Daring Bakers - Gingerbread Challenge!

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes. Thanks for such a great challenge!

Yes, after a little break, I am back to my Daring Bakers Challenge.

Building a gingerbread house is not an easy task! It is not just about baking, some architectural skills are required. Especially, if you decided to build a house as big as I did! This is where my husband comes in. He was the design genius. There is no way I could have figured it out without him. He has earned his Daring Baker points!

I had fun but plan to downsize by gingerbread house dreams, next time.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! See you in the New Year!

Christmas Week Goodies

Happy Holidays Everyone!

We will be doing delieveries on December 24th for the following:
Sweets
Gingerbread linzertorte $12
Caribbean mini Christmas cakes $15
Chocolate Peppermint TartPersimmon Pudding $15
Mincemeat Tart with Crumble $15
Scandinavian Princess Cake $25
Chocolate Cranberry Torte $15
Buche de Noel with Meringue Mushroom $15
Salt Licks x4 $18
Eggnog Custard Pie $12
Assorted Candies (oreo truffles, marzipan thins, chocolate orange peanut bark, bacon carmels) $20

Breakfast Goodies
Butterscotch cinnammon rolls (8 rolls) $12
Assorted Muffins (6 muffins) cranberry crunch, date walnut, pear muffins $8
German Apple Pancakes (shaped like a muffin and filled with apples) 6 pancakes for $7

Sides
Wild Mushroom Soup ($15 serves 4)
Shrimp Bisque ($20 serves 4)
Potato and celery root Rosti $10
Parker House Rolls $6 rolls ($5)

If I don't see you have a great holiday!

Christmas Cheer

With all the chaos of meeting orders and catering jobs for the holiday's, I sometimes lag behind in meeting my kids needs. They have been nagging me all week about going to get a Christmas Tree. I tried to convince them that we should put up our "fake tree" with all the matching decorations. After all, most of my friends have graduated to such trees. But, the kids somehow knew that was the easy way out. No, they wanted the real thing. So, I took out the seats of the van, loaded up all the kids and a friend to help carry the tree. Off to Larry's Produce (where I get my tree every year), in the mud and rain. Let the kids run around and pick the tree, which of course, was the biggest tree with more imperfections then I would like. Stuffed it into the van, pine needles everywhere. Got it home, shoved it into the stand (it barley fit) and then rummaged through the garage for the decorations. Of course, the kids still want to put up our mixed match lights (bubble lights that were popular in the 1970's) and they spent hours putting up the decorations, remembering each one made, given to us, and collected over the years. So, the fake tree stays in the loft for another year and the perfectly matched decorations continue to gather dust, but it is my guess, that my years are numbered for such events. When we all sat down exhausted from the days events we looked at our tree and commented on how it was the best tree we have ever had!

Sorry for the late posting. I really am! I wish I had one more hand!

Anyway, for delivery on Tuesday or whenever you would like

Soup
Tuscan Potato Soup $5
Italian Sausage, Potatoes, Chicken Broths, Pancetta, kale and sage.

Savory
Moroccan Flatbreads $4/flatbread
Bell Peppers, feta cheese and olives in a flatbread pocket

Chicken Pot Pie with Shitake Mushroom and sun dried Tomatoes $5
This is a winter version of traditional chicken pot pie.

Ground Beef and Curry Pie $5
ground beef, Madras curry, peas and potatoes.

Sweet
Parsnip buttermilk pie $4
This is sweet and tangy with a mouse texture.

Chocolate covered sandwich cookies with dulce de leche (6 cookies) $5
Homemade dulce de leche, a whole wheat cookie and topped with bittersweet chocolate

Amaretto apple streusel cupcakes $3/cupcake
apples, amaretto and an almond streusel.

Christmas Granola $5/bag
I made this for a customer recently and thought it was great. It has dried cranberries and cinnamon to make it suitable for this time of year

I don't know where the time goes! Since Wednesday, I have been trying to post the blog. Everyone is busy this time of year but for MagPies it has been particulary busy. Our catering has grown leaps and bounds this last year and we have a great following of loyal customers. Even though, I have been rolling pastry until my hands hurt some nights, I am thankful for the support of our small business. Many thanks all the new customers that are tasting our goods, many who are trying to committed to supporting local small businesses this year!

Please remember, that if my voicemail is full this time of year (which it seems to be this last week) you can always email. I will get back to you.

Ok, with that said,I better get the menu listed before something else prevents this posting!

Chicken and pesto pastie $3/pastie
a great lunch or quick dinner option
Apple Onion and cheddar pie $4/pie
sweet Onion, tart apples and strong cheddar cheese, with fresh thyme.
Winter Vegetable Crumble $5/crumble
parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrotts and with a crisp crumble.
Cupcake sized Pork Pies $4 for 2 pies
Ground pork, fresh sage and crispy pastry.

BlueBerry Museli bars with white chocolate $4 for 4 bars
these have blueberries (frozen from earlier on in the year), white chocolate, honey and cinnamon.

Bittersweet Chocolate and roasted pear tart $4/tart
Bittersweet chocolate and fresh pears. A great combination
Brown Butter Blondies $3/piece
the brown butter changes a regular blondie into something spectacular.
Eggnog Custard Pie $4/slice
A holiday favorite in a pie.

Split pea soup with green peas and dill $5
Spilt pea soup made with ham stock, whole peas and fresh dill

Delivery at the office in Fairfield from 9am - 11am

Sunday Deliveries

I don't know how but the Thanksgiving crept up on us once again. While I won't be traveling for the holiday (there is too much baking to be done) my daughter will. She is off to Long Beach on Saturday morning. Since it is a busy baking time I won't be able to fly her down. But she is going take a step and fly all be herself. So, I will be taking her to the airport on Saturday morning to see her off on her maiden flight.

I hope Sunday deliveries work for everyone. If you can't pick-up let me know if you need delivery service.

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Holiday week!


Menu
Austrian curd cake $5/piece
raisins, ricotta and almonds in a cheesecake like filling

mulled winter fruit crumble $4/crumble
winter fruits in a thickened mulled sauce with a crisp topping

caramelized carrot pudding $4/pudding
carrots, nuts and cardamom. This is great warmed with vanilla ice cream or cream.

