Hot days

Here we are and it is fully summer.
 Summer, like its cousin winter, comes around once a year no matter how hard you might try to hold it back.
Our words changed to, " hot enough for you"? To which I always think, "heck yeah."
Or I think, it has been hotter.
We had a week or two that hit 105 back a few summers ago. In my mind the 90's are hot enough and I and thankful for the less than 100.

I have found that with the teaching comes hours away from the studio and here. I have such good intentions on keeping the blog up to date. But we know where those go on a given day.

  My mind is full of so many thoughts that by the time I sit down here I feel as if my plate is too full.

We have made many trips to Norfolk and back emptying my mother's house to get it on the market.
This last trip Mark and I rode mostly in silence. We both are so talked out about all that needs to be done that we just pack a bag and go.
That seems to be slowing down.

We have been working on making enough pots to fire. I have taken some red clay on some of my days at school and worked it up to see what it does at cone 6. It is interesting,soft, and a bit sticky compared to the stoneware I thrown here. There are things I like about it and things that stump me, such as glazing them.

I am still working on that.

 We are enjoying the fresh veggies and fruits that come with summer.
Last night was eggplant.
So sweet and creamy.

We are working on a load to glaze and I had better turn my attention to work here before the days slip away on me and I am back at the school.

Call me- let's do lunch!
M

Eggplant

Eggplant.
There are many folks who will tell you that they do not like eggplant that it is rubbery or slimy.
Those folks have not been treated to or tried the eggplants of today that can be creamy and sweet.
I can not tell you where my like of eggplant came from but I was always looking for ways to prepare eggplant.

Back in the dark ages I would buy those big,tough,purple guys from the store. Wash,peel,salt,weight and get all the bitterness I could out of them.
Move to today and you can buy these lovely small,tender, sweet eggplants that are so good.

We like to wash, slice, marinate them with good oil and vinegar then grill them.
At the end add tomato, cheese and fresh basil.
Good fresh, better the next day as a sandwich.

The small ones are good for stir frying or great in Red Curry, just use them instead of meat. The red curry and coconut milk over rice.....yum. Add them to any stir fry.

Then our all time favorite: Preheat the oven to 450 get out a glass pan, heat proof.
place 1/4 cup of good oil and at least 3 TBS. balsamic vinegar.
Salt, pepper, bay leaf, oregano, basil, whatever...
cut and slice onion, red peppers,mushrooms.
Crush some garlic
 Peel and cut eggplant-toss this all in the pan as you are going along
If you have fresh tomatoes peel,cut and drain them.
Toss them in.
If you don't use 1 large can, drained.
Then cover with foil and bake at 450 for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake for 10 minutes.
Turn down to 400 or 375 and stir every 10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the eggplant creamy,---  40 minutes tops but I will go 50 if I need to. I toss in 1 TBS. tomato paste in the last 10 minutes.
Now- you can add squash after the first 20 minutes and you can add fresh basil some where close to the end. You can hit this with some hot sauce. Do what ever you like. Serve this with rice or pasta and a good red wine.
I will eat it hot, I will eat it cold I will eat it here or there or anywhere.
I do so like eggplant Sam I am....
No pictures, it's all about the food.
Cheers,
Back to pots soon.
M