Slider Buns Recipe

OK. I have to admit that I am a huge slider fan. Sliders are smaller sized hamburgers on smaller buns and 2oz patties.

But sliders do not have to be burgers. I made salmon sliders last night.

poached salmon w/tarter sauce slider

When thinking sliders, think of your favorite “bun” sandwich, but in miniature.

Slider sandwich ideas:
-Fry chicken breast with ranch dressing or white gravy
-Steak with crumpled blue cheese
-Buffalo Chicken Slider (chicken breast with Franks Redhot w/ranch or blue cheese dressing
-Shrimp Paw boys
-The Slider Club: Turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato (avocado optional)
-Corn beef Rueben
-Salmon Slider: poached salmon with cumber dill yogurt sauce
-Mini meatball sub slider: Turkey, beef or pork meatballs with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil
-Pulled Pork with hot slaw
-Grilled Mushrooms w/goat cheese and balsamic reduction
-Crab Cake with spicy mayo
-Fried Fish w/ tarter

Vegan Sliders:
-Baked tofu w/vegan slaw
-Grill mushrooms with teriyaki  sauce and pickled veggies
-Pan fried vegan risotto cakes with spicy vegan mayo
-Vegan sloppy Joes: Saute crumpled silken tofu w/thinned BBQ sauce
-Tempura Slider: Mix veggies tempura (sweet potato, potato, carrot, onion, mushroom) with asian dipping sauce. (1/3 miron, 1/3 tamari soy, lime juice and water or dashi both, minced ginger)
-Peanut butter, banana and maple (dust with cinnamon)

I have been thinking about offering slider buns at my both at the Westside Farmers Market to create a cross promotion with McLaughlin Farm who sells beef at the market.

So last night I tested a recipe that turned out well. Look for them at the Westside Market on Thursday 3:00-7:00PM while they last.

Slider Bun Recipe: Makes 16 slider buns (or 8 full size) 

3 1/2 cups AP Flour (King Arthur or Bob’s Redmill or use Bread Flour)
3/4 to 1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
(For vegan option use olive oil or melted vegan shorten)
1 large egg
2 TBS sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Plus 2 TBS melted butter to brush
(For vegan use olive oil or melted vegan shorten)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Procedure:

Mix the yeast, flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl of a mixer with dough hook attachment. With the mixer running, add the egg, melted butter and slowly pour in the water. Mix in high for about eight minutes.

Place the dough in a bowl and coat little with olive oil. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and let set in a warm place for 2 hours or until the dough doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and place on a clean counter. Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces.

Mine dough came out to 28oz, which figured out to approximately 1.75oz (using a digital scale) per roll, which comes to 16 rolls.

Roll the dough into rounds balls and flatten them into disks. See below.

Place them on sheet pan lined with parchment and cover with a damp clothe and let them rise for about an hour. Don’t worry if the touch a little.

Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 375 degrees for 15-18  minutes.

Michigan Food Kickstarters

Check out this Michigan local food kickstarter Campaigns and give your support.

Brickside Brewery, Copper Harbor, MI

Brickside Brewery is the result of years of enthusiasm for homebrewed and craft beer. Years of making and enjoying beer at home have lead to this. We want to take that passion to the next step and open a microbrewery in Copper Harbor, Michigan.

With your support we can get the equipment and materials needed to move this dream to a reality. This is what I have worked on for the past 7 years, to make sure that I can make a quality beer that people will talk about. We, my wife and I, have been doing the leg work on this for the past couple of years and know this is what we want to do. We can make this happen and make it work with your support.

Bartertown Diner: Cooking towards a better tomorrow

Our food will be all vegetarian, with many vegan and raw choices. Roc’s Cupcakes will be operating from within the diner, featuring delicious and creative vegan treats. Local food will be a focus at the diner by using seasonal fruits & vegetables from local farmers as well as breads, cheeses, beverages, and even tofu, all grown or made in Michigan.

Michigan Morels 2011 update

Michigan Morels 2011

 OK. After failing to find morels in my favorite Ann Arbor park three years running, I came home to discover that a patch of Morels were found in my very own backyard. The picture above shows the harvest with more on the way that were too small to harvest. 

 The tricky part with morels besides for finding the little suckers (or paying for them) is to clean them. As you can see they have a honey comb shape that is very challenging to clean. 

