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.

Time for Tea!

Now that the cooler weather of autumn is settling in, I'm ready to pull out the teapot and enjoy some delicious brews using herbs from the garden. I sampled the first of these brews at Local Roots this past Saturday and, since I couldn't think of a name for it, held a contest to see who could come up with the most evocative, fitting, and tempting name for it.

The blend itself combined homegrown chamomile, spearmint, and anise hyssop for a relaxing tea with a velvet edge. Several suggestions came to the forefront, but only one really fit the blend: Blonde Highlights, suggested by Betsy Anderson. Thanks, Betsy!

For the rest of you who participated in the contest, here are the fall and winter brews -- with attribution given for the names. Each person who suggested a winning name wins a loaf of Grain Maker bread (their choice).

Autumn Bliss: When fall arrives with cooler weather, it also brings a rich palette of colors and flavors as herbs and flowers reach their maturity. This blend combines petals from homegrown roses, foraged rose hips (rich in vitamin C), homegrown sage, and a pinch of hibiscus blossoms for an enticing blush. (Name suggested by Ellen Pill.)

Blonde Highlights: Chamomile has long been used topically to add a glow to blond hair, but taken as a tisane, it makes a relaxing evening brew. Paired here with homegrown spearmint and anise hyssop, the sparkle of chamomile takes on a richer hue and flavor as it eases you into rest. (Name suggested by Betsy Anderson.)

Harvest Gold: As autumn casts its golden light over fields and meadows, summer flavors develop new depth. Lemon verbena from Karen's Garden Delights and homegrown lemon balm carry the summer sunshine, tempered with homegrown calendula and the crisp piny scent of rosemary and thyme from Karen's Garden Delights. This stimulating blend also helps ease congestion and coughing in the winter cold. (Name suggested by Susan English.)

Mountain Meadow: It's amazing what wonderful healers can be found among the wildflowers and weeds of our wild areas. Foraged herbs like raspberry leaf, stinging nettle, red clover, and yarrow nourish the body, and homegrown delights like peppermint and rose petals refresh the spirit. Combined, they comfort the stomach and lighten the heart in a fragrant drink that will bring a touch of summer to even the coldest day. (Name suggested by Sofie Dittmann.)

I hope to have these new tea blends on my shelf at Local Roots for this weekend, time permitting both to make them and to get new labels made. If not, look for them the following week!

And many thanks to all who participated in the contest with such enthusiasm and inspiration!

Pear-Date Bars

Now that my camera software is reloaded, I finally have photos to share! Here's a sneak preview for this week's pear-date bars (available at Local Roots):


The base is a simple blend of local oats, local whole wheat flour, unsalted butter, maple sugar, salt, and secret spices.


For the filling, I cooked together chopped dates and fresh pears from Banzhaf Garten Organic Farm with enough water to make it a little creamy.


Add a little oat-maple streusel on top, bake, and there you have it -- not too sweet, but full of good fall flavors.

What are you waiting for?

Onion Flatbread

Following the dried tomato flatbread, I decided to try a variety of seasonal flatbreads showcasing some of the local produce I find, either in my garden or at Local Roots. Similar to what I'm doing with the vegetable-cheese rolls, these flatbreads will instead be topped with the vegetables and herbs (and occasionally cheeses) for a savory finish.

So here's the first of what I hope will be several successful efforts: carmelized onion flatbread. The onions, from Adonai Acres, are carmelized very slowly and carefully in a mixture of olive oil and local unsalted butter. Once I've scattered them on top of the bread dough, I add fresh rosemary (also from Adonai Acres) and a sprinkling of the incredibly delicious blue cheese from Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese. These smelled so wonderful while they baked that I was sorely tempted to keep them all for myself!

But don't worry -- you'll find limited quantities at Local Roots today only, and then I hope to have them again next week, if you like them!

More For This Week

As promised, there will be more new items from The Grain Maker at Local Roots this week:


When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, right? So when a couple of garlic-herb baguettes didn't sell last week, I decided to turn them into herbed bread crumbs, with a little added garlic powder, dried oregano, and dried basil to punch up the flavor a little. These would be perfect for dredging slices of eggplant or zucchini -- or even chicken breasts -- for making these dishes alla parmigiana, or you could use them to top casseroles or vegetable side dishes.

My offerings in the bakery case this week will include two new items:

--hazelnut shortbread: wedges of buttery, half-whole wheat shortbread studded with tasty local hazelnuts and sweetened with Gortner's Maple Syrup
--spinach-feta rolls: take the usual artisan bread dough and wrap it around a savory filling of sauteed local spinach (from Adonai Acres), homegrown green onions, and tangy goat-milk feta cheese from Lucky Penny Creamery -- then bake to golden brown perfection; these will be available starting Friday at lunch

As always, let me know if you like what's new!

Shortcake Season

I got up early this morning so that I would have time to finish the baking for market this week. Not only did I need to make hickory oat scones for the bakery case, but I also wanted to try yet another new item: old-fashioned shortcakes.

Essentially a soft scone recipe, these shortcakes include freshly milled local wheat flour, maple sugar, local unsalted butter, and local eggs. The recipe also calls for yogurt, and I'm hoping that sometime in the next couple of months I will be able to get some delicious goat-milk yogurt from Lucky Penny Creamery in Kent. (Fingers crossed!)

