Fall Harvest

I know it's fall when mom 
delivers butternut squash.
With soil still clinging to it's skin, it's as fresh as fresh can be.

Fall means winter squashes ~ delicata, acorn and hubbard will take the place of summer squashes ~ zucchini, yellow crookneck and patty pan. Colors at the farm stand will change from cornflower yellow to pumpkin orange. 

Martha Stewart's photo of fall squashes

Food and Pottery Connection:

Food:  Curried Apple Butternut Soup
Mystic Seaport Cookbook
serves 8-10 

1 peeled butternut squash
1 tsp butter
2 onions
1 cup apple cider
1 cup applesauce
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp ginger
2 tsp curry powder

Cut squash and steam til soft. Saute onions in butter til soft. combine all ingredients in a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper.

Pottery: Spoon rests take care of the messy spoons and keep your counter clean.

fall colors to choose from

 

Carpe diem!

Winter has arrived in New England after a clear night and a full moon.  The dusting of snow has set the calendar right and with the seasonal shift, the light has giving birth to new colors. 

Spotting the snow first thing this morning, I found my curiosity peaked. I began roaming my house in search of the gifts created by the dawn of a new day in a new season...

Seeing my new photographs intermingled with ones recently taken on holiday to New York City, I found colors of a similar ilk.

And then I noticed a tonal similarity in a collection of my own pottery....
 

The combination of browns and blue side by side and together like the colors of the earth and the sky.

Life is Art. Art is Life.

The world is a beautiful place.  We can't forget to take the time to look around and see what is right before our eyes.  I can't imagine living anywhere else but in the ever changing landscape of New England.

Carpe diem!

Transition

The transition from summer to fall always seems difficult.  Less light, less sleep, less time, but I love seasonal change.  The air is crisper and the colors are darker.  Food choices become denser and warmer and I start to think about apples, pumpkins and soup.

Some of my favorites are still being harvested, but carrots are thicker, greens are darker and thoughts of tomatoes and mozzarella turn to roasted spaghetti sauce.

With a busy tempo to the day, I find myself making pasta-based recipes that are easy to assemble and reheat nicely depending on when family members arrive home.

Here's what's for dinner at my house tonight: 
 

Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce and Chicken - serves 3 or 4


Fresh Pasta - cooked and drained
Roasted Tomato Sauce* - 2-3 cups
Chicken - cut into bite sized pieces and pan fried in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt

Combine and serve with your favorite cheese.

*Roasted Tomato Sauce - Roast onions or leeks, garlic, tomatoes mixed with olive oil and kosher salt in a 425 oven for 30-45 minutes.  Cool. Blend. Add thyme or oregano or basil, whatever your favorite is.  Freeze in 2 cup portions.


Creating, creating, creating....

Color of Beets

The color of beets remind me of fall and that a seasonal change is close at hand. Beets are one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. I happen to be in the love camp and not only because of the taste. When there are rich burgundy colored beets and golden yellow ones, ones variegated and pink in tone, it effects me in the same way colorful heirloom tomatoes do and therefore I love to eat them without much interference in the way of other ingredients.

Beet Salad - serves 4-6
Modified from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Put 1 1/2 - 2 lbs beets, scrubbed but unpeeled in a baking dish. Add 1/4" water to the dish and cover. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Rinse beets under cold water and rub off the skin.

For Salad: Cut beets into wedges, keeping different colors separate. Sprinkle goat cheese or other favorite cheese. Arugula is a nice compliment or green leaf lettuce. A nice olive oil based dressing is a favorite.

Bowls reminiscent of colorful beets....