Some people go to farmers’ markets to get painfully fresh stuff from nearby farms: zucchini, tomatoes, corn, fruit. Actually, it’s more than just “some” people: a whole lot of people. A lot of people hit the markets for the edible plant babies. In fact, they were all there, just the other week, in a line that snaked on for nearly a half-mile for peaches. The line people looked happy to be there, as though spending an hour in line for fruit was a fabulous, important endeavor –even when there were peaches, just as fresh, sweet and local, at the same price point, from other vendors. Lines are important at summer markets.
There are other reasons to go to farmers’ markets, though. They’re tiny business incubators for bakeries. In one marketplace, you can binge on cookies and breads and rolls and muffins from multiple home bakeries. It’s a bakery blitz.
That’s how we finally scored some goods from Patisserie Lallier. Patisserie Lallier is no newbie on the baking scene (be sure to check out our past reviews of their Buckeye Rochers and S’mores Macarons). It’s been around a while, doing special orders and some events. But ordering pastries requires serious premeditation. The joy of eating is the joy of impulsivity. Hitting the bakery up at a farmers’ market provides a nice little window at what it can do.
Each item at Patisserie Lallier’s stall painstakingly labeled. Reading skills will tell you that the bakery uses Snowville butter and fair trade ingredients. On display was a Service Berry Tart, which offered the opportunity to try our both serviceberries and the house crust. First, the crust: it’s rave worthy. If you’re a crust-snob, you will like it. If you are not a crust-snob, you will understand why some people care so much about it. It’s substantial, but painfully flaky and tender with a mild buttery accent. Inside are the serviceberries in a light syrup. They’re chewy and just sweet enough to make a nice foil for the crust. Truly, you could put anything inside that crust, and it would be remarkable.
For the gluten-free people, there is an almond cake option that is nothing like a consolation prize. I don’t think you’d guess that it was gluten free, as the almond flower makes a nice, moist cake texture. It’s pretty, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top around a little passel of thinly sliced almonds.
Patisserie Lallier is available for impulse buys throughout the warm months at farmers’ markets.
You can find more info at www.patisserielallier.com.