Construction chaos persists but it is well organized. Everything is moving along and all of us are dreaming about bakery calm and focus. Thanks to a sweet visiting sister this weekend, my garden patch has been liberated from the overgrown, too-bitter greens of last summer….that was a labor of love!

The Bakery will be Closed  the week of  Sunday May 6^th the MWIB to avoid the home repair chaos. My sincere apologies.

Baking in London:
Mariah (our eldest daughter) and her mother-in-law had an opportunity to attend an all day workshop in bread baking at Leith’s School of Food and Wine in London. The artisan bread revival in the UK is as exciting as the bread scene here in Asheville. Mariah is on her own bread quest. Send us a loaf Mariah. (photo below)!

Deborah Madison:

Deborah Madison, for those of you who remember the 1960′s and ’70′s was and still is a strong voice in the local foods movement. She made a public appearance at Warren Wilson College (WWC) this week. With a dry wit she chronicled the local foods movement since the 1960’s. In front of a primarily older audience and a small group of  Warren Wilson students, she spoke humorously about the “grains, grits and groats”, the “health” foods of 40 years ago. Deborah spoke of the journey to our current awareness and what has become our ubiquitous food mantra…”fresh, seasonal and local.” She also addressed the timely issues of a new generation of farmers. Today’s farmers are certainly more knowledgeable and have better resources in agriculture. Please check out Deborah Madison’s books. Her cookbooks are full of imaginative recipes that are vegetable centered. She certainly makes cooking and eating fun.

Carolina Ground Mill
The Carolina Ground Mill is now producing locally grown and locally milled flour. I picked up my my first 10#  bag of locally grown hard Turkey wheat flour from the Mill this week. Baking with locally grown and ground flour is a very exciting. The Whole Wheat Multi-Grain sandwich bread I made included the turkey wheat and was certainly delicious. I will be testing the local flours in numerous bread recipes over the next few months. My goal is to incorporate the wheat and rye flours into most of my breads.

Jennifer Lapidus is the miller of Carolina Ground Mill, has a long history of bread making, herself. She apprenticed under Alan Scott (Bread Baker and Wood Oven Designer). As owner of Natural Bridge Bakery she produced her own line of breads baking in a wood fired oven.  She has worked relentlessly to promote locally grown, locally milled and locally baked bread products in the Asheville area.  Congratulations Jen and the entire group of bakeries for making this happen. The bread scene in Asheville just keeps getting better.

I have spent the last several weekends making special order cakes.This is a Chocolate-Cherry Frosted Yellow Cake!

This week from the oven:

Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain   $6/sandwich loaf
• Rye Flax Bread   $7/loaf

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain   $6/boule or sandwich loaf  wild-yeast leavened with a freshly ground mix of assorted grains
• Spring Onion, Herb and Asiago Cheese Focaccia   $10/flat bread   fresh green onions, chives, parsley, lemon thyme and oregano along with salty Asiago cheese…cut a wedge or slice horizontally to make a zippy sandwich

DEADLINE for ORDERS is Tuesday at noon…PICK-UP is on the day your breads are baked, 4-6pm (or please arrange for pick-up that works for you)

PRICES include NC state sales tax

tra-la, it’s almost May….the garden awaits me today!

Jen

Earth Day is today.  I remember the first Earth Day on April 22, in 1970….that brings up, of course, the political climate of those times.  It is my hope that every day is “earth day”….not just the 22nd of April every year!

From the same vintage, Deborah Madison is going to be at Warren Wilson College on Thursday night, 7pm at the Chapel. Check her out if you are not familiar with her cookbooks and writings. I think of her as one of the modern day pioneers of delicious vegetarian cooking and also the local foods movement. She has had a major impact on my cooking. My husband gave me The Greens Cookbook decades ago which started my bedtime cookbook reading habit. The Greens Cookbook is still one of my favorite recipe books. What a delight! Reading the recipes was both entertaining, mouthwatering and educational. Our meals became tastier and my interest in cooking expanded as a result of Madison’s cookbooks. The co-author of this book is Edward Espe Brown, author of the Tassajara Bread Book. This book was, incidentally published in 1970 and an early inspiration for Neil’s baking.

