crustic

handmade. freshmade. lovemade.

[crustic]

serving suggestion: cheddar beer

let's be real here: our cheddar beer bread is great pretty much anywhere: as a sandwich, a crouton, a panini, accompanying soup, or just plain as a snack. here are the recipes we are excited about this month:

1. grilled panzanella salad with bell peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes

2. mediterranean spinach artichoke dip (with cheddar beer bread for dipping)

3. beer bread caramelized onion grilled cheese sandwich

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bread of the month: april

we are excited to announce our second-to-last bread of the month: april's cheddar beer!

what could be a better combination than wheaty beer and sharp cheddar cheese? we've added them both to this month's loaf, yielding a hearty, rustic loaf. Make it into the best BLT you've ever had, bake it into a morning strata, or enjoy it topped with an extra slice of cheese (melted under the broiler for extra panache).

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serving suggestion: baked potato

in a last ode of homage to the chill of winter, we bring you our baked potato bread. chewy and moist thanks to the inclusion of real mashed potato and greek yogurt, baked potato bread calls for smoky, crisp bacon, hearty soups, and melted cheese. use it to bring an extra layer of interest to your favorite sandwich or panini, or try one of these new recipes!

1. loaded baked potato grilled cheese sandwich

2. tomato bread soup

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specialty bread: march

what could be better than a baked potato, fresh out of the oven, smothered with your favorite toppings? we've taken this concept and applied it to our baked potato bread.

housemade garlic mashed potatoes are incorporated, along with greek yogurt for that creamy-smooth texture. with an unusually moist and soft crumb, baked potato bread keeps fresh longer than our other breads, balancing and accentuating hearty flavor accompaniments.

become a member before february 28th to reserve a loaf of your own!

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serving suggestion: kalamata olive

it seems like everything is intended to be multifunctional these days: our furniture, our electronics (we're looking at you, iPhone), our cars. we got to thinking about this while choosing the recipes we wanted to share with you this month, realizing that our kalamata olive bread is another example of tremendous versatility: it can stand up to most anything you wish to top it with (grilled chicken, tuna, salami, veggies, egg salad). here are the recipes that inspired us this month:

1. goat cheese and kalamata paninis

2. red onion and kalamata olive tuna sandwich

3. grilled chicken and roasted red pepper panini

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specialty bread: february

we have had numerous requests for a bread with olives, so naturally, we started experimenting in our test kitchen. green olives yielded a slightly bitter and soggy bread, while black olives didn't give us the brightness of flavor we were looking for. once we committed to trying kalamatas, however, we knew we had a winner.

salty, tangy, and meaty, kalamata olives are named after Kalamata, Greece, where they are hand-picked upon ripening. we let kalamata olives star in this bread, resisting the urge to add anything fancy that might mask the purity of the olive. perfect for dipping in olive oil or accompanying a bowl of hot, creamy soup.

become a crustic club member by jan. 31st for fresh delivery to your doorstep in february.

[crustic]

serving suggestion: seeded multigrain

this year, let's make a change. let's skip the same stale resolution to lose weight, and let's focus on getting healthy. let's stop counting calories and focus on nutritional value, and let's refuse to sacrifice deliciousness in pursuit of these goals.

our seeded multigrain bread, with 3 different flours and 2 types of seeds, is a nutritional powerhouse that will keep you feeling satisfied long after your lunch break comes to an end. top it with healthy fat and some lean protein for a balanced sandwich to make ahead and bring to work with you, or let its nuttiness shine through by pairing it with soup or perhaps even a salad. 

needing some inspiration?

1. grilled tofu sandwich

2. grilled chicken with mango, bell pepper, and avocado 

3. turkey and swiss with grapes sandwich

4. crisp prosciutto, lettuce, and tomato sandwich

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meet The Meatmen!

The Meatmen are based in san diego, and use an old-world cold fermentation process to highlight the flavors of heritage pork (humanely-raised under environmentally-friendly conditions) and organic fair trade spices. all Meatmen sausages are hand-formed and hung for a six week slow-drying process, with salts used to naturally cure rather than nitrate. The Meatmen are known for their fresh twists on traditional meats, with cultural influences taken from throughout Europe including france, italy, germany, and spain. not only do they handcraft various dry salamis (including the Tasty Treason & Naughty Constable, which are in our artisan holiday boxes), but they also make fresh sausages, including bratwursts, cheddar-stuffed bratwursts, breakfast sausages, and sweet Italians, among others.

