At the Market October 21-23

The fall weather has been gorgeous lately, even with the frequency of frosty mornings. It has inspired me to get into the kitchen to make every day so far this week. Let's just say I prefer to heat my home on baking fumes rather than gas or electric!

This Saturday is the monthly Artisan Day at Local Roots, so come early and stay long! Here's what I plan to have at Local Roots this weekend (starred items available starting Thursday):

--Artisan wheat bread*
--Basil pesto flatbread*
--Cheese-herb artisan bread: chèvre-thyme, cheddar-dill*, Black Swamp Gouda (from Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese) with sage*, Miami Erie Canal and parsley*, and Lock 21 (Brie-style from Canal Junction) with peppercorn
--Cinnamon-pecan bread*
--Garlic-herb baguettes*
--Maple oatmeal bread*
--Pain aux noix*
--Pumpernickel bread*
--Rosemary cider bread*
--Rosemary walnuts*
--Savory apple flatbread
--Sesame thins*

I'll have two varieties of vegetable-cheese rolls in the bakery case:

--Spinach-feta returns now that the fall crop of spinach is coming in. This week's greenery is courtesy of the wonderful folks at Breezy Hill Farm, with garlic from Karen's Garden Delights and feta cheese from Lucky Penny Creamery. Consider it a bready version of spanokopita -- and dig in!
--Savory apple rolls take the idea of the savory apple flatbread and roll it all up into a handy sandwich. Carmelized onions meet dried thyme (from Karen's Garden Delights) and apples from Moreland Fruit Farm, and delicious Black Swamp Gouda cheese from Canal Junction Farmstead pulls all the delicious flavors together. The essence of fall!

I'll post again once I have my dessert item made for the bakery case: it's a sneak preview of holiday specials. I'm hoping to have a brochure ready for this weekend with all my other holiday specials listed so you can start planning your Thanksgiving feast and other holiday events -- look for it on my shelf at Local Roots!

NOTE: Stock up this week as next week's selections will be limited due to another scheduled event. But don't worry, Grain Maker baked goods will be back up to full strength after November 1!

At the Market October 14-16

Fall is definitely settling in, and the recent chilly nights have slowed down or completely stopped some of the summer produce. Time to shift gears and bake some hearty, delicious breads for autumn!

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*, Black Swamp Gouda (from Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese) with sage*, Miami Erie Canal and parsley*, and Lock 21 (Brie-style from Canal Junction) with peppercorn
--Cinnamon-pecan bread*
--Garlic-herb baguettes*
--Maple oatmeal bread*
--Pain aux noix*
--Pumpernickel bread*
--Rosemary cider bread*
--Rosemary walnuts*
--Sesame thins*
--Whole wheat pita

In the bakery case, I plan to have only vegetable-cheese rolls this week (two varieties):

--Kale-cheddar: Back again for a third week, since last week's rolls were cleaned out very quickly! Same good ingredients: Adonai Acres kale, Banzhaf Garten leeks, and Blue Jacket Dairy fresh cheddar curds. Try them for lunch!

--Rosemary squash: Brilliantly orange butternut squash from Martha's Farm pairs beautifully with carmelized onion (from Adonai Acres), rosemary (from Karen's Garden Delights), and feta (from Lucky Penny Creamery). These rolls will provide that extra little layer of comfort as you face fall's chill!

See you at the market!

At the Market October 7-9

Did you hear the news? At last week's Eat Local Week kick-off, the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Robert Boggs, gave to Local Roots Market the "Local Food Heroes" award for our efforts to make local food more accessible in the community. What a wonderful honor!

It's very exciting to be a wee little part of the success of this market -- and to know that so many people support the hard work we're doing.

If you haven't been to the market lately, maybe you should stop by! 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*, Miami Erie Canal and parsley, and Lock 21 (Brie-style from Canal Junction) with peppercorn
--Cinnamon-pecan bread*
--Garlic-herb baguettes*
--Garlic pesto flatbread* -- the last of this year!
--Maple oatmeal bread*
--Pain aux noix*
--Pumpernickel bread* -- back again!
--Rosemary cider bread*
--Rosemary walnuts*
--Sesame thins*

Yes, a couple of things to point out there:

--This will be the last week for the garlic pesto flatbread. I had a bumper crop of garlic scapes to work with in early summer and froze a lot of the pesto, but after this week, it's all gone until next year. Get it while you can!

--Now that the cooler weather has returned, I have decided to go back to making pumpernickel bread instead of light rye bread. I'll see how sales go, but if you have a particular preference, let me know!

--UPDATED: No whole wheat pita this week. I need to mill more wheat flour!

Onto the bakery case:

--Kale-cheddar rolls will return, with more delicious kale from Adonai Acres and fresh cheddar curds from Blue Jacket Dairy. I've enjoyed the leftovers from last weekend in my lunches this week!

--Squash curry rolls will be the second veg-cheese roll offering: butternut squash from Martha's Farm sauteed with onions from Adonai Acres, hot pepper from Noah's Landing, and some dried cabbage, with curry and chili powders and a light crumbling of homemade ricotta. I'm thinking these might be good with a little bit of your favorite chutney or relish.

--For the sweet side, I'll have pains au chocolat Saturday morning only. Buttery, flaky, with a semisweet chocolate center, these will delight kids of all ages.

And don't forget to check out the fall lineup of herbal tea blends. With this colder weather, you might just enjoy these!

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!