Farmer's Market Sweet Peppers and Pasta

In mid August, I was lucky enough to demonstrate at the Dedham Square Farmers Market under the Community tent.

I brought enough clay to demonstrate a cup, a bowl, a plate, a vase....

It was fun to interact with visitors and "talk shop".  Those who enjoy local food embrace the food and pottery connection.

While speaking to one of the nice folk who stopped to watch and chat under my tent, we decided this collection called for a blue glaze. With the changing season upon us, this dark rich blue won out.

I demonstrated tumblers, but ended up adding handles later in the process at home.

big bowl and little bowl

Food and Pottery Connection:
"There is a shift from tomatoes and peppers to kale and spinach.  The natural transition from summer to fall is marked by the produce we eat and the flavors we crave..." as well as the colors and shapes we choose to serve this new food in.

Food: 
Fettuccine with sweet peppers and pine nuts
 - 4-6 servings

 

Fresh fettuccine pasta (like Contadina)
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3-4 sweet bell peppers, cored, seeded and julienned
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Salt and Pepper

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil. Add garlic and bell peppers, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Add pine nuts and cook approximately 4 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Gradually stir in basil. Add olives. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta according to package directions - this will take 2-3 minutes at boil. Drain and mix with sauce.


Pottery: Serve in Big blue bowl (see above) and rest spoon here:

the center spiral acts as a drain

Many of these pieces will soon be for sale at the Dedham Square Artist's Guild in Dedham.

Clay Baskets and Chocolate Eggs

While vacationing in North Carolina this past summer, I visited Seagrove.  In their shop, I spotted a wonderful little clay basket. You can see it on the bottom shelf in the photo to the left. 

I thought: "You can only make that in clay!"

When I began to create my spring collection, I knew I wanted to include a basket.

My interpretation... wheel thrown and pinched.  
Hand pulled handle across with a swirl stamp.

I like the contrast between a soft white "liner" and 
a strong colored glaze for the exterior. 

The baskets hold flowers.  They would work well as a gift for Mother's Day.

I can imagine a flower girl in a wedding using one. 

The Easter bunny arrives on Sunday morning! 

Hop on over to the Dedham Square Artist Guild to pick up your Easter basket 

complete with a bunny tag!

The Food & Pottery Connection:

CHOCOLATE EASTER EGG RECIPE

http://www.painlesscooking.com/easter-candy-recipes.html

• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 6 oz melted semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 ½ to 3 Tbls hot water
• Dash salt
• 2 lbs melted dipping chocolate
• Candy decorations

1. Blend ½ pound powdered sugar with melted chocolate chips, cream cheese, vanilla, hot water and salt.

2. With hands, work in remaining 1/2 lb powdered sugar.

3. Shape mixture into small balls; then shape balls into egg shapes.

4. Dip eggs into melted dipping chocolate; let set to harden.

5. Decorate for Easter.

Food: chocolate Easter eggs

Pottery: candy baskets

Make a bunny workshop-
I will teach kids, 1st grade an older, to create a bunny from clay. The workshop will teach pinch and pull, plus scratch and slip techniques.

Sign ups are open now for Wednesday, April  18 class through the dedham guild.

Spring flowers and floating islands

Potters Place, my cooperative studio in Walpole, MA hosts a spring show and sale annually over the weekend preceding Mother's Day.  The members who coordinate the show get to choose the theme.  This year it is “Flora and Fauna”. 

I turned to stamps with images of flowers for my inspiration.

 

I'm using tiles as a way to explore some of my ideas.  I really like the way they are coming out of the kiln.

My Magnolia Flower Tile

This stamp illustrates a flowering tree commonly called the Franklin tree. It is native to Georgia. It has been extinct in the wild since the early 19th century, but survives as a cultivated ornamental tree.

I'm anxiously awaiting the final glaze results of this tile. Using some of the same colors as my Magnolia Flower tile, it will work nicely with my Spring "Flora and Fauna" Collection.

Camellia

As a child, I spent many hours looking at beautiful stamps with my grandmother.  It was where I first learned about art, history, and geography.   
 

It seems fitting that I share a recipe of my grandmother's as it was her love of stamps and flowers that inspired the pottery featured in today's blog post.

Floating Island~ serves 6
A French dessert consisting of Meringue floating on a vanilla custard.


Custard:
2 cups milk
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 T flour
1 tsp vanilla

Meringues:
2 cups milk
6 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt

To make the custard: bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let sit.

