The Sage Dad · Flemington, NJ · A sample letter
A place at
the table.
There’s a practical reason to subscribe to a newsletter that comes with a bread discount: if you buy the bread regularly, the savings add up. I’m glad to offer that benefit. I also want this letter to earn a few minutes of your week when you don’t need a loaf.
For me, that starts here in Flemington—with the things people make, the places we return to, and the conversations we might otherwise hurry past.
Some of you are raising young children. Some have grandchildren, grown children, or a table that is usually set for one or two. I’ll keep sharing activities for families, but I want there to be something here for you whatever your household looks like: something useful for the kitchen, a local connection, or a good question to take into the weekend.
I bake bread here, and I design and manage the Stangl Market website. Those two parts of my work give me a reason to pay attention to what people are making and how they bring it into the world. I’d like to bring more of that attention into this newsletter.
A different way to visit Stangl Market
On your next visit to Stangl Market, try asking one person about something they’ve made or brought to sell:
“What would you like someone to know about this that they probably wouldn’t think to ask?”
If they have time to talk, see where the answer goes. It might lead to an ingredient, a technique, a family connection, or a part of the work that never makes it onto a label. If they’re busy, save the question for another visit.
You can do this on your own, with a friend, or with a child. Children might prefer a more direct question: “How did you make that?” Adults can borrow that one too.
In future letters, I’d like to introduce some of the people behind the tables, with their permission, and share a little of what goes into their work. Since I help manage the market’s website, I’ll be clear about that connection whenever I feature it.
Who would you like to hear from? Reply with a person, a product you’re curious about, or a question you’ve always wanted to ask.
At the table: make a plan for the other half
A large loaf is a pleasure, but a small household may need a plan for finishing it.
Once your bread has cooled completely, slice the portion you won’t use soon and freeze it in a well-sealed freezer bag. Separate the slices before freezing so you can take out one or two at a time. Toast them straight from frozen, adjusting the time for your toaster and the thickness of the bread.
That gives you the beginnings of several easy meals: toast with an egg, something to go beside soup, or a slice rubbed with garlic and topped with beans or cooked vegetables.
If there are two of you at the table, try making different toppings and trading half. If you’re eating alone, make the one you actually want.
This is a sample of The Sage Dad newsletter. The full letter also includes family activities, things worth saying and a local field-guide idea.
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