As always, I have an eye on the sky.  Although I am not a farmer, the constant rain is affecting me. I am growing an edible fungus garden behind my ears!  (<– see pic).  I am not complaining even after getting marooned downtown the other night. When we returned home we were only slightly soaked. I guess that is part of being a pedestrian. Our large oak trees, yard and gardens are looking very happy and very, very green. I think that they like to be watered from the sky rather than a garden hose $. A good roof water collection system would be nice on our home but then we would have to pump it back up the hill to get it into the garden! I have not worked out that cost-benefit relationship.

And speaking of farmers…this is the Farm Tour weekend. It will be nearly over by the time you receive this posting. — So many different types of farms. This is a unique farming area. Here in the mountains there are very few large tracts of farmable land. As a result these local farmers must be creative and focus more attention on the local demands. These farms are evolving in partnership with a growing market for local food and a growing interest in the people who farm them. Some of these farmers have very interesting and compelling stories.

And speaking of the ASAP farm tour, Neil spent the day at Wake Robin Farm Bakery near Marshall working with Steve Bardwell and his family baking pizzas. There were more than 60 pizzas run through his wood-fired oven. About 100 visitors showed up from more than 11 states. Steve is an excellent baker,  an accomplished oven builder and an terrific teacher. Five years ago I spent 10 weeks in the summer apprenticing with Steve.

It is a crazy summer. June/July/August calender are filled with numerous teaching commitments and a family wedding in August.  I will be posting weekly updates throughout the summer. There will be some abbreviated weeks.  

SUMMER Bakery Schedule

• Wednesday, June 29^th Bakery Open
• Friday, July 1^st MWIB will be OPEN and baked by my capable intern, Cece
• Wednesday, July 6^th out of town...Bakery Closed
• Friday, July 8^th Bakery Open
• Wednesday, July 13 Bakery Open
• Friday, July 15^th SSCA – Culinary Classes at Warren Wilson College…Bakery Closed
  
• Wednesday & Friday July 20^th through July 22, John C. Campbell Folk School teaching…Bakery Closed
• 

  Damson Plums. They will take a while to ripen.

  Wednesday, July 27^th Bakery Open

• Friday, July 29^th Bakery Closed
• Wednesday, August 3^rd Bakery Open
• Friday, August 5^th Bakery Open
• Wednesday, August 10^th Bakery Open
• Friday, August 12^th Bakery Open
• Bakery Closed  for Family Wedding  August 18th- 26^th
• Bakery Re-Opens Wednesday, August 31st

This week:

Wednesday

• Honey Whole Wheat $6   local honey sweetens this moist and grainy loaf
• Lemon-Blueberry Muffins $6/4 muffins   local blueberries are still making the scene
• Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies $7/dz.   Oatmeal and whole wheat pastry flour combine combine with chocolate chips, peanut butter and peanuts (for a unique crunch)

Friday (Chef Cece the Baker)

• Cece’s Famous Crackers $6/6 oz.   A mixture of whole grains and unbleached flour with chopped fresh herbs hand-rolled…these are the best eaten alone, dipped or spread
• Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies $7/dz.   see above
• Red, White and Blueberry Cupcakes $8/6   In honor of July 4^th (weekend) Cece has created these tasty berry cupcakes with a vanilla cream cheese frosting

Echinacea doing well in the garden.

DEADLINE for orders is Monday night and PICK-UP is on the day your goods are baked (or please arrange).

PRICES include NC state sales tax.

Please Note that I take special orders- please call me.

Thanks for your interest and business, as always!

Jen

252-6816

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads and father-figures! You are indeed to be celebrated today and appreciated everyday. This morning

we lifted our coffee mugs and ate our cinnamon buns with our fathers in mind…. past and present.We are eagerly awaiting the Cúrate Tapas Bar event tomorrow evening! This is a book signing event with cocktails and elBulli restaurant-inspired appetizers. Chef Katie Button, along with her fiance, Felix Meana and her parents have opened this new tapas bar on Biltmore Avenue (next to Mast General Store ) only a few months ago. I  am curious what form and flavors the appetizers will be. I am currently reading The Sorcerer’s Apprentices by Lisa Abend. The book details  behind the scenes of this famous Spanish restaurant that has turned the adventurous eating-world upside down with its amazing cuisine. Some call this molecular gastronomy but Ferran Adria, the father of elBulli says that he is creating “a new vocabulary, a new language for cooking.” Chef Katie has a chapter dedicated to her in the book. This book is a well-written account of several apprentices  and their time at elBulli. Each year the restaurant takes on 30 new interns. I look forward to this event to see what inspired Katie during her 6 month tenure.

