It's Big Crafty Time!

I don't get out to do shows much anymore. I love getting to chat leisurely with folks about my work and watch them find pieces they love - not something I get to do when I'm not in the gallery. It's fun, but it's exhausting, and happily my own gallery keeps me busy filling inventory, plus I have an eclectic mix of clients that grace me with many opportunities to design and make new work. 

That being said, The Big Crafty is a really, really fun show. Plus, it's here in my town, and a lot of other artist friends who I don't get to see much are likely to be in the show or attending the show, so it's a win all around. I get to see friends, plus spend the day chatting with folks about my work. 

Conversation Plate by Holly de Saillan

This year will be a bit different in two ways: my usual cohort and table partner, Holly deSaillan (clay & mosaics by Holly de Saillan), will be at The Big Crafty, but she's filling her own entire space this year, and I can't WAIT to see her new work! I'm still happy filling half a space, so I was thrilled when Angelique Tassistro (Fly Coop Studios) agreed to apply with me and share the space. And even better, we're right next to Holly!

Olive Dishes by Angelique Tassitro 

The other difference this year is that I'm taking the opportunity to try some new designs out on my work that I bring to the show. To keep myself from going too crazy, I limited myself to drinking vessels - in fact that's all I'll have at this show: mugs, tea bowls, tumblers and cups. I'll have a few of my current designs, but I'll also have a larger grouping of sgraffito and relief-carved pieces in new designs. Some will enjoy their fun at The Big Crafty and happily retire, but some will find their way into other facets of my work.

New work, new glaze, new firing fun!

I hope you'll come by and check it out - you'll only find it at The Big Crafty, or you'll have to wait and see if/how it shows up again!

The Big Crafty is on Sunday, July 12 from 12-6pm in downtown Asheville at the Asheville Art Museum. Vendors will be outside and inside, and you'll find me and Angelique inside, on the lower level, at space #48.

200 Mug Challenge!!

We're making 200 mugs to celebrate the first firings of the Kazegama Kiln, and if we can get 200 donations at the mug level on our Kickstarter, we'll pretty much be able to build this kiln!

And, 200 mugs will find happy homes - if you'd like to be one of them, please check out our Kickstarter. The firings will be in early Fall, so this is a great way to make some early holiday purchases that will be very special and treasured gifts!

Kazegama Kickstarter

We're in our fourth year at The Village Potters, and each year, our galleries, working studios and Teaching Center have continued to grow. Our galleries now include three showrooms, and our working studios hold the full time studios of six Resident potters and two studio assistants. Our student body is up to about 35, with many of the students are looking for ways to continue to study with us as they expand their skills and even prepare for a professional career themselves. 

To that end, we're growing to meet the needs of more visitors, new accounts and new students. We'll be expanding into another 2000 sq ft at the end of the year, and we're in the process of launching a new Independent Study & Mentoring Program. This invitational program will allow 1-2 year study for students wishing to sharpen their skills for their own pleasure or to develop a portfolio for professional use. Regular mini-workshops, mentorship, critiques and even exhibit opportunities will be available for participants. If you happen to be an interested artist, you can get more information by emailing 'info' at 'thevillagepotters.com' and asking for an Application to the IS/M Program.

And that's not all! We're also expanding our fire power by making plans to build a 'wood-influenced' Kazegama Kiln. This small kiln will allow us to fire in reduction with gas, and then add wood ash and even soda ash into the environment to create wood-fire effects while allowing us to fire within city codes. By building the kiln on a trailer, we also have the ability to protect it from any rising tides, as we're in the flood plain, and we will also be able to travel with the kiln to conduct workshops at other locations. 

The Kazegama Kiln

Because we have been so fortunate to have so much support from our community of friends, family and collectors, we are asking for help in building this segment of The Village Potters. We have established a Kickstarter Campaign for the Kazegama kiln, and with your support, we will be able to have our first community firings by the end of the summer, and have it fully functioning for the first class of participants in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program! 

