The Search for Delicious: Just Loafing Around

by Agatha Crusty
February 17, 2010

When told that the peasants of France were rioting because inadequate grain harvests had created a shortage of bread, Queen Marie Antoinette was reported to have said “Let them eat cake.” Whether the Queen was clueless about the major role bread played in the common diet or whether her comments illustrated the contempt of the aristocracy for the lower classes didn’t really make a difference for Marie in the end. Her meeting with Madame Guillotine was brief and to the point.

For a food that has been a staple in almost every civilization, bread has sometimes had a checkered reputation. Over the centuries, while meat was a rare treat and many vegetables were looked upon with suspicion, bread made from roughly ground grain such as barley or rye was the basic component of every meal. As technology and agricultural practices improved the growing, harvesting, and refining of grain, the taste for bread also changed from the coarse loaves of the past to lighter loaves made from refined wheat along with fats and other additives. Bread was so important to the English diet during the 18th and 19th centuries that the government set the weight and price for a loaf. When this price fixing policy was abolished, bakers were accused of adding alum, plaster of Paris, pipe clay, and powdered flint to bulk up their breads. Food cranks reacted by raising an alarm about the unwholesomeness of bread in general, but there was little evidence to support many of the accusations and bread remained a popular part of the diet.

Today we still have an issue with bread. As Julia Child said, “How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?” Agatha Crusty is here to help with that dilemma. As usual, my focus is on foods produced and grown locally, and Hogue Wild Breads is the answer to the question of where to find wholesome, hand-made breads that will become a staple on your table.
Hogue Wild Breads is the brain-child of Garry Hogue. The breads, which started out as an occasional addition to his produce offerings at the market in 2005, have become the star attraction surpassing the 12,000 loaf mark in the summer of 2009. What is the key to Garry’s success? Flavor—and lots of it. He makes over 30 varieties of French baguette as well as salt-rising bread, ciabatta, and challah at prices which start at $3. Garry works in seasonal fresh produce such as apples and pumpkins and is always experimenting with new combinations, many in response to his customers’ needs. For example, many people have asked for non-gluten products, and Garry is looking for sources of ingredients and ways to adapt his breads to meet that demand. Garry’s stand was bustling the day Agatha Crusty visited, and one customer commented that his breads are “always fresh.”

The taste testing panel this month sampled the Parmesan-Pepper, Lemon, and Chili baguettes. Our first test loaf was Lemon and it was a unanimous winner. Made with fresh lemon juice and zest, the loaf had a pleasing lemon flavor that was, surprisingly, not sweet. The bread was delicious when just torn from the baguette, but it was utterly sublime toasted and slathered with butter. A most definite “Do Again.” The testing panel could see many uses for this bread such as French toast or in bread pudding.

Our next baguette to sample was the Parmesan-Pepper which is one of Garry’s best sellers. This, too, was judged as a definite “Do Again” by each of the tasters. The bread as it came from the wrapper was fragrant with the aroma of parmesan, and the taste was a pleasing blend of the mellow cheese and the zing of pepper. It was terrific dipped in a flavored olive oil as an appetizer. Agatha Crusty’s only wish is that it came in a sandwich-size loaf to use for making Panini—just imagine fresh mozzarella with tomato and basil straight from the garden tucked between two slice of this bread and grilled—to die for.

The Chili baguette is a new addition to Garry’s repertoire. Made with many of the same ingredients in a bowl of good chili (sans the meat) this bread had a complex flavor of tomato, cumin, and smoked chilies. The loaf had a beautiful orange color and a hearty texture and would be the perfect accompaniment to a southwestern buffet. You could also split it lengthwise, rub with flavored oil, and grill lightly to serve in place of traditional garlic bread.

You can purchase Hogue Wild Breads at the River City Farmers Market in Marietta year round and at the Cambridge Farmers Market during the summer. Have a special request? You can contact Garry at 896-2314. He’s always happy to talk bread.