bread and salt

Recently I met a peculiar yet endearing character. He shares my love for good ingredients and great uncomplicated food. But above all, he’s incredibly passionate about bread. He can keep you enthralled in a conversation about bread, different types of flours, ovens and anything else to do with the bread making process for hours. He’s one of few that still makes bread the truly “old fashioned” way, without any commercial yeasts and spending the long hours (sometimes 36 hours at a stretch) required to produce these amazing breads. He’s an artisan baker and his name is Rick Easton.

So when I had the opportunity to attend a “Bread and Salt” dinner hosted by Rick at Wild Purveyors in Lawrenceville, I couldn’t wait. Rick put together a delicious menu featuring local ingredients provided by Wild Purveyors. As you might expect, his bread was the star of the night. I had bread before dinner, with every course and in-between courses, and I wanted more. His bread is crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside and the flavor is incomparable.

Rick is fond of saying that bread is best enjoyed with a meal. I would add that a meal is best enjoyed with good company, which we had in abundance at this dinner. (And wine, but that’s another story. Stories, actually….) Watch Wild Purveyors and Rick on Facebook for your next opportunity to attend a dinner like this one. Until Rick gets set up in a more permanent location, events like these will be your only opportunity to try his bread. I can’t wait for the next chance.

Buen Provecho!