Happy Halloween

It's Halloween. Pumpkins are everywhere!

Sugar baby variety pumpkins are delicious to bake with. Wash the dirt off, put some knife slits in the skin and pop into a 375 degree oven to bake for an hour.

When cool enough to handle (I can never seem to wait and am constantly uttering ouch, ouch, ouch...), slice down the middle, remove seeds and transfer the pumpkin pulp to a bowl to be mashed.

I have a recipe for sweet bread that is delicious anytime of day and easily frozen.

Food and Pottery Connection:

Food: Laura Moore's Maple Pumpkin Bread - makes 2 loaves

from the Mystic Seaport "A New England Table" Cookbook

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup veg oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups pumpkin
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

1. Combine wet ingredients. Combine dry ingredients. Add wet to dry.
2. Pour batter into 2 buttered loaf pans. Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour.

Pottery: decorated plates with leafy design

Please pass the ...

When summer transitions into fall, there are so many more opportunities to reconnect with friends. Art openings, book club gatherings, put lucks of all kinds that have little dishes of this and that to sample from.  The way I think...the friends, the events, they all circle back to pottery and what those tasty tidbits will be served on.

Please pass the.... food: tiny tomato tarts on the pottery: see below 

Dish with Leaf Motif

Please pass the.... 
food: chewy caramel apple cookies on the pottery: see below

"Stripes and Dots" oval plate

 
Please pass the....
food: eggplant, pesto and goat cheese pizza on the pottery: see below 

Square Plate with all over floral design

My Plates (for passing) are one of a kind, dishwasher and microwave safe, and for sale at my guild's gallery: the Dedham Square Artist Guild in Dedham, MA. One could be the perfect piece to serve your favorite food on at your next gathering. (And no one else will have the same one...)

Wild Blueberries

Close to one half million pounds of Wild Blueberries are harvested every year in Maine from late July until the end of August. They are different from traditional blueberries as they are smaller and less sweet, richer in color and juicier.

Food and Pottery Connection:

Food: 

Maine Blueberry Muffins - 12

Junior League of Portland, Maine Cookbook

1/2 cup plus 2T butter

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup plus 1T milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 425. grease muffin tins.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder. 

3. Fold in Blueberries.

4. Bake 23-25 minutes

Pottery: 

Square Plate 

with slip-trailing and stamping

(...perfect size for 4 or 5 muffins...)

This plate (and a few other pieces of art from the Dedham Guild) will be for sale at the Dedham Farmer's Market tomorrow on the green from 12-6

Lily of the Valley

1982 Postage Stamp

On Saturday, my cooperative studio, Potters Place has their BIG studio clean up in preparation for Spring Show & Sale on May 4,5 & 6. 

I've been concentrating my work on the show's theme: Flora & Fauna

Using postage stamps for inspiration, the "LOVE" stamp has proved to be a favorite.  I use small square dishes or tiles, as a painter would use oil sketches, to do much of my experimenting for larger work. For this series, I began by playing with the flowers that make up each letter in the LOVE stamp.

L

O

V

E

I liked the "E" dish best and although it did not start out as Lily of the Valley on the stamp, it became that to me.  I choose that design and translated it to other forms.

Tumbler with white liner and baby blue rim

Bowl with floral motif

Wheel thrown mugs with slip-trailing decoration

Plate with carved rim

The Food & Pottery Connection:

 Today, it is the pottery that inspires the food...

Fill the Plate with carved rim with roasted asparagus; it's in season! Fill one bowl with floral motif with jasmine rice and the other bowl with a green salad with cut veggies to bring in color.  Fill a tumbler with your favorite beverage to complement your menu, the other tumbler can hold a small bouquet of flowers for the table. The finale: a cup of tea in a mug with slip trailed decoration and shortbread cookies served on "E" dish. What a delicious spring meal inspired by my Lily of the Valley spring collection!

Roasted Asparagus

2 bunches asparagus, dry ends snapped off

Line a roasting pan with foil and spray with olive oil

Place asparagus on pan in single layer, coat with more olive oil

     and sprinkle with kosher salt

Roast in a 450 oven for 12 minutes

In a small skillet, brown butter, add balsamic vinegar and reduce

When asparagus is done, move to serving plate and drizzle with

     vinegar.

Visit my website to see more Flora & Fauna inspired work.

14 days til Valentine's Day - pottery for your sweetheart

Breakfast in Bed

Homemade pancakes served on a plate made by hand

Food and pottery - oh yeah~!

Hands down best pancake recipe ever....

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

3 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp melted salted butter

Mix all wet ingredients except butter. Add wet to mixed dry ingredients. Add melted butter.  Spoon 1/4 cup rounds onto warmed buttered skillet. Serve with local maple syrup or wildflower honey ... warmed. Makes 10-12 pancakes.

Are you following the countdown?

Food and Pottery

Thanksgiving is the ultimate food and pottery connection.  Choosing the best food to serve on your favorite pottery is one of the many joys of eating well and buying handmade.  Setting the table for a gathering can initiate talk about the upcoming feast and discussions like... "Where did you get this beautiful patter?' - tell me the story....

Here are some of the food and pottery connections I'm thinking about for my Thanksgiving table...

a perfect little plate for gathering an appetizer ... leaving another hand free for your holiday "spirit"

bowls for all the sides you'll be serving!

A platter for the turkey

a big bowl for stuffing...and my favorite!

choosing the best vase for a centerpiece bouquet of flowers

When the meal concludes and there are a mound of dishes still to be done: stop... sit.  Fix a warm cup of tea in your favorite handmade mug and take stock of all that you are thankful for this year.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Pear Season

ceramic pears in crisscross bowl

It's fall in New England. There is no better place to find locally grown apples and pears.

 I'll eat any kind of apple, especially Macouns and Pink Ladies.  My favorite type of pear would have to be a Bartlett.  Crisp and fresh or baked with sugar, fall fruits are versatile. 

I haven't been apple or pear picking since my kids were little.  We traveled to Lookout Farm in Natick where the picking was easy and the trip was a half day.  Some day I'd like to venture out to middle or western Massachusetts where the picking is plentiful. Add that to the "wish list"....

Here is a recipe from www.allrecipes.com that is delicious at any meal.

Fresh Pear Cake

4 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

4 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Combine pears and sugar.  Let stand one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Spray a bundt pan with non stick spray

3. Combine egg, nuts, oil, and pear mixture

4. Stir flour, salt, baking soda and spices together. Stir in pear mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

How does this season influence my work in clay? Take a look...

pear plate - hand carved and painted

pear plates - slip trailed and glazed

large crisscross bowl

square plate - slip trailed and glazed