You Knead this Babka
Babka Time! Farm To People, Pumpkin Muffins, Grandma Eva’s Walnut Apple Cake
Each Jewish holiday has symbolic foods as a centerpiece to the table. Growing up, chocolate babka would appear around Rosh Hashanah, a golden braided loaf with gooey layers of dark chocolate. About a week before the holiday, clear plastic bags with loaves of babka would sit on the counter in preparation for the holiday. These were irresistible. My siblings and I always carefully unwrapped the plastic ties to take secret nibbles. Finally when the time came to eat the babka (as if we had not already snuck a piece or two), we dug into each slice to find the most chocolate-y parts and saved the less sweet crust for no one.
But looking back, as delicious as those babka memories may have been, I know the ingredients reflected the moment: refined sugars and corn syrups, enriched white flour, and probably an unhealthy dose of preservatives.
The creative challenge I love in recreating these childhood wonders is how to incorporate ingredients I can feel good about: whole grain, gluten-free grains, refined-sugar free sweeteners, and chocolates we trust. We make our gluten-free, sourdough, vegan babka with organic millet, hand-milled in the region for us by Next Step Produce in Maryland. Combined with regional organic maple, fair-trade organic chocolate and our hand-milled sourdough starter, our Babka is far removed from the original processed origin story. Working through recipe variations, we’re not focused on recreating the precise taste and texture of those stolen childhood bites, but to capture the sweetness and warmth of the memory of those stolen bites.
My favorite way to eat our babka is to warm a few slices up on a baking sheet, and spread butter on top, like a toast. A not too-sweet treat to pair with morning coffee or afternoon tea. It also makes amazing French toast.
I recommend to always warm it up, as it is not like the babka of old days where it mysteriously stays soft for infinity.
Pumpkin Sweet Potato Muffins are Back!
Our not-too-sweet, wholesome grain-free pumpkin sweet potato muffins are back! They are made with organic sweet potato from Savoie Organic Farm and eggs from Rexcroft Farm.
These tender spiced muffins are a customer favorite and they are here through the winter. They last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, and also can be frozen in an airtight container.
A New Delivery Option
We love connecting with our community at the Greenmarket. However, we recognize it’s not always easy to get there. For those who can’t make it to one of our locations, we are now partnering with Farm To People, a food delivery service in NYC. Their commitment to sustainability, selling produce from regional farms, and bakeries sold at the Greenmarket make them a perfect match for us.
*Bonus* If you’re near but not in NYC, check your zip code to see if they deliver to you as well!
You can order our breads and pizza dough alongside produce for delivery all week long—and we are happy to have a place to support customers eating from the region at their own convenience.
Want to reserve your favorites first? Place orders for our classics in advance.
Growing up in suburban San Diego (La Jolla) meant a lot of surfers named Brody, but not a lot of kosher bakeries or restaurants. This meant my family had to bake and cook everything in-house for all the Jewish holidays.
The kitchen I grew up in was defined by my Grandma Eva, a tiny woman with big vibes. She always wore bright red nails and a chunky green jade ring. She brought this spirited personality to baking and preparation. Sometimes too much. I clearly remember a few times fishing out eggshells that may have made their way into the bowl, as she guessed some of the measurements in her recipes. :)
This Apple Cake recipe is a variation of what she used to make as a snacking cake for us to have around the house. It is not a wow-cake for a special occasion. It is dense, not very sweet, full of apples that feels almost like an apple pancake. It's one of those things that made us smile when we saw it on the counter coming home from school.