Saturday afternoon Neil and I headed out to The NC Arboretum in Bent Creek. We hiked to the National Native Azalea Repository down by Bent Creek. On the way down we encountering Indian Paintbrush and Showy Orchids blooming. Many of the azalea varieties were in full bloom. Azaleas and rhododendron are in the heath family (Ericacea). Almost all of these plants are acid loving plants, great for the depleted, acid soils of western NC. Our daughter lives in the UK which has very limey soils. In order to grow any of these plants in their garden, they have to create “acid beds.” We have a number of native Flame azaleas in the yard. They grow very tall.  We are seriously thinking of collecting a few of the other native western NC azalea varieties for the yard along with a few redbuds. Blueberries are also part of the heath family. And in spite of the weird spring weather, it looks like the blueberries will do very well this year. Blueberries make for great muffins!

WNCAP’s Dining Out for Life is also on this Thursday…lunch and dinner with proceeds going to the Western NC AIDS Project. This is a major fundraiser for the group….20% of the proceeds from the participating restaurants go to WNCAP….please consider supporting the AIDS fundraiser and the local restaurants who are generous.

The bakeshop space is moving along as you can see when you come to pick up your baked goods. The framing is up and you can basically see what the kitchen will look like….lots of windows to look out on the trees, the distant mountains and the sunset in the winter.

This week I will be baking more delicious breads:

Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread   $6/sandwich loaf   a mixture of millet, cornmeal, oatmeal and cracked wheat are added to the whole wheat and unbleached flour dough mix…makes great sandwich bread…the whole wheat flour comes from the new mill across the river that is selling locally grown wheat
• Olive Levain   $7/batard   naturally leavened with wild-cultured yeast and kalamata olives
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb. a baker’s generous pound of dried fruit, nuts, seeds and maple-sweetened oats

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   the original MWIB bread leavened with naturally cultivated wild yeast and a variety of grains freshly ground (rye, kamut, spelt, buckwheat and barley)
• Orange Currant Rye   $7/loaf   hand-made, preserved oranges and orange liqueur-soaked currants with wheat and rye…a delicious rye bread recipe from local cookbook author and good friend, Barb Swell
• Spring Herb & Tomato Foccacia   $10   onions, fresh garden herbs and sun-dried tomatoes….a little bit of everything thing in a chewy flatbread…eat the bread as is or slice it to make a sandwich (grilled cheese is good)

DEADLINE for ORDERS is Tuesday at noon (or close to that….please call or e-mail me if you miss…I can probably fit you in)…PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked…or please arrange

Prices include NC state sales tax
Have a good week!
jen
252-6816

How pleasant the spring…..its beautiful, breezy blue-sunny skies, blooms galore and lots and lots of grass to mow! The pollen fronds lie deep on the patio, a never ending supply from the surrounding oak trees. We sneeze and sneeze and then get to work cleaning it up….every day! I am NOT complaining….I love the spring.

Some spring found in the yard today (above): Blueberries,  rhubarb, figs and flame azaleas
The Buncombe County Greenway master planning effort is in full swing. The final plan will come out in early summer (2012)…not far off. There are numerous benefits of greenways, recreation is only one of many. I am particularly interested in the benefits related to “health and wellness” and “food security” issues. The Buncombe Master Plan indirectly incorporates greenway networks of the various municipalities and the public lands in the county (USFS, Parkway, etc.) as is reflected in the name “Connect Buncombe.” And of course you have seen and heard a lot about our city greenway effort here in Montford: Reed Creek along Broadway.

There is a reason I included “Walk-In”in the name of my bakery.  Being able to “walk-in” to the bakery from a reasonable radius  is a major part of the bakery’s neighborhood concept. The walking radius defines a large part of my baking community. And, of course I do appreciate my regulars from Knoxville, TN and Florence, SC, rural Uganda, and South Asheville! Greenways, safe streets, and great walking environments are important to us all.  My husband, Neil is on the Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and

Recreation Advisory Board and walks to work regularly — a 4 mile round trip. He is very excited about the Connect Buncombe initiative.

For the month of March, Ultimate Ice Cream supported the Connect Buncombe’s GREENWAYS, PLEASE initiative, developed a new ice cream flavor, “I scream for Greenways!”   It was yummy….chocolate rocky road ice cream!

 Dynamite Roasting Company  of Black Mountain is gearing up for a coffee campaign for the Greenway in June.  . We like their dark roasted coffee a lot….they are dynamite!

 Montford Walk-In Bakery is contributing to the Connect Buncombe Greenway effort as well. The MWIB is doing 3 things.

