We grabbed the largest containers we could find, (at our house those just happened to be two growlers) and headed to one of our favorite local beaches. Carrying the growlers down to the beach, we ignored the odd looks from the fellow beach goers that were shot in our direction. Eager to gather our ingredient we headed straight to the water stopping only to catch our breath as the cold bite of the pacific caused a temporary stall in the process.

Soon enough we had the containers filled and we continued our time on the beach searching for shells, skipping rocks and watching the kite surfers rush past us as they soared through the water.

When we arrived home I passed the beach water through several layers of cheese cloth (four, at least) to capture the bits of sand, rogue sea shells and kelp that came with our catch. The water that was left in the pot was perfectly clear.

With the sea water set somewhere between a simmer and a boil it took nearly four hours for us to reach salt. Every so often we would check the process then return to our daily tasks while we continued to wait for the water to vanish and leave behind a finely grained salt that manages to capture the best of sea.

By the time we had salt the boys had gone to bed. My excitement caused rash thinking as for a moment I contemplated waking them to show the end result. Reason took over and I waited until morning to share with them the fruit of our labor.

We ended up with about 1/2 cup of salt after boiling down 2 gallons of ocean. Not a lot considering the time invested in the process but it remains to be well worth it. It has given us even more reason to return to the beach often and there is nothing wrong with that.

As for the salt itself – it’s wonderful. We had been enjoying it on our food for weeks before I ended up at a potluck with Mark Bitterman, the author of Salted- a book I adore, and also the owner of The Meadow located in Portland, OR and New York. I had Mark give it a try and he ended up taking home the remaining salt I had brought with me that evening. The next day he sent me a message saying he had a chef try it and the chef “flipped out”.

Needless to say my boys are thrilled with their effort. Now we find ourselves busy keeping up with the demand as word has gotten out that they are making salt and people have been wanting to buy. In the meantime we are enjoying this activity that provides plenty of learning opportunities, fun times together, and many trips to the beach. Not to mention, great salt.

I realize it’s not Friday but this post was shot with film. Most often I try and post my recent film shots of Fridays. Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

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There is something so exciting and satisfying to press the trigger than moments later be able to hold the print. I have much to learn and the camera has seen better days as there appears to be a places in which age has worn little holes into the camera allowing odd pockets of light to enter. It just makes those times when you actually get a print that looks tolerable all the more exhilarating.

Polaroid Land Camera (taken with a Canon 5d Mark II)

Bee’s Knees

The Pantry at Delancey.

Currants, figs, plums

Earlier this month I taught a food photography class at The Pantry. I was beyond nervous. I have no doubt they could tell.

In a kitchen is where my confidence is at it’s peak. I dance between the stove and the mixer understanding it’s every move and not questioning what to add or when to stir, fold, or whip. I still have much to learn but I am comforted by the  unfamiliar level of confidence that I find when I enter into a kitchen. To teach others how to fold dough upon layers of butter to achieve thousands of perfectly formed flaky sheets is a joy but it doesn’t stretch me in the way preparing to teach food photography did.

Seeing myself as a photographer is a very new concept for me. I’ve always loved taking pictures but an innate passion for it was discovered as a result of this blog. Because of this I was so honored for all of the students who showed up to learn from me.

Before beginning the presentation I prepared I had to stop for a moment to thank them for coming. Not a flippant thank you but one in which I wanted to convey that their presence was like a giant pat on the back. To be given the opportunity to teach this subject that still causes an exhilarating reverence within me  was a gift. It caused me to appreciate where I have come and eagerly anticipate where God has yet to take me.

So again, if you came to that class, thank you. You were all a joy to teach. If you weren’t there and would like to have been, we are planning to teach another class in the Winter. Gabe will be joining me and we will spend time working through the “issues” of shooting in the midst of the Seattle gray. The class will be at The Pantry again. I’ll update you as soon as it becomes available to sign up.