More info here.
http://www.mountainx.com/dining/2011/061511the-sorcerers-apprentice#.Tf37blstu00
http://www.elbulli.com/menu.php?lang=en
http://www.malaprops.com/book/9781439175552
http://www.lisaabend.com/?tag=katie-button

The Mountain Farm Lavender Festival was a fun trek past Burnsville and Celo, not far from the Toe River on the back side of Mt. Mitchell (highest peak in the eastern US). My husband I spent part of Saturday at Mountain Farm along side many others who made their ways on the winding back roads to get there. What a destination! From the top of one of the lavender fields we had a magnificent mountain views. It was fun to get out of our tourist-filled town for a few hours. More info for Mountain Farm on the highlighted text at http://www.montfordwibakery.com/?p=1487

The festival consisted of garden walks, two lavender-related workshops, music, sheep shearing, feeding the goats and roaming around the spread-out farm. The little gift shop was full of everything lavender; soaps, sachets and oils, culinary lavender blends (Herbes de Provence, a mixture of rosemary, thyme, savory, lavender and mint), teas and lavender-infused honey. One dollar bought a refreshing glass of lemonade. The lemonade was made with lavender blossoms and a light lavender color.

I wish they could have provided more information regarding the history and uses of lavender and more info on the various aspects of the lavender business. I guess I will have to return when the crowds are gone and I can talk with the owners about the farm organization, the lavender markets, and their event activities at the farm. Festivals can quickly turn into crowd management.

This week from the oven the bakery is producing a variety of savory and sweet goods:

Wednesday

• Honey Whole-Wheat $6   a loaf of whole grain and local Haw Creek Honey
• Semolina Bread $6   Golden durum-semolina flour (an Italian hard wheat flour) in an “S” shape and a subtle touch of saffron
• Grainy-Seedy Bread Sticks $6/dz.   healthy grains and seeds make these sticks perfect snack and dinner accompaniments to salads and summer soups
• Maple Fruit and Nut Granola $6.50/lb. bag   maple syrup sweetened oats with fruit, nuts and seeds
• Blueberry Lemon-Lavender Mini Pound Cakes $7   lavender blossoms lightly perfume and flavor this lovely lemon-flavored loaf with fresh blueberries
• Molasses Cookies $6/dz.   old-fashioned classic cookies with a kick of ginger…a neighborhood favorite

Friday

• MWIB Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread $6   boule, batard or sandwich loaf
• Asiago Miche $6.50/boule   Asiago cheese and green onions and chives permeate this chewy-crusty bread
• Maple Fruit and Nut Granola $6.50/ bag   see above
• Blueberry Lemon-Lavender Mini Pound Cake $7   see above
• Molasses Cookies $6   see above
• Pie of the Week: Peach $25   it is peach pie season, at last! The best of the SC up-state
• Peach Tarts $8/two tarts   5-inch tarts with a hint of almond to compliment the fresh peaches

DEADLINE for orders is Monday evening and PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked (we can arrange, if necessary)

PRICES include NC State Sales Tax (for example: bread $6 = $5.47 + .53 tax)

Special orders are  welcome…call me and we can put our heads together.

Feed back is always appreciated.

Thanks,

Jen

A Field of Dreams.

Can WNC grain crops supply local bakers? We usually think of the mid-west and into the southern Canadian prairies as the breadbasket of the continent. The hard red wheat varieties do not grow well in the southern USA because the regional  humidity increases the incidence of disease in the field. Buying truly local bread (from hard red wheat) in western NC has never been possible.  In recent years several new varieties of hard red winter wheat have been developed for the southeastern USA through USDA/ARS funded research.

On June 7th I attended the N.C.-Grown Bread Wheat: From Field to Hearth workshop at the Mountain Research Station, Waynesville, N.C. Dr David Marshall, USDA/ARS, gave us an update on his progress in the development of the new grain varieties developed for the Southeastern USA, including varieties of wheat, spelt, rye, barley and oats. We walked through the research plots, a patchwork of colors and textures.  The grain project is still in its research stage but the first hard winter wheat varieties have been released. These grains are not yet economically viable for bakeries but bakers are testing the grains in baked goods. The samples we tasted were good!.

