CSA Round-Up

I've slowly been getting back in the studio and pottery action after a very busy summer.  I have some things to share and shows and classes coming up, but tonight I thought I would share a recipe.  This is our second year having a CSA Share with Early Morning Farm.  We really like the selection, and I also think it is a great price!  They have a lot of options for CSA Members, I definitely recommend checking it out if you are in the CNY area.  Pick up is Thursday so every Wednesday night I throw something together with whatever veggies are still floating around the fridge.  Tonight it was eggplant, bok choy, mizuna, carrots, and a yellow pepper.  I added in a yellow squash grown by the children at my son's school and rice noodles to make a lovely meal of Grilled Eggplant with Asian Stir-fry and Peanut Noodles.  You can scroll right through if you want to get directly to the recipe.  This took about an hour with many breaks and interruptions from a tiny human (2.5 year old boy) and serves 4-6 depending on your appetite!

A word about eggplant, most recipes call for salting it to remove the bitterness and or water.  This step is called sweating.  I can confirm this is definitely necessary!  One Easter I threw out a whole batch after skipping this step-it practically burned my tongue.  With the very fresh eggplants we get in our CSA this might not be completely necessary, but I still never skip this step.  Whenever using eggplant in a recipe I cut it in large thick slabs and then salt both sides.

I let this sit while I prep everything else for the meal.  

When you can see water on the surface rinse the eggplant and pat-dry.  Rinsing it will make sure that it does not turn out too salty.  I took a short break to play in the yard with my son while it was sweating, so you could really see the water on the surface when I got back into the kitchen.

We gave this eggplant a quick grill on both sides to finish it off, so I first marinated it with sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce),  and water.  Eggplant acts like a sponge so I always thin marinades for eggplant with water.  It never compromises the flavor.  Here I used equal parts of the sesame oil, tamari, and water to end up with about 1/4 cup marinade, but you can adjust to your taste buds.

I had a lot of greens to clean which is sometimes a chore on a week night.  I try to plan ahead sometimes by rinsing and washing in advance.  Tonight was not one of those nights!  I chopped all the greens in to bite size pieces and then washed them using a salad spinner.  Place the strainer filled with greens in the salad spinner bowl.  Fill with water, swish a lot, and lift out the strainer.  Dump and repeat three times or so.  Tonight I did just one, sometimes I do more.   Most recipes and guidelines suggest to wash and then chop greens and vegetables so you don't expose the pieces to extra dirt, etc.  Since I am not afraid of dirt and trust the source of my veggies I always cut and then rinse greens, I find this much easier.  You can do whichever you prefer.

I started with peanut sauce.  This is a pretty simple recipe that can easily be adjusted to suit different tastebuds.  I have been making it for years and now just mix it up off the top of my head.  It has a coconut milk base and is best made with natural peanut butter.

Once the peanut sauce came together I stir-fried the veggies over high heat in a cast iron wok using coconut oil which works great for high heat and has a pretty neutral flavor that lends itself well to asian cooking.  When stir-frying start with the harder vegetables that take longer to cook, like carrots, and end with the lighter ones like greens.  This will help everything cook evenly.  At this point hopefully someone you live with will come home and you can send them out to the grill with the marinated eggplant (3-4 minutes per side) while you boil the rice noodles according to package directions and toss them with the reserved peanut sauce.

I served this on our beloved plates made by Elizabeth Robinson.  Trust me this will taste best served on something handmade.  Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant with Asian Stir-Fry and Peanut Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

Variety of vegetables not limited to:

2 carrots, 1 bell pepper, 1 yellow squash, and two bunches greens like bok choy and mizuna, and several garlic cloves

1 large eggplant

Tamari (soy sauce), toasted sesame oil, and water

1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1 T each minced garlic, onion, and grated ginger

1 T tamari (soy sauce)

1 T toasted sesame oil

1 T honey or maple syrup

1 tsp turmeric

1 dash cayenne

1 lb rice noodles or other long thin noodle of your choice

Optional: chopped cilantro and sesame seeds to garnish

Make Peanut Sauce: Bring 1/4 can of coconut to boil over high heat, add garlic, ginger, and onion.  Saute for a minute or so.  Add rest of coconut milk and peanut butter, reduce heat to simmer.  Whisk until peanut butter is mixed with the coconut milk.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste and remove from heat.