Michigan Morel 2011

Even after I split them in half, which I recommend because bugs tend to live inside them, I sprayed them with water to try and get all of the dry out. Despite my efforts they were still a little gritty, but tasty. 

Michigan Morel with Bug inside

Note the shape. A morel will be hollow inside with the honey comb shaped outside connected to the stem.

Note the difference between a true and a false morel. A false morel shown above with have a "skirt" at the top. A true morel is completely attached to the stem.

 

Cooking morels with a little butter, salt, pepper and white wine

Fully cooked Morels. Yummy!!!

Warning:

Mushrooms can be deadly and while Morels are on the easier side for mushroom identification, I do not encourage anyone to pick and eat/serve to family or friends wild mushrooms without knowing what they are doing or getting an expert opinion. If you have any doubt, it is better to air on the side of safety.

 

Michigan Morel Recipe: Serves 1-4

 Split and clean throughly10-20 Morels.

 

Heat a saute pan with a little butter and a small splash of white wine.

 

The mushrooms will release their liquid. Saute out the liquid just until the pan is almost dry.

 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Great over rice, with srabbled eggs or steak. (They make for an awesome steak and mushroom sandwich.

 

Related Posts:

 

Michigan Morels 2011: first of the year

 

The Lunchroom: Ann Arbor Vegan food Cart

The Lunchroom Food Cart

Update: The Lunchroom Food Cart Kickstarter Campaign was a success:

We met our goal and the cart is coming along!

Update #3 posted on April 4

Thanks to all of you, we have met our Kickstarter goal. In fact, as of this weekend we surpassed the $10,000 mark!

We are looking forward to opening in late April and we can’t wait to serve you!

Much love,

Phillis and Joel

A Vegan Lunch Cart and a Dream

The Lunchroom by Phillis Engelbert and Joel Panozzo is an up and coming Ann Arbor Food Cart featuring an all vegan menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack offerings.

Their cart will be located behind Downtown Home and Garden in late April or Early May.

Until then, they are keeping busy with their fundraising efforts to help raise money to build their custom food cart.

They have launched a successful Kick-Starter Campaign. Kick-starter is an online fundraiser website, which allows people to create an online fundraiser and it makes it really easy to receive donations for a creative project. Transactions are secure and run through amazon.com

They have also hosted several fundraiser events featuring their vegan offerings.

They told me that the cart they are building will cost around $8000. So far they have raised around $4000 and they are hoping to be able to receive enough large and small donations on kickstarter to make their dream a reality.

Any amount of donation will be much appreciated and it will help get a small local food start-up off the ground.

Here are some of their offerings.

Summer Rolls

sesame tea cookies

Bagel w/hummus spread

gingersnaps

curry potato wrap

Sample Menu

Breakfast:
Coconut-milk yogurt with granola
Fruit juice/coconut-milk yogurt smoothie
cherry-oatmeal breakfast cookies
coffee cake
homemade bagel with spread,

Salads and sides:
crostini with olive tapenade
tangy slaw
Caesar salad
curry roasted potatoes

Lunch/dinner items:
summer rolls with spicy peanut sauce
curry-potato wrap
sundried-tomato hummus with veggies on multigrain roll,
barbeque tofu sandwich

Goodies:
chocolate truffles
raspberry oatmeal bars
spicy chocolate snickerdoodle cookies
Lemon bars
sesame tea cookies
blackstrap molasses gingersnaps
gingerbread cupcakes

Back Forty Acres Chelsea Michigan Has Beef

I got this email from Back Forty Acres in Chelsea. They are offering beef for a limited time.

Picture from Back forty acres website

 

picture from back forty acres website

Greeting from Back Forty Acres,

Winter has just about run it’s course, but as we saw this weekend, it’s
still packing a little punch!

We are pleased to make offer of beef to you, custom cut to your
specifications, in the amount of a quarter, half or whole beef.  This beef
raised right next door to Back Forty Acres. Our neighbor has been farming
his whole life. He raises Angus cattle, grass fed and finished with corn.
He uses all natual farming methods and does not use any growth hormones or
antibiotics. We have sold his beef for a couple years now and have had
good results.

Right now one steer remains available from this group and the price is
$2.45/lb hanging weight, plus processing. These are going to the processor
next week and will be ready for you Mid March.