Local artisan baker and passionate grain aficionado, Jennifer Lapidus runs a closely linked project with Dr Marshall’s efforts called the NC Organic Bread Project. It purpose is to link locally grown grain suppliers to western NC bakers. Her dream of producing local bread is finally coming true; grains grown and milled right here in western NC. More info on local milling will come in future postings. We had the opportunity to stand in Jen’s field of dreams on Tuesday along with a handful of other farmers and bakers. This is very exciting.

Father’s Day is next Sunday! When I was growing up my two sisters and I tried to make my father breakfast in bed on Father’s Day (we tried). We  baked cinnamon rolls  (the “crack and bake” Pillsbury kind from the 50′s and 60′s) and he made the grateful obligatory fuss. Being first up in the family, he politely demurred the breakfast in bed part and was usually waiting at the kitchen table when we got out of bed. As we grew up we learned to bake and Dad appreciated our progress. Dad was known for having a slice of pie or a piece of chocolate cake with a big mug of coffee at breakfast! A connoisseur of pie and coffee, he was “a fixture” in the small coffee shop in Kennebunk, the little southern Maine town where he retired. For almost 40 years he was an illustrator, cartoonist and graphic layout artist for the Christian Science Monitor. He  passed away 20 years ago and I think of him especially when I am baking. Besides missing our Sunday evening phone calls, I miss his viewpoints, his amusing stories and his sweet, calm and affectionate fatherly ways. Dad had a great enthusiasm for all types of food….especially sweets!

See the Father’s Day Cinnamon Rolls below…they are something he loved!

On Father’s Day, check out the Nix’s garden in Kenilworth on the Asheville Father’s Day Garden Tour.  Mike and Claudia own Liberty Bikes and are great folks.

Wednesday

Paella, something Spanish! I couldn’t help posting it on the blog. This was made at home but try Cúrate tapas bar downtown.

• Honey Whole Wheat $6 local honey lightly sweetens this mostly whole grain sandwich loaf
• Swedish Dill Bread $6/sandwich loaf   fresh dill, onions and cheese make a flavorful bread to accompany smoked salmon, egg salad or your summertime tomato
• Cranberry-Nut Granola $6.50 for a 1 lb. bag   maple-sweetened oats with a variety of dried fruit, nuts and seeds….a tasty breakfast and snack medley
• Lavender Tea Cookie $6/dozen   freshly-picked lavender blossoms flavor these delicacies

Friday

• Montford Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread $6….specify boule, batard or sandwich loaf….this bread is leavened with wild yeast (no commercial yeast) and contains some freshly milled grains
• Garden Pesto Foccacia $10   a large flat bread filled with fresh herb pesto (variety of herbs and olive oil) and topped with Asiago cheese
• Father’s Day Cinnamon Rolls $8/4 rolls   the real-deal for dear old dad with raisins and nuts, too!
• Cranberry-Nut Granola $6.50 for a 1 lb. bag  see above
• 

  Mary and Robert's Blueberry Chrisp. YUM!

  Lavender Tea Cookies $6/dozen   see above

• Peach Pie $25   9-Inch 2-crusted pie SC peaches or a blueberry pie….your choice
• Peach Two-Hand Pies $6   a large hand pie for two

PRICES include NC state sales tax

DEADLINE for orders is Monday evening and PICK-UP is on the day your item is offered 4-6pm (or can be arranged)

Special order sweets and breads can be made for your event….please call to arrange.

Thanks for your business!

Jen

Hot temperatures slow us down whether we like it or not….94 degrees is HOT in the kitchen when the oven is on for 6 hours…why bother with the A/C when it is no match for a heat-belching oven. The windows are flung open and the big fan is on high. The baker needs to rise earlier and earlier in the summer months to bake bread.

Mishaps arise in the the world of baking from time to time. As always, I am humbled by the process. The wild-cultivated yeasts do not appreciate an accelerated schedule proposed by a tired baker. That is what happened last Thursday evening resulting in a not-so-pretty sourdough bread with rips and tears.  Old lessons were re-enforced, the loaves were discounted, renamed, and then taken to various homes to be cubed and made into bread salad. If you have staling, day-old bread or less than perfect bread it is a wonderful opportunity to make panzanella (Italian bread salad…see recipe on my blog).