Prepare Eggplant: Sweat eggplant according to directions above.  Mix equal parts tamari, toasted sesame oil, and water to make 1/4 cup marinade.  Pour over eggplant and let sit for 15 minutes minimum and up to one hour.  Grill or pan-fry 3-4 minutes per side.

Stir Fry: Chop vegetables into bite size small thin pieces that will cook quickly.  I like to julienne and dice for this.  Mince as much garlic as you like.  Heat a wok to high heat and add 1 tablespoon high temperature oil such as coconut.  Let garlic sizzle and then start to add vegetables in order of cooking times.  (longest first)  Add salt or soy sauce as desired.

Cook noodles according to package directions and toss with peanut sauce.  If sauce is to thick thin with some extra coconut milk or water.  Garnish if desired with sesame seeds and cilantro.  Serve with extra soy sauce and chili sauce, so taste can be adjusted to the each individual's liking.  

This is What I have Time For

I have been neglecting to post much since I started my new project. Mostly because conditions aren't perfect. For example, I have an idea for a great lighting set up that I can never complete for a multitude of reasons including my ever present infant under tow. So I shot some photos of some great pizza I made using a point and shoot camera in our regular lit kitchen because this is what I have time for. My little guy held still just long enough. In other happenings I have made it back to the studio for some brief moments and I am planning a cup sale in my online shop. I know it's spring everywhere else, but in New York we are deep in mud season.

Gluten Free Pizza Two Ways

I have been making this Bob's Red Mill recipe for pizza crust since it has been necessary for me to make Gluten Free Pizza. It is good every time, but it is especially good when I take extra care to time the yeast and warm water as the recipe calls for and lightly fill the cups with flour, not pack them. I always make a double recipe and cook the pizzas in cast iron skillets with olive oil and a sprinkle of cornmeal in the bottom. The first pizza is a more traditional Pesto Pizza that my partner prefers. The second pizza is a fancier Arugala and Brie pizza I prefer. Since moving to New York I have discovered brick oven pizza. When done well the crust is thin and crispy and the cheese is well done on top, when done poorly....it's just poor. This is the kind of pizza I prefer with gourmet toppings and just enough cheese to make it taste good, not ooze with cheese. I always use fresh mozzarella, which tastes better and spreads a lot so you don't have to use much.

After making the crust place it in your pan, when handling the crust make sure your hands are very wet, you may have to re-wet as you work the dough into a flat pizza crust. The next step is toppings.

For the Pesto Pizza:

You will need, about a half cup prepared pesto. Here is my recipe. 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, 1/4 cup diced tomatoes. Spread pesto over crust, top with tomatoes then, slices of fresh mozzarella. Be sure to give the mozzarella plenty of room to spread out, you may have left over mozzarella, I usually use about 1/2 a ball per pizza. Bake according to directions.

For the Arugula Brie Pizza

You will need 1 small round of brie, I used a really delicious goat brie, 1 cup arugala, 1/3 cup carmelized onions, 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms soaked according to package directions, capers and sundried tomatoes to taste. Slice brie and cover crust with evenly spaced slices. Again you want to leave room between the slices of cheese, brie is very rich. Top with onions, mushrooms, and as much capers and tomatoes as you like. Bake according to directions. Add arugala piled on top for the last five minutes of cooking.

I totally made up all the measurements for the toppings :) So use them as a loose guideline! What do you like on your pizza?

P.S. These are featured on a lovely test for a cake stand I made last summer.

Recipes

There are a few problems with my new project that have been causing me to put it off. It's not for lack of ideas and yummy cooking that's for sure! One problem, I don't make plates. They are finicky, difficult, use a lot of clay, and for some reason never work for me. So I foresee some interesting cup presentations. Two, all of my pottery is packed up from the last show I did. Three, I need to clear a path to my photo area and set it up so that I can take stellar photos instead of mediocre ones. The list goes one...but enough excuses. I will be doing some pottery/recipe posts this week, however I have some recipes that are too delicious not to post, although I didn't manage to take any photos until they were half demolished.