Typcially, a quarter beef, with processing will cost a total of about $450
to $500 depending on the size of the steer. The amount of finished product
packaged meat you will get from a quarter is about 110-125 lbs.

If you would like to get some of this beef, please let us know and we will
work to fill your order on a first come first serve basis. If this one is
sold out, we will have some coming up soon, from the other cattle farmer
that we are working with. The price on the next batch will be $2.60/lb.

If you have any other questions, please contact Larry, by email at
larry@backfortyacres.com, or cell phone, 734-260-1540.

Thank you,
Larry Doll
www.backfortyacres.com

Valentine’s Aztec Spice Chocolate Hearts at Sweet Gem Confections

Box of Chocolate Truffles made by Nancy's students

Tucked away past shelves of wine and premium beers is a large picture window into the world of Nancy Biehn, chocolatier and owner of Sweet Gem Confections.

A food artisan at work, she tempers chocolate and infuses flavors into ganache. She then rolls the ganache into shapes to be dipped into melted chocolate. The finished product will be one of the more than 30 varieties of Sweet Gem Confections, signature chocolate truffles.Today, Biehn, 46, from Ann Arbor, was busy making heart-shaped truffles for Valentine’s Day,

“The chocolate holiday,” saidBiehn. It’s her second-busiest time of the year. Christmas is the first.

These hearts are special. She called them “Aztec Hearts” and added cayenne pepper into the ganache that provided a spicy kick and a complex flavor. It had just the perfect amount of heat.

Cacao Beans

The hearts are seasonal. She only makes them around Valentine’s Day. Biehn figured that she will create a few thousand for the holiday.

When asked if she has had any unique chocolate Valentine’s requests, she laughs and says that she has never made chocolate body paint.

As for chocolate being an aphrodisiac, Biehn sees some truth to the claims.

“It’s the feel-good chemicals (phenethylamines) that are in the obroma cacao that people refer to as an aphrodisiac,” said Biehn. “They’re good for your heart. There are 600 flavor compounds in chocolate. Red wine has about 200. Along with the flavor compounds, chocolate is the most diverse food.”

Working in her kitchen located inside Morgan and York on Packard in Ann Arbor, Biehn creates chocolate treats that thrill the taste buds and enliven the senses. She specializes in chocolate truffles using local, seasonal ingredients.

Ask her how many flavors of truffles she makes and she will say 25-30, but she is not sure. Biehn is like an artist who works with a large pallet of colors only to combine them to make more, but instead of paint, she works in chocolates.

“I keep changing flavors depending on the season,” said Biehn. “In spring, I make a rhubarb and a peach truffle. In summer, I use tropical flavors. Around Thanksgiving, I do pumpkin. And for winter, I do darker things like using red wine and port.”

Biehn even has an eggnog flavor for Christmas.

One of her popular flavors is blueberry. She picks them herself on an organic farm in Grass Lake.

“I picked around 35 pounds last year,” said Biehn. “I freeze them and make a puree and I use Sandhill Crane blueberry wine, which I reduce to intensify the flavor.”

Biehn not only has a picture window into her kitchen, she leaves the door open so customers can visit and talk with her while she does her craft. It is like an artist opening up her studio, or watching a cooking show live.

The open door at Sweet Gem Confections reflects Biehn’s philosophy about food.

“People appreciate knowing where their food is coming from and how it is made,” said Biehn. “I have nothing to hide.”

She explained that when she first started making chocolates, she went around to other shops and asked if she could see their kitchens.

“They all said, ‘no way,’” said Biehn. “Competition like that is so silly. To be so afraid to share what you know…”

Not only can customers see Biehn make chocolates, she teaches them how to do it. She teaches classes in truffle-making about 12 times a year to small groups of four to six.

“I want to share what I know,” said Biehn. “That is why I teach classes.”

Instead of being afraid of the competition like the others who refused to show her their kitchens, Biehn encourages it.

“Make chocolates,” she said. “Please, I would love for you to make chocolates. Start a business if you want. Enjoy it. Enjoy life.”

Biehn views educating people about chocolate and her truffles as part of what she offers.

“It is nice if you are going to spend a good amount of money on really fine chocolate to know what goes into those chocolates and how they are made,” she said.

Sweet Gems Confections even attracts chocolate tourists.

“The Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce brought in 16 food writers to visit last fall,” said Biehn. “And classes come in for field trips, including the Girl Scouts.”