Beef Wellington Pie $5/pie
beef, thyme, mushrooms, beef chunks

Butternut Squash, spinach and goats cheese pie with cheesy pastry $4/piece
cumin, butternut squash, red onions, ricotta and pine nuts in a Parmesan flavored pastry

Ham, leek and cider pie with mustard mash $5/piece
ham, leeks, carrots, potatoes, cider and onion

Chicken and dumpling Soup $5/litre
Organic chicken with dumplings made of pate choux.

Thanksgiving Treats!

THANKSGIVING TREATS

Pick-up or deliveries on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Pick-ups at our office. Call for deliveries.

Pies, Cheesecakes and Cakes

Layered Pumpkin Pie $20

MagPies Sugar Pumpkin Pie $15

Upside down Pecan Pie $20

Pecan/Chocolate Bars $10/8bars

Lemon Shaker Pie $15

Butternut Squash and Ginger Pie $12

New York Cheesecake topped with cranberries $25/cheeesecake

Apple cake with a toffee crust $10

Lemon Cake with basil lemon syrup $10

Fig and Anise Cake $12

Breakfast or Anytime

Sweet Potato Coffee Cake with Dried Cranberries $10

Chocolate/Pecan Scones $4 for 4 scones

Handpies with Cranberry/Orange Jam $2/pie

Ice Cream Sandwhiches

Pumpkin/Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwhich $2/sandwhich

Mankas Corner Holiday Event

This week we will be at Mankas Corner's the Clay Station for their Annual Holiday Event! Come and see us between 9am and 5pm. You can pre order if you would like or take your chances and see what is available. For those of you who can't make it deliveries are available Sunday morning or Monday. Hope to see you out and about this weekend!

Savory
Chicken, ham and leek filo pie
Free-range chicken, lean ham and soft leeks topped with filo pastry
Blue Cheese, onion and pine nut focaccia
Pumpkin Leek and Corn Pie
butternut squash, leeks and fresh corn in a shortcrust pastry
Sausage and Potato with Onion Gravy Pie
Lean sausage, mealy potatoes smothered in an onion gravy and all in a shortcrust pasty. Topped with puff pastry.

Sweet
Pistachio and Blueberry Cookies
Pistachio flour and fried blueberries make this a real treat!
Pumpkin and Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies
Layers of pumpkin and bittersweet chocolate with a touche of cayenne pepper.
Fig Tarts
Fresh local figs in a cooked cream. Almond pastry.
Apple Breton Pie
Yes, we have made this one before! It is a favorite for this time of year.
Pear and Cranberry Tart Tatin
Local Pears and Cranberries topped with puff pastry will put you in the Thanksgiving mood.

Soup
Farmhouse Soup
carrots, turnips, suede, tomatoes, vegetable stock, kidney beans and parsley make this a hearty fall soup.

Breakfast Items
Black Bottom Muffin
Good as an afternoon treat or for breakfast.
Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Toasted Pecans and Orange Drizzle Icing
A refreshing take on the traditional banana bread with toasted pecans and a sweet orange icing.

It has been a long time

OK, life happens! I have been in a "funk" as my friends have been well aware. Thanks for your support and for "hanging in there" with me. Following is an explanation about why I have not been been myself lately:

My Dad passed away on September 19th. Although his death was not completely unaccepted his loss has taken me off guard. After all, he has been part of my life since I was 9 years old. From the moment we met him, he insanely spoiled us girls. Ponies, swimming pool (who has one of those in England, no one), first VCR on the block, a black BMW for my 17th Birthday. Besides being spoiled with monetary items he also gave me a bug for traveling. Traveling all over Europe, India, Kenya and when I wanted to go to Egypt, he found a place down the road from our house actually called Egypt. In my teens, he tolerated my latest haircuts, my loud friends (he built us a games room to isolate us) and endured my begging to be allowed to go to the pub. As I got older, we shared so many things. He had a love of food. He taught me about spices. He made some of my favorite dishes. When I was pregnant with my 4th child, I was living back in England, he cooked for me almost every night. I would encourage him with each dish to make mine a bit more spicy. It got so hot my Mom wouldn't even eat it! We now say that is why my son has a hot-tempered personality. My deepest gratitude to all of you that have supported me over the last couple of years, while I cared for him. When my Dad fell ill, he often apologized to me for having to care for him. Although, I told him I was happy to. More like I was honored to!

Looking back, he was such an influence on me, my children and my family as a whole. He will be missed but my love for him will continue with my baking/cooking.

On top of this, I got a terrible strain of the flu. It has taken me the better part of 3 weeks to recover. I really didn't want to pass on any germs so I had to make sure my cough had subsided. Thanks goodness that is over with!

It is long overdue....so, back to work.

Delivery on Saturday at the Office in Fairfield. If you would like home delivery or an alternative day just let me know. I look forward to seeing everyone!

Savory

Squash and Goat Cheese Frittata - $4 per piece

A nice Autumn Frittata

Spinach and artichoke tart -$4 per piece

Fresh Artichokes, ricotta, spinach and Parmesan

Sausage and Caramelized Onion Bread Pudding - $5 per piece

Organic Chicken with fresh mushroom topped with a pastry crust.

Fish Pie - $6 per pie

Cod, Shrimp and Spinach in a creamy sauce topped with potatoes

Soup

Vegetable and lentil soup - $5 a container

Filled with Lentils, broccoli, parsnip, zucchini, leeks and onions. A hearty vegetarian soup

Dessert

Fresh Fig Trifle with Toasted Meringue - $4 per individual trifle

Fresh figs, custard, cake.

Coffee date cake with coconut Irish cream sauce - $4 per piece

Moist, Vegetarian cake with medjool dates

Baked Blackberry/Lime Pudding - $5 for 2 mini puddings

Light Blackberry Puddings topped with lime and blackberry jam

Forgotten Pictures

I haven't browsed over my prior food pictures in awhile. A recent request by a potential client for pictures of my work got me digging through the files looking at previous items I have made. I had long ago filed away the hours of work on a hand painted wedding cake and forgotten the blisters I endured from the hot sugar in the ocean creation I did. . I thought I would share some these creations from my forgotten files with you.

We will be trading at the Farmers Market on Saturday in Vacaville from 8- noon

Menu

Sunny Vegetable patties $4

A take on Jamaican Street Food. This has peppers, carrots, butternut squash, coriander, sweetcorn and cheese in a pastry.

