Shopping for groceries this evening, I noticed that one of my favorite local bakers, Red Hen Baking Company of Middlesex, Vermont, now offers a loaf made of Vermont-grown wheat. They call the bread “Cyrus Pringle” after the Charlotte, Vermont, botanist and wheat breeder who believed “Horticulture to be one of the most innocent and ennobling avocations of man.”1 The wheat in this bread hails from Aurora Farms and Gleason Grains, both of the Champlain Valley. (Read more about Red Hen’s efforts here.)
It’s terrific; a little sour, a little sweet, with a nutty, chewy crumb and a gnarled crust. The perfect loaf from my terroir.
Is any food truly better than bread? Terroir-specific bread – even better. One of these days, I’m going to make my own native-yeast sourdough.
I’m slowly working on a list of suggested links from my blog, and have just added yours. It’s always a pleasurable and enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing your table. 🙂
Great post! I love bread, the staple of life.
Thanks for you writing, Cheers.
Emily and Matt, thanks for visiting, and thanks for your kind comments. So great to have you here.
Emily, YES – definitely get that native yeast sourdough going! I’ll never forget the first time I read about desem; this seemed to me the most elemental of cooking acts: to start a culture from the wild yeasts in your own grain.
Cheers to you both, and happy eating.
Mmm, that looks wonderful. I can almost taste it.
You make me miss VT so, so much! I lived there for more than 10 years… I still consider it home.
Love your post and love bread… Yes indeed this bread has terroir!
Wish I could join you for lunch…
You make me miss VT so, so much! I lived there for more than 10 years… I still consider it home.
Love your post and love bread… Yes indeed this bread has terroir!
Wish I could join you for lunch…
There’s plenty for you here, Viviane. I wish you could join us, too.
Chris, remind me why you settled on the west coast?
You make me miss VT so, so much! I lived there for more than 10 years… I still consider it home.
Love your post and love bread… Yes indeed this bread has terroir!
Wish I could join you for lunch…
Sounds lovely. I’d adore a few toasted slices with butter and jam and a mug of tea.
Yes, it made fabulous toast the next day: a bit sour and nutty, with an even, crispy crumb. Divine.
Thanks for the link to FarmPlate and for drawing attention to the great work of Red Hen Baking Co & their locally-sourced wheat!
Hi, Kim at FarmPlate, thank you so much for the great work you’re doing advancing sustainable, regional cuisine. The Cyrus Pringle is now my household’s staple loaf. It’s so much better knowing where it comes from—literally.