Luscious Stack o' Leftovers: 100 Days of Recipes, Day 47

Or, fun with a canape cutter.

From the Sweet Potato Polenta, and a flattened version of Mom's Meatballs comes this lovely way of playing with my food:

So much fun playing with leftovers - I also had fun playing with my plates.

I took my trusty little canape cutter, and cut rounds of the leftover polenta. For each serving, a round of polenta and a round of meatball were heated on my Foreman Grill. Meanwhile, I cooked down some onions in herbed butter, then some spinach, also with light seasoning. While a sunny-side up egg slowly cooked, I started playing with the elements. A bed of spinach, then the polenta, some of the onions... When the egg was just right, I hit it with the cutter, and placed the cut parts of the whites on top of the polenta and onions. Next was the flat meatball, more onions, the egg, and a garnish of garlic chives (that had been in the onion saute). 

It's still rainy, but I'm ready to move back into the fresh foods of the season. This has been some comfort food fun, though!

Springy Fruity Elixir. 100 Days of Recipes: Day 2

April has somewhat snuck up on me. The winter was weird, so now things are blooming all over the place, it was sunny and 70 yesterday, but because it's still before Mother's Day, and because it's Asheville, there might be snow at the end of the week.

Today I'll take inspiration from my Monthly Planner, and take a moment to remember all those things to toast - good family, good friends, good dogs, mostly good cats, good colleagues, clients, and cohorts, doing work I love, and always a reason to see and find gratitude.

100 Day Challenge, Day 2

Springy Fruity Elixir

A refreshing way to drink water, and avoid sugary sodas or juices. Of course, make what ever variations you like, depending on what you have on hand.

Per serving:

1 can Soda water, or unsweetened lemon or lime seltzer
2-3 strawberries, cleaned and tops removed
3-4 raspberries, rinsed
4-5 mint leaves, thinly sliced
2 basil leaves, thinly sliced
Juice of 1/4 lemon slice (optional, if you don't use a lemon seltzer)

In the bottom of a tumbler, muddle the berries with the mint and basil leaves. Squeeze lemon juice into glass, then pour over soda water. Add ice if desired.

I also do a version of this with non-carbonated water, and make larger batches in a bottle that goes with me to the studio. I like to put sections of citrus orange/grapefruit/lemon in those for added flavor.* The more it chills in the fridge, the more the fruit flavors diffuse into the water, and when you drink it you'll get the occasional fruity/minty/herby treat!

*the best way to cup up your citrus for these bevvies, or for salads, is to supreme them. If you're not familiar with that, you can learn how by watching this video!

Moroccan Style Spice Blend. 100 Day Challenge, Day 1

It's been an ongoing frustration for me that my sweet little recipe blog has fallen into complete disrepair, barely offering ideas, much less recipes, for months at a time. I've been watching other artists embrace the #100DayChallenge, and I've been thinking about joining it - maybe posting some work in progress in the studio, following a kiln load from wet clay to glaze firing. That can be accomplished well within 100 Days, but it might be a nice starting point. Then I happened upon my poor recipe blog, and decided this challenge might just perk up the feed. 

So here we go:

100 Day Challenge, Day 1

Spice Blend for Moroccan Style Seasoning

I use some form of this blend to marinate meats before searing and slow cooking, and for seasoning roasted vegetables. The variations are endless depending on your own tastes and what you may or may not have in the cupboard. 

Mix it up, put it in a jar with a good-fitting lid, and sprinkle liberally on anything that wants a little kick in flavor. If you're seasoning vegetables to roast, this blend is great on sweet potatoes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and winter squashes. I'll save the Lamb Tagine recipe for another post! 

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Sweet Potatoes
(with Lamb Tagine over Cauliflower Couscous)

Mid Year Catch Up

Well I guess I shouldn't complain if I'm so gratefully busy in the studio that I can't keep up a timely post on the blog, but I still miss the meditative quality of meandering through a post, revisiting an experience or a recipe and having an open-ended conversation about ... whatever. I'm much better at the 'immediate' chronicling that is available on Instagram and Facebook, but writing in the blog is kind of like writing a letter, long-hand. It connects me to the subject in a way that the passing shot and comment only touch upon.