In a separate saucepan, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they thicken and lighten, about 3 minutes. Drizzle the just-boiled milk into the pan in a thin stream to temper the egg yolks, whisking all the while. Once the mixture is well-combined, place the pan over a medium-low flame. Continue to stir with a wooden spoon as it heats, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon so that it holds the mark if you draw through it with your finger. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as this happens, and pour the custard through a strainer into a waiting bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled (it will continue to thicken).

To make the meringues and assemble the dessert: Bring the milk to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

While the milk is heating, beat the egg whites, gradually adding the salt and sugar, until they form stiff peaks. Drop rough half-cups of the meringue mixture into the simmering milk. You can form jagged islands, or use two spoons to make somewhat smooth ovals. Let the islands simmer for one minute in the hot milk, then gently turn and simmer for another minute on the second side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the islands from the milk and set to drain on a clean plate. Repeat until all of the meringue is poached. The islands will swell dramatically in their simmer bath, and then shrink disappointingly when they're removed. Serve immediately on a puddle of chilled custard, or place in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. 

Sign ups for my tile workshop have begun.

Carved Flower Tile

The theme is spring flowers. The class is on Saturday, April 21^st from 9am-12pm at the Dedham Square Artist Guild. Click here to sign up. 

In my tile workshop, students will create a drawing of a spring flower using photos and their imagination. Simplify the design and trace it onto a leather hard tile. There will be different tools to experiment with to create an image that is three dimensional.  When the tiles are dry, they will be bisque fire and then glazed in a solid color. 

2-8 participants. Ages 13 and older.

Cup of Coffee. Mug of Tea.

Sue Brum's (Hogwild Pottery) high fire mug on the left.

There is nothing better in my book than a cup (or two) of coffee in the morning and a mug of tea in the afternoon.  The biggest dilemma I have is choosing the vessel.  I'm a big fan of the story behind the pottery, so it will come as no surprise that I choose my cup or mug based on who I want to share the time with.

The top shelf in my kitchen cupboard is reserved for my collection of handmade mugs.  These are the ones I reserve for tea in the afternoon.  

Each has a story and is symbolic of something I love.

Debbie McCarty's elements of surprise, paintings, and mug shape make this a favorite.

Couldn't live without this Wayne Fuerst soda fired Mug - purchased at Harvard. 

One of two given by to me by a dear friend.  It's the glazing that I love!

A Lizanne Donegan mug...the textural quality could only be made in clay.

This little gem I made in college.  I love the glazing and the awkward handle that fits just right in my hand.

On my way to the Dedham Square Artist Guild for my afternoon shift this past Sunday, I stopped into Mocha Java.  I'm trying their signature lattes as a special treat that I spend the afternoon at the Guild sipping away on. First it was their Pumpkin latte, this week their Cinnabon latte, next time I might try their Nutty Irishman! Many of the Guild artists have their art up around town. My handmade mugs are displayed and for sale at Mocha Java.

Mocha Java in Dedham Square

The shape, size, color and design of a mug, whether it be for coffee or tea or hot chocolate, has to work for the person utilizing the pottery.  

Handmade functional pottery is all about 

finding that connection.  

I find the story of the mug - who made it, where they made it, why they made it - works in tandem with the enjoyment I feel while sipping what it holds.

You can check out more of my handmade mugs on my flickr photo sharing site. 

Public Art and Rabbit Food

During the spring, crouching rabbit sculptures will be painted & placed across Dedham.  Each sculpture will be painted by a juried selection of local artists – and will be sponsored by local businesses, individuals and organizations. 

I've be thinking about submitting an application to participate in the Dedham Public Art Project. The deadline is this Thursday...

  

Marietta Apollonio, an artist painter and co-founder of the Dedham Square Artist Guild is painting the first of 15 bunnies for the project.  I love her work and her bunny, which she has named David B. Unny will be yet another wonderful creation of hers. She shares her palette but not her ideas...smart lady!

Why a Crouching Rabbit?
The Dedham Public Art Project will feature a crouching rabbit - an iconic form found on the historic Dedham Pottery, which was produced in Dedham over 100 years ago. The pottery was characterized by a signature crackle glaze and border designs in thick cobalt blue. The most common and recognizable design is a repeating crouching rabbit officially referred to as “the Dedham rabbit.”

During the Dedham Square Valentine's Day event, I went to check out the first bunny who was on view at the Dedham Community Theatre. 

"He" wasn't as big as I thought a 4ft bunny would be.  I guess it's his ears that really add the height.

Next door to the theatre is Heart of the Square.  I noticed they had real Dedham Pottery and had to have a closer look.  They were nice enough to let me take a few shots of my favorite pattern: the Azelea flower.

Many artists are submitting ideas.  I can't wait to see what they'll come up with.  As a potter, I'd like to see a Dedham Pottery Bunny.