Asparagus Feuilletes - $4

Asparagus, Gruyere cheese, Parmesan cheese in a puff pastry

Thai Salmon Filo Parcels - $5

Salmon, garlic, coriander, spring onion, lemon in a filo dough

Sweet and Spicy beef and pork pie - $5

A shortcrust pastry filled with pine nuts, beef, organic sausage meat eggs and a host of spices

Sweets

Chocolate Raspberry Cake $5

Dark Chocolate, Raspberries and almonds fill this rich cake

Coconut meringue with Red Berries $4

Strawberries and raspberries top this flavorful meringue. It is topped with pistachios.

Lemon Tifle - $3

Cake, lemon curd, lemon jello, topped with fresh cream

Marscapone Fig Tart $4

Fresh figs, non-fat sour cream, marscapone cheese and honey fill a tart shell.

Breakfast

Blueberry Banana Muffins - $2

Ripe Bananas with local blueberries

Almond Fruit Bars - $3

Almonds and local fruit jam in a crisp bar

Daring Bakers - Dobos Torta

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonfulof Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular DobosTorte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: ExquisiteDesserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.
So, what is the Dobos Torta (or Torte)?

The Dobos Torta is a five-layer sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. (You may come across recipes which have anywhere between six and 12 layers of cake; there are numerous family variations!) It was invented in 1885 by József C. Dobos, a Hungarian baker, and it rapidly became famous throughout Europe for both its extraordinary taste and its keeping properties. The recipe was a secret until Dobos retired in 1906 and gave the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, providing that every member of the chamber can use it freely.

I made a mini torta with 7 layers. For some reason I feel like the layers need to an odd number. I added a Walnut Liquer to each sponge layer. Adding a slightly nutty flavor. Instead of the traditional triangles on top, I choose to put my carmel slivers on the side of the cake.

The cake was a bit too sweet for me but liked by others. I would maybe change the frosting next time.

Thanks Lorriane and Angela for a great challenge! I enjoyed each layer of it.

Harvest in the Valley

Last Sunday I spent a day off, exploring the valley for the start of Harvest. Believe it or not, with all the work I do in the Valley, I hadn't yet gone wine tasting. Truth be told, I didn't really go wine tasting this time either as I was the designated driver. That's what happens when you a light weight drinker. However, I still enjoyed the experience. We toured Tenbrink Winery, Wooden Valley, Blue Victorian and the Suisun tasting Room which has tastings from various wineries. All the wineries had specials going on. Encouraging people to come out. At Tenbrink, we enjoyed tasting in their cool barrel room. They are completing a picnic area and tasting room. At Wooden Valley (which is like home for me). I visited with friends, while everyone else did a flight (5 tastings) in the tasting room. We also all graped stomped. It was much harder then you think! My friend Meghan and I lost miserably. We also enjoyed some good barbecued sausages. At Blue Victorian we enjoyed the beautiful vineyards and peaceful outdoor setting. We ended our day at the ClayStations (thanks Theresa) and Mankas Corner Cafe. I will taking future Sundays off to finishing enjoying the sites of the Valley. After all, there are more wineries to explore. To all my friends in the Valley thanks for a great day!

MagPies will be at Vacaville Farmers Market Saturday from 8am-Noon.

Savory

Variety of Quiches - $5

Local Vegtables fill our well-known quiches

Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Bread Pudding -$5

An artistan sourdough bread and creamy custard that is studded with roasted garlic.

Chicken Bastilla - $5

Phyllo dough, chicken breast, spices, cilantro and topped with almonds.

Sweet

Vanilla Custard Slices with Papaya Icing - $4

A puff pastry covered with a cold custard and icing with a papaya pulp icing

Almond Peachy Pie - $5

Coconut and almonds make up the pie curst. A filling of non-fat sour cream, organic sugar and fresh peaches.

Strawberry Topped Lime Mousse Tart - $4

It is getting to the end of Stawberries season. This light and tangy mousse pairs nicely with the sweet strawberries.

Sweet Corn Cream Pie with Blueberries - 5 $

It was brought to my attention I haven't done anything with sweetcorn this season. So here it is. Topped with Blueberries.

Chocolate Flourless Cake - $4

A simple rich choclate cake.

Breakfast

Glazed Pull Aparts - $3

Filled with raisins and currants

Gifts!

During the "season" I have been the lucky recipient of many tasty and beautiful gifts. The gifts are often home grown or stem from the Farmers Market. Many times I use the fruits and vegetables I receive, in baking for the Market. Other times I just enjoy the fresh fruit or vegetables just as they are. This week I was was lucky to receive the scrumptious pears and plums from Mr. Inn. These were harvested from his parents orchard in the valley. His parents were also kind enough to give me some incredible peaches a couple of weeks ago. The peaches and the plums didn't make it to market. The sugar plums were gone in a day. Enjoyed by me, my kids and all the neighborhood kids at my house. You never seen a bunch of kids enjoy fruit so much! I decided to share the pears with everyone at the Market with a pear frangipane. Thank you to all how have shared so much with me. It never goes unappreciated!

On another note, I want to remind everyone that it is the start of Harvest in the Valley this weekend. Lots of the Wineries are having activities and different events going on. I will be out on Sunday enjoying the festivities and celebrating my sister's birthday. I hope you make your way to the valley and enjoy all it has to offer. For more information, check out susinvalley.com.

I will be at the Farmers Market on Saturday from 8am-Noon. See you there!

Savory
Chicken, Mango and Chickpea Tart - $5
Organic chicken, fresh mango and chickpeas are dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mango chutney.

Ham and Egg Pie with Feta - $5
This pie has a Greek flavor and is a filo pastry tart of onion, eggs, ham and topped with crumbled feta.

Squash and Cream Spinach Gratin - $4
This gratin uses fresh, organic cream and parmigiana-reggiano.

Tomato and Gruyere Tart -$5
Heirloom Tomato is the "stars" in this tart

Breads
Apricot and Rosemary Focaccia -$3

Sweets
Pear and frangipane tart recipe $5
Poached pears, top a frangipane and crisp pastry

Rice Pudding Cake with peaches - $4
This flourless cake has a texture more like rice pudding than a cake.

Plum and Chocolate clafoutis - $5
A dark chocolate brings out the flavor of the plums

Sweet Tomato Upside down Cake - $4
It is the season for tomatoes and I couldn't let it pass without doing something sweet with them. The cake is similar to a spice cake and the tomatoes are topped with a ginger topping.