Alas, major phone updates have squelched the time I set aside to do a nice, chatty blog this morning, but I am determined to cross at least one thing off the 'home-work' list, so here's a little combo of things that have been insta-posted with some notes, and maybe even a recipe or two. Kind of my "year to date in pictures":




I started the year off with color, and the bounty of my local farmers in western North Carolina has helped me keep a very colorful menu. Breakfast salad is one of my favorite meals, morning, noon, or night! Mixed greens, roasted veggies, an egg - hard, soft, or over easy, maybe some pickled veg. Endless options!!

Testing new forms for a restaurant client led to this lovely bowl, now a permanent add to my inventory rotation. It holds another favorite - oven roasted vegetables. Get your veg cut for even cooking (based on how fast they roast), then lightly massage them with coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, and any other spice/flavor you like. Roast at 400 degrees until tender to your tastes.




More testing of forms for restaurant ware, and of course they must be tested! Because I don't make 'flame-ware', my ceramics must be heated with the oven, so the baker isn't for restaurants (but for home use, it works wonderfully!), but the square plates are one of the forms I'm playing with, and this one has become a favorite in the studio kitchen (as was the quiche!).






My friend Kay sent me a counter-top Spiralizer, and I have been having a LOT of fun with it. The colors of the season continue, and it was delicious and looked great on a test plate for the restaurant ware, too!








Pots in Action! I am so grateful to have met and to be working with Chef Younes and his wonderful partner, Emma, and to have designed work for their fabulous restaurant, Tandem, in Carrboro, NC. I was able to taste their delicious creations on my own creations, as well, when I made a delivery this spring. I'm looking forward to making more and new forms for them this year!




 We have been feeling the heat of summer, here, and since I found my popsicle molds, I've been having fun coming up with refreshing treats. These "Raita Pops" were a blend of bananas and yogurt, with a dash of maple syrup for the pop base, with cherries and blueberries dropped into the molds to make a patriotic pop for July 4. In the freezer now: watermelon, blended with a ginger lemonade.








More July 4 celebrating, this time it's the annual "Waffle-palooza" to celebrate a studio mate's July 4 birthday. I don't have it at my fingers, but I will share my version of this really good, gluten-free waffle. I tested it out to make on the side, for the GF members of our studio, but it was so good, I decided it should just be 'the waffle', and it was scrumptious!







A new trend swept across social media: Sweet Potato Toast! It calls for cooking slices of sweet potato in a toaster. I tried it, and it works great, although it's kind of a time-suck to keep re-toasting, and depending on how evenly your toaster toasts (mine, not so much), flipping the pieces for more toasting. Enter my faithful Foreman Grill, and I have the same great results, with grill marks, even! Just slice evenly - don't put anything on it, just grill/toast it. I've used it as a crostini, a burger bun, and in this lovely shot, the base for an eggs benedict with a lovely cashew hollandaise (I may have posted that recipe already, gotta check). LOVE the sweet potato!


I love it when clients share pictures of my pots in action! I loved making this 'tree' dinnerware set with service pieces for this lovely couple, and now I want to be invited to dinner - looks yummy!!

 And my most recent fun with food and forms continues the color-fest! A smaller, test version of the restaurant ware is perfect for a couple of colorful tacos. Tacos and/or nachos have become my favorite way to deal with smaller amounts of ingredients or left-overs. These lovelies were seasoned flounder with leftover sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, avocado and a quick slaw of red cabbage and carrots marinated in lime, lemon, and ginger, with a bit of salt. The leftover juice from the watermelon/ginger lemonade blend for popsicles made a great margarita base, too!

Mid Year Catch Up

Well I guess I shouldn't complain if I'm so gratefully busy in the studio that I can't keep up a timely post on the blog, but I still miss the meditative quality of meandering through a post, revisiting an experience or a recipe and having an open-ended conversation about ... whatever. I'm much better at the 'immediate' chronicling that is available on Instagram and Facebook, but writing in the blog is kind of like writing a letter, long-hand. It connects me to the subject in a way that the passing shot and comment only touch upon.

