Summer Newsletter #12

It's a Home Delivery week and I *just* updated inventories for both delivery and the Saturday market. As a reminder, I kindly ask for a $20 minimum for the delivery option; it helps us keep costs down with the number of stops that need to be made. Bundle up your order with family, friends, or neighbors! Or just stock up for yourself. Everything freezes wonderfully. On that note, I've been asked a few times in the past week how to best store the bread. I recommend immediately slicing up your loaf once you get it home. For us, we keep half a loaf on the counter for immediate consumption. We keep it wrapped in the paper bag, and then store that in an airtight container. The other half gets sliced up into serving pieces, and then those pieces are put into a gallon ziploc bag and stored in the freezer. Then we simply pull out frozen slices for easy thawing and/or toasting. Once frozen, the slices should last up to 2 months.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of staffing the booth at Deerfield and it was so much fun! It was great to see familiar faces. Thank you for coming out and selling us out (again!). I brought more product than in previous weeks and we were able to keep inventory in stock up through to the very end, which is important to me. Contrary to what some may think, selling out early isn't really a great thing, in my opinion. It means money left on the table, so to speak. I'm hoping that with more production adjustments, we can sustain the demand. As always, a preorder is the best way to ensure you get what you want each week!

We will NOT be at Montgomery again this weekend, so make plans to head up to Deerfield for your bread fix. I added additional inventory to the online webshop to account for this.

Lastly, it's that wonderful time during the summer when tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and basil are all in season at the markets...which means it's time to make Panzanella Salad! This is truly one of my favorite dishes, and it really is best eaten with fresh, local produce at the height of their ripeness. It's also a great use of a loaf of crusty sourdough. It requires no refrigeration so it's a great dish to keep on the counter for snacking, or something to take along to a potluck. Oh, wait. Hold on. No potlucks right now. Even better, it's a great dish to bring to a trusted-friend or family member's house 🙂 There are literally so many ways to make this, so feel free to get creative and add in additional veggies, olives, avocado, or use different vinegars! This is my version.

Panzanella Salad:

1lb of sourdough bread, cubed and toasted (or leave out overnight to dry)

1 large cucumber, peeled/seeded/cubed

2 large tomatoes, cubed

1 small onion, sliced

1 handful fresh basil, chopped roughly

1 handful parsley, chopped finely

1 large bell pepper, cubed

Add all the above to large mixing bowl and toss to combine. 

1/4 cup olive oil (try to spring for a really good, high quality oil here)

5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Add the liquids and s&p to a jar and shake vigorously to combine. Pour the dressing on the veggie/bread mix and stir to combine. At this point you can dive in, but I always like it better once the bread has a chance to soak up the dressing, about 30 minutes.