Green Tea Panna Cotta Strawberries - $4
Refreshing and favorable. Another take of panna cotta.

Breakfast

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Walnut Topping - $4
Blueberries frozen from earlier in the season make this coffee cake a good late summer treat.

Raspberry Chocolate Muffins - $3/muffin
Fresh Raspberries fill these muffins. Whole Wheat Flour is used.

No Market on Saturday

I have been feeling a bit under the weather this week. My kidney stones have been slowing me down. I didn't make it to the farms yesterday so no Market on Saturday. Sorry for any inconvenience. I hope to see everyone next week!

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network

Catering Happenings

I did a catering job at Rush Ranch this week for Solano Land Trust. Rush Ranch is a beautiful location, right in Suisun. They offer carriage rides, walks, hikes and a wealth of knowledge about wildlife in our area. I drove up about 6:30a.m. to a beautiful horse nursing her foal. I had a quick look around the Blacksmith area and then headed off to work. I set-up in the Nature Center which has a large window looking out on vast land. The cloud formations were perfect. It was an incredible way to start the day. It got me thinking, this was another place close to home that I haven't taken advantage of. We have so many incredible places right in our backyards.


Anyway the catering part went well. We kept everything very organic and sustainable. An enjoyable program was shared and then I started clean up. We distributed the left over food, loaded the dishes and started to take the table decor down. When I went to throw away the beautiful flowers from Erickson Farms, the farmer stopped me and asked if he could have the flowers. I said sure, and asked innocently if they were for his wife. He responded "No, to feed my goat". Now that is keeping green!

We will be at Vacaville Farmers Market on Saturday from 8a.m.-Noon. We have been able to work out a deal to access electricity and will be bringing our freezer for homemade ice cream while the weather remains warm.

Savory

Tuna and Cheese Turnover $4 for 2

Tuna and Cheese fill a puff pastry turnover

Panchetta, Mint and Pea Tart $5

Panchetta, fresh mint and fresh peas with a creamy mixture in a shortcrust pastry

Tomato terrine $4

Heirloom tomatoes used in this

Ricotta Lemon and Arugula Quiche $4

A twist on regular quiche...the lemon adds a fresh flavor

Sweet

Poppy Seed Kolache $4 for 2

A bread filled with poppyseed filling and raisin

Peanut butter-Honey Tart with Ganache Glaze $4

Organic Peanut Butter, Azure farm Honey, bittersweet chocolate.

Cheese Tart with Strawberries and Oranges

Apricot Bouchons $3 for 4

Little Bites of Heaven, with fresh apricots

Lemon tiramisu Cake$5

Lemon Cake, Lemon Curd, Lemon Cream.

Peach Cobbler $5

A favorite from last summer...a whole wheat crust with fresh peaches and cardamom

Baking Italian Style

My friend Candy is a great Italian Baker. She bakes often and she sometimes bakes just because she feels need to taste freshly baked goods. There is nothing like her biscotti and a strong cup of coffee. Her skills were learned from her Italian family. She is a baker who had skills passed down to her. You can't go to pastry school to learn to bake like that. It is something that is instilled in your core over time. It just comes naturally to her. She has great enthusiasm for food as do her friends and family who are the recipients of her treasures. Her brother Rick is a good advocate for her, often offering her cookies, which appear on the kitchen table late at night. Of late, she has a friendly banter with her cousin in Italy (who by the looks of the pictures of her baking is also good in the kitchen). They send pictures back and forth in the hopes of enticing each other into the next baking challenge. I love to sit on the sideline, look at all the great pictures and taste all the incredible goods that come out of her kitchen. Thanks Candy and Rick for sharing some of your family history with me and for ruining my diet!

We will be at the Farmer's Market on Saturday from 8am-Noon. Hope to see you there!

Savory

Chicken and sweetcorn pie with herb crust - $5

Organic chicken is sweetened with corn mixture all in a fresh herb crust.

Pepper Steak Pie - $5

Lean beef strips with fresh red and green peppers in a hearty gravy.

Spicy vegetable Pie- $5

Carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, peas and green chili fill this aromatic pie.

Heirloom Tomato Quiche - $4

Our quiche is requested frequently. This uses the beginning of the season for heirlooms!

Sweet

Peach and Thyme Polenta Tart - $5

A polenta crust with a creamy filling and topped with sweet peaches.

Cherry Blackberry Crumb Cake - $4

A seasonal cake which can be eaten for breakfast, tea or dessert

Blueberry Corn Custard - $4 -

An unusual dessert this is surprisingly sweet with the corn and blueberries

Rustic Apricot Tart - $4

With cardamon, chilpolte chili and fresh apricots

Breakfast and Bars

Almond Puff Slices - $4

Topped with homemade jam and toasted almonds

Non-Fat Sour Cream Raisin Bars - $4 for 2

Baked bars with a creamy texture and filled with plump raisins

4th of July Pictures and Saturdays Market

Savory

Beef, Onion, Rosemary and Pine Nut parcels - parcels of puff pastry with beef, onion, fennel seed, garlic fresh oregano, pinenuts and fresh rosemary topped with onion marmalade $5

Tomato Bread Strata - sourdough bread, fontina cheese, garlic, fresh basil organic tomatoes. - $4

Spiced Cauliflower flan with apricot cardamon sauce- Cauliflower florets with cumin and coriander and a apricot compote with cardamom, lime and shallots. $4

Saint Andre Tarts- Fingerling potatoes, bacon, onion and soft French cheese baked in puff-pastry. $4

Spiced Salmon and Mango Salsa Tart - Blackened Salmon, grilled and topped with mango salsa in a shortcrust pastry. $5

Sweets

Butterscotch Budino with Carmel Sauce - Buduino is pudding or custard in Italian. This Budino has a sweet and crunchy taste with the addition of almonds. $4

Spicy apple and pear crumble with blackberry cream - This crumble is sweetened with a blackberry flavored cream $5

Mixed Berry Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone - Fresh Berries, top puff pastry and a creamy vanilla mascarpone. $4

Rhubarb and Custard with a crumble topping - A creamy custard with baked rhubarb and a crunchy crumble topping. $4

Chocolate Trifle - Chocolate layers of Brownie, chocolate pudding and cream. Topped with cherries $5

Muffins and Bars

Rocky Road Bars $4 for 2

Apricot and Orange Bars $4 for 2

Ice Cream $3/scoop

Saturday Market

I will be out of town his week. However, Sherry (my helpful neighbor) will be sell good at the Fairfield Senior Center Home and Garden Show on Saturday from 9am-3pm.