Along with truffles, Biehn also produces chocolate-covered caramel, toffee and turtles, which are a combination of nuts, caramel and chocolate.

So what new truffle does Biehn have in the works? She offers a sneak peak into her latest creation to be out soon.

“It will be a frangelico- (hazelnut liquor) flavored truffle with hazelnuts, which will be formed into a new, wave-shaped mold,” she said.

If that has your mouth watering, too, Sweet Gem Confections are available at Morgan and York, Zingerman’s Next Door, Arbor Farms Market, Sandhill Vineyards and online at sweetgemconfections.com.

Valentine’s Day Week Hours
Monday thru Friday: 9:30 – 2:30
Saturday February 5: 10 – 4
Saturday February 12: 10 – 4
Sunday February 13: OPEN HOUSE from 1 – 4

Growers vs Resellers at Farmers Market

There has been an ongoing debate on the Michigan Farmers Market Association Listserv about what type of vendor should be allowed at a Farmers Market.

Among the issues discussed are whether to allow vendors from out of state and whether to allow resellers, people who do not grow their own produce/meat/cheese/artisan products etc. to sell at the market.

I have provided a small sample of the responses to this passionate debate below.

How do I weigh in on the subject?

I have no problem with vendors coming in from bordering states. The Ohio border is closer for example than many towns in Michigan with farmers who might come to sell at an Ann Arbor Farmers Market.

As some will know, I sell microgreens at the Westside Farmers Market. I grow them in a small backyard garden and I am pretty sure that the Westside only allows grower/producers to sell there. I like the policy.

By contrast, I have been to markets with vendors who sold out of the region fruits like grapefruit at their booth. The fruit was no even organic, and I felt that it did not fit in at the market. What made the grapefruit at a farmers market any different from buy it at the grocery store?

I felt if too many of the vendors were resellers it would make customers question the difference between a farmers market and the produce section of a chain grocery store.

So where do I stand on the reseller question?

Ideally, I think that a farmers market should strive to try to have only growers/producers.

Customers who come to a farmers market assume that they are buying from the farmer and come to the market in part to by local.

Buy locally and Meet Your Farmer/Artisan is a huge marketing slogan for Farmers Market and having too many resellers may weaken a Farmers Market Brand.

It may be hard to find the variety of farmers and artisans to make a well rounded market with a grower/producer only policy, but I feel that sticking by that policy will support new upstart local growers (like myself) who will be vendors at your Farmers Market.

Customers will appreciate it and the Market would have created a great Brand.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Fay,

Yes there is reason!!  I live 2 miles from the INDIANA state line and in our market we have some growers that live on the other side of the line.   Yes we do know they grow the produce but they are from out of the state making there produce from another state.  My sister brings here sweet corn and that is 7 miles from our market in Indiana, what you are saying is we should cut our market in half because we should not have out of state produce.  In the reverse I should not be able to sell in the markets in Indiana we sell in because we are out of the state?  We feel that the local is within 50 miles but our venders are with in 30 miles.

We understand local very well but every market is to understand the location of what you are talking before blanket NO reason to have produce coming from out of state.

Dana

Three Oaks Farmers Market

---

Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:42:53 -0500
From: bigskyfarm@GMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: growers vs resellers at a market
To: FARMMKTMI@LIST.MSU.EDU

There is absolutely NO reason for markets to have any produce coming from out of state, much less out of the country!!!!  I do feel that some reciprocity is helpful, however, among farmers with different types of produce, limited growing seasons, limited time to attend markets. Farmers markets are hard work, as we all know!  As more communities have started small neighborhood markets it becomes impossible to attend so many of them, and this invites fraud/reselling/misrepresentation.  Co-op selling is a good idea and helpful to all.  I agree that the early and late season present “volume” issues for farmers, but there are a lot of ways to plan for that and they should plan accordingly with other offerings of their own or from local collaborators. Storage crops??????

BUT the key, as Chris says, is transparency.  In my view the basics indicated by Chris are the sign of a healthy market of the type that the people really want, and anything else undermines the credibility of the entire system.  I recently found garlic from China at one of the roadside produce stands–which the average person assumes means local produce, but of course we know differently…. The recent televised scandal in Oakland county, in which a grower represented his produce as “pesticide free”, sustainably grown, etc. but was filmed purchasing it at the Eastern Mkt. has sent shock waves through our farmers market and, more importantly, organic growers communities.  ALL farmers are hurt by those who cut corners or misrepresent their produce !!!!!!!!

