Martinez Tribune The website of the Martinez Tribune.
BY DEBRA J. MORRIS
We love biting into a just-baked slice of artisan sourdough or munching a soft, buttery croissant, or treating ourselves to a sweet flaky pastry from the bakeries that participate at the Martinez Farmers’ Market. They offer everything from dinner rolls and breadsticks to cookies, pastries, and loaf breads, all in a variety of artisan flavors and textures.
Bread, considered the “staff of life” and one of the oldest prepared foods, has provided sustenance for mankind from the dawn of time. Rye, corn, wheat, millet, and rice have all been used to make bread. A simple mixture of grain or cereal flours and water with a leavening agent (yeast) can create the simplest and most delicious concoctions. Add a bit of this and a bit of that (nuts, cheese, olives, honey, herbs) and you have over-the-top goodness.
A large variety of bread can be found these days, depending on the inventiveness of the baker and the history behind its shape and taste. Historically, flatbreads, pita, and naan came from India and the Middle East, focaccia and baguettes from Europe and Italy. Loaf breads, challah, breadsticks, and an array of buns and rolls came to our shores from a variety of other countries in every conceivable flavor and texture imaginable.
Farmers’ markets are the perfect place to get a taste of all the wonderful baked goods that can be found in your neighborhood. Try a simple breadstick or a loaf of crusty sourdough and you’re hooked on what these bakers create from simple, local ingredients.
Feel Good Bakery out of Alameda has a scrumptious array of baked goods, fresh from the oven. They bake up some truly delicious rustic artisan breads, fanciful pastries and cookies, buttery croissants and scones, crunchy bread sticks, and an array of decadent cookies. Everything is made daily from scratch from the best locally-sourced ingredients, and then brought at peak freshness to the farmers’ market.
Sweet Mac’s Cakes from right here in Martinez offers some amazing sweet treats. They bake daily an array of decadent cupcakes in a selection of flavors, cookies of every kind, and cake pops to delight the kid in you. You can even special order a cake for a special occasion.
Stop by this Sunday and pick up some of the area’s best artisan breads and handmade treats. You can’t find fresher than at your local farmers’ market.
We’re expressing our love for farmers’ markets this month! Share what YOU LOVE about your farmers’ market on Facebook and Instagram while we share what we love: Our local farmers, the amazing produce our farmers provide, and the local community that supports the farmers’ market. Bring on the love for your market this month !