A Heart Shaped Chocolate Spelt cake, with Candied Blood Oranges and fresh whipped cream. It is essential that this cake be eaten with fresh whipped cream, and be shaped like a heart! If you've never made fresh whipped cream it is so easy that I can't really believe we eat it out of cans. Buy a carton of heavy whipping cream (I certainly advise you buy organic, the small Organic Valley carton makes a great deal of delicious whipped cream), pour into a tall bowl and use an electric mixer or whisk to beat into fluffy whipped cream. You may also add sugar or vanilla to taste. I usually eat it plain. Another word about the cake, it can be a little dry, so I recommend subbing maple syrup for half the sugar, and pouring all the syrup from the blood oranges on top. Also I use white spelt flour, and instant coffee powder if I can't find espresso powder.

Next up from one of the richest meals ever.....Pesto Risotto!

I love making risotto. Lately I have been making a great butternut squash sage flavored dish, but on our family trip to NYC, we were lucky enough to discover the Risotteria, via a good friend. This is a great choice for those who can and can't eat gluten. Their risotto menu is amazing, so for Valentine's day I made up this rich dish. I used the basic risotto recipe here, but instead of chicken stock I used veggie. I wanted a rich flavor, so I used half porcini mushroom stock half veggie, and also steeped fresh thyme and sage in the stock. Also I usually use less butter. Prior to cooking the risotto I whipped up a fresh batch of pesto-

Pecan Pesto

2 Cups fresh basil, packed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pecans, toasted

1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

To make the pesto first mince garlic, I do this buy putting it in the food processor first and processing alone. Next add pecans and cheese, pulse together. Finally add the basil and oil, reserve some of the oil to stream in while the rest is processing. Add vinegar or lemon juice, then salt and pepper to taste. Process one last time. I usually use pecans or walnuts in pesto, because I just can not spend the money on pine nuts....they have gotten so outrageous! Also, I prefer the taste of the lemon here, but vinegar preserves the green of the basil better, so it's up to you.

Prepare pesto, dollop a quarter cup or so on top of freshly made basic risotto....enjoy all the calories!

New Project Part 1

This is the first post regarding my new food project-displaying exciting and delicious recipes in my handmade pottery. I am making this project while staying home and taking care of my baby boy, Silas who is now seven weeks old. Silas's birth has brought so many wonderful things to my life, but in terms of creativity I was really stumped. I spend a lot of time feeding him and looking at recipes which is how I came upon this idea. The other night after spending a weekend mostly on the couch I decided I must get started. I learned a lot from my first try at food photography. Here is a link to one the best food photos I have seen lately. It is beautiful and on one of my favorite food blogs, Phoo-D. So I started with a meal I had been thinking about in my head for a while, an earthy vegetable rice dish, with a side of oven fried zucchini. It tasted great, but prompted the response, what kind of pretty food can you make for this project? Ha-ha, it is true, winter food is usually roasted, stewed, homey, and delicious....although not nearly as beautiful as say a summer time meal inspired by the garden. So here is a very loose recipe for a very yummy and satisfying lentils and rice with roasted butternut squash.

For this recipe you will need:

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup dry black lentils

2 1/2-3 cups veggie stock

1/2 carrot diced

1/2 onion diced

1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped

as much garlic as you want, minced I think I used 3 cloves

1-2 Cups butternut squash peeled and diced

Olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and red wine vinegar for flavoring

One thing you should know about my cooking is that I usually don't measure anything and I cook things until they are done. I also cook by tasting, when something tastes good it is done. For this project I am trying to change my ways. I also have a heavy hand when it comes to spices and herbs. and garlic. For this recipe feel free to use dry thyme if you don't have fresh. Also I often cook based off of leftovers, so use as much butternut as you think you want.

Step 1-Cook rice, I have never had success making any pilafs or rice dishes with brown rice where everything is cooked together, so I always cook the rice separately.

Step 2-Toss butternut in olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper, then roast at 400 F, for about 20 minutes or so.

Step 3- While butternut and rice are cooking, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, until onions are translucent. Add carrots and herbs, season with salt and pepper. When carrots are soft add lentils and stir, then add 2 1/2 cups veggie stock. Bring to a boil, then let simmer with the lid on for about 45 min or until stock is absorbed and lentils are soft. Add more stock if needed. When lentils are cooked add cooked rice and season with sea salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar until tasty. Gently mix in roasted squash and serve.