And your donation will garner you any number of lovely rewards from each of The Village Potters. Some are available in the classic glazes you already know and love, and some are planned for the new kiln. And each and every donation comes with our deep and sincere appreciation. "It Takes a Village" is a fond refrain often heard around the studio, and we've done so much with our Village, we thank you for what has been and we thank you for what is to come!

Check out our Kickstarter Campaign, and Thank You!

Quickie Frittata

A quickie post for a quickie breakfast promised for a friend who keeps asking for some sort of recipe.

Eggs are such a great vehicle for all sorts of meals, and with relatively small amounts of extra ingredients, can serve 1-10 a very satisfying meal.

Today's quickie with what was on hand. As always, feel free to use this as a template and mix and match your own favorite 'on hand' ingredients:

Quickie Frittata (serves one hungry, two with toast/fruit, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
About an inch size piece of onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely diced
3 leaves of kale, stem removed and finely sliced
3 broccoli crowns, chopped up
Small chunk of Pecorino Romano, finely chopped
2 duck eggs (= xl eggs)
More Romano for grating
Salt/Pepper
Fresh or dried thyme leaves - to taste.

Heat a small cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bacon and let cook until just about as crisp as you would normally cook bacon.

Add onions, garlic and carrot and cook to soften. Salt and pepper lightly. When veg is softened (about 2 minutes), add the broccoli and kale and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to soften green veg.

Beat the eggs in a bowl, add chopped pecorino, dried thyme if using dried, salt and pepper to taste and just a bit of water. Evenly distribute veg in pan, and pour eggs over as evenly as possible. If using fresh thyme, sprinkle on top and quickly grate a bit more Pecorino on top. 

The time it takes to do that will get the bottom nicely cooked. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and let it cook until the eggs puff up slightly, 3-5 minutes depending on how soft or firm you like your eggs. 

If you're not so hungry by the time it's done that you eat the whole thing, leftovers are quite nice as a snack straight from the fridge, later.

MacGyver Lunch

Due to a combination of the busy-ness of getting back to work after the holidays, weather delays, and various rounds of 'the crud', we haven't really done much cooking in studio yet this year. So when a spontaneous desire for a studio lunch was being hatched yesterday, I knew we'd need most of what we wanted to eat. My lovely studio mates equipped me with a requested menu, a list and a credit card, and left the rest up to me - which is one of my favorite ways to shop! I didn't want to have to go to several shops, so I was determined to get everything from the closest grocery. The requested menu: burgers, sweet potato fries, and pie. To make the adventure more interesting, the closest grocery is Hopey & Co., which is "an artisan and discount food and beverage shop", which means you can always find really cool ingredients, but not necessarily all the time.

Organic beef - check. Whole wheat buns, avocado, sweet onion, bacon, and cheese - check. Sweet potatoes and requested beverages - check. Pie ... almost anytime I'm NOT looking for pie, there is pie in the freezer section. Today, no pie. But they did have whole wheat pie shells and bags of sliced, frozen peaches. Pie! Grabbed those, along with some candied ginger and back to the studio.

Maybe in another post, I'll go into detail about not having any oils at the studio, and how I used a combination of margarine, oil from a tub of olives, and bacon grease for the lunch prep. As it was, we were all so hungry, I didn't get any pictures of that, so we'll go on to the pie.

While things were in the oven, I started to put together the pie so I could let it bake while we ate lunch. I sliced up the ginger pieces, tossed them with the peaches and a little sugar, and then (and only then) did I realize I might need something to soak up the excess juices bound to come out of the peaches. No cornstarch. No arrowroot. No agar. What's this in the freezer - ground flax seed? I'd used that as an egg substitute and to thicken up soups before, so a little should help, plus it's good for us. What's this in the back of the cupboard - instant oatmeal? Perfect! Tossed that in as well, mounded the fruit in the shell, and inverted the extra shell on top. A little egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar, and a whole lotta 'please oh please don't be a runny mess when you come out!"

