The beauty of simple

There is just something striking about vegetables in the fall...its that whole harvest image...
the bounty from the garden or the field...

just as I tend to take more flower pictures in the spring...
fall is ideal for capturing the essence of vegetables...

parsnips from the sunday farmer's market...the perfect photographic model

edited with kk abstract at hue 49%
and kk bestill at colorburn 25%

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesdays...so much eye candy...

A day of delights

It was a beautiful summer day...the kind of day that really makes Seattle shine...

It was a trip into the city to one of my favorite spots, Watson Kennedy Fine Home...with one of my favorite artist friends, Jody Cain, riding shotgun, so we could take advantage of the carpool lanes...

I had a delivery of goods for Ted Watson...owner extraordinaire of Watson Kennedy...and then we looked around the store...always so many wonders to behold...





























the new and the stylish...

the old and the treasured...

seasonal shades of white...

and words of wisdom...

Before heading back home, Jody and I walked up to Pike Place Market for lunch...Beecher's is heaven...if good bread and creamy cheese is your idea of manna...was going to take a pic of our sandwiches...but we were too busy eating...








all in all...a wonderful summer day...

A taste of summer

I know that summer is on the way when the local community farmer's market opens for the season...last Sunday we travelled down to the marina for our first visit of the year...

I really don't have a green thumb...so rather than suffer through the agony of trying to grown my own vegetables,
I support my local farmers...

Fresh strawberries were at the top of the list...the color, aroma and taste of a local berry can not even compare to the ones shipped to the grocery store, long before they are even ripe...

slicing them up on my morning cereal...or a bowl of vanilla ice cream is divine...

And I just love those turquoise cardboard containers!

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Friday Finds...to share that one thing that really made your week...
to cherish life's simple pleasures...

Winding down

With the start of 2013, holiday festivities here wind down...with our New Year's Day open house that brings together friends, food and fun...

December can be a tough month for celebrating...for some its Christmas, others Winter Solstice, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa...but the Southern Man and I decided that you can't go wrong with New Year's Day since the calendar begins anew for most everyone. 

It is a Southern tradition to eat hoppin' john (black eyed peas and rice) and collard greens for good luck...the Southern Man was in his glory preparing these savory treats...I tended to all the other details.  Keeping in mind my holiday theme of simple and natural, here's a few ideas I used in setting the buffet table...

Two hefty candle holders and three ironstone plates make a lovely tiered dessert display...

The vintage letter holder that organizes my monthly bills found double-duty holding cocktail napkins next to the chex-mix...

The wire framework from a hand food mill holds a bowl of cherry tomatoes with room underneath for the broccoli florets while a wire colander rounds up the baby carrots...

the set of ceramic "thimble" flower pots that I received from my sister as a christmas present corrals the silverware...

Today's been a slow day of cleaning up, taking down the decorations and packing it all up for another year...after removing the lights and the ornaments from my grapevine tree, I put it in the garden to add a little winter interest...now that's double-duty!








The sun is shining brightly here, heightening my mood...and with my office all cleaned up and my work table totally cleared, it seems as if 2013 is filled with all sorts of possibilities...

In the lull

The week between Christmas and New Year's always feels like limbo...still kinda celebrating...but the frenzy is over...school is closed...but the daily routine is off...and it seems like everything is waiting until the calendar turns the page before anything substantial can begin...

Its the perfect time to take vacation...which explains why I am working non-stop since everyone else I work with did take vacation!  But there have been plenty of slower moments at home...I've cleaned up my office...but the real task of cleaning up the studio will happen after the first of the year...when all the world seems to be re/organizing (I swear January is the unofficial get yourself organized month)

I've had a chance to enjoy a couple of my christmas presents...a bottle of good french wine and the newest Where Women Create magazine....Where Women Create-Business...

I'm also taking it easy with dinner prep...nothing too involved...this salad has been making a couple of appearances since its so simple...arugula, red grapes, thin sliced red onion, blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette...sliced pears with gorgonzola cheese works well too...

With 2013 looming, I've been thinking about my word for the year...my word for 2012 was begin...and it was interesting how that word guided me throughout the year...do you pick a word for the year...
have you chosen one yet?

and if you're interested...the bonus giveaway is on until Dec 31...all the details here...

The bounty of summer

Though there is the hint of fall in the air, summer still has some life left in her...and this was evident at the weekend farmers market...there is a bounty of fruits and veggies, overflowing with colors, textures,
tastes and smells...

Since the Southern Man and I were going to a BBQ on Labor Day, the market was ideal to pick up just about everything I needed to make salsa...vine ripe tomatoes, yellow peppers, sweet onions and cilantro...

It was easy to whip up a big bowl of salsa fresca...using a recipe of Mark Bittman's, I put everything in the food processor, gave it a short whirl, added lime juice, sea salt and a dash of ground pepper and it was done...

By the way...as opposed to the Southern Man's collection of over 300 cookbooks, I have just a few that I refer to now and again...How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman is one of them...He also has written a few others...and the recipe for Salsa Fresca came from The Best Recipes in the World.  Simple, uncomplicated recipes...for novice to experienced chef...I always find what I am looking for in one of his books...