“Mama, I was thinking we could go for a date. Maybe walk and get a Macaron then go to the park.” He said.

And that’s just what we did. It’s not everyday that I get asked out by my five year old son, but when I do, everything is dropped and we head out the door. One of the best dates of my life.

Happy Weekend everyone.

p.s. I really like you all. Your comments and kind words about my film has spurred me to pursue it further and to always be taking photos. Thank you all for being so encouraging.

Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4. Except for today’s post which was shot with a polaroid land camera.

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Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

I really hesitated to put that title up there but really I think it is time to start saying goodbye. Not in the sense that it’s time for hot chocolate and apple pie but more to recognize that these warm days are fleeting and so we must really embrace each moment and squeeze in as much Summer activity as they can handle without bursting and spilling sunscreen and lemonade everywhere.

Next week’s forecast is telling us we are in for a very pleasant Summer send-off. Because of this and the longing to soak up a bit more of Summer, Gabe and I are proclaiming Monday and Tuesday as vacation days. No work, just family and sun. And quite possibly boat excursions, pony rides, slip and slides, cold cocktails and ice cream.

So now I feel caught in between the stage of still relishing Summer while also looking back on the images of moments captured over the last few months. It’s a good way to say goodbye, by remembering the laughter, the joy and for appreciating what time we did have. While it is still here, if only for a couple more weeks, I plan to enjoy each bit of sun that warms me completely, I’ll long for that in January. I plan on cleaning up more sticky fingers and wiping chocolate ice cream stained faces. I plan on more tomatoes, zucchini, peaches, and corn.

And then, when all that is done I will greet Fall with it’s apples, squash, scarves, and cider with a genuine excitement. But for now, there’s still a bit more Summer to appreciate.

Fig and Plum Jam

A welcome addition to bread with soft cheese.

3 tart plums, roughly chopped

1 pound fresh figs, roughly chopped

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ginger

2 cardamom pods, smashed

pinch salt

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan with a small splash of water. Cook on medium until reduced and when placed on a plate that has been placed in a freezer, is the consistency of a slightly loose jam. About 15 minutes or so.

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Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
–John Burroughs

Today I’m appreciating the simplicity of the garden. In theory it’s as simple as placing a single seed in the dirt, adding some water and sunshine then with a bit of patience you are able to unearth fruits and vegetables of every shape and size.

Now, I do realize that gardening is far from simple. I have found that out after months of watching some things flourish and others stay tiny seedlings in my small garden. Gardening often includes fighting the elements. Fending off the crows from eating the seeds before they have a chance to settle into the dirt and squawking while flapping my arms to keep the squirrels from snacking on the just ripe strawberries. I’m sure the neighbors are highly entertained with this practice.

In theory all it takes is dirt, water, and sun. But what happens when the sun decides to wait until August to show up? Or your dirt isn’t balanced? Or your watering is inconsistent and done by a 3 and 5 year old? Somehow, some things still manage to grow, even if it is only a handful of peas, two strawberries and a prolific sage bush.

Nothing is more simple with gardening than when you are able to walk into someone else’s patch and have permission to gather as much as you want. The hard work has already been done by the gardener and the season. All you have to do is get dirt under your fingernails as you gather a bounty.

It’s my dad’s garden and he’s incredibly proud of it and I’m certain you can see why.

Together we dug up potatoes, plucked beans from the vine, tugged on beets until they released their roots from the tight grip of the earth, cut lettuce from it’s core, and snapped basil from the stem creating a waft of summer’s scent to invade the warm air. All this while snacking on a few, tart raspberries.

Merely fifty steps away from the kitchen little was needed to be done to make such fresh produce taste simply wonderful. Imploring basic kitchen techniques of roasting, braising and sautéing we bit into the richness caused by the soil and tasted the sweetness of the sun. With great pride we enjoyed our dinner even though the complexity of actually growing the food was left up to divine biology. Our part in the process was simple. Plant, pick, and enjoy.

