Hello, farmers markets, you’re back, and I’m ready. I’ve got my sturdy, eco-friendly canvas shopping bag in the car, I’ve got a fresh-from-the-ATM wad of cash in my pocket and I’m wearing my most comfortable pair of Merrells.

First stop: the Midtown Farmers Market. Don’t know it? I like to think of it as the Little Farmers Market That Could. It’s not huge by any means, but it’s got strong neighborhood support, and there’s lots to like about it; if you can’t handle the mob scene at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, this might be a good alternative. Access is a snap, there’s plenty of free parking and when it’s crowded – which isn’t often – it’s still easy to navigate. It’s not the best-looking market in town (it’s held in a dreary parking lot), and even during high season the selection isn’t huge. But it’s awfully likable.

Seeing as how spring is being depressingly stingy, there was almost nothing in the way of locally grown produce; from the sounds of it, asparagus, ramps and other early-season items might materialize by this coming weekend. Still, even during the pre-vegetable season, the Midtown features a few must-shop stands. First is Real Bread. Half the fun of stopping by Brett Laidlaw and Mary Eckmeier’s outpost is talking with them, because they’re friendly and passionate about their baked goods and they know what they’re doing. How they manage the ever-increasing level of production, I’m sure I don’t know, as they do all of their baking in the kitchen their home in St. Paul’s Mac-Groveland neighborhood (they’re one of a growing number of farmers-market vendors taking advantage of the law that permits uninspected, homemade products).

Early-bird shoppers can choose from the rich assortment at Real Bread.

I’m a big fan of their currant scones, and I’m fairly powerless when faced with Mary’s bite-sized chocolate-sea salt cookies, a dozen or so of them neatly wrapped in wax paper (they’re so good that they took top prize in the 2006 edition of Taste’s annual holiday cookie contest). Our dog Sophie is crazy about their dog biscuits. As for the breads, there’s usually a dozen gorgeous varieties, most made using Minnesota-milled grains. The mix changes weekly, and for anyone shopping after 10 a.m. or so, it’s wise to pre-order (prospective buyers can sign up for their weekly e-newsletter at laidlaw@eckmeier.com).

Mary Eckmeier and Brett Laidlaw and their baked goods. The brioche loaf is on the far right.

I didn’t get any dog snacks for our hairy mutt – she’s on a diet, poor thing – but I did buy a few buttery scones and a gorgeous brioche loaf, an RB favorite of mine. In between customers, I got the chance to monopolize Brett for a moment. The part-time baking mogul is a writer by trade, but on the side he’s a hunter, a fisherman and a forager, and the bounty from all three of those avocations occasionally materializes on the Real Bread stand (he also maintains a marvelous food-focused blog).

I asked him about their latest project, a newly acquired piece of western Wisconsin land that includes an apple orchard. It sounds like a sweet chunk of acreage, despite the hordes of deer that threaten to eradicate all but the highest-hanging fruit. Hopefully they’ll leave enough for the rest of us, since an RB orchard means”lots of value-added apple products,” said Brett, meaning pastries and breads flavored with just-picked fruit. Cider, too. I jokingly asked about apple doughnuts, the lowbow (but irresistible ) staple of many Minnesota and Wisconsin orchards. A look of mock-horror flashed across his face. “We’re bakers, not fryers,” he said with a laugh. I guess I’ll have to rely upon Pine Tree Apple Orchard for those doughnuts.

Proof of Eckmeier and Laidlaw’s prowess: the scones had disappeared by the end of the day. That golden brioche loaf went to good use the following morning, morphing into the centerpiece of what could have been a swell little Mother’s Day brunch, utilizing an easy-to-make recipe from Gourmet magazine’s encyclopedic cookbook. For the berry sauce, I mixed raspberries purchased at Lunds with the final container of the blueberries I picked last summer at Rush River Produce and froze for occasions just like this. (OK, there was a little syrup from Wild Country Maple, too, along with some killer bacon from Tim Fischer’s Waseca, Minn. farm that I bought earlier in the week at the Golden Fig.) Too bad my mom was enjoying a weekend away with my sisters.; she loves French toast. But she was with us in spirit.

FRENCH TOAST WITH BERRY SAUCE
From “The Gourmet Cookbook,” edited by Ruth Reichl (Houghton Mifflin, $40).
For berry sauce:
3 c. mixed berries, such as blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, divided
1/3 to 1/2 c. granulated sugar (depending upon sweetness of berries)
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
For french toast:
3 large eggs
1 c. whole milk
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
12 (1/2-inch thick) slices brioche (from a 1-lb. loaf, not end slices)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
Powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
To make berry sauce: Combine 1 1/2 cups berries, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a blender and puree. (If you want to eliminate seeds, force puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl). Transfer mixture to a serving bowl, fold in remaining berries and reserve.
To make French toast: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, granulated sugar and salt until well blended. Pour mixture into a large baking pan and add bread slices in one layer. Soak, turning once, until bread has absorbed liquid but is not falling apart, 5 to 8 minutes. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch skillet or griddle over moderately high heat until foam subsides. With a slotted spatula, transfer 4 soaked bread slices to skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes total. Transfer slices with a clean spatula to a shallow baking pan. Cook remaining bread in 2 batches, adding more butter as needed. Transfer French toast to oven and bake until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with berry sauce.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 3:48 pm and is filed under Farmers markets, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.