Farmer's Market...

[Julie in CA]

The restaurant I work for will have a booth at the local farmer's market, and I need to make baked goods to sell there. At past community events I've sold huge chocolate chip cookies, so I have a reputation for those, and will be making them for sure. I'm thinking of making cranberry bran muffins too, maybe morning glory muffins, but I haven't yet made any plans beyond that.

 

What else do you think I should make? Please include recipes if you have any that are spectacularly delicious. If you don't have recipes, please still chip in with your ideas. Maybe come at it from a perspective of "What baked goods would tempt me if they were for sale at the farmer's market?".

 

Thanks!

[LarlaB]

Sticky Buns/Cinnamon rolls- especially if whole wheat :)

[LibraryLover]

ETA: Meeso can readso. Jar Jar see you work in commercial restaurant. lol Not what you are asking, but I know our local farmer's market only allows food prepared in commercial kitchens. The place of choice is a local Grange kitchen that is open to all (we live in an agricultural area). Maybe this does not apply to your FM, or maybe you already know this and have access to a commercial kitchen. :)

 

That said, there is a woman who mades gorgeous big fat pies, and muffins and more. She gets $25 for a blueberry pie. I've never purchased one, but they fly out of her booth.

 

 

The restaurant I work for will have a booth at the local farmer's market, and I need to make baked goods to sell there. At past community events I've sold huge chocolate chip cookies, so I have a reputation for those, and will be making them for sure. I'm thinking of making cranberry bran muffins too, maybe morning glory muffins, but I haven't yet made any plans beyond that.

 

What else do you think I should make? Please include recipes if you have any that are spectacularly delicious. If you don't have recipes, please still chip in with your ideas. Maybe come at it from a perspective of "What baked goods would tempt me if they were for sale at the farmer's market?".

 

Thanks!

Edited May 24, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Vida Winter]

Scones!

[Blessedfamily]

Around here, whoopie pies are king. But that might be a lot of work. I don't know.

[abbeyej]

Tiny pies are a huge hit at our local farmer's market. She charges $3 each for teeny-tiny individual pies.

 

Anything that you can say "oh, this is organic" or "we use whole wheat and local pasture eggs" or some such will help. People think, "Oh, now I can justify this treat!"... ;)

[Julie in CA]

Not what you are asking, but I know our local farmer's market only allows food prepared in commercial kitchens. The place of choice is a local Grange kitchen that is open to all (we live in an agricultural area). Maybe this does not apply to your FM, or maybe you already know this and have access to a commercial kitchen. :)

 

That said, there is a woman who mades gorgeous big fat pies, and muffins and more. She gets $25 for a blueberry pie. I've never purchased one, but they fly out of her booth.

The key to this is the first line of my post--I am doing this for the restaurant I work for. No licensing problems here! :001_smile: I make a pretty mean apple pie...thanks for the idea.

[LibraryLover]

The key to this is the first line of my post--I am doing this for the restaurant I work for. No licensing problems here! :001_smile: I make a pretty mean apple pie...thanks for the idea.

 

 

LOL I just re-read that. I am a dolt.

[Julie in CA]

Scones!

I have a great recipe for these too. I had forgotten about them. Thanks!

[Julie in CA]

Around here, whoopie pies are king. But that might be a lot of work. I don't know.

Hmmm...I've never eaten or even seen a whoopie pie. I'll have to check them out! Thanks. :001_smile:

[Julie in CA]

Tiny pies are a huge hit at our local farmer's market. She charges $3 each for teeny-tiny individual pies.

 

Anything that you can say "oh, this is organic" or "we use whole wheat and local pasture eggs" or some such will help. People think, "Oh, now I can justify this treat!"... ;)

I make a point of using organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Thanks for reminding me to label as such!

[OhM]

A mom in our GS troop made pecan and lemon bars for a bake sale last year that were fantastic - and went quickly. They were ooey-gooey and looked and were delicious!

 

(But maybe pecans aren't cost-effective?)

 

Sorry I don't have recipes.

[Liz CA]

Do the goods have to be individually wrapped?

I have a Coffee Cake recipe and an "Egg Cake" recipe which are both great IMHO. The Coffee Cake is mixed the night before and baked the next morning.

 

You could cut these and wrap them or does the restaurant do the portioning and wrapping?

[Tap]

MMMMmmmmm Bakery items at the Farmer's Market....I love bakery items :drool5: at the FM!

 

There is a huge booth at ours that sells A LOT of huge cookies! They have maybe 15 different types of cookies there. The same booth also sells empanadas and mini pies. There is always a line.

