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.