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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Last Things First



With less than a day to pack for Squam I am posting to my blog. I couldn't neglect you any longer, gentle reader. I have been a busy painting machine but I can only show you a little of it because my friends and I have embarked on a frenzy of copying faces from paintings of the Old Masters and we want to unveil them as a group. We chose to copy Vermeer, Manet, Soutine, Van Eyck, Picasso, Modigliani, Botticelli and Van Gogh. Try it yourself and weep. The results are usually accidently hilarious.


Stumbled across some old photographs and added those in to my journal. Who is that long haired hippie?


I'm only taking simple art supplies to Squam; a little watercolor set and some pens. On the way to New Hampshire I'll be stopping off in Vermont for several days with a journaling queen and some friends that I will report on later (heh heh). All of it a reward at the end of a season to remember.


In a burst of nervous energy yesterday I got out into the kitchen and put up some garlic dill pickles. I haven't canned pickles in years and I love this recipe. So before you ask:


4 lbs. 4” cucumbers
6 Tbl salt….I will use less next time like 4 maybe
3 cups vinegar
3 cups water
6 heads of dill (I use lots of dill)
1 tsp peppercorns
Garlic…..I use lots

Wash and cut cucs in half lengthwise ( I usually leave small ones whole)
Combine salt, vinegar, water and bring to a boil
Pack cucs into hot jars.  Distribute dill and peppercorns and garlic among jars.  Pour in boiling pickle solution, adjust lids.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes…..again, I don’t leave that long as they seem to get soft  maybe 5 minutes…..
Store in cool, dark storeroom.  Makes 3 quarts or about 7 pints.

The notes with the recipe are from my friend who gave me this recipe in 1972. It is a good one.


Then I still had some energy to I made a galette (inspired by my friend Kay). The only problem was that I cut and pasted a recipe from the net and in the transfer one and three-fourths cup of flour became 3/4 cup of flour so it was a buttery buttery butterfest crust which looked like sin but was surprisingly delicious. And buttery. It is an awesome recipe. I used lime zest instead of lemon. Try this and bliss yourself out.

Apple Galette
Bon Appétit  | September 2006
yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings                           
ingredients
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour                                      
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons (or more) ice water
1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (4)
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup apricot preserves
Whole milk
Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and blend just until dough begins to clump together, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep dough chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Roll out dough between sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch-thick round, 14 inches in diameter. Remove top sheet of parchment. Using bottom sheet as aid, transfer dough on parchment to large unrimmed baking sheet. Chill 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine apple slices, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon peel in medium bowl; toss to blend. Spread preserves over crust, leaving 1 1/2-inch plain border. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles atop preserves, overlapping slightly. Using parchment as aid, fold plain crust border up over apples, pinching any cracks in crust. Brush crust with milk. Sprinkle crust edges and apples with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake galette 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until crust is golden, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Slide long thin knife between parchment and galette. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cut into wedges.


So here is a glimpse of one of my face copies. At first I thought it looked like George Raft but then I realized those puppy eyes and tender expression could only be that red headed heart-throb David Caruso. The last person on earth it resembles is Van Gogh. Sheesh!

I'm off for a week of teaching and playing so I'll see you when I return.  

26 comments:

Unknown said...

it is inspiring to follow your art journal, thanks

Irene said...

LOVE your long-haired hippie pictures! You haven't changed a bit! (Seriously!)

Anonymous said...

Oh it looks a LOT like Van Gough! Your sooo inspiring! Have a wonderful time! I would love to take one of your classes!

dorylyn said...

thank you for the pickle recipe and your inspiring energy!

lye baxter said...

have fun, dont freeze your buns off swimming and say hello to the journaler for us! lyle

Clare Wassermann said...

wonderful wonderful journals as usual - I'm making your recipe tomorrow. A friemd of mine just gave me some old magazines - Cloth Paper Scissors? The first one I opened was either 2007 or 2005 and there was a feature on you! xx

Caterina Giglio said...

have a great time at squam! love your van gogh piece and I think it does look like both of them!!

Michelle said...

Ooh I live in NH! Hope you like it here :)

Kim Mailhot said...

Have a superb time in NH and Vermont, shorter haired hippie Lady ! I am sorry I will be missing you. I am headed to Cape Cod for a week with some arty friends who I met at Squam. I will hold my paint brush up in a toat to you (and my wine glass in the other hand!). Much Love !

Kathryn Zbrzezny said...

Another great post. The David Caruso face cracks me up! Van Gogh!! Love your long haired hippie pic. It's so much fun to go back to OLD photos! I will officially be an antique in 4 months. Love your journaling pages always and will pray for your voice to remain strong for Squam. Peace to you, Kathy

marcia said...

ohh what fun with the faces! omg it certainly is david caruso hahaha!

your recipes sound scrumptious thanks for sharing.

i hope to get to Squam sometime in the future. I am only in Mass.

EnJOY your time there as I know you will.
happy day!

Lynn Cohen said...

I do hope your voice holds out...a full week, that is a challenge.
Did you remember to ask for a microphone? I would.

We could have been hippie friends together! ;-)

The art journal is of course awesome; the food looks delicious;
bon voyage and have FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

katie said...

you are so talented - those paintings...we need to spend some studio time together, i'll sit at your feet darling :-) and look at that long hair, you lady godiva you.

every time you post your journals i just want to run out to my studio and work in mine. have the most wonderful beautiful time out east with kindred spirits, students, nature, and yourself.

i'll be thinking of you every day xoxox

And so it goes... said...

Those lucky students at Squam! Have a marvelous time! Can't wait to see the rest of your "masters". David Caruso....I'm still chuckling! You are a day-brightener...
Happy Trails...
deb/debbie/debra

Steph said...

Thanks for sharing these AJ pages, Judy, you constantly inspire me....

Marit said...

Aaahhh, that "long haired hippie" looks a bit like me when I was young... again, LOVE your art! I'm curious to see all the faces as a group!

Jill said...

what a feast - enough to satisfy every appetite Judy - have a great break.

Chris said...

Judy! Isn't he grand! I love the Van Gogh portrait you did. I look forward to seeing them all. Cool idea. Your journals are wonderful, thank you for inviting us in. Safe travels.

femminismo said...

Wow! Whoever this redhead is, I want him! Well, only as a fantasy. I'm pretty faithful with a 14th wedding anniversary coming up. Can't jinx it now. Love your cooking/canning photos. You're my inspiration!

Healing Woman said...

Hi Judy,

I also think that your painting of Van Gough is right on spot. Excellent.

Thanks so much for the Apple Galette recipe and a glimpse into the pages of your exceptional journal.

Best,
Cheryl

Learning From Water said...

Can't wait to try the pickling recipe -- I LOVE DILL! I LOVE GARLIC!!!

meanwhile, David Caruso? much much preferred to Van Gogh, true story! (woot!)

Lisa MB said...

It does so look like van Gogh. (I didn't mean to rhyme it, really I didn't.) So there.

Ya know, I think the only reason why it looks like David Caruso, besides what you've already mentioned, is because yours looks like what van Gogh might've looked like *healthy.* Pinker cheeks and all. Still a hell of a lot better than I could've done!

Unknown said...

love your blog, art, journaling...cooking, wow, what a talented woman! Thank you!

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Great post! A slice of your life, and a busy one it is. I could almost taste the garlic pickles...yum!

I look forward to following your blog.

Bell Book and Candle Mixed Media Artist said...

I see Van Gough in that painting.

essay writers said...

cool photos