"Boat Reflections " a pastel on sanded paper 11"x 14"

Recipe for easy Bruschetta

Heirloom Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

• 3 1/2 lbs of tomatoes, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, mashed
• 10 fresh basil leaves, julienne
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 loaf French bread
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• salt & pepper to taste

Combine diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and basil in a bowl, stir.  Cover and let marinate.

Slice the loaf of bread, on the bias, into 3/4-inch slices. Place bread in oven on sheet pan and broil until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes for the first side and 1 to 1 1/2 for second side. Remove to a platter and rub each slice of bread with the garlic and then brush with olive oil.  Using a slotted spoon, top with tomatoes and serve immediately.

"Heirlooms" ,a pastel painting of red peppers and a tomato , reminds me of summer!

WIP working on a new pastel of a golf course in Saratoga...

Siena Rooftops

ART-I-CHOKES Pastel and recipe.

roasted baby artichokes with a garlic lemon aioli 

Prep Time / Cook Time
20 minutes / 15 minutes

Makes
20 pieces, an appetizer portion for 3-4 people

Ingredients

10 baby artichokes
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons of olive  oil
salt & pepper
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (optional)

lemon garlic aioli:

1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
a pinch of salt and white pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425º
• Place a medium sized pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of water and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. (You will place the artichokes in the water once they are peeled and sliced to keep them from turning brown.) 
• Start prepping your artichokes. Pull off the dark green outer leaves until you get to the tender, inner yellow ones.  Cut off the top 1/2 inch.  Then cut off most of the steam, and using a paring knife shave off the rough edges around the base. Slice the artichoke in half and place them in the bowl of lemon water. Repeat until all of the artichokes are done. 
• Transfer the artichokes into the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes. 
• Remove the artichokes from the water and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Toss them with the oil and arrange them with the outer edges facing down. 
• Season the artichokes with the salt & pepper, and then sprinkle the bread crumbs and parmesan on top. 
• Place them in the over and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. 
• While the artichokes are baking, make your aioli.  Place all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until they are combined.  Cover and place in the fridge until you're ready to use. 
• Serve the artichokes warm with the chilled aioli. 

Enjoy. I love them!

Ahh Tuscany

No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe 🔆🔆🔆

Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

3 hours 25 mins

Ingredients

1½ cup warm water 100˚ F.

½ Tbsp salt

¾ Tbsp yeast

3¼ cups better for bread flour OR unbleached, all-purpose flour + extra flour for dusting

What you will need:

Parchment paper

Instructions

Add 1½ cups of warm water and ½ Tbsp of salt to a large bowl. Sprinkle ¾ Tbsp of yeast over the top and let it sit 1-2 minutes, then stir.

Measure out exactly 3 cups of flour (fill the measuring cup and scrape off the top with the back of a knife) and add flour to the bowl.

Using a spatula, stir the mixture until it all comes together and is well blended.

Cover dough with plastic wrap or lid and let it rise at room temperature 2 hours (It rises about 2-3 times in volume).

Line a cutting board with parchment paper and generously dust with flour.

Scrape dough out of the bowl with spatula onto the floured surface.

With well-floured hands, fold the dough in half, then fold the dough in half again. Dust the dough generously with flour, lift it up and form a ball in your hands.

Place the dough over the floured parchment paper, seam side down.

Let it rise on the counter uncovered for 40 minutes. It will look like this when it’s ready to bake:

You will need two shelves in the oven. The middle rack will hold the bread and the bottom rack will hold the water pan. For the bread, use a rimless cookie sheet in the center of the oven. You can also use a regular cookie sheet and turn it upside down. About 10 min before the dough has finished rising, preheat the oven and the cookie sheet to 450˚ F.

Once dough is ready to bake, dust the top with flour and cut three strips across the top with a serrated or very sharp knife.

Once the oven is preheated, put baking dish on bottom rack and pour 1 cup hot water to that baking dish.

Slide the dough with the parchment paper onto the hot cookie sheet and bake at 450˚ F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let it cool down a little before cutting into it.