Bluebird Grain Farms’ Baked Goodness

Husband-and-wife duo Sam and Brooke Lucy originally met while walking their dogs along the same road where their 200-acre Bluebird Grain Farms now stands in Winthrop. After making a love match, the couple decided to deepen their roots in the Methow Valley and became partners in business, too, establishing their all-organic granary in 2005 to provide locals with nutritious grains.

Seven years later, Sam does the farming, and Brooke handles the packing, sales and marketing; the duo has a hand in each step of the “plow to package” operation, ensuring a high quality of earthy, rich grain.

Harking back to the way grains once were milled, Bluebird specializes in emmer flour, an ancient, heirloom grain with high protein and trace amounts of gluten, making it more easily digestible than most modern grains.

As the holiday baking frenzy commences, try Bluebird’s new hard white wheat for all-purpose baking, or their signature emmer to enhance this season’s baked goods with a rich, sweet, nutty flavor.

Don’t have a sweet tooth? Pasta flour, derived from a recipe by chef John Platt of Madrona restaurant St. Cloud, is new to Bluebird’s pantry this month.

Bluebird Grains are found at many natural markets throughout the city, including Eat Local, Whole Foods Markets, Madison Market, Town & Country Markets and in bulk at PCC Natural Markets.

Order any of their freshly milled-to-order products on their website (bluebirdgrainfarms.com) or sign up for the Bluebird CSA program, a box filled with grains, freshly milled flours, cereals and even complimentary recipes like that for emmer coffee cake, which will have you eagerly checking the mail each month.