Unless our markets represent local, fresh produce there is no reason for people to shop there when the grocery store may be cheaper or more convenient.  HIGH STANDARDS, TRANSPARENCY are what I look for when I think about where I want to sell my produce and where I want to buy it!

Fay Hansen

On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 1:17 PM, Christopher Bedford <chrisbedford@charter.net> wrote: 

Stacie, 

You have raised a CORE issue that troubles many farmers’ markets and their managers.

At many West Michigan farmers markets, resellers go to a wholesale fruit/vegetable market and buy their produce to resell at the

farmers’ market. Many of this resellers simply double the wholesale price and sit there as if the produce was their own.

Some farmers buy in the wholesale market for early and late in the season, selling their own produce during peak production periods.

And there are many variations in between. So what should you do?

I believe the key concept here is TRANSPARENCY.

Consumers have a right to know what they are buying.

In my opinion, every vendor at a farmers’ market should be required to publicly display the following information.

1. Where the various fruits and vegetables were grown? Local? From some other place?

2. How were they grown? Were pesticides and herbicides used? If so, which ones?

3. When were they picked? (Michael Hamm likes to point out, the time of harvest is one of the critical elements in nutritional content.)

These three pieces of information make the reseller vs. grower controversy mute.

Resellers simply label their produce as such. If their lettuce was harvested three weeks ago in Mexico, they should reveal this information.

Transparency means everyone competes on a level playing field, building trust with customers and supporting ethical behavior in food production.

Unfortunately, there is strong resistance to all three transparency requirements.

I resigned from the Board of the Michigan Farmers Market Association over this issue.

Right now, we, as a state, permit some vendors, often big anchor vendors at farmers’ markets, to blatantly misrepresent or hide this information.

This is neither sustainable, ethical, nor economically smart.

The local food revolution must be based on integrity and transparency.

Let McDonalds call their McNuggets chicken even though half the ingredients are not chicken.

We have to be better than that.

With TRANSPARENCY and honest labeling, farmers are free to do anything they chose.

And the consumers’ rights are protected in the process.

Chris Bedford

On Jan 22, 2011, at 12:40 PM, Douglas Dubin wrote:

We are facing a conflict at our farmers market between growers and resellers.  Would like to know how people are dealing with this.  More importantly, looking for research to either show that both can be or not be supported at one market.  Thanks!  Stacie Dubin Co- market manager/farmer

To remove yourself from this list, email to: listserv@list.msu.edu and include the following in the text of the message: UNSUBSCRIBE FARMMKTMI. If this method does not work, then please email smalley3@msu.edu in order to be removed from the list.

Christopher Bedford

Filmmaker-Writer-Organizer

Center for Economic Security

#6543 Hancock Road

Montague, MI 49437

chrisbedford@charter.net

231-893-3937

www.chrisbedfordfilms.com

www.healthyschoolmeals.org

www.center4economicsecurity.org

Michigan Lady Food Bloggers

Patti Smith, of Ann Arbor writes a beer and food blog. Sarah Smalheer of Chelsea, provides recipes like limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, on her blog. Diana Dyer, a nutritionist, cancer survivor and garlic farmer, created a website dedicated to healthy recipes. And Kate Remen-Wait’s blog posted 135 recipes, including restaurant reviews and reports on her weekly farm shares from Tantré Farm.

They are all a part of an online group called the Michigan Lady Food Bloggers. The group boasts 106 members, with representation from every county in Michigan.

No two blogs are the same, but what these bloggers all have in common is a love and passion for food. Some write about cooking for young children. Others have a local foods focus, while others share travel logs about eating on the road.

“What is cool is the diversity,” said Smith. “There is a blogger with a North African focus.”

There is also a competitive and food-challenge element to some of the blogs. Others enter national recipe contests, while some take on local food challenges. Some even dare to tackle difficult recipes from famous cookbook authors like Julia Childs and Thomas Keller.

Most communicate through each others’ blogs or via e-mail, but some get together for in-person events. The most popular event is their annual Christmas Cookie Swap.

“It’s like a nuclear bomb with crumbs everywhere,” said Smalheer, describing their annual cookie exchanges. “We crammed 18 women in my small living room one year.”

These cookie swaps work by having people bring a certain number of homemade cookies for trade.

