Join me at the Farm on Saturday

Powisset Farm Spring Festival is Saturday, May 19th, 10-3. 

It is the start of a great season of CSA in Dover at a Trustees of the Reservation gem.

Powisset Farm Fall Fest Pottery Tent

The Food and Pottery Connection:

The "Food" comes from Powisset Farm Blog:

Click the link for a recipe for Roasted Rosemary Radishes!

The "Pottery" is my wheel thrown, hand trimmed stoneware bowl. Durable for a season of cooking; yet, delicate in color with warm pinks bringing out a cascade of speckles.

A blend of clays create a speckling under a pinky rutile glaze. A green sprig adds detail.

What is CSA?

"CSA is a worldwide movements, called Community Supported Agriculture.  It honors a commitment between growers and consumers in which consumers pay up front for a weekly share of the harvest.  Bypassing distributors and supermarkets gives farmers financial support ... to continue farming.  In turn, the consumers, often known as shareholders, receive regular boxes or baskets of fresh, local and often organically raised produce, from a source they know and trust."  except from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables

Miss you, Molly!

Show & Sale Goodies

I'll be filling my extruded vases with flowers

Potters Place Spring Show and Sale is Friday through Sunday, May 4 - 6 at 127B Old West Street in Walpole, MA.  With 23 members creating in clay, there will be so many wonderful pieces to looks at, purchase, and study for future inspiration.  The show and sale is a means for the members to exhibit and sell their work, as well as, raise money to offset the costs of running a not for profit pottery school.

The show theme is Flora and Fauna. Here's what you'll see from me when you arrive at the studio.

Lily of the Valley Collection

Assorted Votive with floral surface decoration

plates, bowls, mugs of all sizes and shapes

embellished platters

and Much More!

Friday night is the artist reception and I'll bringing some goodies to serve on some handmade pottery. 

The Food and Pottery Connection ~

Serve these:

Blondies (not Brownies)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour just until blended then fold in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on top. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

On this:

 dishwasher safe hand crafted platter

Blue petal platter

 

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.

In the garden and beyond

This coming weekend, I've been invited to join a group of Westwood friends to sell our wares at Jane's Beyond the Garden Gate Sale.  The sale takes place on Sunday, December 4th from 12 noon until 4pm at 52 Wildwood Drive in Westwood.  There will be jewelry, pottery (mine!), soaps, ornaments, live wreaths, as well as greens, candles, lanterns, fleece, furniture, etc. Bring your friends!

What's in the garden and how does it inspire?  Last night I washed, peeled and cut up leeks and radishes from my November Powessit Farm Winter share.  My favorite way to eat these veggies is to saute them in some butter, then add water, cover and steam until done.  They are soft and comforting and delicious topped with feta or goat cheese.

sliced raw radishes

I am not a fan of raw radishes, but my family likes them raw with a little cream cheese.

Red radishes and Watermelon radishes

The color combinations in the Watermelon variety are a wonderful surprise to behold when you slice through a seemingly pale white exterior.  Radishes are high in vitamin c and have a healthy dose of potassium.  Great for lowering blood pressure too!

Daikon radishes

I've also got some daikon radishes to eat.  These can be quite large.  They are delicious in any Asian style recipe whether it is a stir-fry (that's how I'll eat mine) or shredded in a salad or even pickled.  You'll find them quite mild compared to other radish varieties.

How does the food influence the pottery?  The light green and neutral colors of these root veggies is something I've enjoyed playing around with.  Of course, when you are coking, you need bowls, bowls and bowls!

crisscross bowls

For more radish recipes, click here

Potters Place Holiday Show & Sale THIS weekend: November 18-20

Potters Place Holiday Show & Sale opens this weekend: November 18-20. The artist reception is Friday evening from 5:30-9:00PM and is open to the public.  This is the best time to visit the studio because all the members are in attendance.  We'll be celebrating our "Festive Feast" Holiday Show work.  

The sale will continue on Saturday from 9:00AM til 8:00PM (New Extended Hours) and Sunday from 10:00AM til 4:00PM.   

Last week, I previewed half of the Potters Place member work, here is a preview of the second half of the alphabet:

 

Food and pottery? Scroll down to the bottom...

Jeannette McGuillicudy

Jeanne Capachin

Jennifer Rose

Kathy Allard Whelan

Linda Gilbert

Lisa W B Walker (me!)

Lizanne Donegan

Ronda Moody

Susan LeBlanc Brum

Susan Sheilds McFarland

Here is a "Festive Feast" recipe that I would choose my own platter to serve it on. The shape and size cwill work together perfectly.

Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Spread 

- perfect for Potters Place Artists Reception

1 8oz package of cream cheese 

1 Jar of pepper jelly

Crackers

1. Unwrap cream cheese and place in the center of your platter.

2. Open the jar of pepper jelly and spread over the cream cheese. (You may use only half the jar.)

3. Encircle with crackers and spread a few to complete your display.

4. Have extra ingredients on hand as this is very addictive!

See you at the show!  Need directions?  Click here: www.pottersplace.info

Turkey

 I was out for a walk yesterday morning when I came upon a party of wild turkeys.  They started following me down the road.  I find myself both fascinated and fearful of these gobbling birds. I had to take a few photos and then I quickly made my escape...

I have been very busy getting ready for my studio, Potters Place fall show and sale.  There are just 2 weeks left to have all our bisque ware dried for firing... a difficult prospect when it keeps raining, and raining, and raining. 

The theme of this year's show is "Festive Feasts" and takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving on November 18, 19 and 20.  I'll be alternating my blog entries between writing about my own work for show, and, talking about my fellow Potters Place artisans in the weeks leading up to Show.

But before then, I'll be selling at Powessit Farm Stand next Tuesday, October 11th from 1:30-6:30 pm in Dover.  This will be the final sale during the regular distribution season.  Hope to see you then and if not, mark your calendars for Potters Place Open Studios in November.

A "Festive Feasts" Platter

Artist Reception Friday

Potters Place Spring Show and Sale opens Friday, April 29th at 6pm in Walpole, MA.  There is so much excitement at the studio this week as we prepare our "home" for guests.  The sale continues through the weekend, but Friday Night is like no other as all members come bringing a treat to share for a magical Opening Night Event. 

I've sanded, washed and priced my spring collection.  My display is almost complete at Potters Place.  I just need to make my treat for Opening Night!

Spinach Dip with Raw Veggies and Pita - serves many
Knorr Soup Recipe

10 oz chopped spinach
1 package Knorr soup mix
16 oz sour cream
1 cup mayonaise
8 oz water chestnuts, chopped
3 scallions, chopped

Combine all ingrediants.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.  So easy and very easy to double!  Serve with a variety if your favorite veggies and pita.

Platters and bowls to fill with delicious food....

Selling at Powessit

I'll be selling my pottery at that Powessit Farm in Dover on Tuesday, July 13th in the afternoon. So much of my work has been inspired by this place; I can't wait to spend the afternoon interacting with other CSA members!

Vases for fresh flowers