MagPies will be back to normal trading next week.

Thanks for your understanding.

Have a great week!

Happy Fourth of July!

MagPies will be at Wooden Valley Winery on July 4th from 10am-2pm. Please come and join us for ice cream and desserts. Big Nugg will have lots of good eats and there will great music and fantastic wine. Come get your Fourth of July Celebration started with us.

I hope to see you there.

Daring Bakers - Chocolate Bakewell Tart with Strawberry Jam

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.
Bakewell tarts…er…puddings combine a number of dessert elements but still let you show off your area’s seasonal fruits.
Like many regional dishes there’s no “one way” to make a Bakewell Tart…er…Pudding, but most of today’s versions fall within one of two types. The first is the “pudding” where a layer of jam is covered by an almondy pastry cream and baked in puff pastry. The second is the “tart” where a rich shortcrust pastry holds jam and an almondy sponge cake-like filling.
The version we’re daring you to make is a combination of the two: a sweet almond-flavoured shortcrust pastry, frangipane and jam.
Bakewell Tart History and Lore
Flan-like desserts that combine either sweet egg custard over candied fruit or feature spiced ground almonds in a pastry shell have Mediaeval roots. The term “Bakewell pudding” was first penned in 1826 by Meg Dods; 20 years later Eliza Acton published a recipe that featured a baked rich egg custard overtop 2cm of jam and noted,
“This pudding is famous not only in Derbyshire, but in several of our northern counties where it is usually served on all holiday occasions.”
By the latter half of the 1800s, the egg custard evolved into a frangipane-like filling; since then the quantity of jam decreased while the almond filling increased.
This tart, like many of the world's great foods has its own mythic beginnings…or several mythic beginnings. Legend has it in 1820 (or was it in the 1860s?) Mrs. Greaves, landlady of The White Horse Inn in Bakewell, Derbyshire (England), asked her cook to produce a pudding for her guests. Either her instructions could have been clearer or he should have paid better attention to what she said because what he made was not what she asked for. The cook spread the jam on top of the frangipane mixture rather than the other way around. Or maybe instead of a sweet rich shortcrust pastry case to hold the jam for a strawberry tart, he made a regular pastry and mixed the eggs and sugar separately and poured that over the jam—it depends upon which legend you follow.
Regardless of what the venerable Mrs. Greaves’ cook did or didn’t do, lore has it that her guests loved it and an ensuing pastry-clad industry was born. The town of Bakewell has since played host to many a sweet tooth in hopes of tasting the tart in its natural setting.
Bakewell tarts are a classic English dessert, abounding in supermarket baking sections and in ready-made, mass-produced forms, some sporting a thick sugary icing and glazed cherry on top for decorative effect.
Enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee or just eat it sneaky slice by sneaky slice until, to your chagrin, you realise the whole tart has somehow disappeared despite you never having pulled out a plate, fork or napkin with which to eat it.
Is it a tart or is it a pudding?
Someone once said something like “The Bakewell pudding is a dessert. The Bakewell tart is that girl over there.”
It’s a debate that rages on and we aren’t taking sides on this one. But we will say that many people call this pudding a tart.
While we’re at it...The etymology of pudding is a rather interesting and slightly convoluted one.* The naming confusion may come from the British manner of referring to the dessert course as ‘pudding’ (as well as referring to fat babies by the same name, though we don’t think that is what was the inspiration in this case). And so any dessert is a pudding until another name comes along and adds clarity to what it really is.

Living in England I grew up eating these treats pretty regularly. Mr Kiplings Bakewell tarts with icing were a treat! So, even though I was really familiar with Bakewell Tarts I had trouble deciding if I shoudl stay true to the Bakewell's I know and love or do something different. Obviously, I choose something different. My take on this recipe was to add chocolate, of course! I enjoyed doing this as it was an uncomplicated recipe that turned out perfect. Thanks again Jasmine and Annmarie!

Saturday Market - Vacaville

Hope to see you at the Market this week!


Savory

Fruity Organic Chicken, Apple and Cheese Pie $5
Apple compote with organic chicken and a sharp English cheddar.

Asparagus, Basil, Non-fat Cream Cheese Tart $5
The cream-cheese adds a nice texture to this tart.

Tomato Summer Pudding $4/slice
This is along the lines of a terrine with Red Onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh mint and basil. A nice lunch.

Sweets
Lemon and White Chocolate Parfait $4

White Stilton, Apple, Pecan and Pear Crumble $5
This would be great with some of our ice cream

Oatmeal Carmelitas $4
Homemade caramel, bittersweet chocolate and nuts . Cut into bars.

Carrot Bread Pudding $4
Made with soy milk, local honey, apples, bananas

Raspberry Gastrique $5
Almond cake, raspberry curd and raspberry gastrique

It is supposed to be hot this weekend. If that is the case we will have plenty of ice cream!

Father's Day Menu for Saturday June 20th, Vacaville Farmer's Market

Savory
Shredded Barbequed Beef Pie $5
Chicken Chili with Black Beans and Corn Pie $5
Vegetable Quiche $5

Sides
Sweet Corn Cakes $4 for 4 cakes
Farm Vegetables/Potato Salad $5 for a pint

Breakfast
Donut Muffins $2/muffin

Gift Items
Banana pudding in an old fashioned mason jar $8
Dirt Pudding in an old fashioned mason jar $8
Box of Brownies 5 brownies $10

Baked Goods

• Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie $4/piece
• Raspberry Buttermilk Cake $4/slice
• Chocolate Guniness Cupcakes with Chocolate Cinnamon Icing (Fondant Father's Day Plaque) $3
• Spiced Carrot cupcakes $3
• Apricot-Almond Cobbler $5
• Lime and Coconut Meringue Pies $5
• King of Puddings (this is made with orange rind and marmalade and bread crumbs. $4
• Cherry Cheesecake - $5/slice or $30 whole cheesecake
• Chocolate and Vanilla Meringues minis $4/bag
• Mini Lamington Cookies $4/bag
• Hand Pies (Peach, Blueberry and Strawberry) These will be done in a cute heart shape with a cutout. $2/pie
  
  Ice Cream
  Visit us for our flavors at the Market.
  