  [photos courtesy of The Meatmen]

The Meatmen distribute their gourmet sausages in various pubs, bars, hotels, and restaurants throughout the San Diego area, as well as at several farmer’s markets. If, however, you don’t have the good fortune to live close by, check out our sweet & savory artisan holiday boxes, both of which include a Meatmen salami. 

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meet Forge Coffee!

Forge Coffee is a two-man team of coffee enthusiasts based in La Canada, California. Having experimented for years in their kitchen on an air roaster crafting quarter-pound batches at a time in pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee, the Forge team decided to invest in a professional Diedrich roaster once demand from family & friends burgeoned. officially established in September 2011, Forge was begun with the goal of sharing coffee to be experienced how coffee should always be experienced: "freshly roasted, and obsessed over from farm to cup." the Forge team seeks out clean, quality flavors while emphasizing responsible production, specializing in single-origin varieties (this means that Forge Coffee does not mix beans from various farms & sources, preserving the purity of each batch). 

[photos courtesy of Forge Coffee]

besides retailing at local Farmer's Markets and through their online store, Forge also offers a coffee subscription service including delivery once a week or month for a steady supply of freshly roasted beans. you can also get your hands on 8 oz of Forge Organic Guatemala Fraijanes La Montaña in our sweet artisan holiday box...just three more days to order for delivery by christmas! 

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meet Grace & I!

Grace & I is based in Los Angeles, California, the product of the culinary collaboration between two women passionate about creating and sharing extraordinary handcrafted gourmet products. Grace & I products, including fruit & nut presses, turshis, seasonal preserves, roasted nuts, granolas, and raw vegetable preserves, are created in small batches, with an emphasis on taste, integrity, and natural health.

  Grace & I’s Fruit & Nut Presses, included in both our sweet & savory holiday boxes, are each a work of art, delicately handcrafted with its own wooden cutting board for slicing. Grace & I's Presses are made with no flour, no added sugar, and no dairy. create a unique cheese board and enjoy a slice with any of your favorite cheeses, or serve a Press as a delightful dessert, a wholesome breakfast, a healthy snack, or with afternoon tea and coffee.

[crustic]

specialty bread: january

december is a month of coziness, enjoyment, and perhaps even a little indulgence. but once january rolls around, we're all ready for a respite from rich, heavy foods, be they main dishes or desserts. that's why we are rolling out our healthiest specialty bread yet: our seeded multigrain, january's specialty bread of the month. 

loaded with nutritious sunflower seeds, organic golden flaxseeds, & organic rolled oats, our seeded multigrain bread is the perfect way to jumpstart the new year. organic white whole wheat flour incorporates the three main elements of whole grains: endosperm, germ, and bran (sources of proteins, fiber, vitamins, & minerals), while rye flour adds a nut-like depth.

become a member (or gift a bread club membership!) before the end of december for your own wholesome seeded multigrain loaf. 

[crustic]

serving suggestion: orange cinnamon raisin

with the wealth of droolworthy recipes out there involving cinnamon raisin bread (our orange cinnamon raisin bread is an easy sub), we had the hardest time picking just one. so we decided not to bother... and are leaving the picking up to you!

1. bread pudding cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese icing. special thanks to SugarDerby for letting us post this one!

2. turkey, brie and apple sandwich on raisin-walnut bread

3. french apple raisin sandwiches

4. cinnamon-apple grilled cheese

just a few days left to get your order in for december... and who doesn't love the gift freshly-baked bread this holiday season :) ?

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meet Bohemian Creamery!

Bohemian Creamery is an artisanal creamery in Sonoma County, offering cow, goat, and sheep milk cheeses. Lisa lovingly tends to her herd of Alpine dairy goats, which provide the milk for all her sheep’s milk cheeses, and sources only organic milk for her cow’s milk cheeses. Bohemian Creamery is located a mile outside downtown Sebastopol, California, an area known for gourmet cheese-making. Bohemian Creamery’s cheese menu currently includes ten cheeses, from the soft, creamy, spreadable dessert-cheese Cowabunga to the hard, tangy and salty cheese-plate-worthy Bovoncino.

