Friends, hi, how are you?

Thank you for your kind notes after last week's letter. On Sunday, I drove 9 hours from Pittsburgh back to Ella's school. We spent the night in a hotel, and in the morning we parted again. No tears! Progress.

In the spirit of goodbyes and first days of school, a few of you sent me this WSJ editorial. It's beautifully written and made me weep. Can't recommend it enough 🤣

This week, I baked this sourdough sandwich bread using the same technique several of you have recommended to me in recent months: covered with another loaf pan (photo above) for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes or until evenly golden brown. I have never covered any of my loaf-pan breads while baking, and I have never been dissatisfied with how they bake, but I gave it a go anyway and ...

... was so pleased with its loftiness! The extra steaminess created by the lid must allow for greater expansion. Such a great tip 🙏

I haven't tried it with this non-sourdough sandwich bread recipe, but I imagine it will work, and I will update the recipe once I try.

Anyway, Friends, this week we got back to it: I made tacos for the first time since in months, Aunt Rene's chicken, and this pasta bake. I miss summer, but routine is nice, too. I've shared a few back-to-school staple recipes, both for mornings and evenings, below. I hope you all are well.

Simple Sourdough Sandwich Bread

PS: If you need a garlic- and onion-free tomato sauce for allergy reasons, I can't recommend this one enough: 5 ingredients, astonishingly simple, so very tasty. I used it in this pasta bake this week:

Review of the Week

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holly's Challah

"Incredible challah. I’ve been making challah for 20 years, and this has now replaced my favorite recipe."

— Elke

PS: If you need help shaping a round challah:

Back To School Staples

Simple Soft Sandwich Bread

Large Clump Granola

Homemade Muesli

One-Pot Baked Ziti

3-Ingredient Chicken Cutlets

Honey-Soy Chicken

A plate of honey-soy oven-baked chicken drumsticks.

One-Pot Curried Chickpeas

Bowl of curried Thai chickpeas and rice.

Farm Share Friends:

... it's here! The season of ALL the greens, herbs, radishes, and more. While I am no longer updating The Farm Share Newsletter, these posts from previous years may be helpful: