A CELEBRATION OF FALL

Oops! Rod Serling (Twilght Zone) on TV

Fall is my favorite time of year!! The guest cabins are moving into the final months of the season and there's a chill in the air that begs for SOUP!! 

Two days before my son's wedding, I decided to have a little gathering of a few friends at the house. A little insane what with all the activity of the wedding preparations, but it was a good way to alleviate the stress of worrying about all the final details of the wedding. 

A simple menu: gumbo simmered in a cast iron kettle over an open fire, homemade bread that a friend brought, and a field green salad. For dessert, I made "from scratch" hot fudge and served over vanilla ice cream. I'll save the hot fudge recipe for a later date. I will tell you that the hot fudge recipe is easy and tastes like the the best childhood memory you can possibly think of. (Please excuse the "prep"  at the end of the sentence). :) 

A few years ago, Tom and I had a wonderful Louisiana couple as guests staying in one of our cabins. They had these beautiful Louisiana Cajun accents, a blending of English, heavy on Acadian French and even some Native American influence, I knew beyond a doubt that they could fill me in on what went into making a truly authentic gumbo. Clue: IT'S ALL IN THE ROUX. Of course, some of the ingredients I would have liked to have added, like craw fish meat and a few other things, I did not have on hand, so I kind of took liberty with the ingredients. And while some people might be partial to okra, we are not big fans of this oily pod food, although filled with Vitamin C and antioxidants. Hmm, maybe I should reconsider, huh? Be aware that the following is not a precise recipe, I feel that gumbo is not to be prepared with exact ingredients or measure. I'm sure gumbo originated with a "throw it all in the pot" kind of attitude until it looks really good and has the most enticing aroma that your nose will ever smell. Good and wholesome, to be seasoned by your personal taste buds.  So be creative and fun preparing this dish. 

Gumbo

Make a roux by taking a ¼ cup of oil and 4-5 T flour (I quadruple the measure of oil and flour because this will make a nice big pot of gumbo). Constantly stir this mixture (about 30 minutes) until it turns a dark brown and has a lovely nutty aroma. The roux can be made and stored in the fridge several days before making the gumbo.

Boil one whole chicken in a stock pot, along with seasoning of salt and cracked pepper, or whatever seasonings you prefer) until tender. Remove the chicken from the bone and leave separate.

In a pan, sauté chopped onion, green pepper, celery and a clove of minced garlic in olive oil, and then add to the stock. Let simmer for 20 minutes

Add roux and work into the stock. Then add a can of Cream of Shrimp soup. Let the stock thicken a bit.

Brown Andouille sausage. Add to the stock, along with the deboned chicken meat.

Let this simmer for several hours, letting all the juices and meats and veggies make the most wonderful aroma in your kitchen. About half an hour before serving the gumbo, add a pound of large cooked shrimp and a bit of chopped parsley. I like to do this because the shrimp don’t toughen up in the gumbo before serving.  

Serve your gumbo in a beautiful soup bowl over cooked brown rice

I do not give specific amounts, because I believe seasonings (Tom and I like SPICY, so we add Creole seasonings, jalapeño peppers, etc. to the simmering gumbo) and the amounts of veggies and meats of a personal preference. Just go with the flow and let the gumbo evolve. You will end up with a scrumptious winter dish. I serve the gumbo with warm homemade bread. 

ENJOY!!! Or...as the French say: SAVOURER 

Gorgonzola and Pear Flat Bread - WHAT A TREAT!

Okay, a couple of weeks ago I went to lunch with my mom and sister at Matt the Miller's, a pub at Polaris. We shared a flat bread appetizer topped off with gorgonzola and pears. We swooned over it. Soooo I figured why not? I'd try to duplicate the appetizer and WOW it turned out yummy and my hubby loves it.

For the flat bread I use my pizza dough recipe that I've used, like, foreverrr. Love it and it has never failed me. Note: Flat Bread from start to finish should not take more than 2 hours - so it's easy and darn pretty to look at!!!)




Prepare the dough and turn out on the counter. Divide the dough in half (you will only need half the dough for the flat bread - save the other half that will keep in the fridge for a couple of days)

PIZZA DOUGH (Flat Bread)

2 cups bread flour

1 T yeast

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm water (120 deg. To 130 deg.)

1 T olive oil

1 T honey

In mixing bowl with dough hook, combine 2 cups flour, dry yeast and salt.  In a measuring cup, combine water, oil and honey; stir into the flour mixture and mix for 10 minutes. 

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, turning to bring oiled side up.  Cover with plastic wrap; let dough rise approx. 45 minutes.  Shape and bake into whatever you want to make. (I use this dough recipe for a variety of baked items - it's a great dough!!!)

While the dough is proofing, make your balsamic and olive oil dressing. I just kind of make up my own ratio of Olive oil to balsamic vinegar to taste, then add pepper, and a little sugar to sweeten the heart. Set this aside. 

Rinse your spring leaf lettuce and pat dry with a paper towel. Thinly slice a pear and set aside. 

Now for the fun!!! Let's make flat bread! Preheat your oven to 425 deg. 

Roll out the remaining dough into two thin flat strips.

Use a spray olive oil on a baker's pan before laying out the strips on the pan. Bake approximately 10 minutes and remove from oven. Next spread a little melted butter on the warm flat bread. Then sprinkle a little shredded mozzarella over the bread. Return to oven for five or six minutes, or until the flat bread is a warm golden brown at the edges.