The timing is perfect for these: strawberries are coming into market, and for the next few months there will be plenty of juicy local berries to satisfy any kind of shortcake craving. I think I will have to experiment with some myself.

Sold in packages of four shortcakes, there will be limited quantities at Local Roots this weekend, but if all goes well, I may try to have a plentiful supply for coming weeks.

How sweet it is!

Pita Chips

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, right?

Well, I had two packages of whole wheat pita breads left over from last week's market, so I tucked them into the refrigerator for a couple of days until I had time to turn them into pita chips.

A little more hearty and wholesome than most crackers, these pita chips get brushed very lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with a mixture of herbs. Today I decided to give the chips a pesto flavor, with dried basil, homemade garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

These smell so good while they bake and cool -- it's all I can do this morning to keep myself from snacking on them all!

But don't worry, I'll have these at the market on Saturday in a limited quantity. Give them a try!

Pumpernickel Bread

It took me years to appreciate rye bread, but strangely enough, I've long loved pumpernickel bread, despite it being an even darker and heartier loaf. This artisan recipe is one I stumbled across recently and love for the tang and full flavor it carries.

The only local ingredient in this loaf right now is the sorghum molasses I use for a hint of sweetness, though I hope to find local rye flour eventually. Cocoa powder and espresso powder add to the rich color and complex flavor you'll find in this bread, making it suitable for sandwiches, toasting, or dipping into a mixture of olive oil and herbs. Perhaps you'd even enjoy it as an open-faced toasted cheese sandwich? I would!

Will this bread be a big seller at the market? Time will tell -- and I hope you'll tell me what you think of it!

Sesame Thins

Ever since I learned how to make crackers, I've found it really difficult to go back to store-bought boxes of them. The taste just doesn't compare! Here's proof: these sesame crackers, loaded with good local spelt flour (about half to two-thirds of the flour content), are crisper and more flavorful than any store-bought version -- with less salt and no sugar, too!

With a good dose of toasted sesame oil, the fragrance and taste of these crackers will remind you of sesame noodles or similar Asian dishes. (Frankly, the scent of these wafting out of the oven makes me want to whip up a spicy peanut sauce and start dipping!) The spelt flour keeps them crisp for longer than wheat flour alone would, but remember: there are no preservatives in these crackers, and they won't last forever.

So eat up! Where else will you find crackers that taste this good and are wholesome, too?

(Sold by 4-oz bags at Local Roots; also available through the online order system for those members who want different quantities.)

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!

Pain Aux Noix

Taken from a traditional French recipe, this pain aux noix (pronounced pehn' oh nwah') simply translates to "walnut bread." Made with local spelt flour to enhance the nutty taste of the walnuts, the bread uses nonfat dry milk and local unsalted butter to create a tender crumb, and a touch of local maple syrup sweetens it just enough to deepen the flavors. It's not suitable for those with nut, wheat, or dairy allergies, but for the rest of us, it's wonderful!

The bread is not made entirely from spelt flour; I balance the spelt with organic unbleached wheat flour with wheat germ to give it its characteristic tenderness. I try to keep from adding too much flour overall to these loaves in order to let them rise spectacularly and to keep a soft airiness to what could become a brick of a loaf in less gentle hands.

Of my whole grain breads, I think I like this one the best! I especially like this bread in a grilled cheese sandwich (preferably with a sharp cheddar or maybe Muenster). It also makes an excellent French toast, and it's great toasted just with a light coating of butter. Pain aux noix with spelt flour lasts well -- usually a week or more -- and it freezes and thaws reasonably well.

I usually have limited quantities of this bread on my shelf at Local Roots each week. Let me know if you keep missing it!

Maple Oatmeal Bread

One of the mainstays of my weekly baking, this maple oatmeal bread has become a favorite for many customers. Why?

--For a mostly whole grain bread, dense with fiber, it retains a soft, slightly moist crumb.
--Local maple sugar and maple syrup provide just a hint of sweetness.
--Whole wheat flour (local when available) and local organic rolled oats offer a little more texture than most breads.

This bread works well for sandwiches, toast or French toast, or just eaten by the slice, on its own or next to a hearty soup or meal. Other producers at Local Roots have enjoyed using it as a (toasted) base for a breakfast sandwich of local sausage, chipotle cheddar curds, and scrambled eggs -- or even as the outer layers of a hamburger.

Given its popularity, I now bake it weekly and keep my Local Roots customers happy. Will it become your favorite, too?

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).

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

When the warmer weather comes around, I find myself craving lighter meals -- and that sometimes means lighter breads. I still like the whole grain taste, but for sandwiches I'd sometimes prefer to use pita bread instead of thicker slices of homemade loaves.

That's why I'm adding these whole wheat pita breads to my market repertoire. They're very simple to make -- a little more than half whole wheat, with unbleached flour to keep them soft; no sweeteners, and just a touch of olive oil. And they satisfy a bread craving without going overboard.

These pita breads work well for sandwiches or even filled with fresh salad. (Here's a tip: cut the bread in half, then toast both sides just a little bit to help the pocket open up.) Cut them into wedges and serve them with hummus or other delicious dips, too.

I'm working on a spelt version, too, but for now you'll find these in the weekly rotation at Local Roots.