  Have a favorite - let us know and we will be sure to bring it?
  
  You are welcome to order a whole pie or by the piece. For pricing please contact us. We will have a limited number of whole pies at the Market. To be sure you are not disappointed, please order ahead.

Ice Cream is here!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Wooden Valley! It was a busy and fun filled weekend.

I am glad it is ice cream season! There is something I love above the simplicity of making ice cream (it really is easy) but I also enjoy how creative you can be. You can mix anything into ice cream. I know we sometimes mix some strange flavors, but if your brave enough to try something out of the ordinary (like our basil ice cream), then I think you will agree you might never go back to plain old vanilla.

With this in mind, MagPies upgraded our ice cream making machine and the capacity to churn out even more delicious flavors. This isn't a machine, if you are planning on making the occasional ice cream (too expensive $300) but I was using several inexpensive machines ($50) for churning ice cream. If you are planning an outdoor party, making ice cream would be fun thing to. If you don't want to make it you can always order it from us.

MagPies will be trading at the Vacaville Farmers Market on Saturday from 8am-Noon and at our offices on Sunday from 8am-10am.

SAVORY BOXED LUNCHES- Your Choice of one main item: $7 (includes choice of one main dish, with salad and dessert.

Choose from one of the following:

Organic Chicken and Sliced Sausage Pie - This Pie is packed with meat, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes in a pastry crust.

Grilled Vegetable Pie with White Bean Puree in a cornmeal Cayenne Crust - A spiced up vegetarian option which has zucchini, bell peppers and corn.

Fennel, Artichoke and Gruyere Pithivers - Organic Fennel, artichoke hearts and gruyere cheese with a pastry top.

Pesto, Spinach and Argula Trouchia - This is baked with no pastry.

SALAD - $7 lunchbox item

Ham, Peach and Mozzarella Salad

You may also choose the savory options to purchase as a single option.

SAVORY ITEMS (SOLD SEPARATELY) - See description above

Organic Chicken and Sliced Sausage Pie $5

Grilled Vegetable Pie with White Bean Puree in a Cornmeal Crust $5

Fennel, Artichoke and Gruyere Pithivers $4

Pesto, Spinach and Arugula Trouchia - $4

SWEETS - BROWNIES/BARS/COOKIES

Organic Banana Chocolate Cherry Brownies - $4

Cherry Almond Bars - $3

Fruity Cheddar Bars- $3

PIES/TART/COBBLERS

Apple/Elderflower Cobbler - $4

Breton/Buckwheat Tart/Cake with Sea Salt -$4

Yogurt Tartlets with Strawberries - $4

CAKES

Summer Berry Loaf $3 (2 slices)

Cake Roll with Jam and Crusted Coconut Topping

COLD DESSERTS

Lemon Mousse - $3

S'more Dark Chocolate Pudding - $4

Orange and Blueberry Parfait - $5

ICE CREAM $3/scoop with a pizzelle cone

Rice and Ricotta Ice Cream
Blueberry Ripple Yogurt
Apricot
Lemon Tarragon Ice Milk
Chocolate
Vanilla
Earl Grey

All year long I somehow manage to work and meet the ever growing demands of my four children but somehow May and the beginning of June each year seems overwhelming. These months seem filled with more hustle and bustle than the holidays. I don't know what it is! Even with the end of baseball season (and the many end of season parties that come with that), the end of school activities (band concert, variety show, classroom parties) and the start of all summer activities (swimming and soccer), I still find the time to bake. Baking for me is not always about work. I love to bake for my family. It is important to me to bake that graduation cake for my son's kindergarten class (see pics) even though I was finishing it with minutes to spare. For me, baking gives that little extra to the people I care about. Sure, my friends and family still know I care if they don't get a cake I baked on their birthdays but I still try really hard to fit it in.

MagPies will be trading at Wooden Valley Winery this weekend. We will have boxed lunches for $7/lunch and many desserts to choose from.

If you would like a delivery aside from Wooden Valley I will do deliveries on Tuesday afternoon at the office or provide delivery service (locally).

We will have some of these items for sale at Wooden Valley in our lunchboxes. The sweet section will be sold separately. Come visit us this weekend at enjoy food and art! We will have many more offerings.

Savory

Aspargus Cream Cheese Tart $4

Chilli Beef Potato in Bulgur Crust $5

Wrapped Quiches $4

Meat Pie (beef) $5

Salad

Watermelon (cubes) topped with goat cheese and lemon olive oil $4

Three bean salad with mozzerala and cilantro $4

Coronation chicken salad (we have made this before but it has become a favorite)! $5

Sweet

Buttermilk Pie $4

Blueberry Buckle $4

Apple pie bars $4

Jelly roll with crusted coconut $4

Maple walnut tart with banana cream $5

Strawberry yogurt tart $4

Look forward to seeing you soon!

On Sunday, we enjoyed a windy but nice day at Wooden Valley Winery. The day allowed the public to preview what winemaker Rick Lanza has been working on. There was great live music and lots of barrel tasting. My friend Eric with Big Nugg Barbecue was out there selling pulled pork and tri-tip. If you haven't been out to the wineries in Suisun Valley, make it a priority this summer! Click the following link to find out more about all the wineries in the area http://www.suisunvalley.com/wineries.asp. It is amazing that we live next to all these fantastic places.

OK, on another note, I didn't get my Daring Bakers Challenge done again. No excuses. I plan to bake it this weekend though and still post it (I know I said that last month.)

• This week we will be at Vacaville Farmers Market on Saturday from 8-noon.
  
  Please note next week we will not be at the Farmers Market but will be participating in Art on the Vine at Wooden Valley both Saturday and Sunday.
  
  Savory
  Boxed Lunches- Your Choice of one main item: $7 (includes choice of one main dish, with salad and dessert
  
  Choose from one of the following:
• Sweet Potato and Organic Sausage Pie
• Chicken B'Steeyas - A greek dish, made into 2 cigar shaped filo pastry pies. The filling includes- chicken breast, raisins, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and almonds.
• Quinoa and Spinach Bake - Fresh Spinach, thyme, rosemary, Cottage Cheese all baked into sizeable squares for lunch.