• First, MWIB is sponsoring (along with other businesses) a 4 minute video that Connect Buncombe is developing to highlight the need for additional greenways, trails and pathways to connect our county. This will be shown at numerous venues around the county to explain and support the greenway effort.
• Second I am developing a MWIB bread for June to be sold specifically to support Greenway efforts.  All profits will go to Connect Buncombe.
• Third, we continue to encourage those of us in Montford to make use of our local greenway along the creek. It keeps our bodies moving!

Just last weekend my daughter and I took a lovely walk down the three sections of the Reed Creek greenway along Broadway. The woodsy paved trail follows the creek which has been cleaned up. It was nice to see people using the trail and sitting in the little created niches along the creek. It is hard to imagine that there was a warehouse at the turn of the last century for locally grown medicinal herbs (Pennick Herbs. ) Located at the bottom end of the trail, the herbs were quite a vital industry until the 30′s, I believe, when demand from the drug companies declined.

More on the greenway effort in the future!
If you have ideas for naming the greenway breads, let me know.

This week:

Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain   $6/sandwich loaf   good, healthy sandwich and toasting bread
• Savory Carrot-Herb Bread   $7/sandwich loaf   Unbleached bread flour, whole grains and carrots plus fresh herbs from our garden
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb.   mixed fruit, nut and seeds are added to lightly sweetened oats (maple syrup) and a light sprinkling of cinnamon

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   a mild, wild-yeast leavened bread with freshly ground grains (rye, buckwheat, kamut, oat groats and barley)…my original bakery bread
• Rye-Walnut Bread   $7/batard (a football shape)   just delicious….rye and toasted walnuts…another good rye breadChocolate-Almond  Biscotti   $8/10 cookie sticks
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb.   chock-full of fruit, nuts and seeds

New Ordering DEADLINE is Tuesday at noon…PICK-UP is on the day your bread is baked, 4-6 (or please arrange)

Prices include NC state sales tax.

Have a good week.

 jen
252-6816

Spring is a riot of color….who says nature is demur when red-bud trees clash with emerging orange maples and eye-popping spring greens. Oh Mother Nature, she is such a welcome gaudy lady! At any rate we are settling into the warm and cool of spring with lots of rain and birds taking up residence in the yard. We spied a bluebird for several days last week.

The 8th Asheville Bread Festival on Saturday was energizing! We saw a handful of bakery customers at the festival who looked like they were enjoying themselves! The focus of this years festival was “Local Grain, Local Flour, and Local Bread.” One of the key takeaway thoughts for me was that high protein wheat (bread baking wheat) can be grown locally in the southeast. Steven Jones (world-renowned wheat geneticist and breeder from Washington State University) had just come from the Sandhills of NC, an area he claims would be an ideal environment to grow hard red wheat. Jones stated that many of the agricultural arguments for not growing hard red wheat are that “we can’t grow it because we don’t grow it.” Of course the red clay soils in the mountains and our steep slopes are problems for this agriculture around western NC, but perhaps not insurmountable as I had initially thought–at least on a small scale.

Another takeaway idea from the festival was the “role of the miller in the flavor of the grain products.” Local grains have their own specific flavors which are dependent on the environmental conditions in and around the fields. Every region is different. On top of this, the miller adds her/his own set of flavors by blending the grains to match the needs of the bakers. Local grains and grain mixes will generate unique flavors. Currently I create my own flavors through my recipes, and not with a specific miller. This is a very interesting concept and I hope to work with The Carolina Ground Flour Mill products which will be producing flour soon.

There was a reception after the festival at Annies’ Bakery for the participating bakers and lecturers. Jennifer Lapidus was showing off The Carolina Ground Flour Mill’s new mill which is located within Annies’ Bakery facility (part of the old Square-D facility). The Austrian made mill is a beautifully crafted wooden mill with stones to grind the grains. It  was shipped from Tasmania where it was used by Alan Scott, the “father” of the artisan wood-fired oven bread revival. There were dozens and dozens of huge bags of locally grown turkey wheat ready for milling. I cannot wait to try the new flour.

The artisan bread baking family, in Asheville and across the region, is a great bunch of people. Each baker takes a different approach to their baking and their bakery. Flour, yeast, salt and water, is the common thread, but the permutations are unlimited. There is an artisan bread revival happening in this country and Asheville is one of the centers of this revival. The festival brings some of the best bread bakers in the world to Asheville. And it is an incredible experience to be a part of the festival. Kudos to Steve Bardwell, Jennifer Lapidus, David Bauer and others for making the festival happen.

