Go Ahead, Bake My Day

We've had a beautiful weekend here with temps in the 50s and sunny skies, but since I'm too darn stubborn to turn on my furnace any higher than the bottom reading of 58 yet (even when the overnight temps dip low), it's been staying rather chilly indoors.

Since I've been baking lots of breads and other good stuff for the market, it hasn't really bothered me. The kitchen is small enough that having the oven on for a while definitely helps with the heating (and the fragrances can't be beat!).

But since I decided to take a day off from market baking today, I needed another good reason to crank up the oven.

Luckily, I spent some time this morning cleaning up my recipe corner and stumbled across a recipe from my CSA pickup sheets for a beet greens gratin. Having just bought beets with beautiful greens yesterday, I thought this would be a good recipe to try before the greens wilted too badly.

I didn't stick with the written recipe, of course, and made it more of a casserole by adding in the leftover pesto scones from the market (crumbled), some Cheddar cauliflower, the shredded remains of the fantastic Flat Rock Abondance cheese from the market, and the last of my stale bread crumbs sprinkled on top.


At the same time, I baked a pie pumpkin and a rounded delicata-style squash (what are those called, anyway?) -- one for a future dessert and the other to accompany dinner. Looks pretty good, no?

Suffice it to say, it tasted as good as it looked, and with a cup of mulled cider, it hit the spot and warmed me up for the evening.

And that makes my day!

Market Report: 11/28/09

My goodness, it's after Thanksgiving, and we still have a farmers' market going here in town! I love it!


The day started off with frost and a serious chill in the air as I loaded up my baked goods. I think I did better at arranging my table this week, with the breads (two new varieties plus herb rolls) anchoring one end of the display. I also set out more samples, which seemed to help a little.

Traffic was a little slow -- not surprising, since we didn't have our full complement of producers and many customers were likely out of town visiting families. I didn't sell nearly as much as last week, and the market total didn't reach last week's high, either -- but overall, sales are pretty good for the end of the first month.


Of course, I spent plenty myself:

--broccoli from the Amish Farmer
--beets from the Muddy Farmer
--lettuce mix (yes, lettuce!) and grape jam from the Cheerful Lady, who also gave me some other greens at the end of the day
--honey and pecans in honey from the Honey Lady
--rosemary and crackers from the Spelt Baker
--another gift item from the fabulous Jen
--skeins of beautiful soft alpaca yarn from the Dulcimer Dame (she made me an offer I couldn't refuse!)

As a pleasant surprise, I found I wasn't quite as tired at the end of the market day as I had been last week. Whether that's due to having the past two days off, or to not being at the market the past three nights in a row, or to getting used to the work, I'm not sure -- but I am definitely not complaining!

Next week is likely to be another busy market, so I'll be sure to get some rest before then!

Independence Days #29

Boy, am I glad for a long holiday weekend! I wasn't able to do much beyond baking for the market this week, and I could stand some time to get caught up at home.

So here's the week's wrap-up.

1. Plant something: Nothing.

2. Harvest something: Nope.

3. Preserve something: Strained and bottled borage vinegar, basil vinegar.

4. Reduce waste (Waste not): Bad week -- pitched off-smelling red onion confit from last year, composted pears and greens gone bad.

5. Preparation and storage (Want not): Stocked up on boxed pasta, coconut milk, olive oil, nuts, other items for baking.

6. Build local food systems: Started selling home-baked goods at the market (did well for my first week!); visited with Gene Logsdon, our special guest at the holiday market; worked on marketing plan; worked on the December newsletter; shared Thanksgiving with My Wonderful Parents (I didn't cook, but the Renaissance Man and I picked up the turkey); met the parents of the turkey that graced our Thanksgiving table (from the Sheep Lady's farm).

7. Eat the food: Took cider and baklava to potluck; homemade pizza with chard (with friends); kohlrabi, carrots, crackers, and cheese for lunches; pasta with squash, kale, and thyme; hash browns; another local Thanksgiving, with turkey, mushroom dressing, baked squash, cranberry-orange relish (OK, not local), rolls, wine, and pumpkin custard.

Well, that wasn't as bad as I had thought, really. I'm sure there won't be a whole lot of planting any time soon, and preserving is definitely tapering off. But I still have areas to work on...

So, on to next week!