Alas, major phone updates have squelched the time I set aside to do a nice, chatty blog this morning, but I am determined to cross at least one thing off the 'home-work' list, so here's a little combo of things that have been insta-posted with some notes, and maybe even a recipe or two. Kind of my "year to date in pictures":




I started the year off with color, and the bounty of my local farmers in western North Carolina have helped me keep a very colorful menu. Breakfast salad is one of my favorite meals, morning, noon, or night! Mixed greens, roasted veggies, an egg - hard, soft, or over easy, maybe some pickled veg. Endless options!!

Testing new forms for a restaurant client led to this lovely bowl, now a permanent add to my inventory rotation. It holds another favorite - oven roasted vegetables. Get your veg cut for even cooking (based on how fast they roast), then lightly massage them with coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, and any other spice/flavor you like. Roast at 400 degrees until tender to your tastes.




More testing of forms for restaurant ware, and of course they must be tested! Because I don't make 'flame-ware', my ceramics must be heated with the oven, so the baker isn't for restaurants (but for home use, it works wonderfully!), but the square plates are one of the forms I'm playing with, and this one has become a favorite in the studio kitchen (as was the quiche!).






My friend Kay sent me a counter-top Spiralizer, and I have been having a LOT of fun with it. The colors of the season continue, and it was delicious and looked great on a test plate for the restaurant ware, too!








Pots in Action! I am so grateful to have met and to be working with Chef Younes and his wonderful partner, Emma, and to have designed work for their fabulous restaurant, Tandem, in Carrboro, NC. I was able to taste their delicious creations on my own creations, as well, when I made a delivery this spring. I'm looking forward to making more and new forms for them this year!




 We have been feeling the heat of summer, here, and since I found my popsicle molds, I've been having fun coming up with refreshing treats. These "Raita Pops" were a blend of bananas and yogurt, with a dash of maple syrup for the pop base, with cherries and blueberries dropped into the molds to make a patriotic pop for July 4. In the freezer now: watermelon, blended with a ginger lemonade.








More July 4 celebrating, this time it's the annual "Waffle-palooza" to celebrate a studio mate's July 4 birthday. I don't have it at my fingers, but I will share my version of this really good, gluten-free waffle. I tested it out to make on the side, for the GF members of our studio, but it was so good, I decided it should just be 'the waffle', and it was scrumptious!







A new trend swept across social media: Sweet Potato Toast! It calls for cooking slices of sweet potato in a toaster. I tried it, and it works great, although it's kind of a time-suck to keep re-toasting, and depending on how evenly your toaster toasts (mine, not so much), flipping the pieces for more toasting. Enter my faithful Foreman Grill, and I have the same great results, with grill marks, even! Just slice evenly - don't put anything on it, just grill/toast it. I've used it as a crostini, a burger bun, and in this lovely shot, the base for a eggs benedict with a lovely cashew hollandaise (I may have posted that recipe already, gotta check). LOVE the sweet potato!


I love it when clients share pictures of my pots in action! I loved making this 'tree' dinnerware set with service pieces for this lovely couple, and now I want to be invited to dinner - looks yummy!!

 And my most recent fun with food and forms continues the color-fest! A smaller, test version of the restaurant ware is perfect for a couple of colorful tacos. Tacos and/or nachos have become my favorite way to deal with smaller amounts of ingredients or left-overs. These lovelies were seasoned flounder with leftover sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, avocado and a quick slaw of red cabbage and carrots marinated in lime, lemon and ginger, with a bit of salt. The leftover juice from the watermelon/ginger lemonade blend for popsicles made a great margarita base, too!

Homemade Guest Series: Spring Brunch, pt. 2

Series Guest Matt Clark (l) with his partner Stephen Der Margosian

enjoying his delicious Spring Brunch on the patio at Bittersweet Cottage.

Part 2 of our first Guest Series takes us to Bittersweet Cottage & Suite, where co-owner Matt Clark is whipping up a delicious Spring Brunch featuring the local and seasonal goodies we picked up at the Tailgate Market in Part 1.

Bittersweet Cottage, a beautiful getaway just minutes from downtown Asheville.

A reminder of what we found at the Tailgate Market:

Fresh ramps, kale, quali eggs, lamb sausage, a fine baguette, 

sunflower sprouts and Matt's homemade pickled beets & onions.

Matt at work in his uniquely spaced, yet highly functional kitchen.