In most areas, if not all, I tend to overcomplicate things. I easily get distracted from the beauty of everyday simplicity because I am focused on the future, what’s to come. And while there is nothing wrong with planning, dreaming and making goals it’s just as important to see the joy in the less complicated. In the present. Marvel at the intricacies of an ear of corn, gasp in delight at the sweetness of a potato having just been dug up, laugh as you fall into the dirt wrestling with a stubborn carrot.

These uncomplicated moments are to be savored, remembered and abundant.

Allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised with the satisfaction of something simple.

Potatoes with Peas, Onions and Olive Oil

adapted from Nigel Slater

You can use leftover potatoes here. Encourage your potatoes to break up and get smashed about. There is nothing fancy about this dish. Simplicity at its finest.

serves 4 as a side

2 1/4 pounds new potoates

4 medium onions, roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups peas, fresh or frozen

1 cup roughly chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes in well salted water until tender. Drain and cut into rough bite size pieces. Set aside.

In a large saute pan add the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in the parsley, peas, salt and pepper. Stir in the potatoes. Serve warm.

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Here are a few other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4. Digital images at the bottom of this post were taken with a 5d Mark II using a 50mm macro.

I have a favorite spot in Seattle that is quickly becoming favorite spot for many thanks to the attention of The New York Times and Bon Appetit. Of course the food and drinks have a lot to do with it as well.

The Walrus and the Carpenter is marked with a little blue cloud that hangs over the door that leads down a dark hall surrounded by reclaimed wood, exposed brick and eerie yet intriguing portraits. The ominous hall opens up to a bright scene flooded with people, cocktails and oysters. Buckets and buckets of oysters.

The interior is clean, modern with enough farmhouse rustic touches that allows you in sit comfortably. The space is tight, particularly in the kitchen. Yet they manage to produce plate after plate with such ease and grace it’s hard not to watch in awe.

Chef Renee Erickson’s (also of Boat Street Kitchen) food causes me to ignite with passion and inspiration with each visit. Although the menu is heavy on seafood and I have yet to embrace the beauty of eating things found in the sea I am still overwhelmed by the options. Her food is simple and inventive. The kind of food that causes one to stop talking, close your eyes and simply enjoy the bite.

The menu is arranged in categories of oysters, vegetables, seafood, meat, cheese and sweets. The plates are small and created for sharing. Allowing everyone to enjoy several tastes of many dishes with each visit.

On this particular night I was forced to rush out to my car and retrieve my camera to snap a few shots of tomatoes. Not JUST tomatoes but Billy’s tomatoes bathed in olive oil and vanilla bean. Tomatoes and vanilla, did you know they were friends? They really are.

Vanilla beans are suspended in a fruity olive oil and cause the sweetness of the tomatoes to play the starring role it so deserves. Behind the scenes the vanilla adds a floral perfume that gently reminds you that tomatoes are indeed a fruit (or are they a vegetable?). The soft acidic bite puts them back in their savory place. Crusty bread provides the perfect sponge to soak up the remaining soup of tomato juices, olive oil and vanilla bean.

If you do find yourself at the Walrus be sure to order a cocktail. I haven’t met one there that I don’t like. Also, it is a rare visit when I don’t order the chicken liver mousse.

One more thing. If you do go, call me. I’ll meet you there in a instant.

Happy Weekend.

Tomatoes with Vanilla and Mint

inspired by The Walrus and the Carpenter

3 perfect tomatoes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 vanilla bean

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

sea salt

Slice the tomatoes in 1/4″ rounds.

Combine the olive oil and vanilla bean.

Arrange the tomatoes on a platter. Cover the tomatoes with the oil. Let sit for at least an hour before serving allowing time for the tomatoes to marinate. Just before serving sprinkle with salt and fresh mint.

Serve with bread.

Also, I imagine a cool, tangy chevre would suit this nicely.

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