Bohemian Creamery cheeses are sold at Cowgirl Creamery, high-end restaurants in california, and in bulk to wholesale distributors. because we believe so wholeheartedly in what Lisa is doing (and because we couldn’t stop inhaling the cheese samples we received), we are including Bohemian’s Bovoncino cheese in our locally-delivered artisan holiday box. For those of you living outside of our delivery radius, we are substituting the Bovoncino for 8 oz of Forge Organic Costa Rica whole bean coffee… more to come on Forge Coffee soon!

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meet Z-Confections!

Z Confections is the los angeles-based maker of the temptingly delicious Salted Caramel & Chocolate Sauces in our artisan holiday boxes. Founded by Matthew Walton, Z Confections is named after his grandmother Zelda, his inspiration. Matt grew up surrounded by gourmet food: his uncle owned a gourmet food business in new york city, and his mother baked temptingly delicious desserts. upon completing baking school in los angeles, Matthew started up Z Confections in 2010 and has been sharing modern twists on grandmother Zelda’s famous recipes ever since. 

we are pleased to be offering Matt's Salted Caramel & Chocolate Sauces in our sweet and savory artisan holiday boxes, which are now shippable nationwide! click here to learn more & get your hands on your own jar of Z Confections goodness.

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specialty bread: december

you know fall has finally come when you start craving sweet, comforting, warm things. our specialty bread of december was inspired by an italian holiday favorite, panettone, which is made with milk, butter, & eggs and filled with dried fruits. while december's orange cinnamon raisin bread contains no dairy or eggs (vegan-friendly!), we have a feeling that you won't miss either.

orange cinnamon raisin bread is chock full of plump organic raisins, with bursts of orange in every bite. cinnamon contributes warmth & holiday spice. this one stands on its own but tastes heavenly with cream cheese. 

*we're guaranteeing delivery right before christmas, for your holiday-eating pleasure!

[crustic]

serving suggestion: cranberry walnut

with just a few days left in october, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of crustic’s november delivery schedule: we will be bringing your bread by just before thanksgiving, so you have the option of serving crustic bread at your thanksgiving feast! who needs dinner rolls with crustic to save the day :) ?

thanks to Jamie, at Julia’s Poppies Design, we have a serving suggestion to share with you for november’s cranberry walnut bread: cranberry walnut french toast.

  now, a word of warning: you may be accustomed to french toast made on soft brioche or using a slice of spongy white bread, and there’s really nothing wrong with that. however, using cranberry walnut bread contributes an additional layer of complexity to the simplicity of eggs, milk, and butter that is French toast.

allowing the bread a few extra minutes to soak in the eggie-milk mixture is key, especially if you are using cranberry walnut bread that has passed its prime (this, by the way, is an excellent way of repurposing oldish crustic bread).

take a few moments for yourself: enjoy the stillness of a sunday morning, or the quiet before the hustle & bustle of thanksgiving, with cranberry walnut french toast & a cup of tea or coffee.

[for Jamie's detailed instructions on how to create cranberry walnut french toast, click here]

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crustic & friends artisan holiday boxes

okay friends, here we go! we are super-excited to announce a project that has been in the works for quite awhile now: crustic & friends artisan holiday boxes!

we are debuting two versions of our holiday boxes: sweet & savory, both of which make perfect gifts for that gourmet foodie friend, guys (fathers, brothers, boyfriends, & husbands), a family, or even to enjoy yourself this holiday season.

for the first time, we are making our goods available nationwide (lower-48)! our sweet box contains: crustic almond coconut chocolate bread & spiced plum bread spread, an 8 oz package of artisan small-batch roasted coffee, Tasty Treason salami (with hints of cardamom & orange), a Fruit & Nut press from Grace & I, and Salted Caramel Sauce from Z-Confections. 

our savory box is available exclusively for local customers who reside in our delivery zone (check here) and includes: our rosemary bread & strawberry balsamic bread spread, Bovoncino cheese (similar to asiago) from Bohemian Creamery), Naughty Constable (an eastern-european style) salami from The Meatmen, a Harvest Press from Grace & I, and Chocolate Sauce from Z-Confections. 

we are very excited to be partnering with these amazing small businesses and sharing their wonderful products with you! we are now accepting preorders until December 10th, so check that special someone off your holiday gift-list and send them a crustic & friends holiday gift box!

crustic & friends savory holiday box