You may also choose the savory options to puchase as a single option.
Sweet Potato $5

Chick B'Steeyas $5

Quinoa and Spinach Bake $4



Sweet

Cherry Clafouti $4- Cherries in a cake-like batter
Creme Brulee $5- A creamy custard with a crunchy sugar top
Mini Banoffee Teacakes -banana and carmel in this cupcake like teacake $4
Cardamon-spiced mango pavlovas -$4
Apricot Tart Tatin $4



Breakfast
Kugelhoff $4 - This is from the NorthEast region of France and is part bread and part cake. Kinda like brioche

Fruit parfait $5- Our parfaits are packed with fruit, greek yogurt and granola

Larait Bar - $3 - dried fruit bar cookie

Ice Cream $3/scoop with pizzelle cone

Green Tea
Strawberry/Mango Sorbet
Orange Chocolate Chip
Rose Vanilla
Milk Chocolate

See you on Saturday!

Visit to Metro

Well, I have been meaning to write this review since the beginning of May. Every week has been busier than the last! Finally, here it is! At the beginning of May Jeff, Lorie, a friend of theirs and I went to dinner at Metro in Lafayette. L had eaten their before, so we had a little advantage by knowing that the food would be pretty good.

Metro features an eclectic mix of California-French dishes with some Asian and Mediterranean influences. It is in an easily accessible shopping center. Lots of Parking! Like most restaurants these days, Metro hosts a Mixologist. I have to say we splurged on the mixed drinks! The Chipotle Pear Martini was very good! The wine list hosts some local wines (which I appreciated). We started with a selection of delicious appetizers. We sampled each other's food and the diver scallops was my "fav". The food was well prepared and nicely presented - everything tasted so fresh. We also splashed on dessert and the crumble was the winner in my book. The tables were nicely spaced out and we could quite easily carry on a conversation. The bar looked full of the 20/30 something crowd all having fun. Might be a great location to start an evening with!

I believe Metro is reasonably price since they used good quailty ingredients....so you get what you pay for. I liked this somewhat hip restaurant and would definitely return, even if it was just for a cocktail.

MagPies will be trading at the Farmer's Market in Saturday 8am-1pm and at Wooden Valley Winery on Sunday from 11am - 4pm. We hope to see you at either or both places.

Menu for Saturday's Farmers Market
Boxed Lunches
Your Choice of one main item: $7 (includes choice of one main dish, with salad and dessert)

Main Dishes
Chicken, zucchini and blue cheese pie
This is made with a top and bottom crust of shortcrust pastry.

Pea and parmesan tart
Our vegetarian option, this tart has a very fresh taste.

Corn and crab pie in a chili-polenta crust
This chili-polenta crust gives this pie a boost of flavor and texture



served with Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

and a lemon polenta cookie



Savory
Chicken, zucchini and blue cheese pie $5
Made with a top and bottom shortcrust pastry

Pea and parmesan tart $5
Our vegetarin option, this is a very fresh tasting tart

Corn and crab pie in a chili-polenta crust $5/pie
This chili-polenta crust give the pie flavor and texture



Sweet
Cherry -Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake $4/slice
A unique cake with sweet cherries

Catahoula Sweet Dough Pie $5/piece
A sweet dough pie filled with blackberries

Banana Caramel Cake $4/piece
Caramelized banana - this cake is not too sweet

Roasted Pineapple Turnover $4 for 2
A crispy pastry with sweet roasted pineapple



Breakfast

Brioche with jam $3

Almond Scone with Orange Curd $3

Fruit Parfait $5

Hand Pies $2.50


Ice Cream $4/scoop with pizzelle cone


Rhubarb sorbet


Honey lavender


Chocolate


Strawberry


Rasbberry mini bombes $4


Chocolate chip cookie with milk ice sandwich $4

REMEMBER WE WILL BE AT WOODEN VALLEY ON SUNDAY FROM 11-4! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU OVER THE WEEKEND. EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY !

Famers Market Returns

The weather has turned nice, the summer months are approaching and the return of the Farmers Market in Vacaville is here! I love this time of year.....fresh produce in abundance. If you have never been to Vacaville Farmers Market, give it a try. The Market hosts local growers and vendors and some great local food.

I can't wait to see old friends and meet new ones, to share with everyone the changes at MagPies and to bake with all that great local produce.

During the Market season I intend to still post a menu (of course subject to change based on produce) of what we will be selling at the Market. My hope is that this will ensure regular customers will be able to order items that they want for the week and pick them up at the market without worrying if we will sell out.

In addition, I will be posting on Twitter when we are close to selling out of an item. This will allow customers the opportunity not to be disappointed when they arrive at the market. If you want to be added to our Twitter mailing list, let me know or sign up at the booth.

I hope everyone can visit the Market sometime this season. If you are able to come, I hope you will appreciate the hours and dedication many vendors take in bringing you quality produce and crafts. The artistry and detail are evident at the Farmers Market . Many of us put far more time in than we will be compensated for because we love what we do. I am sure you will agree with me, when shopping this season, that the passion of all the vendors shows in their products.

NEW!

Lunch Boxes $7 - Includes choice of one savory item, a salad and a dessert.

Comes with your choice of:

Chicken and Carrot turnover

Potato Hash Cake with Cheddar, Grilled Apples, Beetroot and Walnuts

Smoke ham, mozzarella and artichoke pastry

Kids Choice of

pizza turnover

strawberry sandwich

Savory

Chicken and Carrot Turnover (sold individually) $4

Potato Hash Cake with Cheddar, Grilled Apples, Beetroot and Walnuts (sold individually) $5

Smoked Ham, Mozzarella and Artichoke Pastry (sold individually)$5

Sweets

Strawberry Dumplings $5/4 dumplings
Whole Strawberries, wrapped in a lemon curd dough rolled in poppy seeds.

Cherry Tart $4/Piece
Sweet Local Cherries in a tart case

Chocolate Macadamia Tartlet $4/tart
milk chocolate, macadamia in a chocolate tart shell

Breakfast or Anytime
Blueberry/Strawberry handpies $2.50/pie
a pie easy enough to hold, filled with blueberry/strawberry jam

Fresh Fruit Parfait $4
Fresh Fruit with a Lemon Flavored Natural Yogurt

Apricot -Cardamom Bars and Apricot Icing $3
Dried Apricot, flavored with cardamon and topped with a apricot icing

Blackberry Oat Bars $ 3
Fresh Blackberries in a traditional oat bar

Vanilla Bean Cream Scones $3
A scone with a vanilla cream filling

Semolina Pudding with cinnamon and raspberry compote $5
Cinnamon brings out the flavor of the raspberries in this mosit pudding


Ice Cream $3/cone double scoops $5
Date and Roasted Almond Ice Cream
Brunt Carmel Gelato
Strawberry Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream
Lemon Verbana
Blueberry Banana Ice Cream

Come visit us for additional treats on Farmers Market Days!