One last comment about the festival. The dinner was catered by the ABCCM Veteran’s culinary program.  The program is linked to AB Tech’s culinary program and provides veterans with a culinary certificate upon completion of the program. Chef Eric Cox runs the program for AB Tech. ABCCM has been very successful placing its graduates. The graduates are sticking with their jobs–a very successful program. I had the opportunity to work with Chef Cox as a volunteer at the ABCCM facility some years ago. It is great to see his continuing success with this important program.

From inspirations and aspirations the bakeshop is moving along…slowly.  More weekly reports will come as the porch becomes a bakeshop.

This week:

Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain   $6/sandwich   the wholesome standby bread..sandwiches, toast
• Rye Flax Bread   $7/boule   another delicious rye bread with flax seeds
• Neil’s Granola   $7/ lb. bag   full of fruit, nuts and seeds and lightly sweetened with maple syrup
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies   $9/dz.   whole grain cookies made with all organic ingredients (oats, sprouted whole wheat flour, raisins and butter)

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   wild-yeast leavened sourdough (mild) with a variety of freshly milled grains added for flavor and nutrition
• Roasted Red Pepper and Caramelized Onion Focaccia   $10   the herb flat-bread is back…eat as a wedge accompanying soup or sliced horizontally and made into a sandwich
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb. bag

DEADLINE for orders is MONDAY evening and PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked. If you miss the deadline please call…252-6816.

PRICES include NC state sales tax.
Jennifer Thomas

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. It roared in this week complete with tornado warnings, thunder and lightning and rain…pounding the daffodils.

Ground Breaking News: This week we are starting work on our new bakeshop. The biz is moving to the porch. We will be concreting and tiling the floor, enclosing the space with glass windows and adding an entrance separate from the house. With professional equipment (ovens, sinks and refrigeration) we are going to create a better work space and a happier baker. We are hoping to have it finished by early May. I think Neil and Cece will appreciate having their kitchen back where they can cook a meal easily! The business will not change much. The e-mails, blogs, pre-orders and class announcements will be the same. We are considering how to offer a CSB (Community Supported Bakery) style system for the regulars. For a reduced price you have a standing order for a specific period of time. I will be able to teach classes more easily. Stay tuned!

March Madness basketball hit the UNCA campus  yesterday during the Organic Grower’s School. The Organic Grower’s School continues to be a popular local event and is celebrating its 19th year. Pens of goats, composters, woodworkers, and seed exchangers were on campus. Upon arrival I met two older ladies toting around 4-foot logs. Hmmm…what is this all about?  Proudly, the ladies described their recently acquired logs full of shitake mushroom inoculant. Today (Sunday) I am headed back to the Growers School on Sunday to sit in on a few more classes on growing fruit trees and berries….absorbing new ideas and trading seeds. Parking should be easier today. And YES, the UNCA men’s basketball team won their conference…on to the NCAA Tournament!

Teaching at the Organic Growers School was great fun. My Saturday bread making class was filled with eager students wanting to learn about  pre-ferments and sourdough starters. It was an hour and a half marathon. Beginning with a tasting of freshly baked whole wheat rolls, then on to discus ingredients, equipment, and mixing techniques.  When the new bakery space is complete (probably by May)  I will offer the baking with pre-ferments and sourdough starters class with lots of hands-on opportunities. We will use the outdoor wood-fired oven. Getting your hands floury…it is so satisfying to bake your own bread!

BREAD, BREAD and more BREAD! The Asheville Bread Festival is coming up on Saturday, March 24^th.  The Montford Walk-In Bakery is a sponsor of the annual event that brings in bakers from the southeast region and instructors from all over the country. It is a fun fest for breadavoires, home bakers and professionals…something for everyone. The entire bread fest will be at AB Tech this year….easier parking, and more space. See the photo collage at the right of last year’s festival…it was so much fun! http://www.ashevillebreadfestival.com/

I will be baking ONLY on Friday…it is my daughter’s spring break and we are planning a short trip
Friday- featuring the two weekly breads

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   wild-cultivated yeast with freshly ground assorted grains that add a good flavor (rye, buckwheat, barley, oat groats and spelt)
• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread   $6/sandwich bread  or $7/pan of 8 rolls   moist and chewy-grainy…this is a great daily bread!
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb.   Neil is particular about granola…he likes it a certain way! This healthy mix is full of dried fruit, nuts and seeds. The organic oats are lightly sweetened with maple syrup…and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top

DEADLINE for ORDERS is Monday evening and PICK-UP will only be on Friday this week 4-6pm (or please arrange)

Prices include NC state sales tax of 2%

Thanks for you business!