Because I had to dash off to a meeting and because I couldn't stand to wait, we cut the pie while it was still pretty warm, so there were juices, but I could tell that given a proper cooling-off time, the pie would have held up fine:

And to my great delight and astonishment, when I came in to open the Gallery this morning, I found leftover pie!! Breakfast of champions, and a nice little slice confirmed that the pie was in fact a pie. And it was good. 

And is it odd that I rather enjoy this sort of renegade kitchen fare? Not every time, but once in a while, it's rather invigorating!

Super Breakfast for Super Bowl Sunday

Irish Bangers, Creamy Polenta, Kale and Eggs

Plate by Matt Clark, Mug by me

Also just a good hearty breakfast or brunch for the winter. House-made Irish Bangers from my local market, a new batch of eggs from one of my favorite local farmers and an interesting recipe from the NY Times motivated this, as well as a busy day ahead at the studio before heading to a friend's Super Bowl party. Just one recipe below, sharing that from the NY Times as the sausage was simply cooked in a cast iron pan, the kale was lightly braised in some leftover veggie broth, and the egg done over easy. The entire recipe, from Mark Bittman, includes the sausage, and I tweaked the polenta recipe to my tastes, but here is the original recipe for the polenta:

Creamy Polenta

1 cup medium-coarse cornmeal

Salt

1 cup, plus 3-4 cups water

Salt

2 TBSP butter

1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the cornmeal in a medium saucepan, along with 1 cup water and whisk well to make a slurry; continue whisking mixture to eliminate any lumps. Put pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking frequently and adding water as needed to keep mixture loose and free of lumps, between 3-4 more cups. If mixture becomes to thick, simply add a bit more water; consistency should be similar to sour cream.

Polenta will be done in 15-30 minutes, depending on the grind of the corn meal. Add cheese and butter. Taste and add salt, if necessary and lots of pepper.

Not Your Great-Grandma's Fruitcake!

I know I said I'd share some recipes from my Virginia Beach adventure last year, and I will, but I have to jump into the present because this is just so good!

This is courtesy of my studio mate Sarah Wells Rolland, who made these lovely little fruitcakes for holiday gifts. I just got mine and had a sliver with my mid-morning coffee, and I know I'm going to savor every single bite! And since I'm not willing to share the actual treat, I thought it'd be nice to share the recipe.

Sarah said she learned about this recipe from our other studio mate Karen Dubois, and I'm sure she heard about it from somewhere too. Good recipes have a way of getting around, and like all recipes I love, this one is completely open to interpretation, so you can use the fruits and nuts you like best - a bunch or just a few. Enjoy!

Dried Fruit and Nut Loaf

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (can also use pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds)

1/2 cup dried cherries and/or cranberries

½ cup dried blueberries

2 cups dates and figs, pits removed and cut into quarters

1/2 cup dried apricots cut into quarters

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brandy

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven.  Butter, or spray with a vegetable oil spray, a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 12 cm) (8 cup) loaf pan, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in the brown sugar, walnuts, and dried fruits. Use your fingers to make sure that all the fruits and nuts have been coated with the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, beat (with a wire whisk or an electric hand mixer) the eggs and vanilla until light colored and thick (this will take several minutes). Add the egg mixture to the fruit and nut mixture and mix until all the fruit and nut pieces are coated with the batter. Spread into the prepared pan, pressing to even it out. Bake for about 60 to 75 minutes, or until the batter is golden brown and has pulled away from the sides of the pan. (If you find the loaf over browning, cover with aluminum foil.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  When cool, lift the loaf from the pan. Wrap in a single layer of cheesecloth and place in a plastic bag (if making small loaves, wrap individually and bag separately or two per bag). Using a turkey baster, suck up some of the brandy and moisten both top and bottom of wrapped loaves while in the plastic. Seal well and re-moisten again over the next 2-3 days (1/4 cup should cover all mini loaves or one larger loaf, 2nd and 3rd moistening will take less). This loaf is best after being stored for a couple of days. Will keep for about 2 weeks at room temperature or for a couple of months in the refrigerator. Cut into small slices with a sharp knife. Makes one - 9 x 5 inch (20 x 13 cm) loaf. For small loaves cook for 55 minutes