Friday Farm Photos: Okay, Now It Feels Like Winter

Hey look, I'm actually letting you see (the better looking) half of The Shack. (The glass in that second story, plastic-covered window literally just fell out one day onto the ground below—I tripped over it in the grass and couldn't figure out where this big piece of glass had come from. I wasn't kidding when I said the place is falling apart!)

More photos below. . .

Monday Farm Photos: Hanging Up Spring in Fall

More photos below. . .

Thursday Dose of Cute: What To Do on a Rainy Day

Not a lot. . .

At least if you're a beagle or a pussycat (who happen to be the best of friends).

© FarmgirlFare.com, where, busy or not, we all enjoyed a brief but blissful break from the relentless heat this morning, which was a much more pleasant way to start the day than yesterday's several hour power outage. We even got a half inch of rain, which should really help the fields and the farm as we head right back to blistering tomorrow. Has it cooled off where you're at yet?

Sunday Dose of Cute: How To Outsmart a Sheep

Before. . .

More photos below. . .

Wednesday Dose of Cute: Time to Eat?

Thursday Dose of Cute: We're Having a Heat Wave, a Tropical Heat Wave

And Mr. Midnight (who is purring his head off on my lap as I type this) has been taking full advantage of it.

The Daily Donkey 12: Dolores Looking for Treats

© FarmgirlFare.com, the 74 degree (which feels very strange in February!) foodie farm blog where one of the nice things about living in a falling down shack is that when the cats decide to make their own pet door out of a window—and then 'decorate' the wall while going in and out—you don't have to freak out or panic, you just get to laugh and enjoy watching them use it.

Monday Farm Photos: The Case of the Bizarre Vintage Blanket

Wrapped up in a cozy mystery.

Any blanket experts out there?

Wednesday Dose of Cute: Patiently Waiting for Santa

Smudge, who loves leaves, takes a laid back approach to the holidays. (Mr. Midnight, on the other hand, is a little more impatient.)

© FarmgirlFare.com, the no fear of heights foodie farm blog (well, except for me, Miss Terra Firma) where that ladder lives against The Shack so my hunky farmguy Joe can climb up on the roof to sweep the leaves off (which helps keep the rain in the kitchen down to a minimum)—and so Smudgie can get up there more easily.

Saturday Dose of Cute: Sun Spots

Cats Are So Good at Finding Them

Want to see more of Smudgie?

8/20/05: Smudge Up Close and Personal

10/22/05: Smudgie Up High

3/25/06: Smudge on the Old Well House Roof

10/20/10: Anybody Up for Raking Leaves?

© FarmgirlFare.com, the rock solid foodie farm blog where the foundation of the older half of The Shack—which dates from the 1800s and includes this rotting porch off the bedroom—is made from stone, as in straight sided rocks simply stacked right there on the ground, as you can see in the bottom left of this photo. Plentiful and free, and no worries about termites. They do look pretty cool (you know how much I love rocks), if a little unprofessional.

Tuesday Dose of Cute: What?

You've never seen someone hanging on a drying rack before?

During the summer, the clothes we take off at the end of the day are usually soaked with sweat, so instead of tossing them into the laundry basket (where scary things happen to dirty wet clothes in hot and humid weather) we hang them up to dry overnight on this expandable folding rack that we leave set up just outside the bathroom, in the living room. (After going through numerous wooden drying racks over the years, this metal one has been working out great.)

More below. . .

Sunday Dose of Cute: Beauty and Grace(And a Scary Little Corner of The Shack)

Mr. Midnight on the Roof







And off the Roof

Fancy some more feline photos?
Topaz
Patchy Cat
Smudge
Sarah Kit Kat Kate
Mr. Midnight
Sylvester
J2
New Cat
Molly Doodlebug (aka The Doodle Monster)

© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the supercat foodie farm blog where some of us can leap from tall buildings in a single bound—though not to worry, Mr. Midnight is actually jumping onto a very conveniently located six-foot tall stump, not all the way to the ground.

Monday Daily Dose of Cute: Looking for Santa?

Mr. Midnight loves to prowl around on The Shack roof

Want to meet the rest of our crazy cats?
Sylvester
Topaz (aka 3T)
Patchy Cat
Smudge
Sarah Kit Kat Kate
J2
New Cat
Molly Doodlebug (aka The Doodle Monster)

© FarmgirlFare.com, the feline foodie farm blog where yesterday this curious cat spent all afternoon locked in the back 'closet' (it's actually a falling down, poorly walled-in covered porch) because every time you go in there he pulls open the door with his paw and then rushes in at top speed (often without being noticed) despite the fact that it's freezing cold, totally devoid of mice, and really, really boring.

Feeding My Addictions & A Simple Pasta Recipe: Linguine with Olive Oil, Garlic, Pecorino Romano, and Parsley

And a Wonderful Book for Art Loving Foodies

Linguini or Linguine? Actually, this is tagliatelle with a side of art.

Hi, my name is Susan and I'm a book fiend, a certified foodie, and a recipe hound, which also makes me a hopeless cookbookaholic. I have a stack of cookbooks from which I've never made a single recipe and yet I still keep buying new ones. Add the words 'bargain priced' and there's no stopping me.

