A couple of months ago, I was having a particularly long day and that long day was turning into a long night as I settled into another graveyard shift of baking. All of a sudden, I get a text from Marc letting me know that he had a plate of dinner for me that he's going to drop off at the kitchen. Sure enough a little while later I was handed a delicious homemade meal and a cold can of beer!
Another time, I had worked so late the previous night that I didn't hear my alarm and overslept when I was supposed to meet Devin at the bakery for market the next morning. When I didn't pick up his phone calls or reply to messages, the guys discussed amongst themselves that they had better check on me and Devin drove all the way to my house to get me.
To say that we all just work together is a gross understatement...I feel incredibly lucky to have such an amazing team who take care of me and of each other. I feel even luckier to call these fellas, my friends. I know it's a little early as we haven't put together any specific job details about the position but we will be looking to add to our C&C family soon. If you or someone you know is passionate about baking bread and wants to join us on this crazy adventure, forward them this email and tell them to contact me!
Also below you'll find the recipe for the super delicious Chorizo Strata that Marc made for dinner that night. I asked him to share it here because we will have Jalapeno Cheddar bread at the markets this weekend (alongside Caraway Rye, Country White, Olive Oil Semolina, Cranberry Walnut, Everything Bagel, and Baker & Brewer).
Marc's Chorizo Strata
12 oz. Mexican chorizo
1 bunch green onions, white and pale green parts finely chopped, dark green parts sliced
1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
2C finely shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
2C milk
10 large eggs
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chipotle-flavored Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)
1 loaf of Crust & Crumbles Jalapeno Cheddar bread
Queso fresco
Avocado
Pico de gallo or fresh tomato, cored and finely chopped, and cilantro
1. Preheat large skillet over medium heat and add chorizo, breaking up into small pieces. After about 5 minutes of cooking, add white and pale green parts of green onion and continue to cook the mixture until the green onion has softened, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Cut the bread into small cubes, filling a 9" x 13" baking dish until about 3/4 of the way full (a couple slices short of a whole loaf). Remove cubes to a large mixing bowl, then grease the baking dish. (If you're planning on eating the strata tomorrow, toast the bread cubes in a 250 degree oven for 10 minutes.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Crack eggs into another large mixing bowl, add salt, and whisk, breaking up the yolks (it will otherwise be difficult to see the yolks if you wait until after adding the milk to whisk if you're using an opaque mixing bowl). Add the milk, pepper, and hot sauce, and whisk mixture together.
4. Toss together the bread cubes, cooled chorizo-green onion mixture, the rest of the green onions, black olives, and 1 1/2 C of the cheese together until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared baking dish, spreading out the mixture to a uniform height throughout the dish.
5. Pour the egg-milk mixture slowly and evenly over the bread cube mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest, at least a half an hour, before baking. Alternatively, cover and place in refrigerator overnight, allowing dish to sit at room temperature a half an hour before baking the next day.
6. Bake the strata for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven, remove aluminum foil, and sprinkle evenly with remaining shredded cheese. Return to oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with pico de gallo (or finely diced tomato and cilantro), diced avocado, and crumbled queso fresco.