Places to Visit: Farine
Just in time to catch the early morning sunrise on a day off, I finally made it to the bakery café I’ve been admiring since construction began a while back. Located near Redmond’s town center, Farine makes freshly-baked breads, pastries, and a selection of café style dishes that are by far some of the best I’ve had in a while. They also serve really delicious coffee and espresso to pair with all the food.
As you read a bit about Farine, be sure to take in the photos of the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had, complemented by a rich Chocolate Waffle and purely great cup of coffee, amongst other fresh menu items like the breakfast croissant sandwich.
“It’s a real treat these days to have someone else prepare food and drink for you, so all my gratitude goes to those who are keeping local spots running.”
I miss the days of kicking off the weekend in a coffee shop, reading the news or working on a grocery list. This venture, while bundled up and sitting outside on a quiet morning, made me forget all the things I was missing. It just felt normal (and safe). It’s a real treat these days to have someone else prepare food and drink for you, so all my gratitude goes to those who are keeping local spots running.
I didn’t know this, but farine means “flour” in French. It’s the heart of the menu at this spot, check it out here, but there’s also lots of other great options that are gluten-free (vegetarian, too!). I can’t wait to go back and try more, hoping a quick lunch trip is in my near future.
On my way out, I grabbed a baguette to bring home and use with dinner the next day. It turns out that it looked so nice on my counter that I completely forgot to use it while fresh. Not wanting it to go to waste, I salvaged it by making a jar of breadcrumbs to use on zucchini au gratin and keep in the pantry. Scroll down for the simple recipe.
Breadcrumbs
Inspired by a stale baguette that I didn’t want to waste, here’s some easy breadcrumbs to keep stocked in the pantry.
Start with crunchy bread, whether stale or dried in the oven. To do it in the oven, slice up the loaf and put it in the oven on 250ºF until dry (not toasted).
Working in batches, put pieces of the bread into a blender and blend on low until it’s the texture of a coarse sand. To mine, I added the following:
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
½ Tbsp. dried parsley
½ Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
And just before actively using these in a recipe, I added some freshly grated parmesan for some extra flavor and nuttiness.