REMEMBER....MAGPIES NOW EXCEPTS VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS AND DINERS CLUB!
ANOTHER REMINDER.....CHECK WHERE THE MAGPIE FLIES FOR UPCOMING EVENTS!

Mother's Day!

Before I started this post I was looking at one of my favorite bloggers (cocoandme). Her blog is similar to mine and she talks about her Market Stall in London. Her most recent blog posting hit home. Her comments were about how we as Mother's juggle working and family life. How sometimes we let things go on the work front to cater to the family front and vice versa. After reading her post, I felt that we face many of the same struggles. It doesn't matter that we are in different parts of the world. Like Cocoandme, I often struggle with the balance of work and kids. I have 4 very active children and my long term customers know that I occasionally change my delivery hours to accommodate an important baseball game or school awards ceremony. I have also been known to tell my children not now because Mommy is working. We will do that later. Like my fellow blogger, as my children get older and demand even more attention and chauffeuring, I wonder if I will be able to keep up with the pace. I am not sure if I will ever find a happy balance but I continue to strive for one each week. So as Mother's Day approaches, I want to wish all the great Mother's I know a very happy day!

A special note: I want to wish my own Mother, Happy Mother's Day! Without her MagPies (among other things) would not be possible. I love you, Mom!

MagPies, will be open for deliveries Saturday 10am-2pm and Sunday 9-1pm (unless we sell out on either day). You can call ahead.

Savory
Baked Parmesan & Thyme Tart with Red Onion Jam
This tart is great at room temperature if you are planning a Mother's Day Picnic.

Filled Prosciutto and Cheese Focaccia - $4/piece
This is kind of like a Focaccia sandwich.

Assorted Quiches - $5/quiche
Different topping depending on produce. Possibilities are asparagus, artichoke, corn and red pepper.

Pork and Mushroom Pie - $6/pie
Creamy Pork and a variety of mushroom is a flaky pastry.

Chicken Pot Pie (with biscuit topping) - Family Size $25
Organic Chicken, vegetables with a homemade topping.

Salads
Couscous Salad with grilled vegetables and feta

Rice Salad - This salad is done the MagPies way with pickles, beans, radishes, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and long grain rice. Dressed with local olive oil and lemon.

Ice Cream - $5/container
Mini Baked Alaska - $4/baked Alaska
Strawberry with Chocolate Chunks
Burnt Carmel Gelato
Roasted Banana ice Cream

Pie
Apple Breton Pie - $22.00/whole pie or $5/piece
Chocolate Strawberry Pot Pie $6
Blueberry Crumble $20/whole crumble $5/small crumble

Tarts
Fruit Tart - $5/5"tart
Almond Pither $16/whole tart
Pineapple tart Tatin $16/whole tart

Cookies/Financiers/Petite Fours
Petits Fours - Look like a hat - box of 6 $12
Blackberry Brown-butter Financiers - 4 $6
Spicy Hazelnut Biscotti $3/bag

Breakfast
Bakery Crumb Buns
Orange/Currant Scones
Butterscotch scones
Croissant

Cake
Vanilla Bean Buttermilk cake with glazed oranges $18
Chocolate Flourless Cake $20 whole cake or/ $5 piece
Mary Ann Cake with Lemon Curd and Blueberries $18
Coconut layer cake (small) $7

Not all items will be available both days. So if you have an idea what you want and know what day you want to pick it up on please place your order by Friday. Thanks!

Everything late this Week!

It must be the weather! I missed the Daring Baker's Challenge Date on the 27th! Mostly because of work. I am late posting the blog. I am all off schedule. Next week I hope to do better. Anyway, I will still have free tasting of the Daring Baker's Challenge for you this week. I will post the pictures soon, but better late then never!

So this week I am busy preparing to start the Vacaville Farmers Market and getting ready for the summer season out in the Valley. Please keep your eye on the where MagPies will be at the bottom of the blog for upcoming events.

MagPies is also now Twittering. I hope this will be an easy way for customers to keep up with our busy schedule and allow you easy access to finding us around the valley. Twitter is like microblogging. So in essence it is short and sweet posts (no more than 140 characters). You can even have twitter messages sent to your phone. I hope to use this tool for farmers market as well. I can let you know through twitter when we are close to selling out of items or report on what fruit and veg look good that Saturday or just anything special. Sign-up now at http://www.twitter.com/. Our username is Magpiesjen.

Suisun Valley is also twittering as well as Ron Lanza from Wooden Valley. It is a great place to keep up with what is going on in the Valley. If anyone needs any help with this let me know. I am not an expert (still kinda finding my way through it), but will help with whatever I can.

BIG NEWS! Magpies will be accepting Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Debit Cards in the next two weeks! This has been a little bit of a process but considering the economy and that fact that it is just easier to pay with your card sometimes, we are glad to offer this service to our customers.

Don't forget MagPies for Mother's Day treats! I will get the blog posted early so you can make you decisions. We will be open for extended hours the Saturday before Mother's Day.

OK, enough of all this big news on to this weeks goods.

Savory
Cheese and Parsnip roulade $5/piece
This has Blue Cheese, mascarpone, pesto and parsnips.

Chilli Crab and Prawn Tart $5/tart
Spiced up tart with red chilli.

Mediterrean Pasties $5/pastie
Chicken, spinach and mediterrean vegetables in a pastie

Sweets
Organic Apple Cake with honey and a cinnamon flavored creme fraiche

Plum and Goat Cheese Tart - $5/piece
Sweet Plums with a tart Goat Cheese Base.

Rhubarb and Orange Fool - $5/cup
Rhubarb, Orange, Marscarpone and custard all rolled into this start of the summer dessert.

FREE PIECE OF CHEESECAKE FROM DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE

Salad
Middle Eastern Carrot Salad - $5/quart
Crisp carrots with warm spices give this an exotic flavor