I also made this delicious oven fried zucchini recipe to eat with this meal. I threw together a very tasty chipotle mayo to dip them in-1/4 cup vegenaise (you could also use mayo, but I much prefer vegenaise), chipotle in adobo and white wine vinegar to taste. (of course) I can't recommend this recipe for oven fried veggies enough! Fried veggies are one of my weaknesses and I can't wait to try some more vegetables with this recipe.To end this very long post, I have learned quite a bit. One, I have a ways to go with my food photos. These were taken with a fussy baby in the background in natural light, with a point and shoot camera. I found my SLR and have plans for better photos soon. Two, food looks much better warm than cold. Three, I am going to have to transition into being a night owl again. Sigh.

Some exciting ingredients I picked up this week- almond flour, blood oranges, porcini mushrooms.....

New Year, New Projects

Well, now that we are almost one month into the new year, I am back to the blog! Hopefully for real this time....although during my pregnancy I learned that I am not very good at sticking to internet goals, so I certainly won't be making any for myself while I have an infant at home. On that subject...V and I welcomed a baby boy last month we named Silas.So this leaves me lucky enough to spend my days watching my baby grow, thus limiting my time for any projects. But we still have to eat. And since I spend much of my time in front of the computer reading and feeding someone else I have become a bit more food obsessed than usual lately. Oh and I've been eating chicken. and some bacon. For anyone who knew me years ago this is probably shocking news! I will say I limit my meat consumption to supporting farmers who are raising meat organically or locally or if someone happens to bring over something I want to try... I know that often cooking is one of the first things to go for new parents, but I really look forward to it and plan for it. forty garlic clove roast chicken, pecan chicken breasts, banana bread, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with walnuts, risotto, oven fried zuchinni These are some of the things I have been up to when I have a minute. But, my pottery is always on my mind, so I have created a new project for myself that I can do from home and combine with my food passion/obsession. I am going to be cooking new recipes and photographing the results in/on my pottery. It's a great way to showcase my work. I am also going to submit the really great results to Tastespotting, a food website I love to skim through and get ideas from. I am also going to share some of my recipes as well. I have also been drawing as you can see from my new header photo-my other project to keep myself busy is one drawing a day....I'll be posting those too, but for now I must go feed someone!

What to do With A Snow Day

After living in Florida for four years I forgot the beauty of a snow day. (And yes, these icicles are attached to my house) Yesterday was all about cleaning, relaxing, and then making a mess again. Today (Snow Day 2) will be an extra studio day.

Step 1: clean house til satisfied, take online yoga class, then make delicious lunch, while preparing for making a massive amount of cookies.

The lunch if you are wondering was eaten off bowls made by Jeff Huebner, and was a salad of Fingerlakes lettuce and Tofu Khan with capers and rice noodles tossed with leftover curry sauce. I spent most of the afternoon doing nothing while waiting for V to return from his snow sculpting adventures with chocolate chips for Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies. One evening, 18 inches of snow, and some serious shoveling later I return to the kitchen to prepare a big breakfast (grits, collards, eggs, AND potatoes) and am back at square one with the mess.
But, who cares about the mess, I've got another snow day!

Step I'm not sure which number: Create promo in online store to celebrate the gift of two free days the snow has given. Save 20% all weekend long!

The Little Things

Today I was having the worst day! None of my clothes were fitting, I was trying to make appointments and meeting dead ends, my camera battery died just when I got the settings right, and I ended up going out wearing five shades of gray. (I'm not sure why, but all the warm clothes I seem to find are black or gray) But then, the little things started happening. I made a sale on etsy, I found a seashell in my seaweed salad, got a note from a gallery, and found the most beautiful piece of fresh fish on sale at the market. My boyfriend came home with a lovely shelf he made for my cup collection. Instant turn around. Now dinner is on the stove, my camera is set to go when the light is better in the morning, and I have a package to ship. And two show applications to go out, including these little teapots.

When Life Hands You Lemons...

You can make the most delicious risotto.


