Salad of the Week: Garlic Scapes with Apple, Artichoke, and Sheep Brebis

Today's lunch turned into a blog-caliber treat. I started with garlic scapes, an ingredient whose name and appearance I felt was worth my bewilderment, but once I cooked up and tried these tasty tendrils, the rest came together...

Ingredients
Bed of red and green baby lettuce topped with:
Garlic scapes sauteed in extra virgin olive oil
Marinated and quartered artichoke hearts
Chopped Pink Lady apples
Chopped walnuts
Sheep brebis crumbles from Highland Farm
Julienned purple and yellow sage from the garden
A drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar

This was my first time preparing and eating garlic scapes. I followed the recommended cooking method of sauteing in olive oil and checking for done-ness and found them to have a delicate garlic flavor that was very complimentary to the other ingredients. The texture was nice, not unlike thin asparagus spears, but I found the tips a bit tough so I will be cutting them off before cooking next time. Overall, this salad was wonderful and filling (Elaine Benes would be proud); a great success!

Happy Father's Day!

To all the great dad's out there... especially mine!




Some of what I learned from my dad:

1. While a guest at someone's house, always offer to help in the kitchen
2. Never take life too seriously (regardless of age)
3. It's all about teamwork
4. How to draw
5. To lie is one of the worst things
6. How to plant flowers, scramble eggs, and swim
7. Straight men can decorate
8. Anything can be achieved with enough hard work
9. Family is #1
10. Don't forget to say, "I love you."

Thanks for everything Dad, I love you.

Still Here

Rather than feeling guilty for not posting recently, I've decided to list five very good distractions that have kept me busily away:

1. Toiling away on new work for my future etsy shop and the On the Rise show in the Museum Shop at the DCCA. See the Press Release (and stop by if you're in the Wilmington area)
2. Working on a couple of exciting commissions. More information and pictures to follow, but I can't ruin the surprise.
3. New great job! Yay!
4. Yard work... better than it sounds, we've been putting in several great shrubs and trees, taking out a lot of weedy invasive messes, as well as working on my first garden.
5. Lots of cooking... we're two weeks into our 2008 summer CSA and those veggies don't prepare themselves! The benefits: endless, but beyond that... supporting the local economy, environment, and our personal health.

Well that's pretty much it. I'll try to check in a little more often with the progress of new work with photos. Thanks for stopping by... and have a great summer!

PRESS RELEASE: On the Rise

On the Rise, Work From the Metalsmithing & Jewelry Program at Towson University

Curated by Jan Baum

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts

Wilmington, Delaware

June 5-July 31, 2008

Opening reception 5-8 p.m., Friday, June 6th, 2008

On the Rise represents the diverse cross section of current undergraduate and graduate work as well as recent alumni from both degree programs. Work comprising this exhibition stretches the traditions and boundaries of both the metalsmithing and art jewelry discipline. Age-old impulses of body adornment are reinterpreted individually and personally in 2008. The Metals & Jewelry discipline attracts artists drawn to the intimacy and site specific nature of the art jewelry object and objects historically associated with the Metals & Jewelry discipline. A number of works bridge multiple disciplines in conveying the artists’ conceptual ideas.

The intimate and site-specific format of the art jewelry object and objects historically associated with the Metals & Jewelry discipline attract artists by virtue of the ideas they are seeking to express. A number of the works here bridge multiple disciplines.

Many of the artists in the exhibition are exploring non-traditional materials in the expression of their individual artistic pursuits while others utilize prominent materials in new and individual ways. A handful of artists are engaged with new materials and new technologies while simultaneously pushing and exploring the boundaries of art jewelry object.

The work in On The Rise has been selected because of its forward thinking and level of investigation into diverse and rich frontiers, which are evolving the Metals & Jewelry field.

Jan Baum is Professor and Director of the Metalsmithing and Jewelry Program at Towson University. She holds an MFA from University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and a BFA from Arcadia University.

Photo: Norway Maple, sterling silver and tourmaline, 2008, Whitney J. Marsden

Greetings from Red Barn Farm!

Things are continuing to come to life up here on "the farm." Immediate duties like mulching, weeding, and clearing are keeping me from the studio... but plans abound! These beautiful photos were taken by Maria and Boris.

Spring Arivals!

