Market Square Farmer's Market 9/22

I'm pretty levelheaded. I stay calm, avoid drama, and make decisions as rationally as I can. This also means that when I approach a milestone, I tend to...well...act as if nothing's happening. But something is happening, folks! As you may have read in last week's newsletter, next Saturday--the 29th--I will be getting married to a wonderful, intelligent, kind-hearted man.
What this means for you is that I will not be at the market. What this means for me is that I will be a little more grounded in the life I hope to make for myself, and the life that John and I hope to make together. We are so excited to take this next step in our relationship. But at the risk of this post becoming saccharine, I'll go ahead and let you know what to expect at this week's market.
I'm trying something new this week. Rather than my usual smorgasbord of items, I'll be focusing more on my croissants. I will have 4 varieties of croissants this week. They've been very popular, and even though they're the most time-consuming thing I make, I've decided to try to meet the demand of my customers by ramping up croissant production.
If you haven't read my post on how my croissants are made, I encourage you to. I use a very old-fashioned method to ensure the highest quality croissants possible. This week, I invested in a marble rolling pin, which should make the dough a little easier to roll out, but it's still pretty basic method, using no fancy equipment. The dough attains maximum flavor development over a span of three days, and pure butter is layered into the dough using a roll-and-fold process. All this means is that the final product is not only buttery and super-flaky, but it also has a little hint of sourdough flavor.
Finally, a bit of shameless braggery: an article I wrote for Culinate about seasonal fruit desserts was featured in the New York Times "What We're Reading" column in their Dining and Wine section. It's not much to speak of, but it's something!
Hope to see you this weekend! Again, I will not be at the market on Saturday the 29th.

-Croissants:
     Plain--$3
     Prosciutto and Gruyère--$5
     Caramelized Apple--$4
     Croissants aux Amandes--$5 (croissants that are filled with a creamy almond filling and topped with  
       sliced almonds and powdered sugar--my favorite)

-Lemon Blueberry Scones--$3

-Cheddar Scallion Biscuits--$3

-Mimosa Pound Cake--$3/slice

-Maple-Bacon Shortbread--$2/bag

-Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownies--$3

-Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Bars--$3

-Nutty Oatmeal Cookies (walnuts, hazelnuts, and flaked coconut)--$1.50

-Green Plum-Almond Tarts--$5

-Seeded Granola--$7/12 oz

-Homemade Herbal Bitters--$4 for 2 oz and $8 for 4 oz*

*I get a lot of questions about what bitters are for. Most commonly, they're used in cocktails (like an Old Fashioned or a Sazerac). I make one spicy herbal bitter (called "Dragon's Breath") that is especially nice in a cheap beer.
However, they're also great as a digestive. In fact, almost every night after dinner, I mix a couple dropper-fuls into a glass of iced seltzer water. It soothes the stomach like nothing else.
Finally, you can use them instead of vanilla extract in baked goods. It works especially well in frostings, icings, and glazes.

Market Square 9/15/12

This Saturday is exactly two weeks before my wedding. The plans are mostly made except for some minor details--a marriage license is one of them. I'm excited, but I have to admit that I've been too busy to stop and reflect on the whole thing.
This is probably to my advantage. More than anything, though, I'm looking forward to being surrounded by the people I love for a day or two. Unfortunately, this means that I will not be at the farmer's market on Saturday, September 29th or Saturday, October 13th. I'll remind you all again as we approach the date.
One finale note: last week I had spicy gluten-free dark chocolate brownies for sale. I labeled them correctly, but the little chalkboard sign was incorrect. If you bought one of these and was ambushed unpleasantly by the level of spice, please come back this week, and I'll be happy to give you a regular old gluten-free dark chocolate brownie for free. Sorry about that!
Thanks for being my customers! Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday.

-Cranberry Apple Scones With Brown Butter Glaze--$3

-Cheddar Scallion Biscuits--$3

-Croissants (plain and dark chocolate)--$3 and $4, respectively

-Plum-Hazelnut Tarts--$5

-Butternut Walnut Coffee Cake--$3/slice

-Cinnamon Cocoa Nib Shortbreads--$2/package

-Nutty Oatmeal Cookies--$1.50/ea.

-Brown Butter Butternut Loaf--$3/slice

-Lemon-Blueberry Loaf--$3/slice

-Plum Crumble Bars--$3

-Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownies--$3

-Seeded Granola--$7/12 oz.

-Apple Dumplings--$4

Market Square Farmer's Market 9/8

If my calendar is to be believed, there are 23 days until my wedding. I feel like I should be more worried than I am. Staying busy helps with that, although if someone offered me 12 hours to sleep, I wouldn't say no. Between our cat, who likes his morning spoonful of yogurt at 5 a.m. (don't ask--I created a monster), the chickens, who are always up with the dawn, and the baking business, I can't remember the last leisurely morning I had. Not to complain, of course. It keeps me on my toes, and things will slow down considerably this coming winter. I can sleep then.
This Saturday, I'll be having some old favorites and a few new things. Come out and support the market, get some fresh air, and partake of the bounty around you.

Blueberry Lemon Scones--$3

Cheddar Scallion Biscuits--$3

Dark Chocolate and Plain  Croissants--$3 and $4, respectively

Plum Almond Tarts--$5

Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake--$3/slice

Chai Spice Shortbreads--$2/bag

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies--$1.50

Extra Lemon Loaf--$3/slice

Chocolate Zucchini Bread--$3/slice

Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownies--$3

Gluten-Free Fig Crumble Bars--$3

Seeded Granola--$7/12 oz

Spiced Cocoa Nib Cakelets--$2 ea. or $5 for 3

Homemade Herbal Bitters--$4/2 oz