Matt wanted to keep the preparation simple to let the flavors of these fresh, local ingredients be the star attraction. And these recipes can work throughout the year as other varieties of greens come into season. If you can't find quail eggs, you can use chicken eggs (even better if from your own chickens or from a local farmer!). And the same goes for the lamb sausage - this is a recipe that can have many variations.

Our Menu:
Ramp Pesto on Toasted Baguette

Lamb Sausage with Kale, Ramps, & Quail Eggs

Pickled Beets with Sunflower Sprouts

Asheville Brewing Company Shiva Ale

Our crusty baguette and Ramp Pesto, in small crock
by Matt Clark (did I mention he's also a potter?)

Ramp Pesto 
(makes approx. 1 cup)
Ramps have a deliciously strong flavor, and the raw garlic jumps right in with an added zip. The pesto would still be great without the garlic, if it makes you shy!

2 cups loosely packed tender ramp greens*, chopped
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup raw walnuts, lightly toasted
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
1 fresh, crusty baguette

Place ramp greens, nuts, garlic, cheese, black pepper, and lemon juice in food processor. Pulse or run on low until ingredients are evenly processed. Slowly drizzle in olive oil. Taste for salt and salt to taste.

can't you just smell it?

Cut baguette on the diagonal in 1/2" slices. Lightly toast under the broiler. Lightly brush or drizzle with olive oil, then spread pesto on top of each slice. Garnish with thinly sliced radish.

*We used one bunch of ramps for the entire menu, using the tender leaves for the pesto and adding the chopped stems to the Kale (recipe follows). 

Lamb Sausage on a bed of kale & ramps with bacon,

stoneware serving platter by Crazy Green Studios.

Sausage & Kale

1 pound lamb sausage, whole
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 pound kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped ramp stems & bulbs
4 slices bacon*
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 TBSP red wine vinegar

*use your favorite bacon. Matt had just splurged on some Mangalitsa (wooly pig!) bacon from Johnston County Hams (Smithfield, NC), and we used that. Smokey, salty, rampy greens.

Cook the bacon in a 12" skillet until as crisp as you like it. Set aside on paper towels to drain off excess grease while you prepare the rest of the dish. Pour off all but 1 TBSP of the bacon grease and reserve for other uses. 

In a 10" saute pan, heat 1 tsp. vegetable oil over medium heat. Brown whole sausages on all sides, then remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, cut on diagonal into 1" slices. Reheat oil and brown sausage on cut sides (in batches if necessary). 

Re-heat the pan over medium heat, then add the chopped kale stems and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add chopped ramp bulbs & stems and continue to cook another minute or so, then add the torn kale leaves and sprinkle vinegar over the pan. Stir greens and continue to cook until the kale leaves are wilted and tender (we used young kale, which was already tender, so this didn't take very long at all). Remove from heat.

quail eggs

Quail Eggs
3 quail eggs per serving
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Heat a 10" saute pan over medium heat. Add just enough oil to grease the pan. Carefully break three eggs into a saucer. The inner membrane is tougher than a chicken egg, so we ended up cracking the egg with the back of a knife, then making a slit in the crack to make opening the shell easier. When the pan is hot, gently slide the three eggs together into the pan. Lightly season with salt & pepper and cook to 'sunny side up' (firm whites, soft yolks). Slide cooked eggs onto a clean plate and cook off in batches for each serving.

To serve: crumble some of the bacon atop the greens and serve with several slices of the sausage, and slide the quail eggs on top of the greens. Serve with a side of pickled beets & onions on a bed of sunflower sprouts, drizzled with the liquid from the pickled beets and a sprinkle of salt.

Spring Brunch, served on stoneware plates by Crazy Green Studios

Matt's Pickled Beets & Onions were so delicious, we couldn't leave them out! You'll find that recipe on the blog portion of my website, just click HERE.

We leave you with our lovely view from the patio outside Bittersweet Cottage, until our next adventure (hint... have you ever cooked with stinging nettles?)!

ahhhhhhhh....

Homemade Guest Series: Spring Brunch pt. 1

Spring has arrived, the Tailgate Markets are opening, and the Homemade Guest Series begins! I'll be joined each month by one or more guests: chefs, food professionals, and massively passionate home cooks. Together we'll explore one of our many local Tailgate Markets, and once fully stocked and inspired, our guest cook will plot a meal while I collect some beautiful handmade pottery for its compliment.