Jen

It is 70°F outside.  Donna’s rosemary is incredibly abundant in her well-drained, full-sun garden. The bushes must be at least 15 years old. My wimpy rosemary bushes resemble twigs. Not much sun here even on a good day. It’s time to take a brisk walk down to Donna’s to harvest a small handful of rosemary for our bread and soup. OK, I wrote that on Wednesday in the midst of a little spring fever. Today as I write, it is mighty chilly and extremely windy. The high today will be about 50°F. This weather is a little wonky. More weather news from London. “We are still having a very tough winter….cold, snow, wind, warming, and rain, and then it happens all over again!” Something about the polar circulations sweeping up and down across UK and northern Europe. Hold on Mariah, spring surely is right around the corner.

Artisan Bakeries in our region

Chocolate is still on the menu. There are so many wonderful savory foods to pair with chocolate. Stout beer is beguiling me. I made a chocolate stout cake last March for the bakery. I don’t really enjoy drinking stout beer but the chocolate and stout combination create a full, rich flavor in foods. Chipotle adds a smoked chili flavor which combines well with chocolate & stout. This flavor may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy tangy Mexican/New Mexican food, you will probably enjoy this bread.  Thanks, Doug, for the prodding. So Chipotle Chocolate Stout Bread it is on Friday. Check it out!

This next weekend (Saturday March 3rd) is the Organic Growers School. Held at UNCA (with good parking), this workshop is a unique and eclectic mix of subjects to be covered in numerous workshops. I will be presenting a hands-on workshop on Bread Baking with Sourdough Starters and Pre-Ferments. Check it out and come join us..
http://www.organicgrowersschool.org/content/1505
http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/212/Schedule%20Only.pdf

Western NC is becoming a regional mecca for artisan bread bakers as is illustrated by the Asheville Artisan Bread Baker’s Festival. The first festival was held in 2004. This is the 9th year of the festival. Don’t miss it–March 24, 2012 at AB Tech Community College. The Bread Bakers Guild of America is a sponsor of the festival. The festival is advertized nationally in their literature.  Peter Reinhart–author, baker and teacher from Johnson & Wales University is a regular presenter. The theme of this year’s festival is “Local Grain, Local Flour, and Local Bread”; the festival will feature experts on local everything: grain production, milling, and baking with heirloom wheat. Through the efforts of Steve Bardwell of Wake Robin Farm Bakery, Jennifer Lapidus who is manager of the new grain mill (across the river), and a host of other folks, the Asheville Bread Festival has become a nationally recognized event. The entry fee is the purchase of a loaf of bread from one of many of the bakeries represented. The Montford Walk-In Bakery is a sponsor of this event.
http://www.ashevillebreadfestival.com/
http://ncobfp.blogspot.com/

Neil has begun mapping the artisan bread bakeries in the southeast (mostly NC so far). The concentration of these bakeries in the Asheville area is interesting. Yes, this is definitely early in the bakery inventory process but I think this higher concentration around Asheville identifies a real hot spot. Neil hopes to roll out an artisan bread bakery web site in the near future that will allow bakers to add their artisan bakeries to the map. Then he is hoping (with some help) to develop a phone app that allows a traveler to find an artisan bakery when on the road. Believe it when you see it!

Here is what we have for this week

Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Sandwich Loaf   $6   moist and chewy bread makes great sandwiches
• Sweet Potato Bread   $7/sandwich loaf   roasted sweet potatoes along with unbleached and whole wheat flour plus oats…with a touch of honey and cinnamon
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb   a nutritious mix of fruit, nuts and seeds lightly sweetened with maple syrup and cinnamon spice

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   wild-yeast leavens this mild sourdough with a freshly milled mix of grains (rye, buckwheat, barley, oat groats)
• Chipotle Chocolate Stout Bread   $7/boule   deep, dark, delicious earthy flavors of stout beer and chocolate combine nicely with smokey-spicy chipotle peppers to make a delicious, savory bread. Cut a wedge of cheese and lift a pint!
• Neil’s Granola   $7/lb. Chock-full of dried fruit, nuts and seeds and sweetened lightly with maple syrup and cinnamon.