 

Another booth sells dinner plate sized cinnamon rolls, muffins, French and Spanish pastries (judging by the names I don't recognize). She isn't as busy as the cookie booth, but I spent $12 there and only $3 at the cookie booth, so I am sure that she was still pulling a profit. One thing she had that looked wonderful in her case was a fruit filled pastry similar to a danish, but the pastry was puffy like a soft bread, and there was a brush of glaze on it. They shimmered in her case .... and right into my tummy..... mmmm good. :lol: They were a bit sticky, so maybe that is why the cookie booth was doing better.

 

There are a couple chocolatiers at our FM that sell individual and small 6 packs of chocolates (this is in the heart of downtown Portland, Ore so they probably do well due to the offices nearby). There are other booths that sell infused or themed items like 'lavender' where all the baked goods, jams and such are infused with lavender. There is another that has all honey based products.

 

I had a delightful Cannoli at a pizza booth recently too.

[Daisy]

We like the sweet emanadas or turnovers sold at our farmer's market. My kids beg for them. Easy breakfast, too, since we are at farmer's market obscenely early.

[Julie in CA]

Another booth sells dinner plate sized cinnamon rolls, muffins, French and Spanish pastries (judging by the names I don't recognize).

So...how much would you pay for a spectacularly delicious huge cinnamon roll?

Also, do they package the cinnamon rolls in to-go boxes, or just sell them on plates for eating on-site?

[Tap]

So...how much would you pay for a spectacularly delicious huge cinnamon roll?

Also, do they package the cinnamon rolls in to-go boxes, or just sell them on plates for eating on-site?

 

I paid $12 for a muffin, a puffy danish thing, cin roll and another pastry. I must have paid $2-4 each. I don't remember and she didn't have her prices posted on the items, just a sheet, so when I saw that her prices were quite reasonable, I just ordered what I wanted. LOL Due to the size I am guessing it was more expensive, but the other items would have taken the same amount of time and money to prep, so I really don't know. We live in the PNW so things aren't horribly expensive. Just as a base line, single plate lunches are $5-9 there (Tamale, sausage dog with sauteed peppers are each $5, single plate of Indian fare etc. $5-9)

 

 

 

Oh, man....now I am hungry for FM food. LOL

 

 

She had plates but I was taking it 'to go' so she slipped them into a bag for me.

[Tap]

I am sure you know this but absolutely plan to give out samples! If you are selling something like the huge cinnamonrolls, cut a few up, seal in an airtight dish, and then use toothpicks to give samples out to passersbys.

 

If you can figure out a way to warm the rolls, even better. A few minutes in a toaster oven, a micro -not great but if you play with the temperatures you may find a way to warm with out making it chewy. Something to warm the rolls would help to sell them here-it is a cool climate though so that may not apply to you.

 

The heat would also help to circulate the smell! Even if you don't heat them to sell, you may want to get a fan and a mini crock pot of sweet cinnamon smelling goo, to lure in the customers.

[Julie in CA]

I am sure you know this but absolutely plan to give out samples! If you are selling something like the huge cinnamonrolls, cut a few up, seal in an airtight dish, and then use toothpicks to give samples out to passersbys.

 

If you can figure out a way to warm the rolls, even better. A few minutes in a toaster oven, a micro -not great but if you play with the temperatures you may find a way to warm with out making it chewy. Something to warm the rolls would help to sell them here-it is a cool climate though so that may not apply to you.

 

The heat would also help to circulate the smell! Even if you don't heat them to sell, you may want to get a fan and a mini crock pot of sweet cinnamon smelling goo, to lure in the customers.

What great marketing ideas! I will probably do samples, but honestly, I have a pretty solid reputation, and a name that people in my teeny town recognize. :blush: I could sell a lot more than what I have time to make.

[abbeyej]

So...how much would you pay for a spectacularly delicious huge cinnamon roll?

Also, do they package the cinnamon rolls in to-go boxes, or just sell them on plates for eating on-site?

 

I would pay $3-4, if it were huge. :o) (Maybe even $4.50. But you cross to $5 and there's a serious psychological barrier there!)

 

I also want things packaged to take with me. Usually I want to get all my purchases home and *then* settle down to enjoy my treat. Though assuredly some people will eat right there, others will want pastries to take home for dessert or the next morning's breakfast...

[happi duck]

Hmmm...I've never eaten or even seen a whoopie pie. I'll have to check them out! Thanks. :001_smile:

 

Here's a book:

http://www.amazon.com/Whoopie-Pies-Sarah-Billingsley/dp/0811874540

[Blessedfamily]

Here's a book:

http://www.amazon.com/Whoopie-Pies-Sarah-Billingsley/dp/0811874540

 

Oh wow! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! You just made my dd's day!

 

And Julie, I think we pay 2.50 for small whoopie pies. But they're sweet, so a small one goes a long way. My two girls share one.

 

Oh, and the pumpkin flavor sells best, followed by chocolate.