Our Artisan Bread for July: Lavender Lemon Quick Bread
Lavender Lemon Quick Bread
By Bill St. John
As Marczyk Fine Foods' culinary director, Jamey Fader, explains it, "A quick bread is basically a cake in the form of a loaf." We know quick breads as banana or zucchini bread or, for a more fanciful turn, St. Patrick's Day's soda bread.
A quick bread differs from so-called "regular" bread because it is made without yeast. Yeast gives most breads their rise; quick breads get their rise from leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder. That means that quick breads need not be proofed or kneaded; they go from the mixer into the loaf pan into the oven. As breads, they are, to use their name, quicker to make than “regular” breads.
July's Artisan Bread of the Month at Marczyk Fine Foods is Lavender Lemon Quick Bread. "It’s something fun and bright but not super sweet,” says Fader. “That way, it can cover all the meals of the day.
“At the height of summer,” says Fader, “I always think of lavender, and love sipping on lavender lemonade.” Hence, the underlying two main flavors of the bread.
Fader’s idea for the bread, however, came from another August special at Marczyk’s, its offering of Blackened Chicken and Dirty Rice with Tomato Gravy. “I can’t think of a better pairing than a big ol’ glass of lemonade while I crush Creole food,” says Fader.
Let Marczyk’s Lavender Lemon Quick Bread be that pairing for your summertime table.
Market-Made Lavender Lemon Quick Bread - $5.99/each
Blackened Chicken and Dirty Rice with Tomato Gravy
By Bill St. John
“One of my favorite cuisines is what we would call Creole or Cajun cooking,” says Marczyk Fine Foods' culinary director Jamey Fader. “It is so filled with both flavor and soul. Plus, it’s a great spin on summertime food.”
For July, Marczyk’s special entrée is Blackened Chicken and Dirty Rice with Tomato Gravy. “We make our own blackening seasoning blend,” says Fader, “a combination of a bunch of flavorings including cayenne, black pepper, celery seed, a bit of sugar, mustard—a bevy of bright and pungent aromatics, that when charred on the chicken breasts all come together.
“And, to me, dirty rice is just a great dish,” he says, “rice, bacon, ham, bell peppers, onions, celery [these latter three, the “Holy Trinity” of Creole cooking], deglazed with a bit of tomato. Once sautéed, they bring the rice back to life. It’s a simple technique, big on flavor.
“And as for the tomato gravy,” says Fader, “it’s ‘summertime’ on anything. We take all these great ripe tomatoes, cook them down, and thicken them with a bit of roux. Add that to the rice and it sops it all up.”
“Imagine bacon-y, smoky, charred things alongside a slice of (Marczyk’s July Artisan Bread of the Month) Lavender Lemon Quick Bread,” he says.
“What a great combination.”
Market-Made Blackened Chicken and Dirty Rice with Tomato Gravy - $19.99/each
You can order each of these items through Thursday, 7/24, and you can pick up your order at the store of your choice starting Friday, 7/25.
Marczyk Catering
What you see above is our Antipasto Platter, an amalgam of meats, cheeses, and additional delicacies such as artichoke hearts, dried tomatoes in olive oil, a selection of olives, and other lovelies that we may add. We slice all of the meats and cheeses to order and assemble each platter by hand. For our vegetable platters we cut whole heads of fresh broccoli and cauliflower, whole bell peppers and cucumbers, so you can truly enjoy their flavors. We challenge ourselves to source the most outstanding ingredients we can find. If you'd like to make an impression, order one of our platters.
Sandwich O’Clock is 10 minutes away
The above sandwich is our Turkey, Bacon & Avocado. It is a roadtrip-worthy sandwich that you can order right now and have it within 10 minutes. Add chips and a drink and save $2 off of your order.
Our BLT, which we call Notorious BLT, is perpetually punching above its weight class: How do we get so much flavor from five ingredients (including the bread)? It’s all about sourcing the perfect ingredients, from local tomatoes and lettuce, to Niman Ranch bacon, to bread we bake ourselves. You can order a Notorious BLT right now and have it in 10 minutes. Once again, add chips and a drink and save $2 off of your order.
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