Not much beats the sampling of potential new products at Macrina Bakery. The only tricky part is choosing which of the still warm samples is best and should become a regular offering. But the hard choices have been made, and we’re proud to say the creative work put in by Leslie Mackie, our pastry team, and our bakers has yielded some of the best new products we’ve offered in years.

Organic Whole Wheat Bun 

Perfect for juicy burgers or pulled pork sandwiches, this soft bun gets a slight toasted-nut flavor from an organic whole grain flour from Walla Walla and a gentle sweetness from agave syrup. Grill or toast it to caramelize the interior. The buns are sold in four-packs with a recipe card for a slow-cooked pulled pops sandwich with mango cabbage salsa—an exceptional way to enjoy this hearty bun.

Cheese Bagel 

Our MadRy Sourdough Bagels topped with a combination of white cheddar, parmesan and fresh herbs. The hint of rye in the bagel complements the bold flavor of the cheese. Sold individually or in four-packs, this cheese bagel is excellent toasted for a BLT or as a flavorful base for a scrambled egg and ham breakfast sandwich.

Almond Pinwheel 

Our flaky cornetto dough layered with frangipane—a velvety almond cream—rolled into a pinwheel and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. Crisp, sweet edges and an interior loaded with toasted sliced almond flavor. An almond croissant—Macrina style.

Savory Pinwheels 

Caramelized sweet onions, parmesan, olive oil, and a mix of sesame, fennel and poppy seeds are folded into our flaky cornetto dough and rolled into a pinwheel. The savory pinwheels were the first to vanish from trays of samples, and the surprise standout among our tasters. Savory, but with a gentle sweetness from the onions, these are perfect for a savory breakfast or lunch with a bowl of soup or salad.

“Years ago, we offered a pizzetta in our cafés, and it was a customer favorite,” says Leslie. “This is an adaptation from that, and I’ve been really loving this new version,” says Leslie. “We made it simple so you can dress it up with your favorite toppings at home. Lately, for me, it’s been prosciutto and roasted asparagus. But it’s also great just as it is.”

Our Rustic Ready-To-Bake Pizzas come frozen, and you can store them until the need for a quick meal or the impulse for great pizza strikes you. This is not your typical frozen pizza. The flavorful crust is formed from our Giuseppe dough and topped with our house tomato sauce, high-quality mozzarella and Parmesan. Baked, the crust is delicately crisp, and the sauce bubbles through just-browned cheese. That’s the baseline, without any added toppings.

Here are three more of Leslie’s favorite combos:

• Thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes, a drizzle of pesto, torn basil leaves, dash of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of coarse salt.

• Roasted asparagus, shaved Parmesan, truffle oil, chopped thyme and Italian parsley

•  Italian sausage, roasted red pepper, grated Parmesan, drizzle of balsamic reduction

Our Rustic Ready-To-Bake Pizzas bake in 15–18 minutes, depending on how many toppings you add, and feed two with a salad. They’re available at any of our cafés.

May is the month of Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 9th, this year. If you’re searching for brunch ideas, try my favorite Mother’s Day meal: a potato, prosciutto and rosemary frittata served with country biscuits and fruit conserve. You bake it in a Dutch oven, which presents beautifully at the table. The creamy country biscuits paired with Project Barnstorm conserve (my handmade fruit conserve made on Vashon Island with local fruit) provides a sweet treat to complement the savory frittata.

-Leslie Mackie

Ingredients:
Serves 4

3 medium pink potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper, divided
3 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
6 eggs
¼ cup half and half
¼ cup water
2 tsp chives, finely chopped
⅓ cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Macrina Country Biscuits
1 jar Project Barnstorm conserve

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Thinly slice the potatoes and place in a medium bowl with the olive oil and rosemary. Toss to evenly coat the potatoes in the oil. Spread in a single- layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Roast in the oven for 18–20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let cool.

Cut the prosciutto crosswise into ½-inch strips.