For the past few weeks I have blatantly ignored my once per week goal of posting. What have I been doing? Living. As an artist I usually get a feeling of anxiety when I feel like I'm not working enough. Balancing a part time job and studio work can be stressful, and often times simple joys in life get pushed to the side. Since moving to New York I have been able to add to my studio time a lot, and I have felt calmer as a result. So last weekend I trekked to Ancram, New York in the Hudson Valley and met up with some friends and headed over to Ayumi Horie's studio sale. Ayumi is a kind of a household name amongst contemporary potters, so it's really exciting for me to be able to make my second visit to her studio. This year her sale featured another potter and a furniture maker as well as her own work. I was so overwhelmed to see so much work in person! Usually I look at things I like online or in books, but here were hundreds of pots to choose from. After some cider and treats and much back and forth I left with a great plate, and an ice cream bowl. I spent the rest of the weekend at a harvest party, picking apples, playing with five year olds, and enjoying great food and wine. It was the perfect weekend for driving through central New York. Fall is my favorite season, and I didn't realize how much I missed it over the past four years. When I got back I made a gluten free apple crisp with my apples.

I like all the steps involved in cooking, peeling the apples and the way the different shades of the peels look so beautiful together. Chopping, mixing, the smell from the oven. Oh, and the eating. Yes, the eating. And the way the ice cream melts into the crisp.

So, the theme of the past few weeks for me, has been enjoying fall and the simple things around me. My days at the co-op go fast and I relish the time I can spend on my work. But, I also have to remind myself to relish the time I can spend doing simple things at home. With the cool weather, risotto had been on my mind. When I spied some meyer lemons in the produce department, I knew that this would be perfect for the dish. Risotto is a slightly longer process than most dishes, and requires care and patience. But it is worth every minute. As I prepped my kitchen before friends came over I was struck by a parallel feeling I get when making work. The thing about risotto is that it needs constant attention. So I had to get all my ingredients within reaching distance. The other two requirements are a glass of wine, and a back up person in case your arms get tired. I began stirring the rice and adding the ingredients. Anxiety set in. What if it doesn't turn out? The guests will be here in 30 minutes. Similarly, what if the kiln I am firing right now shuts off early or over fires? Ok, if the risotto is gross I have some pasta I can boil really quick and toss the ingredients in, Vaughn can't eat pasta, but he doesn't have to eat does he? I keep stirring the rice, is this how it looked last time? Should I be doing this in a cast iron skillet?

This must be life imitating art at it's best. Because I'm also thinking, did I put the glaze too thick? Was I rushing? Do I use too much of that new celadon glaze? Do I have other pieces I can apply for shows with? And then, the rice starts gently puffing up and getting creamy from the starches, and I know instantly that it will be good. I sip my wine, and get back-up help with stirring. The remaining ingredients are added right before the guests arrive. I sprinkle the top with meyer lemon zest and relax. Once I get out of my pajamas I'll open the lid of the kiln. I can only hope the kiln is as good as the risotto was.

Interim!

Hey there...I've been plugging away in the studio. But here are some highlights:
Customized vases for my cousin Brigit's wedding, I didn't know I could do lettering so easily. Meaning I didn't know how well it would show up under my glazes, and my stellar cursive techniques. Although I have to admit, that I am nothing compared to my sister Caitlyn's calligraphy! This girl is seriously gifted.

If you or someone you know has an event you would like to customize with handmade pottery, contact me for more details at: tracy@tracymcevilly.com

As for the rest of my studio, I'm still working on inventory and I have been checking out what is available to local potters. I basically stumbled up Clayscapes Pottery in Syracuse, New York. The owner Don is really friendly and helpful, and they have clays by Standard as well as Miller. I am really excited to try out the samples I got last time I was there. On a trip to see some family in Hudson we also went to Massachusets to check out Sheffield Pottery. At Sheffield they mix their own clay and I'm also excited about these samples. So basically I should really be working in my studio right now, instead of sitting at this computer....For the past four years I have been a die-hard fan of Highwater Clay's Helios Porcelain but I know that shipping it in isn't practical, so when I run out of what I brought I will be switching to something available locally. I will post some tests when I make them. I have really been settling into life and getting a new routine. I'm excited about the work I've made, and want to make, but I'm also really happy with where I'm at and with what I have in my life.
I've also been making pancakes:

This recipe comes from potter and foodie, Stepehn Grimmer and it was basically as delicious as it looks. A perfect Sunday morning with pottery made by friends!