DEADLINE for ORDERING is Monday evening…..PICK-UP is on the day your goods are baked

Note: if you miss the deadline please call me for availability at 252-6816…and call for special requests

PRICES  include NC state tax of 2%

happy week!

jen

The wild iris are out in full bloom along with the daffodils. They actually bloomed over two weeks ago and survived through the big freeze and snow a week ago. The blue beauties are poking their perky heads up a whole six weeks early. They are more abundant this year. What an intense blue amongst the drab oak leaves. It makes me think that spring is right around the corner.

Laissez les bon temps roulez…but no king cakes rolling out my bakery ovens this Tuesday! It was fun last year, but I am focused on other recipes. King Cakes can be found in many bakeries around town…be careful that you do not eat the baby (or you may have to host the next party- although that might be fun)!

It is still February, the chocolate month. After making about 20-dozen truffles for last Tuesday I taught 2 chocolate truffle workshops. That is a lot of ganache (the cream and chocolate filling). Where there is chocolate there are good times in a class. Getting chocolatey is like being a kid….except this is the very grown-up bittersweet kind. See the collage below of the “girls” making truffles yesterday.

Check out the chocolate-cherry cookies I am making on Friday. And stay tuned next week for a unique form of chocolate.

I am working on a chocolate stout chipotle bread…a savory bread to accompany a stew…or to pair up with your brew (and a wedge of cheese).

Wednesday 

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain   $6   the weekly sandwich bread of mostly whole grains (wheat, oats, corn and millet)
• Fig & Hazelnut Bread  $7/boule   fresh rosemary and fennel seeds highlight the flavors of dried figs and toasted hazelnuts in this half whole-wheat bread
• Italian Almond Biscotti   $8/10 cookie sticks   with a pinch of saffron these crunchy cookies are uniquely delicious

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain sourdough   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   the original bakery bread made with wild-cultivated yeast and freshly ground grains
• Sunflower Seed Sourdough Rye   $7/boule   an especially flavorful bread that my family and friends have been crazy about (it’s the sunflower seeds)
• Chocolate-Cherry Cookies   $8/dz.   Bittersweet chocolate and cherries…the sweet/tart kind with toasted walnuts

ORDER FORM: Contact Jennifer to get on the weekly email list.
DEADLINE for ORDERING is on Monday evening…PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked (please note that I usually make extra so please inquire if you have missed the deadline)
ORDER using our simple online ordering system. This helps to make sure your order is included…the system is working well on our end.

You pay at pick-up time by cash or check

PRICES include NC state sales tax of 2%

Enjoy the sunshine,

Jen

I was not really complaining about the nice warm winter weather last week. It was just that the weather was a little odd for February. At this moment, it is 19 degrees and dropping. The wind is blustery. There is a little snow on the ground around here. Last week I could see the snow on the mountains. Now we are layered in our woolies and huddled around the wood stove nice and cozy. Now on to the good stuff.

There is chocolate in the MWIB kitchen…pounds of chocolate, the good stuff! I have been working with my team of elves to create this week’s truffles and prepare for the chocolate workshops. Lots of dark chocolate, cream and liqueurs have been transformed into the luscious ganache and rolled in cocoa powder or nuts. The small confections are placed in petit-fours paper cups and arranged by the dozen in small boxes tied up with a Valentines Day ribbon. The most popular flavors are the Caribbean Spice, Bourbon Vanilla and Amaretto-Almond.

And by the way…this morning I had a blast preparing for the classic French truffle class. It started with a Black Raspberry truffle, then Rum and Ginger Spice, and then along came several other combos. Finally I remembered the all the white chocolate I had stashed in the pantry. With a touch of beet powder, the White Chocolate Raspberry ganache was transformed into a beautiful pink chocolate. You need to see/try one. Nobody knows the truffles I’ve seen!

Speaking of beets…the beet juice certainly perked up those chocolate cupcakes last week, transforming them into a deep purple velvet color… the frosting was a beautiful magenta and yummy! –Move over red velvet cake! I made over 70 cupcake and there was not one left for the family at the end of the day. Let me know how you liked them.  I also received my first cupcake order from Uganda. Yes, Kathe, I have frozen your cupcakes. They are waiting for your visit in March…I need to hide them from my friends.

