Best of the Eastern Shore!

What's Up Eastern Shore Award Certificate

The polls have closed, the results are in, the people have voted...Evergrain Bread Co., Chestertown...best bread on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Hurray for us (we already knew that it's the best) and congratulations to Doug, Kelly, David, Michael, Matilda, Stu, Tony and the rest of the crew.  You're the best!

Ye Colonial Bayke Shoppe

Authentic in every detail, Abbey, Sofia, Lindsey and Kelly are dressed in Colonial garb out in front of the bakery.   When I inquired about the authenticity of Abbey's aviator sunglasses, I was told that they were a previously unknown style of glasses invented by Benjamin Franklin.  He called them 'coachman' glasses.  Really???

Rumor has it that Doug has refused to pay the British Flour tax...so Michael  -  with red coats in hot pursuit to impound the illegally baked goods  -  delivers the contraband to the booth where throngs of colonists eagerly await to purchase the bounty of the bakery.

All in all, a day of hard and hot work for everyone at the bakery but, without a doubt, the word continues to grow about our gem of a bakery here in Chestertown.

The Signs They Are A-Changin'

At 7:30 this morning (May 22nd) out went the old sign...it really is official now...Against The Grain has been renamed as  Evergrain Bread Co...

Doug is actually standing on the step that has a label reading, 'do not stand on this step - even if your mother is holding the ladder!'

This is just the beginning of changes to come...my mind swoons as I imagine all the delicacies that the expanded bakery might have...


I've been AWOL for a while, though not from my regular seat early in the mornings at the Bakery.   But now, with change in the air, news to report, progress to chronicle and keeping all of us up to date on the "crew," I hope that there will be more writing...and more tasting!  Stay tuned.

After Hours at the Bakery

         Unlike most places of business that begin their day in the morning or as the sun rises, by the time the doors open to the public at 6:30 AM, the bakery has been open for more than 12 hours.  For the next few weeks, I thought it would be fun to give everyone a bit of a peek behind the counter, go in the back and meet everyone who makes all those baked goods that we've come to know, eat and love.
       

           Up first is Stu Cawley.  In this photo he's preparing dough for croissants.  Stu is a pastry chef.  That's his title but take a moment to speak with him and you'll quickly learn that there is much more to him than meets the eye.  There is a saying that goes: a laborer works with his hands.  A craftsman works with his hands and head.  An artist works with his hands, head and heart.   Luckily for all of us, Stu works with his hands, head and heart.  During our conversation the other night I was struck by how he is as concerned in his craft, with some of the same issues that I am in my craft as a furniture maker...issues of maintaining quality, focus and attention to detail.

           Here's a quick look at Stu preparing dough for croissants, a brief moment in a process that starts in the early evening and unfolds over many hours throughout the night.

            Thanks to my daughter, Sofia who works part time at the bakery for helping me upload this video.  Stay tuned for more features from "Behind the Counter" at the bakery.

If You Build It, They Will Come

  Here are some photos that I took this morning of the beginning of work on the expansion of the bakery.  I'm not really sure of what Doug and company have in mind but I've been having fun fantasizing what the expansion will look like - not to mention the new bakery offerings that will result from the expansion.   

In the photo at right, the wall between the "old" and new spaces is being opened.  You can see that at one time the spaces were joined...the opening was a lot smaller.  It's that portion on the left hand side of the section that has been opened.

     That's Rob Comfort who works for Patrick G. Jones, Inc. opening up a section of wall.  Standing behind Rob is Miley...I think she's the quality control inspector who oversees everything that Rob does.
Tune in to this blog for updates and photos as work on the expansion progresses.

      Thanks to those of you who have sent along suggestions for renaming the bakery...we'll keep you posted here on the renaming...winning entry gets a $25 gift certificate from "Bob At the Bakery."

For those who may have missed my prior post, the bakery is being renamed because "Against the Grain" is a registered trademark of another company with deeper pockets than our beloved Chestertown Against The Grain. A letter arrived several weeks ago essentially saying cease and desist or else. 
So...since expansion is coming this is probably a good time to make this change also.
Bob Ortiz

What's in a Name?

     So...last week a letter arrives at the Bakery...I hear that it was polite but to the point...in a nut shell it went something like..."you're infringing on our registered trademark "Against the Grain."  You must change the name of your business.  It was not an early April Fools letter.  It was the real thing.
    Is there good news here?  Sure...the bakery will continue.  The bad news is that it needs a new name...so here's your chance...help Doug and Kelly and the rest of the crew come up with a new name.  Let's make this turn of events into something positive and turn this lemon into lemonade.
     Respond to this post with your suggestions or reply to ortizstudios@verizon.net  with your suggestion and if your name gets picked Bob at the Bakery will send you a $25 gift card good at the bakery.  In case of a tie one winner will be chosen by coin toss or picking the name out of a hat in the case of three or more winning entrants.

    I tend to be a creature of habit,  I get to the bakery about 7:10 - I have my coffee and pastry, read the news, finish up, say good-bye - walk out the door - turn right and head back to the shop to start my day.  It's easy to forget that I'm just two blocks from the river...but every now and then, when the sky is flame red, or a mysterious mist rolls up High Street, I find that I can't resist the urge to see what's happening on the river.  Last Friday was one of those mornings...so I took my i-Pad with me and shot this photo...a Chestertown morning...

 

Who knew you could make cheese at Home?

 

      My daughter who is 16 and works at the Bakery, has begun to develop an interest in cooking.  Her interest these days is Middle Eastern Foods.  I was intrigued last Sunday when she came home from work with 5 cups of that wonderful plain yogurt sold at Against The Grain made by Pequea Valley Farms.  I assumed it was for lunch for the coming week..."nope."  She was going to make Labneh, a yogurt cheese made in Lebanon frequently served for breakfast with tomatoes and pita bread. 

      As you can see from the photos...it's pretty straight forward, low tech, she had fun making it, we had fun watching it being made.  And of course the best part...eating it!

 Plain yogurt, cheese cloth to strain the yogurt and a bowl.

The yogurt, wrapped in cheese cloth is placed where it can hang and strain for 24 hours...hmmm, looks like  the bowl should be closer...next time!

And, 24 hours later...Ta Da....Labneh!

On Tuesday we had the labneh with some olive oil and olive paste with pita bread and a variety of Middle Eastern Foods prepared by the newest cook in the family.  The next day I went out and bought some apricot preserves...I thought the sweet would work as a nice contrast to the cheese ... on a Pita Cracker...it was a nice combination if I do say so myself! 

     NEWS FLASH!!!   (hopefully I'm not the last to know but...) I just became aware that the soups being served at Against the Grain are now being made in house by Michael...I had a taste of a soup that's being served tomorrow (Thursday the 9th) potato with leek and fennel...very nice with a slice of miche.