At the conclusion of the public display over several months, the completed sculptures will be auctioned off to support the proposed Mother Brook Arts & Community Center slated for the old Avery Elementary School. 
 

My husband picked out Dedham Pottery as our every day ware when we were registering for our wedding.  

We've been using "bunny" plates and bowls and mugs and dishes for all our married years.  It's not the real stuff but Dedham Pottery is with us at almost every meal.  

The pottery I have was slip cast and hand painted in Concord, Ma at the Potting Shed.  What's makes my collection special to me is that each piece has the year it was created painted on the bottom (hint: my wedding year).

One of my favorite Dedham Pottery pieces is my egg dish. One could use it for painted Easter eggs or deviled eggs.  For the food and pottery connection, here's a recipe for deviled eggs...

• 1 dozen eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• Lawry's Salt (which has paprika in it)

1 Hard boil the eggs. 

2 Peel the eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl. Arrange the egg white halves on a serving platter.

3 Using a fork, mash up the yolks and add mustard and mayo. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with Lawry's salt. Makes 2 dozen.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR The Dedham Public Art Project for ARTISTS IS MARCH 1st

 should I?

It's a Handmade Holiday!

Last week, I was asked for a special order.  How I wish I could have managed to create something that fast, but then again .... maybe not.  Handmade is not ready made and isn't that one of things that makes buying handmade so much more special?  The hand of an artist can take longer than one might expect.  Let's talk clay... 

First there is the idea, the brainstorm, the plan of attack ...

then weighing, wedging and working on the wheel.

Wait ... wait... wait until leather hard.  Then trim.

Wait...wait... wait til completely dry. Fire in a bisque kiln. Test glaze combination ideas.

Glaze bisqueware. Fire glaze kiln. Sand unglazed areas to avoid tabletop scratches.
Price work. Photograph work.

Package and take to gallery to connect with customers who share your vision, enjoy your work and understand your product.

A collection of handmade pottery takes 4-6 weeks to create from start to finish... if all goes well.  

Purchasing a piece of handmade pottery goes hand in hand with a feeling of pride in knowing that someone (the artist) has created and cared for this piece, made choices along the way that culminated in transferring from maker to user.

My winter inspired collection pictured above was conceived in early November and delivered to the Dedham Square Artist Guild in mid December.  Take a drive over and have a look; they're open all week!  Perhaps it will end up on your table for the holidays... that's the food and pottery connection.

From my studio to your home, may you enjoy a very merry handmade holiday!

Last Farm Stand Sale of the Season

To get ready for the next distribution, I was cooking up all my winter squashes last night.

"Summer squash swell from blossoms to fruit in a matter of days, while winter varieties absorb energy from the sun and soil for months on their way to harvest - no wonder they are such a good comfort food.  The dense, sweet flesh of winter squash brings the light and warmth of the whole summer to your winter table." Farmer John's Cookbook

The three squash I have on hand are Buttercup, a red kuri variety; a Butternut, an all purpose favorite; and a sweet dumpling. 

Peel, remove seeds, cut and cook in a 1/4" of water to steam in a 350 oven.

Bake 45 minutes or so, then drain.

Mash each type of squash and set aside to cool overnight.

When mashed and cool, I will freeze squash for easy cooking with breads, soups or just a warm puree.

Sweet or savory winter squash puree
Joy of cooking

for a sweet puree... add for every 1 cup puree
1 T butter
1 tsp brown sugar or maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper

for a savory puree...add for every 1 cup puree
1 T butter or olive oil
1 small garlic, minced
1 T choped fresh parsley or sage
salt and pepper

Beat in warm heavy cream or orange juice to sweet or savory mix.

Serve plain or:
top with sauteed onions, zest of lemon, marscapone or sour cream, Parmesan or Gruyere cheese.

While I was baking, I was thinking back to the soda firing I did this past summer at Harvard.  The process creates such beautiful orange colors when the fire and soda connect with an unglazed surface.  I'm already looking forward to the next summer workshop. A group from my cooperative studio, Potters Place plan to attend this friday's ceramic show at Harvard.  I'm looking forward to spending time with them.

my soda fired vases from summer workshop

I was also thinking about the new friendships I'm developing at the Dedham Square Artist Guild, ...after a great Saturday shift, I went home with a homemade mini pumpkin pie made from buttercup squash.

The reason for all this late night baking is to make room for more veggies. This Saturday, December 10th is the last farm stand sale of the year.  It is the second of two winter share distributions and the last pottery sale at Powessit in 2011.  Stop by from 11-4 to pick up your local veggies and check out my handmade pottery.  The two go together so well.