Back to the basics. I love working with chocolate but I really love working with the breads. And with 35 lbs of rye chops in the pantry I am on my weekly rye quest this week. I am making a 100% sourdough rye bread which is more dense than my other breads. The wild-yeast starter creates an acidic environment that slows down the release of sugars (starch) during the mixing cycle, but the enzyme action picks up considerably during the long fermentation process producing a sweet, chewy crumb. The entire process takes about 3 days. Please note that this is a low-gluten bread (therefore dense). This bread is tasty, thin-sliced with spreads like humus, goat cheeses, egg salad and the like. I like it with peanut butter and orange marmalade. If you have any special “rye-quest breads”, please send a recipe and I will test them out.

In stark contrast to the rye I am also baking the Greek Kalamata Olive bread this week. The wild-cultivated yeast starters makes the most flavorful leavens! With a crunchy outer crust, a chewy inner crumb, vibrant fresh rosemary and the juicy olives…it is yummy all by itself. I bake this often and it is developing a fan-club.

 

MORE Valentine’s Day TRUFFLES for Monday Afternoon Pickup…ORDER ASAP

I am making MORE truffles Monday. You can still order chocolate truffles for Valentines Day, e-mail me ASAP (or call 252-6816). These are small bites of bliss for you and your special people. The box is filled with 12 assorted flavors & wrapped with a pretty ribbon.

This Week From The Oven

ORDER FORM: Contact Jennifer if you would like to order this week. <jen at montfordwibakery.com>

Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain $6/sandwich loaf  this weekly bread is a sturdy and healthy mix of mostly whole grains
• 100% Sourdough Rye Bread $7/batard/sandwich loaf (please specify)   lightly seasoned with caraway seed this bread is delicious and dense (rye is low in gluten, the structure-giving protein)
• Neil’s Maple Granola   $7/lb. bag   with dried fruit, nuts and seeds

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough $6/sandwich loaf or boule wild-cultivated yeast naturally leavens this loaf and a freshly ground up mix of grains (rye, buckwheat, barley, spelt and oat groats)
• Olive Levain $7/boule  fresh rosemary Kalamata olives stud this crusty, naturally leavened bread
• Banana Walnut Quick-bread $7/loaf  Lindley Mills’ organic sprouted whole wheat flour plus ripe bananas and toasted walnuts…eat some and freeze the rest
• Neil’s Maple Syrup Granola   $7/lb. bag   with dried fruit, nuts and seeds

DEADLINE for ORDERS is on Monday evening…PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked.
Call me if you have a time glitch and we can arrange a solution

Please use our ordering system…it is going well……………………………………………..

PRICES include NC state sales tax of 2%

Eat a little chocolate…it warms up the cockles of your heart!

Jen

252-6816

I am happily harvesting last summer’s greens and herbs…and planting more. The weather is baffling. It is unusually cold in the UK (and Europe). Our daughter’s heating and hot water are out today in London. She is shivering. Maybe we will miss our winter blizzard(s) this winter.  I am not complaining but it would be good if the colder temperatures were able to dampen the populations of some of the more malicious insects that arrive in the spring/summer.Oh yes, more on beets this week! I am going to chase you around in a sweet way until you eat your root veggies! Deep Velvet BEET Chocolate Cupcakes. You will find it on the menu below.

Chocolate: February, for many reasons, is the chocolate month. And winter is the chocolate season. Chocolate products have deep, and rich flavors and are full of fat (unsaturated). They melt in your mouth. A little goes a long way.  But too much is too much. 14 years ago I was up to my elbows in chocolate as a production manager at that small chocolate company in downtown Asheville. Quality control was great in the beginning. We were comparing our product to some of the best chocolates in Europe and the US. But as time progressed I had to shift to the “taste and spit” method. I was chocolate saturated. Neil did not have a problem and would bring his clients in to the production shop for the “seconds” on a regular basis. I have made a full recovery since then.I now love getting my hands chocolatey once or twice a year. Winter is a great time to work with chocolate as it is easier to control the temperature. Valentines Day in February seems the natural time to get into production. But Valentines Day is not necessarily about love as much as satisfying someones love of the delicious stuff.  You do not need a significant other to appreciate chocolate with, you just need an excuse.

