Today's Menu: Sound of My Voice, Day 4

Oh, the humanity! Really hanging in here!
Once again, forgot to take pictures of the morning meal, and this one was super delish!

Fig Jam, Prosciutto, Spicy Mustard and Cornichon Sammies

Fig Jam, French Feta and Basil Sammies

Heirloom Tomatoes from the Hollywood Farmer's Market

with Bariani Olive Oil and  Coarse Salt

Those fantastic white peaches again,

yum!

Today, there was a shift in the weather, some suggestion of Fall. It made me glad to serve one of my favorite stews for dinner, loosely based on a fantastic tagine I ate in Paris a few summers ago.

Chicken Stew with Tomatoes, Root Vegetables
and Cured Olives

White Beans with Celery, Carrots and Parsley

Herbed Quinoa

Massaged Kale with Apples, Sesame Seeds
and Tahini  

Another Green Sally with Stone Fruit!

Pickles tonight were Curried Cauliflower, 

Smokey Cucumbers and Dilly Beans again.

And more olives.

(With all this cooking, I haven't been able to do 

much pickling, so I am relying on the larder,

which is a little anemic.)

Also, Armenian Finger Bread.

Martha, the 14th, remains a heroic contributor. Even doing dishes when she got back from running the food! That felt like the NICEST gift!

Today's Menu: Sound of My Voice, Day 3

I am in such a frenzy in the morning that I forget/ don't have time to take pictures of these simple meals. 

Today it was:

Wild Mushroom Quiche

Selection of Breads

Cream Cheese and Butter

Ginger Peach and Strawberry Jams

White Peach and Kiwi Fruit Salad

We are at the absolute height of our stone fruit season here. And I cannot say what total magic lay in those white peaches! Divine!

For lunch? Well, 'twas as follows:

Grilled Flank Steak with Garam Masala Rub

This was delish
and I encourage you to try it yourselves!

A rough recipe:
1 lb Flank Steak
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Coarsely Cracked Pepper

Mixed the seasonings together,
rub into steak.
Let rest 10 minutes at room temperature.
Grill each side 4 minutes.
Let steak rest five minutes.

I actually cut it into strips, easier for my
film crews feeble cutlery.

Very good.

Garbanzo Beans with Tumeric, Black Mustard Seeds
and Curry Leaves

Herbed Basmati Rice

Roasted Summer Vegetables:
Mild Peppes, Green Beans, Eggplant
and Okra

Yogurt Cucumber Mint Salad

Now maybe you can make this one too

Spicy Mixed Green Salad with Shaved Fennel,
Oranges. Figs
and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Also, on the menu kalamata olives with kumquat marinade,
green olives with lemon zest and thyme,
and lavash


And here's your favorite Pickle Bolshevik!

Comrades! Even now...

I am not ashamed of my communist past.

Laurel Boogie-Frank came over after the madness to enjoy a victory beer, steak, a slice of those lovely white peaches and one lonely fig! That tender company in the evening is making me feel like a real person!
'Twas she who snapped these photos!

Today's Menu: Sound of My Voice, Day 2

Now Martha, the 14th, runs the food out hither and yon. I stay here in the Pickle Factory, taking questionable food photographs! And not even the full menu! Sigh. What is it like out in this big world? When this durational performance is over, I will gladly accept invitations to the beach or for a glass of a chilly rosé. Seriously.

Braised Pork with Onions, Apples and Thyme

Shell Beans with Roasted Summer Vegetables

Watermelon with Feta, Pickled Onions and Mint

Make your own pickled onions! 

It's very simple!

Slice red onions thin-- 

a mandolin slicer is ideal, but not necessary.

Put the onions in a bowl, 

pour boiling water over them, 

just enough to cover them.

Wait ten minute or so.

The edges of the onions will be pink.

Drain the water.

Pour white wine vinegar over them, 

also just enough to cover.

Wait ten minute or so!

NOW YOU HAVE PICKLED ONIONS!

Herbed Potato Salad

Mixed Green Salad with Stone Fruit and Basil
with Shallot Vinaigrette

Pickle of the Month Club in Daily Candy!

There was a very nice write up about the Full Moon Pickle of the Month Club in Daily Candy today!

http://www.dailycandy.com/los-angeles/article/87793/Full-Moon-Pickles-and-Preserves-Pickle-of-the-Month-Club

The Pickle of the Month releases its jars on the full moon, of course!
The next release is September 23rd!

Please send any inquiries to fullmoonpickles@gmail.com

Today's Menu

So begins a durational performance with the movie, Sound of My Voice. First day of 16! Some of these pictures are scary flash food pictures, but people! The truth must be told!

Tumeric-Dill Chicken

Roasted Israeli Couscous

Fancy Green Lentils with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Roasted Red Peppers with Capers and Basil

Roasted Beets with Shaved Fennel, Pickled Onions and Parsley

Green Sally!

A Pickle Course, Of Course! Smoky Cucumbers, Curried Cauliflower,
Cucumbers with Ginger and Shiso, Kalamata Olives with Kumquats
and some jams left over from breakfast

Iced Chamomile-Lavender Tisane and Iced Black Tea

The adorable Martha, the 14th, in her fighting apron! People, we are ready!

Raymond Avenue Community Garden

Yesterday evening, Julie Burleigh invited me to come by the Raymond Avenue Community Garden to give a canning demonstration to some of the gardeners there. Sadly, no one came! But Julie and I had a very fortifying conversation about organizing communally, social/sustainable practice and the importance of a discursive field around an object and event. The harsh sun of day was fading as we sat amidst summer's bounty. Truly lovely!

Beetles and Figs!

Chard!

Volunteers! Honeydew and Arugula!

Basil!

Julie explaining some of the hive activity

A beard of bees!

The Little Demo That Could-- Ready When You Are!

Julie's Site: http://myhomeharvest.com

Raymond Ave's Blog: http://raymondaveneighborhoodgarden.blogspot.com

Here's a Chance, What Starts Today

Friends, welcome! As a luddite, I have had so much trouble getting started here... but it is an exciting time! And a time to share!

Saturday, as part of their PUBLIC INTEREST: SUMMER CYCLE series, Michael Ano brought me to LACE for another excellent ASAP workshop. It was my first public demonstration of canning, and I was a little nervous! Having recently completed a stint as Summer Camp Coordinator at Children's Day School, I had my big bossy teacher voice on. This is a terrific way to wrangle the attention of a mob of children but a really embarrassing way to get the attention of adults!

But all was forgiven once we got our pickle on! We put out a variety of spices and had cucumbers on hand. Folks brought in peppers, beans, beets and eggs and there was a real joy in watching this experimental pickle go down!

Thanks to Jessie Kim for these awesome pictures!
And to Julianna Bright for her prose! The title is from the Golden Bears!

ASAP (after school arts program) is an arts education collective with a faculty and student population that is always in flux. Led by Michael Ano and Elizabeth Watkins, ASAP is motivated by the belief that “Arts education should be available to everyone.” They will organize a series of adult, family and teen programs that meditate on the landscape and populace of Hollywood and its relationship to LACE. www.asap-la.blogspot.com


http://www.welcometolace.org/exhibitions/
http://www.thegoldenbears.net/