“Husbands (and boyfriends) are pleased with all of the great food we bring home from our events, like the huge trays of Christmas cookies,” Smalheer said.

The group is also a great source for hard-to-find resources.

“I found the caterer for my son’s wedding reception,” said Dyer. “The chef was enthusiastic to do vegan items.”

Some bloggers are more active than others and post weekly, while others fall off the radar.

“No one has been kicked out for low activity,” said Remen-Wait.

The club — as its name suggests — is only for ladies. But how would they know if a guy tried to join the club using a woman’s name?

“We don’t know if someone is female,” admitted Remen-Wait, speaking about the identity of some Michigan Lady Food Bloggers. “We are trusting. If someone wanted to post under a false identity, we would not know.”

Guys need not feel left out, however. All of these blogs are posted publicly, which means everyone has access to all the content, and anyone can send a comment about the posts.

To learn more:

MichLadyFoodBloggers

Patti Smiths Blog:
palateofpatti.wordpress.com

Sarah Smalheer’s blog:
unabuonaforchetta.blogspot.com

Kate Remen-Wait’s blog:
4obsessions.blogspot.com

Diana Dyer’s website:
365daysofkale.com

Snicker Doodle
By Patti Smith

1 cup shortening
1.5 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Mix shortening, eggs and sugar. Then mix the dry ingredients except the two tablespoons of sugar and two teaspoons of cinnamon; combine. My batter tends to be a little dry, so I often put in a dash of Half & Half to moisten it up. Roll into balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and put on a cookie sheet that has been greased or, in my case, has parchment paper on it. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Don’t panic when you see them puff up and then flatten out; it’s all part of the charm.

---

Apricot Ginger-Almond Sandwich Cookies
By Brian Steinberg

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups slivered almonds
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup apricot jam
¼ inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a food processor, add one cup of flour and the almonds and process for about a minute. Add ½ cup of sugar and the rest of the flour and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse to form dough. Do not over mix. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch and cut into two-inch rounds. Roll the remaining dough and cut out rounds. Bake for about 15 minutes. To make the sandwiches, combine the jam with the ginger. Spoon out a teaspoon of jam between two cookies and coat with the rest of the sugar while the cookies are still warm.

---

Pecan Snowdrops
By Sarah Smalheer

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Cream the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the flour and salt and combine. Add water, nuts and vanilla and combine. Chill dough for an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pinch off wads of dough and roll into balls approximately one inch across. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Prepare a small bowl of powdered sugar. Roll the cookies in the sugar once while still warm, allow to cool completely and roll again.

---

Chocolate Matzo: Not just for Chanukah
By Brian Steinberg

4-6 sheets of matzo (Yehuda brand preferred)
2-3 bars 4 oz Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate, 60 percent
½ cup toasted almonds, walnuts and/or hazelnuts
A few pinches of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two sheet pans with tin foil. Chop the chocolate. Toast almonds in oven or toaster oven for about 10-15 minutes. Make sure not to burn the nuts.
Chop the nuts and set aside. Sprinkle the chocolate over the matzo and bake in the oven for two to three minutes, just until the chocolate melts. Spread the chocolate with a rubber spatula over the matzo to create a smooth layer. Sprinkle on almonds and a small pinch of salt while the chocolate is still melted, so it sticks. Let it sit in a cool place. Break into smaller pieces and serve, or for fun pass around a full sheet and have guest break off their own piece. Present in a decorative wrap or a cookie tin.

---

Cottage Food Law: The Nuts and Bolts

Inchworm Bakery started just a few days after the Cottage Food Bill was signed into law. Since then, I, fellow farmers market vendors, and others interested to starting a cottage food business have wondered what exactly are the rules. Below are the rules, and answers to most questions.

I learned for example that I could not make veggies samosas that I was planning to feature at the market this week. Nor could I put some parmesan cheese on my foccaccia bread. While there are some limits to what can be produced in a non-inspected kitchen, and the ways we can markets our goods, the Cottage Food Law does offer a good variety of possibilities.

Inchworm Bakery makes pies, cookies, and foccaccia bread. I noticed that the law allows nuts and coated nuts, and we might play around with them too.

Below is the text from a document from Michigan Dept of Ag. The two links are to the specific PDF documents.

