakery case at Local Roots tomorrow and Saturday: maple hickory pie.

I am a long-time fan of pecan pie, but in trying to put together a local Thanksgiving feast two years ago, I modified the usual recipe to replace corn syrup with local maple syrup and pecans with local hickory nuts. The resulting dessert impressed me as well as my folks, so I thought I'd offer it to other folks this season.

I've used the highest quality ingredients: delicious maple syrup from Gortner's along with some organic dark brown sugar, eggs from Adonai Acres, unsalted butter from Hartzler Family Dairy, hickory nuts from Bud Luers, and home-milled spelt flour (organic spelt from Stutzman Farms) combined with unbleached flour, salt, and nonhydrogenated organic vegetable shortening for the crust.

But don't take my word for it. Come to Local Roots this weekend and try a piece -- maybe you'll want it on your holiday table, too.

NOTE: Limited quantities will be available for holiday orders. Orders must be received at least one week in advance of the requested pickup date. Pies will be delivered to Local Roots and run through the market system. Questions? Contact me at thegrainmaker [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

At the Market September 23-25

Fall is here! It hasn't brought cooler weather for today, but since I'm starting to crave fall flavors, you'll find them showing up with more regularity in The Grain Maker baked goods.

Here's what I plan to have at Local Roots this weekend (starred items available starting Thursday):

--Artisan wheat bread*
--Basil pesto flatbread*
--Cheese crackers*
--Cheese-herb artisan bread: chèvre-rosemary, cheddar-dill*, feta-oregano*, Black Swamp Gouda (from Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese) with sage, and Lock 21 (Brie-style from Canal Junction) with peppercorn
--Cinnamon-pecan bread*
--Garlic-herb baguettes*
--Garlic pesto flatbread*
--Light rye bread*
--Maple oatmeal bread*
--Pain aux noix*
--Rosemary walnuts* -- remember these savory treats from last winter?
--Sesame thins*
--Whole wheat pita

You'll find two kinds of vegetable-cheese rolls in the bakery case, too:

--Rockin' Roots! Yes, I'm bringing back the combination of Banzhaf Garten beets, local carrots, homegrown chard, a honey-mustard vinaigrette, and creamy Lucky Penny chèvre for another week. Limited quantities.
--Roasted tomato and feta: Combine Banzhaf Garten organic heirloom tomatoes, roasted in a slow oven with olive oil and oregano, with tangy, salty Lucky Penny Creamery feta, and you've got something that will definitely perk up your taste buds!

Come Friday, I'll bring back pear-hazelnut torte, with pears from Banzhaf Garten Organic Farm, hazelnuts from Bud Luers' farm, Hartzler Dairy butter, Stutzman Farms whole wheat, and Gortner's maple sugar. This may be the last week for it as my pear supply is dwindling, so enjoy it while you can!

Pear-Hazelnut Torte

Here's one of my favorite fall desserts, a recipe I found a few years ago in Local Flavors, the gorgeously tempting farmers' market cookbook by Deborah Madison. As always, I have tweaked the recipe a little to feature more local ingredients: whole grain wheat flour from Stutzman Farms, maple sugar from Gortner's, hazelnuts from Bud Luers, pears from Banzhaf Garten Organic Farm, eggs from Autumn Harvest Farm, and unsalted butter from Hartzler Family Dairy. With an array of good ingredients like that, you know this has to be seriously good stuff!

What I like best about this cake is how the toasted hazelnuts, finely ground, add a rich complexity to the buttery ripe pears without demanding too much sweetness. This is a somewhat dense, not too moist cake that -- I must confess! -- would make a good breakfast cake as well as a dessert.

So look for it today and tomorrow at Local Roots Market. And if you like it well enough, I might consider repeating it next week!

Baklava

For over 20 years, baklava has appeared on my holiday baking lists as I prepare sweet (and even savory) treats for friends and family. People just can't resist the delicately flaky pastry, the spiced nuts, and the sweet honey syrup that sticks to their fingers. Every year, the list of eager recipients has grown to the point where I almost had to start a business to handle the demand.

Oh, wait. I did. And lucky you, you get to share in the delight of homemade baklava (in season from November into February or March).

The filo dough, while not homemade, is prepared by a local company, and I use the best local unsalted butter to layer the leaves of dough and choice local honey for the syrup. Pecans and walnuts generally appear in the filling, though I have had the opportunity on occasion to use delicious local heartnuts (a milder version of walnuts). Cloves anchor the top layers to the rest of the pastry -- it's so light and flaky, it might just fly away!

In season, this dessert is available at Local Roots Market (in-market as well as on the online order system). I am willing to consider special orders with plenty of advance notice (at least 3 days).