Meanwhile the berries are coming in…a few at a time on our blueberry bushes and black raspberry canes. Black raspberries are one of my favorite flavors (especially in ice cream…seems to be a New England taste). I do not have a production source for black raspberries yet. The blueberry pies baked up nicely this week, accentuated with the zest and juice of fresh lemon along with only ½ cup of sugar and a pinch of nutmeg….few ingredients and voila, a pie! Bring your own home grown or your hand picked berries and I will send you home with a pie — the summer’s best!

Speaking of wonderful flavors, my daughter and I spent several hours at a good new restaurant downtown on Broadway next to Mast General Store. Cúrate Tapas Bar is the real, authentic deal! It is slow food that arrives in mini courses on little plates that are shared amongst the diners. We sat at the beautiful marble bar and watched the chefs work their culinary magic with local and imported Spanish ingredients. They have a state-of-the-art kitchen. At 5:30 we were early patrons so we needed no reservation. Sipping on delicious Spanish wine we were regaled by and chatted with the chefs as the night unfolded and the restaurant began to fill. From  Jamón Serrano (Spanish ham) along with pan con tomate (tomatoes literally rubbed on crusty bread) and on through the menu (ensaladilla rusa, shrimp and roasted red peppers) we went all the way to a dessert of almond cake with brandied cherries and apricots with a frothed-up sherry sabayon (wine sauce). My goodness, what a feast. It wasn’t that we ate so much but that we ate slowly and enjoyed ourselves and were, indeed well-sated. Please check out this wonderful tapas bar online to see what they are all about and then book a reservation…or go in early and grab a seat at the bar! Check them out on the web

The 12th Annual Blue Jean Ball…according to my daughter who catered with Luella’s BBQ, there was a turnout of over 900 people in casual attire dining from the best of Asheville’s 22 generous restaurants! Aside from Luella’s there was Corner Kitchen, Curate Tapas Bar, Cocina 24, Mela, Chai Pani, Tupelo Honey and many more community-minded establishments. Several live bands took turns

and kept the crowd dancing throughout the night. This annual event is MANNA Food Bank’s  most important fundraiser. Cece was impressed to see so many familiar faces at the event!

Click here to see pictures from the Blue Jean Ball on the Asheville Citizen Times site.

According to Feeding America , North Carolina has significantly higher household food insecurity than the USA average.

Five states exhibited statistically significant higher household food insecurity rates than the U.S. national average 2007-2009:

1. Arkansas 17.7%
2. Mississippi 17.1%
3. Georgia 15.6%
4. Texas 17.4%
5. North Carolina 14.8%

Let’s help to lower WNC/Asheville’s food insecurity rate by donating our time/food/and dollars to our local food banks and pantries! The Montford Walk-In Bakery supports MANNA Food Bank serving Western North Carolina. Join us!!!!

Find a local food bank near you using the Food Bank Locator at:  http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx

From the MWIB Oven:

Wednesday

• Honey Whole Wheat Loaf $6 a mostly whole wheat bread sweetened with local honey and a generous addition of wheat germ
• Blueberry Bran Muffins $6/4 muffins   great, seasonally gathered fruit for breakfast muffins
• New Almond-Coconut Granola $6.50 lb. bag   honey and brown sugar lightly sweetens this mixture of oatmeal, almonds and coconut along with flax seeds ( a small amount of grape seed oil is also used)
• Garden Herb Crackers with Cracked Whole Grains $6/6 oz. bag    fresh herbs from the garden made with unbleached flour and freshly milled grains…hand-rolled through the pasta machine and finished with sea salt
• Blueberry Oat Bars $8/4 bars   oatmeal cookie base with a thick blueberry jam layer and topped with this week’s granola (almond-coconut)

Friday

• Montford Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread $6    boule, batard or sandwich loaf- please specify….spunky wild yeasts leaven this loaf with and addition of freshly milled wheat, rye, buckwheat, and kamut grains
• Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic-Herb Focaccia $10   a large flat bread to eat with summer salads or to slice in half for sandwiches (great grilled)
• Almond-Coconut Granola see above
• Garden Herb with Cracked Whole Grains see above
• Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake $8/4 pieces   unbleached and whole wheat flour in the batter with blueberries and a streusel topping
• Blueberry Pie $25 a 9-inch pie with a minimum of sugar, a dash of lemon and about 8 cups of NC blueberries!
• Blueberry Mini Tarts $6 each

ORDER DEADLINE is Monday night…PICK-UP is on the day your items are baked (or to be arranged)

PRICES include NC state sales tax (ie. $5.47 + .47 tax = $6)

Thanks for your business and interest in the MWIB!

Jen

PS Your feedback is welcome and essential!