Good Luck to fellow Cottage Food Operator. Please tell me about your business. I will be happy to post a profile on this blog.

http://michigan.gov/documents/mda/MDA-CFFAQ-MASTER_327558_7.pdf

http://michigan.gov/documents/mda/MDA_CFLblngGuide-MASTER_327559_7.pdf

Michigan Department of Agriculture
Frequently Asked Questions
Cottage Foods

The Cottage Food Law, enacted in 2010, allows individuals to manufacture and store certain types of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.

What are Cottage Foods?

Specific types of foods that you manufacture in the kitchen of your single family domestic residence.

What does a single family domestic residence include?

This is the place where you live, whether you own the home or are renting. So an apartment, condominium or a rental home all could be a single family domestic residence. It does not include group or communal residential settings, such as group homes, sororities or fraternities.

What types of Cottage Foods can I produce in my home?

Non-potentially hazardous foods that do not require time and/or temperature control for safety.

Examples include:

Breads
Similar baked goods
Vinegar and flavored vinegars
Cakes, including celebration cakes (birthday, anniversary, wedding) a label with notification and ingredients will need to accompany the cake to the purchasers
Fruit pies, including pie crusts made with butter, lard or shortening
Cookies
Dry herbs and herb mixtures
Jams and jellies in glass jars that can be stored at room temperature
Popcorn
Cotton Candy
Non-potentially hazardous dry bulk mixes sold wholesale can be repackaged into a Cottage Food product. Similar items already packaged and labeled for retail sale can not be repackaged and/or relabeled
Chocolate covered: pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, rice krispy treats, strawberries, pineapple or bananas
Coated or uncoated nuts
Dried pasta made with eggs

What types of Cottage Foods are NOT ALLOWED to be produced in my home? Potentially hazardous foods that require time and/or temperature control for safety.

Examples include:

Meat and meat products like fresh and dried meats (jerky)
Fish and fish products like smoked fish
Raw seed sprouts
Canned fruits or vegetables like salsa or canned peaches including canned fruit or vegetable butters like pumpkin or apple butter
Canned pickled products like corn relish, pickles or sauerkraut
Pies that require refrigeration to assure safety like banana cream, pumpkin, lemon meringue or custard pies
Milk and dairy products like cheese or yogurt
Cut melons
Garlic in oil mixtures
Beverages
Ice and ice products
Cut tomatoes or cut leafy greens
Foccaccia style breads with fresh vegetables and/or cheeses
Food products made from fresh cut tomatoes, cut melons or cut leafy greens
Food products made with cooked vegetable products that are not canned
Barbeque Sauce, Ketchup, Mustard

Are pet treats included under the Cottage Food Law?

No- the Cottage Food Law applies to human grade food only. For more information about pet treat licensing, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/mda-feed.

How do I sell my Cottage Foods?

You may sell your Cottage Foods directly to the consumer at farmers’ markets, farm stands, roadside stands and similar venues. The key is you are selling it directly to the consumer. You cannot sell your Cottage Foods to a retailer for them to resell or to a restaurant for use or sale in the restaurant. You cannot sell your Cottage Foods over the internet, by mail order, or to wholesalers, brokers or other food distributors who will resell the Cottage Foods.

Why can’t I sell my Cottage Foods to my favorite restaurant or grocery store?

The Michigan Food Law Cottage Food amendments do not allow this. Because the kitchen is unlicensed and not inspected, the safe food handling practices are not evaluated by any food safety official. Since the safe food handling practices are not being evaluated, the food is not considered an approved source for use in a restaurant or grocery store. Also, it is not possible for the final consumer to discuss your food safety practices with you, as you would not be selling or serving the product to the consumer.

Do I have to put a label on my Cottage Foods?

Yes, you are required to label your Cottage Foods. Here is an example of a label that should help you develop your own labels.

MADE IN A HOME KITCHEN NOT INSPECTED BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Chocolate Chip Cookie
Artie Pinkster
123 Foodstuff Lane
Casserole City, MI 82682

Ingredients: Enriched flour (Wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid), butter (milk, salt), chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), Soy lecithin as an emulsifier), walnuts, sugar, eggs, salt, artificial vanilla extract, baking soda

Contains: wheat, eggs, milk, soy, walnuts

Net Wt. 3 oz

The basic information that must be on the label is as follows:

Name and address of the Cottage Food operation.
Name of the Cottage Food product.
The ingredients of the Cottage Food product, in descending order of predominance by weight. If you use a prepared item in your recipe, you must list the sub ingredients as well. For example: soy sauce is not acceptable, soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt) would be acceptable, please see the label above for further examples.
The net weight or net volume of the Cottage Food product.
Allergen labeling as specified in federal labeling requirements.