Each Guest Series will appear here in two parts. Part One will be the Market visit, and Part Two the making of the meal, including recipes. And for those who are used to my rambling, narrative suggestions of recipes, prepare yourselves as we'll be presenting actual recipes (but I reserve the right to liberal use of the phrase "to taste"). Let the seasonal, local eating begin!

April Guest Series: Spring Brunch

This month, my guest is Matt Clark, co-owner of Bittersweet Cottage & Suite in Asheville with his partner, Stephen DerMargosian. Matt has always had a love of good food, and while he honed some skills working in catering, his natural abilities, along with his passion for food and for cooking, are what makes an invitation to his table highly coveted by all who know him. Bittersweet Cottage & Suite is a peaceful, private, and romantic getaway tucked away on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway and yet just minutes from downtown Asheville. Learn more and see how lovely it is HERE.

Spring Brunch, Part One:

We visited the Wednesday afternoon Tailgate Market at the

 French Broad Food Co-op, and found all sorts of goodies for inspiration:

We found tender kale among lots of green goodies in the Jake's Farm booth

Lori from MiLo Acres showing off the quail eggs we just bought.

Could not pass up a crusty baguette from Simple Bread!

Spring Brunch just wouldn't be right without ramps! Also from MiLo Acres.

Lamb sausage from Dry Ridge Farm completed our shopping.

Our Market haul, with some walnuts and sunflower sprouts from the Co-op
and a jar of Matt's homemade pickled beets & onions.

Stay tuned to see how these luscious, local ingredients came together to make a beautiful brunch. One final teaser - here was the view from our brunch table on the patio outside Bittersweet Cottage:

aaaaaahhhhhh!

Spring Teaser...

A quick snap of some of the new test pieces out of the last kiln. A bad photo that hopefully speaks to my excitement about soon putting good, homemade foods in each. What would you put in them? Stay tuned, and soon you'll see all sorts of inspired dishes from very talented chefs and cooks. Guest Chef Series begins in April!

More Sweet Potato Love

We had a bit of a party at the studio this week. We were so happy to welcome good friends and avid collectors Rick & Mary to spend the day with us, watching multiple Raku firings and in general having a very nice visit with all of us in the studio.

The weather wasn't as lovely as it could be, so we devised a warming menu of lamb/chuck burgers, with all sorts of fixin's!

Mary wanted the recipe for the Sweet Potato Fries, so that's what we'll focus on today. The burgers were freshly ground lamb and chuck from The Chop Shop, so needed very little in the way of seasoning beyond a dash of salt, pepper, and soy sauce before hitting a hot grill (thank you again, George Foreman!). Maybe a light sprinkle of smoked sea salt once on the grill.

To begin prep on the sweet potatoes, they were all cut, then tossed in some unfiltered olive oil and an herbed sea salt with a dash of cayenne. Thinly sliced shallot and chopped garlic were tossed in as well.

Next, fry up a pound of bacon (to be used as a burger topping)*. We use an electric skillet at the studio, but you can cook the bacon on the Foreman grill as long as you have a method to collect the grease. Pour off the grease and clean out the pan. When you're ready to cook up the fries, pour in some bacon grease so you have about 1/4" standing. Get it nice and hot (but not smoking) and add the sweet potatoes. I've not listed quantities, as you'll make as much as you want. We used about 6 sweet potatoes, so the pan was full. Toss to make sure the bacon fat is evenly coating the fries, then cover and let cook 5 minutes or so. Open the pan and give them a stir - you'll get some nice browning and caramelization on the bottoms. Give a taste for doneness and season as needed, they'll likely need a few more minutes under the cover.

Remove them to a paper towel lined platter to soak back a bit of the grease before serving.

Our burger buffet, also featuring saute-ed mushrooms (crimini/shiitake blend with leeks), caramelized sweet onions, avocado, and goat cheese.

Mary, if you have any questions, let me know. And if you don't mind, perhaps I'll share the recipe you'll be sending me for those delicious Nutty Apple Muffins when I get it!

*If you're not frying up bacon, you can use oil for cooking the sweet potatoes. We won't judge.