The history of chocolate is so interesting. The Olmec Indians (Yucatan Peninsula) are believed to be the first people to grow cocoa beans as a crop beginning in about 1500 BC. According to the Mayans it was the nectar of the gods (xocholatl – bitter water). The Aztec King, Montezuma, certainly exploited chocolate as the original “energy drink”. Twenty-four cups a day kept him buzzed. Columbus on his 4th Caribbean voyage west took note of the cacao bean currency. The Spanish conquistador, Cortez in the 1520′s invaded Mexico and realized the great value of cacao. He is credited with the introduction of the cacao bean back to Europe. And so this food, chocolate, has continued to evolve.

The “love” in chocolate has not necessarily been a part of the production process. Today, cocoa production is very controversial because of child labor, slavery and human trafficking issues particularly in Ivory Coast. Some estimate that 40% of chocolate is currently slave grown. Check your chocolate sources before you buy.

History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate
The Plant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobroma_cacao
Fair Trade: http://www.facts-about-chocolate.com/fair-trade-chocolate/
Fair Trade Certified: http://www.fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/cocoa

Chocolate pairing. I am always fascinated by the versatility of chocolate in pairing with other sweet and savory foods. Whether you add liqueurs, spices, fruits or vegetables to achieve a specific flavor and/or texture it always seems to be a satisfying and sensual experience. Savory mole sauces are great. Why not beets and chocolate? Beets and chocolate is not a new idea. Over the years I have found a number of recipes containing chocolate and beets and even a Russian chocolate and tomato cake. It seems that a frugal, resourceful baker will try leftovers in any combination. Some work. A tropical cacao bean and a northern European root vegetable is not so far-fetched when you taste the rich and earthy flavors together.

That brings me to this week’s  Dark Velvet Cupcake (that contains beets). This is a healthier replacement for the much-cherished southern red-velvet cake. The natural beet coloring replaces the whole bottle of red food coloring used in the red velvet cakes (food dyes are toxic and linked to hyperactivity in kids). The chocolate beet cake provides  a tasty depth of flavors.

The chocolate truffle collection is on the Valentine Day menu below.  The truffles will be available for pick-up on Monday Feb 13th, fresh for Valentines Day. These confections are made in the classic French style.

TO ORDER: Contact Jennifer and get on the mailing list. <jen at montfordwibakery.com>
Wednesday

• Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread   $6   mostly whole wheat with a delicious combination of millet, cornmeal, oats and bulghur…great for sandwiches and toast
• Pumpernickel Rye Raisin Bread   $7/loaf   a deli recipe from NYC (not the solid block of dark rye…that will come in several weeks)…the deep, delicious flavor of rye with sweet raisins
• Fruit & Nut Granola   $7/lb. bag full of fruit, nuts and seeds…oatmeal toasted with maple syrup and grape seed oil and a sprinkling of cinnamon
• Chocolate-Almond Biscotti   $8/10 pieces   dark chocolate with toasted Spanish Marcona almonds

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread   $6/boule or sandwich loaf   made with a wild-yeast starter
• Golden Raisin Oatmeal Bread  $7/sandwich loaf   this was a popular bread last fall and back by request
• Dark Velvet Cupcakes   $2/each or 6/$10  this bakery’s challenge to the ubiquitous red velvet cake made with a bottle of red dye…no red dye in this cake! Roasted and pureed beets added to a dark chocolate batter and decorated with a magenta beet-colored vanilla butter cream frosting swirl….beautiful, delicious and festive!
• Fruit & Nut Granola   $7/lb. Bag chock full of fruit, nuts and seeds with a sprinkling of cinnamon…not your average granola scooped from the bin

Valentines Day Special   Monday, February 13th pick-up (4-7pm)

• MWIB Freshly Made Truffles  $16/12 assorted mix….pick-up 4pm-7pm
• Classic French ganache (chocolate and cream mix) made with dark chocolate, liqueurs,cream and vanilla bean…rolled in cocoa and presented in petit fours cups.

• Caribbean Spice (Semi-Sweet chocolate, Gran Marnier orange liqueur, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and a touch of red chile)
• Almond-Amaretto Semi-Sweet
  
• Bourbon-Vanilla Dark Chocolate

DEADLINE for ORDERING is on Monday evening…PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked

(please note that I usually make extra so please inquire if you have missed the deadline)

ORDER using our simple online ordering system. This helps to make sure your order is included…the system is working well on our end. You pay at pick-up time.

PRICES include NC state sales tax of 2%

Enjoy the sunshine,

Jen

photo from http://www.mountainx.com/article/39753/Chocolate-beetroot-cake