The following statement: “Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture” in at least the equivalent of 11-point font and in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background.

What does allergen labeling as specified in federal labeling requirements mean?

It means you must identify if any of your ingredients are made from one of the following food groups: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, fish (including shellfish, crab, lobster or shrimp) and tree nuts (such as almonds, pecans or walnuts). So if you have an ingredient made with a wheat based product, you have two options:
1.
Include the allergen in the ingredient list. For example, a white bread with the following ingredient listing: whole wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. In this example the statement Whole Wheat Flour, meets the requirements of federal law.
2.
Include an allergen statement (“Contains:”) after the ingredient list. For example a white bread, with the following ingredients: whole wheat flour, water, sodium caseinate, salt and yeast. Contains wheat and milk.

The “Contains” statement must reflect all the allergens found in the product. In this example, the sodium caseinate comes from milk.
Are there any special requirements for tree nuts labeling for allergens? Yes, if your Cottage Food has tree nuts as an ingredient you must identify which tree nut you are using.

For example, if you made the following product:

Nut Bread, an acceptable ingredient list would be: wheat flour, water, almonds, salt, yeast. The following would not be acceptable: flour, water, nuts, salt, yeast.

Are there any other limits I need to know about Cottage Foods?

Yes, you are limited in the amount of money you can make selling Cottage Foods – which is $15,000 gross sales annually per household.

Can I make the Cottage Food products in an outbuilding on my property, like a shed or a barn?

No, the law requires the Cottage Food products be made in your kitchen and stored in your single family domestic residence. Approved storage areas include the basement and attached garage of the home where the food is made.

Will I need to meet my local zoning or other laws?

Yes, the Cottage Food exemption only exempts you from the requirements of licensing and routine inspection by the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

What oversight does the Michigan Department of Agriculture have over my Cottage Food operation?

Cottage Food operations are considered to be food establishments, but will not have to meet most requirements outlined in the Michigan Food Law. In all cases, food offered to the public in Michigan must be safe and unadulterated, regardless of where it is produced. As a Cottage Food Operator, it is your responsibility to assure the food you make is safe. In the event a complaint is filed or a foodborne illness is linked to your food, the Michigan Department of Agriculture will investigate your operations as part of our responsibility under the Michigan Food Law. As part of that investigation, it may be necessary for the Michigan Department of Agriculture to enter and inspect your Cottage Food production and storage areas, view and copy records, and take photos during the course of a complaint investigation. The Michigan Department of Agriculture also has the right to seize product suspected of being adulterated, order corrections of label violations, or require you to discontinue making unapproved products.

Where can I get a copy of the Michigan Food Law?

The sections of the Food Law where you can find the definitions, exemptions and requirements for Cottage

Food is:
Section Title
Short description
Section Number
Definitions
Definitions of terms
289.1105 (H,I, and K (i)(ii))
Licensing
Exemptions
289.4102

Are there any additional requirements regarding my home on-site well or sewage system?

No, although annually testing your well for coliforms and nitrates is recommended. Contact your local health department for sampling containers and directions.

Does my equipment, stove and/or refrigerator need to be NSF (a food equipment evaluation group) approved?

As a Cottage Food operator, you would not be required to meet NSF standards for your equipment used to manufacture the Cottage Food product.

Can I bake bread in a wood fired oven?

Yes, as long as that oven is in your home kitchen.

Do I need to have a DBA for the Cottage Food law?

A DBA (Doing Business As) may be a requirement of your county or local municipality; you should contact your county offices to determine if a DBA is appropriate for you.

When are Cottage Food products subject to sales tax?

The Cottage Food amendments are to the Michigan Food Law. The amendments do require that the Cottage Food Operators meet all other provisions of law regarding businesses, including tax law. MDA recommends that you contact the Michigan Department of Treasury for further information on what food products are considered taxable. Their website is available through this link, Contact Treasury.

In general, sales tax is not charged on prepackaged foods that are not for immediate consumption.

If you have additional questions, please contact MDA-Info@michigan.gov; please include your zip code in your request.