The salsa was a hit at the BBQ...it was a wonderful evening to sit outside with friends and enjoy the remnants of summer sun...

Fresh!

The Everett Farmer's Market is finally open!  Held every Sunday from June to October, its a regular stop for the Southern Man and I.  Not only do we live in a micro-clime with an obnoxious wind and little southern exposure in our yard, but I really do have a black thumb...so we've decided to patronize the local food artisans/farmers instead...today was our first visit of the season...

Strawberries picked this morning and asparagus harvested just yesterday came home with us...and we had a great lunch of asian spring rolls along with some Mexican torta...eating local has never been easier...or tastier...

BTW...my photo collage was created with the help of PicMonkey...now that Picnik is no more, PicMonkey has stepped up to fill the need of easy online photo editing...I'm loving the variety of templates and options...makes anyone look like a pro!

Linking up to Your Sunday Best over at A Rural Journal...

Cold comfort

Now that January is here, I'm happy for the clean start to the year...but the weather turns unbearably gray and drizzly (well...actually that's been a little snowy lately...no, make that alot snowy...for us here in the Pacific NW!)   All I feel like doing is staying inside...working...or reading...or cooking...


I just finished reading Gabrielle Hamilton's autobiography, Blood, Bones and Butter.  It was a fascinating read...and not sugar-coated in the least.  In the same vein as Anthony Bourdain's books, you might sometimes think twice about your restaurant meal and what it went through before it arrived at your table...but Hamilton's book also inspired me to go into the kitchen and cook...preparing heart-warming and soul-stirring food...or at least, give it my best shot!










We had a ton of carrots leftover from our annual New Year's Day open house...and there's only so many carrots I can chomp on during the day...I thought I would roast them until they were sweet, soft, caramelized, melt in your mouth nuggets...

raw carrots with garlic cloves, sea salt and cracked pepper...

I added chopped red onion, parsley and green olives to the roasted carrots...tossed the carrots with olive oil, a handful of roasted sunflower seeds and a pinch of red pepper flakes along with some rotini pasta...

with a glass of rough red wine, it provided plenty of cold comfort on a chilly January night...

The perfect pick

With holiday season approaching, there are no shortage of opportunities for celebrating...often with food involved!  Need to bring a potluck item or feed a crowd in a hurry...this is the perfect pick...discovered this recipe years ago in the Seattle Times...easy to make, a little out of the ordinary and nutritious as well...Three Bean Curried Salad...three steps...chop the veggies...

rinse and drain the canned beans...

make the vinaigrette...toss with beans and veggies, and you are done!

of course I tweaked it a little bit...but click here to get the original recipe.

And why was I making up this batch of beans...to share with the other artists at the Artist Studio Holiday Sale this Thursday, Friday & Saturday.  Join me and 10+ other artists and get all of your holiday shopping/gift giving taken care of in one fell swoop!  Mention you read about the sale on my blog and receive 20% off purchases from me.  Hope to see you there!

Try it, you'll like it!

While I was in Yakima last weekend, my sister and I shopped at the Farmers' Market on Sunday morning.  Since the weather is drier and warmer on the eastern side of the state (as opposed to where I am - cold and wet!), the selection of produce at this time of the year is far better than what I can get at my local farmers' market.

There was plenty I brought home for week night dinners...apricots, garlic, green beans, zucchini, kale...and arugula.  Now, I had never tasted arugula before - never really gave it much thought...but the owner of Punkin Center Farms was extolling its virtues to another customer so I munched on a leaf...I loved the peppery, fresh taste...I bought a bag and concocted my recipe...


My plan was to make a salad...
washed the arugula...

sliced up the apricots...

made a balsamic vinaigrette with the garlic and a little red onion...

as well as simple marinade for a couple of boneless chicken breasts...I like to add the marinade to the breasts in a plastic container with a tight lid and then shake it all up...the marinade is evenly distributed and flavors the chicken nicely.

Once the chicken was sauteed, it was time to put the salad together.  I lightly dressed the arugula, sliced up a chicken breast, added the sliced red onions and apricots and topped it off with a sprinkle of gorgonzola cheese.  With a side of homemade three seed bread, it was the perfect farmers' market meal.

Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special which is focusing on healthy meals...it all makes sense...if you're out looking for junk, you'd better be in good shape 'cause its not an easy task!

Substitutions allowed

It was time for dinner...since we plan out a rough menu for the week, I knew that I'd be making Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe - a great recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis.  I love all the Giada cookbooks - simple recipes that are easy to make and taste fantastic!

As I gather up ingredients, I find I don't have everything the recipe calls for...no problem.
Instead of broccoli rabe, I had kale.
Instead of parmesan cheese, I had blue.

Instead of orecchiette, I had farfalle. 
I always have garlic in the house.

Calvin enjoys eating the kale stems - anything green & crunchy is a treat for him.

Dinner is served.  Instead of red wine, I have white.

Instead of stressing that I didn't have the right ingredients, I had substitutions.  Cooking/Art - sometimes with a little creativity and a change in plans, you can have a great outcome.