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I know the entries have been a little thin around Rolling In the Dough of late as I've gotten pulled deeply into Local Roots and the continuing market season. Most days I feel as if the year has flown by in plodding increments, and there's always way too much to do in too little time that passes both too slowly and too quickly.

If you're confused by that... welcome to my world!

Today, though, begins a four-day weekend when I hope I can catch up on some rest but also some work. And while I have no responsibilities for the Thanksgiving feast (thank you so much, My Wonderful Parents!), I'm still baking up a storm in order to get ready for Saturday's market.

While the crackers bake and the roll dough rises, though, I'll take a little time to give thanks:

1. I am so very thankful that after the health crises in my immediate circle earlier this year, everyone is staying healthy now or has recovered well from a bout of the flu.

2. I am thankful for a good harvest this year -- not everything performed spectacularly, but I ended up with a good bit to preserve for winter, and I am still enjoying fresh produce every week, both from the market and from the garden.

3. I am thankful for the joy of seeing all our hard work at Local Roots come to fruition. We are off to a hugely successful start, and the wave of enthusiasm coming from the community has truly kept us riding high. Of course, that means much more work ahead to sustain the excitement and involvement, but we are on our way!

4. I am thankful for the friends discovered through Local Roots, especially the Farmgirl Wannabe (who has welcomed my early attempts at farming on her land) and the fabulous Jen (a kindred artistic spirit!). How rich you've made my life this year!

5. I am deeply thankful for the support of friends and family as I have explored new ways of building local food systems this year. The work continues to be challenging and exhausting, but so rewarding. Thank you, over and over again, for all you do to keep me sane.

6. I am thankful for the gifts of words and work. The two often intertwine and propel me forward in all that I do.

7. Most of all, I am thankful for the gift of hope. Much of what I see in the news and in the world at large can depress me on a constant basis, but what I find among my friends, my Internet "community," and my community involvements here gives me hope for something better, something that uplifts us all and builds a more secure, self-reliant existence for everyone. That doesn't mean that the work is easy -- merely that what we do in practicing our "home economics" (as Wendell Berry puts it) or in building community has become a vital kind of work for all of us. So thanks to all of you who are leading the way, even in little ways, and bringing hope to so many.

I'm sure I could go on and on with the many things I'm thankful for today (like sunshine!), but I'll stop here.

What are you giving thanks for today?

Market Report: 11/21/09

What a wonderful -- if crazy busy! -- day!

Today, Local Roots held the first annual holiday market, with 42 vendors showing up to sell not only the usual produce, meats, cheeses, and baked goods, but also craft items, beautiful works of art, and a host of other holiday gift possibilities.

We also had Gene Logsdon as a special guest, sitting up front with a table full of his books. He and his wife Carol saw a steady stream of admirers and well-wishers throughout the day, and they expressed great appreciation for the work we've been doing at the market. Very gratifying! I spent time with them when I could, as Gene is a delightful storyteller, and I even had him sign a couple of my books from home as well as a copy of his newer novel, The Last of the Husbandmen, for my library.


The rest of the time, I could mostly be found here, behind my own table. That's right, I've become a producer member myself in order to sell a variety of my home-baked specialties, and judging by the success of my first time out, I'd say they were well-received.


I had a small selection of both yeast and quick breads, cinnamon rolls, pesto scones, biscotti...


...crackers, rosemary walnuts, and -- of course -- little boxes of homemade baklava.

I did sell out of a number of things and found that having samples available helps a LOT with sales, but I also learned that too much variety or quantity can hurt rather than help. Good thing to know for future markets!

I did get a brief chance to wander around and do my own shopping for the day, but I didn't get much in the way of food:

--red onions from the Fiddlin' Farmer
--Cheddar cauliflower from the Ecoganic Farmer
--peanut butter cookies from the Mennonite Baker (because I wasn't going to eat my own profits!)
--a handful of gift items from various other vendors (no details here, as the gift recipients follow this blog and don't need to have the surprise spoiled!)

I also managed to score two little jars of honey jam (blackberry and raspberry) from the big honey seller -- she had used them as sample jars and could not legally then sell or reuse them, so they had to be given away. (Darn!)

It turned out to be a great deal overall, with the volume of sales doubling from our first market week, and the turnout and enthusiasm was so high that we decided to invite the craft vendors back until Christmas, to give them an opportunity to sell more and to continue the festive atmosphere. What fun!

Looks like we've all got our work cut out ahead of us!