A few months ago I received an email message from my best friend Beth that consisted of a website address and the subject line "Cookbook store going out of business sale." Talk about an enabler. An hour later I had 12 scrumptious publications I never knew I desperately needed in my shopping cart (after painfully narrowing it down from a total of 17) and was giddily typing in my credit card and shipping information as fast as I could. I still haven't looked through them all yet.

Food and books aren't my only downfalls either. I also happen to be an art junkie. From pointillism to paint-by-numbers, linocuts to letterpress, watercolors to World War II era posters—I love it all.

In between the 50 or so feet of bookshelves, there are no fewer than 13 framed works of art decorating my small and very cluttered studio office (which I share with the clothes dryer, the only closet in The Shack, and anything that needs to be kept at or below 77 degrees—vitamins, sheep wormer, onions and garlic—since this is the only room that's air-conditioned in summer).

My favorites are two 1930s watercolors of pink flamingos by S.W. Graves and an exquisite pastel nude from the 1990s in a fancy but chipped gilded frame.

A little peek into my life

In addition, adorning the walls are two handpainted signs (one is wood and says 'Fresh Produce' and the other is metal in the shape of a pot of blue and white flowers and says 'Garden Tours'), an oversized forest green Postal Telegraph clock, and two cork bulletin boards that are completely covered with greeting cards, photos snipped from magazines, and other bits of eye-catching ephemera. Timely announcements and important papers don't stand a chance of being noticed.

But the majority of my two dimensional art is packed up in storage, kind of like at the Smithsonian where only about 10% of the actual museum's collection is ever on display at one time.

Also decorating my little room are a large antique oval hat box that says Pedigree Hats (scored in a thrift store shortly after moving to Missouri for $1.50), a cobalt blue handmade ceramic vase decorated with the face of a cat purchased 20 years ago from the artist at an outdoor fair and a small pale green ceramic Art Deco pitcher (both filled with sand and used as bookends), five bakelite radios from the 1930s, the latest addition to my collection of 1950s lucite purses (the rest are in boxes), and a gorgeous antique hand sewn wall hanging decorated with Egyptian motifs.

Don't forget the old tin of Hartz Mountain E-Z Kleen Flea Powder with a charming drawing of a child grooming a terrier-like dog on the front, the three silver knife rests from the 1930s in the shape of animals, and one of those little square puzzle games where you try to slide the 15 numbered pieces into the correct order, complete with instruction booklet dated 1933 and red leather carrying case. Then there's the black and red Art Deco tabletop display case that holds some of my prized bakelite jewelry collection and is surrounded by part of my equally prized bird nest collection.

There's more, but I'm sure you get the idea. With a background in graphic design and years spent buying and selling (and of course collecting) antiques, in my world pretty much everything is art.

The good news is that apart from weighing a few pounds more than I'd like to and having a constant shortage of wall and shelf space (not to mention a slight clutter problem), my addictions don't seem to be doing harm to me or anyone else. I'm well read and well fed, have plenty of interesting things to look at, and am always up for a story or a snack.


The makings of a quick and easy meal

Any multi-obsessive person knows that the only thing better than supporting one of your habits is finding something that will feed all of them at once, and last year I came across such a thing: The Artist's Palate, Cooking with the World's Great Artists by Frank Fedele, which immediately became one of my very favorite books.

Take one part coffee table art book, one part cookbook, one part never-before-seen portrait collection, two parts biography and memoir, and combine them with up close and personal food talk from and about some of the most famous artists in the world, and you have a publication that, for me at least, seems almost too good to be true.

If you're the kind of person who delights in finding out that Henri Matisse "rose early to take advantage of the light, and had only one large meal at midday followed by a siesta," or that Willem de Kooning was partial to Dutch food and ate a traditional Dutch breakfast of Gouda cheese, sliced ham, crusty dark pumpernickel bread, poached eggs, and tea with milk and sugar nearly every day but also adored fried chicken TV dinners, then you, too, are going to love this book.

Where else can you learn that the Grande Dame of American sculptors, Louise Bourgeois, once tried to cut up oxtails from the wholesale meat market with a bandsaw, or that the ice in Diego Rivera's Mexico City apartment's icebox was replaced every three days?

One of the real gems in this book is Frank Rehn Gallery codirector Peter Ornstein's priceless story of the surprise, "straight out of the Nighthawks" lunch he enjoyed at the home of Edward and Jo Hopper in the mid-60s, after delivering a check to the artist.

There's a recipe either directly from or somehow related to each artist profiled, including Norman Rockwell's favorite Oatmeal Cookies, Milton Glaser's Chinese Chicken Salad, Grant Wood's Strawberry Shortcake, Isamu Noguchi's Honey & Buttermilk Oatmeal (as re-created by acclaimed chef Kevin Shikami of Kevin restaurant in Chicago), and the Caramels au Chocolat that Mary Cassatt's longtime housekeeper used to prepare for her.