And if you haven't entered my anniversary giveaway, there's still time...all the details are HERE!

Cooking is a multi-media art form

As I have mentioned before, I think cooking closely aligns itself with collage...you take a selection of ingredients, mix them together in an interesting combination and produce an end result that is an amalgamation of your original elements... Paper or  potatoes - the process is the same!

Tonight its Black Bean Burritos.  First the filling...a can of drained & rinsed black beans.

an aside...the strides that have been made with canned beans in the last 30 years is astounding...I used to cook my beans from scratch all the time since canned beans were horrible (and black beans impossible to find in northern Wisconsin back then!)  Every imaginable bean is now canned and ready for its culinary preparation in an instant!

To the beans, I've added chopped onion and garlic, frozen white corn kernels and spices (cumin and mexican oregano).  There were leftover roasted potatoes in the fridge - I cut them up and threw them in...also a little shredded cheddar cheese.

Next is the sauce...a can of diced tomatoes with half a jar of peach/pineapple salsa - bring it to a simmer...add in a little more cumin and a spoonful of cocoa...playing off the sweetness of the peach/pineapple, it will suggest a molé flavor.

I spread a dab of whipped cream cheese on the tortillas before I rolled up the filling - adds a nice creaminess to the burritos.

Six burritos fit nicely in the Le Creuset oblong pan - make sure to ladle a good amount of the sauce in the bottom of the pan so the burritos are soft on the bottom and not tough.

another aside...I love my Le Creuset pans (and have Monty to thank for introducing them to me) ...granted they are expensive but they are worth it - they will last a lifetime.  I use the enameled cast iron french oven and the oblong roaster the most while the petite french oven and the two skillets wait their turns.

Cover with foil, bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes...a glass of red wine, maybe a green salad...excuse me, but its dinner...

How the garden grows

Since I've already shown you the garden shed, its time to focus on the garden.  Its too bad I don't have a "before" shot - there was nothing in my sister's backyard but an old maple tree (great for shade but the whirly-birds are sprouting everywhere!)  The progress that has occurred in a year is astounding.  First Stacey killed off the grass in those areas where she wanted her garden beds by putting down layers of newsprint covered with mulch last winter - and voila! - there was excellent compost in place of the grass come spring.  Then methodically she planned...and planted.  After just a year, I would say the results are impressive!

She planted a vegetable garden behind the shed to get maximum sun for strawberries, tomatoes, onions, peppers and melon.  The cucumbers were in full force while I was visiting - so we had plenty to eat and I took plenty home to enjoy.  We also made the cucumber salad (adding in some Walla Walla onions from the garden) that my mother always made each summer when we were kids. 

After we were grown, my mother put together a booklet of favorite family recipes  - she typed up the recipes, organized them by category, bound them in a small booklet and covered the front & back with fabric.  She even added a fold-out piece of plastic to protect the recipe page from splatters while you were cooking.  Each of my brothers and sisters received a copy, each with a different cover.  The cover of my booklet is a hopsack print from one of my mom's favorite skirts.

For your enjoyment - here is the cucumber salad recipe...in my mom's own words.
Peel and thinly slice cucumbers.  Put in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.  Cover bowl and let stand in refrigerator overnight.  Take cucumbers out of bowl (next day) and wring out - use your hands.  Put in another (smaller) bowl.  Pour following dressing over, stir well.  Add in some sliced onion and a dash of pepper.  Let stand at least an hour before eating.
Dressing:  Mix 4-1/2 T sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/3 cup oil.  Stir well until sugar is dissolved.

A green solution

Making do with what's at hand is my forte.
I love the problem-solving aspect of trying to figure out a situation while making the best use of the resources I have at my disposal. 



"substance from a solution" 
Amy Duncan  2009



One recent night I found myself with a big bag of fresh spinach that needed to be eaten sooner rather than later and no other prospects for dinner.  I love pesto but since it is early spring, there is yet no basil growing outside my back door.  Basil is a leaf - spinach is a leaf - couldn't one substitute for another?  I went to work.

I had plenty of spinach leaves and fresh garlic; Patricia Well's pesto recipe in her Trattoria cookbook is my favorite - very simple and easy.  I minced the garlic in the food processor, added the spinach leaves, slowly poured in the olive oil.  By the way, I always have a glass of wine when I am cooking...its usually 5pm...its happy hour...I'm relaxing...and cooking...all is good...

An aside - I am not a big fan of many gadgets - I like to keep it as simple as possible - but I love my Cuisinart.  Got my first one in 1983 - used it 20 years until the plastic housing cracked - now I'm on my second one.  It is a great time saver plus does things (like making pesto) that would just not be the same done by hand.

After the pesto was done, I sauteed some onion and mushrooms to give the final pasta dish a little more substance.

Here is my kitchen helper...whenever anyone is in the kitchen, Calvin is there...you just never know what might fall
on the floor!

I stirred the cooked rotini into the pan with the sauteed onions and mushrooms and then added a healthy amount of the spinach pesto - topped with parmesan cheese - it was the perfect green solution for a quick bistro dinner.