In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and add the half and half, water, chives, ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Reduce oven to 350°F.

Place a Dutch oven or cast- iron pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan, coating the bottom to prevent the frittata from sticking. Add the cooked potatoes, sliced prosciutto and use a wooden spoon to spread them evenly. When the prosciutto starts to sizzle around the edges, add the egg mixture. Cook until the eggs begin to form a golden-brown edge, 5–7 minutes. Top with the remaining Parmesan and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle of pan. Let cool for 5 minutes.

While the oven is still on, heat up the biscuits for 5–8 minutes.

Cut the frittata into four portions. Serve from the pan at the table. Present the warm biscuits on a tray with the conserve.

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Enjoy!Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Thinly slice the potatoes and place in a medium bowl with the olive oil and rosemary. Toss to evenly coat the potatoes in the oil. Spread in a single- layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Roast in the oven for 18–20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let cool.

Cut the prosciutto crosswise into ½-inch strips.

In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and add the half and half, water, chives, ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Reduce oven to 350°F.

Place a Dutch oven or cast- iron pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan, coating the bottom to prevent the frittata from sticking. Add the cooked potatoes, sliced prosciutto and use a wooden spoon to spread them evenly. When the prosciutto starts to sizzle around the edges, add the egg mixture. Cook until the eggs begin to form a golden-brown edge, 5–7 minutes. Top with the remaining Parmesan and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle of pan. Let cool for 5 minutes.

While the oven is still on, heat up the biscuits for 5–8 minutes.

Cut the frittata into four portions. Serve from the pan at the table. Present the warm biscuits on a tray with the conserve.

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Enjoy!

According to Calvin and Hobbes, “There’s an inverse relationship between how good something is for you, and how much fun it is.” Some might say a similar rule holds true when it comes to food. Exceptions prove the rule.

Homegrown, which opened in 2009 and now has ten restaurants throughout the Seattle area, is one of those exceptions. The trifecta of taste, health, and sustainability come together in their reasonably priced meals. They’ve made it fun to eat responsibly!

Childhood friends and Homegrown founders Brad Gillis and Ben Friedman are environmentalists at heart. They also love to gather with friends around great-tasting food. They built their business around these passions— call it sandwich environmentalism.

Now, Homegrown has taken that ethos and delivered it—literally—to your home. You can get a sandwich, but much more, too. Homegrown Goods offers a selection of ready-to-eat meals, fresh 20-minute-meal kits, and a handpicked selection of groceries for those that want to throw their own thing together.

“Everything we sell is backed by our quality standards,” says Brad. “We run every purchase thorough our sourcing standards and make sure we feel comfortable with what we’re buying.”

Homegrown Goods has its own fleet of delivery vans and drivers. They pack chilled items with ice packs, and everything arrives in a sealed box. You are notified by text when your delivery arrives. Your food is delivered one to two days after you order, on a day of your choosing. Delivery areas include much of Seattle and the Eastside, and their delivery area continues to expand.

Since Homegrown Goods launched last summer, high demand for everything has encouraged them to expand their line of offerings. Now you can choose from more than a dozen different meal options on any given day, but Brad expects to more than double the selection.

Whether it’s a Turkey, Bacon, Avocado sandwich or a Farmstead Cobb salad at one of their locations, or a Mediterranean Salmon Bowl from Homegrown Goods, food sourcing is central to Homegrown’s mission. They select the best growers and producers in each category from each region with a twin focus on deliciousness and what’s good for the planet. At Macrina, we’re proud to have our bread featured in many of their sandwiches and available through Homegrown Goods.

Food is one of the most vital connections we each have to our planet. What sustains us should also be produced sustainably. We have great admiration for the leadership role Homegrown has taken in their effort to change the food system, so it’s not just healthy for us, but for the planet too. Homegrown does the research so you don’t have to—and with tasty options delivered to your home or served up at one of their many locations, they make it easy—and fun—to do something that is good for you, and, well, just good.