Daffodil

Star Magnolia

Forsythia

I couldn't resist some pictures from around the yard. Things are ever changing around here and the scents and colors are breathtaking. I've been out working hard appreciating the beauty and trying to stay ahead of the weeds. Next up: dogwoods, lilacs, and apple blossoms. I can't wait.

Discovering Auctions!

I have a new past time... auctions! It must be the thrill of holding that little number up and battling it out (really, I'm a wimp) while racing the "clock" with the fast talker (do they go to auction school for that?!). Steve and I met up with his friend Ray on Saturday and hit three auctions before 2 p.m. Seriously, it hurt waking up that early! The first two auctions were take-it-or-leave-it in addition to cold and windy, but the third had some very unique things only found in that part of Pennsylvania on that particular day. It was great! We came away with some much needed (and wanted) items: a large Persian-style wool rug, an oak swivel office chair, an electric griddle (for PNP, a resist used for etching metal), and an old wood and cast iron sled... at $71 for everything, we made out! Of course I am currently thinking back longingly about a couple of things, but that's to be expected. Then there's the added bonus about auctions; you can buy whatever you want... so long as you're willing to pay for it! Three cheers for giving new life to old objects!

Update: Above you will see a picture of our new rug. I love it. The colors and design work well with our little farmhouse and we really needed something on the floor to separate the living room from the dining room. Nevertheless, as my mom says, "there's a price for getting things so cheap..." With rain comes humidity and thus new odors in our rug have surfaced. Despite doing EVERYTHING I can come up with, we have been confronted with (like a brick wall) the ever permeating smell of WET DOG! Tonight I'm taking the third pass with the steam cleaner! Help! Any suggestions?! Editors Advisory: although we don't have a dog, we think dogs are great, but YUCK!

Happy Spring!

These are a couple of blown out Easter eggs I made this year for my mom (b&w) and Steve's mom (color). Thanks to Juliet of The Broken Plate for the tip, I've entered them into the Hatch 1st Annual Easter Egg Coloring Contest. Fun! I hope you had a nice weekend and are enjoying all the wonderful things coming to life outside. I know I am! Go now... VOTE!!

Salad of the Week: Lentils with Basil & Polenta

So it's more of a side dish than a salad, but I figure the definition blurs when you put anything on a bed of greens! Either way, a test group and one daring boyfriend have confirmed that Lentils with Basil & Polenta is "really good!" Here goes this super fast and easy recipe...

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more to brush

1 package Trader Joe's Lentils (fresh and found in the produce department)

3/4 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Basil leaves

1 roll ready-to-serve Polenta (any flavor except cilantro, in specialty or natural food grocery isle)

A couple handfuls fresh Baby Greens

Fresh cracked Pepper & Sea Salt to taste

Crumbled Feta Cheese

Polenta

Brush slices of polenta and saute or bake as directed on package. When complete, cut into cubes (round slices are also nice served around edge of platter). Set aside.

Lentils

In a large pan, drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil. When warm, add entire package of lentils (separated) and grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-low until tomatoes start to soften. Remove from heat and gently mix in basil and polenta.

On a platter, spread a bed of fresh baby greens and top with lentils and polenta. Finish with crumbled feta and fresh basil, and garnish with a sprig of basil.

A fresh side dish great year round served hot or cold (and great with shrimp)!

body+soul's: Better Bling

If you haven't already come across the recent article titled Better Bling in body+soul's March 2008 magazine, it's a brief, but to the point read worth taking a gander at. A guide to the eco-conscious consumer, Better Bling takes a reveling look beyond the veil to explain where precious metals, diamonds, and colored gems are sourced; how they are accessed and who is working to unearth them. Many in the jewelry industry are aware of the issues surrounding the materials we use, but often the consumer is left in the dark about the all-to-frequently horrific history of their jewelry. This article puts it all out there in not too vague terms and offers alternatives such as purchasing from eco-conscious jewelers who use metals and stones that are recycled and/or ethically sourced (!), recycling old jewelry, and buying estate jewelry. Most importantly, Better Bling encourages the consumer to request information about the source of the materials used in their jewelry stating that by demanding information, consumers can start a trend that initiates change. Links to industry resources as well a selection of eco-friendly jewelers are also provided. Go to the body+soul website to see a gallery of more eco-jewelry.