This book is already so wonderful that it wouldn't matter if the recipes didn't work, but they actually do. The few I've tried so far have been delicious, including this simple yet satisfying pasta from American painter and graphic artist Will Barnet.

So what delectable things (edible or otherwise) are you addicted to?



Linguine with Garlic and Oil
Serves 2 to 3 - Adapted from The Artist's Palate

From The Artist's Palate:
Will Barnet is best known for his elegant, pared-down portraits of women at repose, executed in a style he calls Classic Modernism. He had absolutely no trouble in deciding his favorite recipe. It was easy to determine since he eats it almost every day: linguini with garlic and oil. Will told me that he always finished the meal with a glass of hot tea and a sliver of Scharffen Berger dark chocolate. He sent in the label from a bar of the chocolate annotated with this handwritten note: "Sliver with a glass of hot tea—lunch or dinner—great dessert!"

This is one of those classic, simple dishes that I, too, could easily eat nearly every day. I've made it many times, including with parsley (which I think is vastly underrated) and freshly dug garlic from my organic kitchen garden. What's especially nice about it is that the ingredients are readily available year round; even in winter you can almost always find a decent head of garlic and a nice bunch of Italian parsley.

In summer look for fresh garlic and just-picked parsley at farmers' markets. As always, I urge you to use local and organic ingredients whenever possible—they really do make a difference.



The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity—and the quality of your ingredients of course—but that doesn't mean you can't add your own personal touch with a handful of baby arugula (so easy to grow!), some fresh basil or thyme, a diced plum tomato, or even a few wild mushrooms if you're lucky enough to have some handy. I like stirring in a spoonful or two of Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta (another addiction!), as pictured above. A little basil pesto or arugula pesto would also be nice.

The amounts of each ingredient are purely to taste—it's nearly impossible to mess this dish up. I added my More, More, More kitchen philosophy to the original version, upping the garlic, parsley, and cheese, and substituting tagliatelle when I didn't have any linguine on hand (though I prefer it with the linguine). Oh yes, and there's the added bonus that garlic, parsley, and even olive oil are all very good for you. What a delicious way to boost your immune system this winter. Bon appetit!

8 ounces dried linguine (of course fresh pasta would be wonderful)
4 to 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 to 12 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup (packed) chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, drain and return to the pot or a serving bowl, saving a little of the pasta water. When the pasta is nearly cooked, heat the oil in a large skillet to hot, but not smoking.

Add the garlic and lower the heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.

Add three quarters of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the linguine and toss thoroughly, adding a little of the pasta water if desired. Top with the grated cheese and remaining parsley.

Can't get enough garlic? You might enjoy these recipes:
Roasted Garlic Lover's White Bean Soup (fat free and vegan)
Caramelized Beets with Garlic
My Favorite Basil Pesto
Beyond Easy White Bean Pesto Dip/Spread
Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip
Swiss Chard Artichoke Soup
Quick Black Bean Soup/Chili
Cream (or not) of Artichoke Soup with Garlic & Onions
Broccoli, Onion & Garbanzo Bean Soup
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Onions & Garlic
Onion & Herb Crusted Lamb Spareribs
Grilled Lamb Burgers with Red Pepper, Parsley, & Olive Relish

Still hungry? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.

© FarmgirlFare.com, the artistic foodie farm blog where pretty much everything we eat fits into one of two categories: things that go well with garlic and things that go well with chocolate.

Farm Photo 2/3/08: Handyman Special

A Man & His Supervisor

"Um, honey? The bathtub just puked up the dishwater I poured down the kitchen sink."

So yesterday Joe dug into what we thought was a small plumbing problem.


Way More Exciting Than Watching The Superbowl

Turns out it's more like a medium plumbing problem. But at least it stopped snowing. And hasn't started raining yet. And the ground isn't frozen. Well, not solid anyway.

Want to see more?
Hunky Farmguy Photos
Lucky Buddy Bear Photos
Dog Photos
Snow Photos
Farm Life Tidbits

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares more than you probably want to know about life on 240 remote Missouri acres - and the dirty dishes are starting to pile up.

Farm Photo 1/10/08: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Feline Friend Or Furry Heat Detector?

Actually, the old tin roof on The Shack probably isn't real hot, but the woodstove chimney must put out some heat because cozied up next to it is one of J2's favorite winter places to be. Plus the view is great.

As for the big cracks in the top piece of the chimney, they happened when the whole thing flew onto the lawn during that bad storm back in July 2006 (the one where the greenhouse blew apart and Lindy The Chicken went missing). I figured we could just patch it back together with duct tape (I love that stuff), but Joe used some sort of special high-temp glue instead. So far so good.

Want to see more?
You'll find other pictures of J2 here, lots more farm cat photos here, and various farm life stories and tidbits here.

© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote acres.

Daily Farm Photo 12/24/05: Right Here, Santa

It's about 100 years old but it should work just fine.

© FarmgirlFare.com

Weekend Cat Blogging #20: Smudgie Up High

Farm cats rescue themselves
© FarmgirlFare.com, the no fear of heights (for some of us) foodie farm blog where there's nothing like watching a cat walk up and down a ladder.