Sprinkle flat bread with crumbled gorgonzola (I use crumbed blue cheese for a sharper taste). Then arrange your thinly sliced pears over the top of the flat bread. Place the pan under the broiler for a few minutes, careful not to burn the crust, just enough to give a bit of heat to the pears.

Arrange the spring leaf lettuce over the top and crumbled gorgonzola (or blue cheese). Then drizzle a your prepared balsamic dressing over the toppings (not too much). With a pizza cutter slice the flat bread into strips before serving! Tom and I eat this as a meal and it's wonderful. ENJOY!

JENNY BEARD - SECOND IN A SERIES OF AMAZING HOCKING HILLS WOMEN

This is my second Log Cabin Journal post featuring an amazing woman of Hocking Hills.

Today, I introduce clay artisan, Jenny Beard, who is a retired Marion County school administrator. Jenny and her husband, David, moved to Hocking Hills in 2005, and together they built a beautiful home in the natural wooded setting of the Hocking State Forest.

A few years ago, Jenny was given the opportunity to put her hands into the creative art of clay, mentored by experienced artisans, Mary Holl and Bobbi Bishop. Jenny’s creative side bloomed in her clay garden pieces. In addition to earning her Master Gardener certification, Jenny, through clay art, has taken her retirement to a new and challenging level, expanding her talent.

You might ask, why clay art? What is clay art? Why has Logan Clay Products, become a sort of mecca for artists who take a fancy to making beautiful garden art out of clay sewer pipes?  It’s all a matter of perspective, you see. 

In Jenny's home gardens, she displays beautiful clay accent pieces, i.e. tall pipes and sculpture. My own garden has several of “Jenny pieces” that I cherish, because I know how much passion and energy she puts into her clay art.

Meeting Jenny at Logan Clay Products on a chilly April morning, I followed her upstairs to the work loft, where many already completed clay pieces were waiting to be put into the kiln after several weeks of drying. 

On that April morning I interviewed Jenny, two workmen rolled new manufactured pipes into to the loft area on an old loading wagon that had been in use since the early 1900’s. I watched as Jenny soaked flannel blankets in a bucket of water, and then draped them around each pipe to moisten them overnight, rendering them pliable enough to work with her hands.

Jenny moved to another area of the loft, removing a blanket from a tile she’d left the night before, ready to go to work. I sat on a small wooden stool and watched, fascinated by the process, as Jenny transformed a clay sewer pipe into a work of garden art, as seen in the photographs. This piece took about an hour to prepare. I could not believe the amount of strength it took to work and mold the clay.  

Also featured in today’s blog is Bobbi Bishop, a retired art teacher in the Worthington City School System. Bobbi Bishop and her husband Bruce Bishop, twenty-three years ago, created Lilyfest, an annual event held on the second full weekend of July. Jenny Beard is one of over eighty vendors who exhibit and sell their art to the public.

There is no admission fee to get into Lilyfest. Instead, donation barrels are located on the property, all monies going to scholarships and programming. As you can see, this pay-it-forward kind of community action and reaction is a prime example of community service at its best.

The day I visited the art loft of Logan Clay to interview Jenny, Bobbi Bishop was painting several pieces of garden art before placement in the kiln to be fired.

The pieces are delicate and every attempt is made to protect them during the firing process. Even the tiniest of air bubbles left in the clay can cause the prepared piece to crack in the 2000 degree heat of the kiln. After firing, the clay pieces will be left in the kiln to cool down slowly before being removed.

Logan Clay Products Company had its beginnings way back in 1876, until fire destroyed the plant in 1920. In 1921, the plant was rebuilt on the original site in Logan, Ohio. In 1957, all kilns were converted from coal fired to natural gas, resulting in stronger pipe bodies, thus allowing Logan Clay to stop glazing their pipe products.

In 1958, Logan Clay built a 360 foot tunnel kiln where pipe moved through the kiln on rail cars with a gradually rising temperature, from 300 deg. F to 1550 deg. F, and then rapidly heated to 2000 deg. F. Wow! Now, that’s hot. In 1987, the tunnel kiln was computerized.

In 1979, Richard H. “Dick” Holl was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. Dick, a beloved member of the Logan community passed away on October 13, 2005. Today, Dick’s support and love of community lives on through the Holl Foundation with Mary Holl, Dick’s widow, serving as a Board Member.

The support of artisans who gather in the Logan Clay art loft, in turn, give back to the community through donations of their clay art to charitable auctions such as Logan In Bloom, Hocking Valley Community Hospital, Washboard Festival, Hocking County Historical Society, and the Bowen House. As a side note, the Logan community was recognized twice in the National America In Bloom competition for community involvement.

Next month’s Amazing Women of Hocking Hills will feature Bobbi Bishop. Bobbi and her husband, Bruce, are the organizers of Lilyfest. Although Bruce passed away in 2002, his passion for art and nature is reflected in Bobbi’s continuation of the annual art and garden event in Hocking County.

During the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) July 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2014, come to Lilyfest and visit Jenny Beard’s exhibit of clay garden art available for purchase. There are over eighty other artisan vendors on the beautiful Lilyfest grounds. Take a leisurely walk through the many gardens maintained by volunteers and leave the hustle and bustle of the outside world behind. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s Amazing Woman, Jenny Beard. I am so proud and honored to call her my friend. 

Sherry Hartzler is the author of Three Moons Over Sedona, Island Passage and Chasing Joe, all available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/178-2706248-7813460?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sherry+hartzler