Flowers on Friday

In the weeds …

Now what is this we have going on here? What your looking at is the growing pile of muck the boy and I have been pulling out of the lake. We're trying to clear the weeds to make a nice sandy swimming area. The pile was already started when we moved into the house — it looked eerily like a fresh grave. Eh. Not knowing where else we could put the stuff, we just started adding to it.

It was also our designated compost area for a brief period, until we decided we didn't like looking at it from the deck and moved it around the side of the house. So most recently we've just been adding what is some of the finest, most fertile soil around … 

Tomatoes! Our weeds and muck and more have sprouted a healthy, hearty tomato plant with lots of fruit and buds. Hooray for fertile grounds!

Inspiration: Marc Boutavant

I fell down the interweb rabbit hole today and just had to share one of my finds. It is illustrator Marc Boutavant. His images make my heart sing, which is appropriate as he is represented by the Heart Agency. Boutavant's illustrations are bold and bright and brimming with energy. I am particularly drawn to the contrast between the bold singular images on a white background and the complex, dense jam-packed compositions I can not even imagine creating. Where does one start? I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Nautical toilet paper holder

Last fall I was in a home that had nautical cleats as drawer pulls in the kitchen. It was so simple and clean, I fell in love. Some day we may do a kitchen remodel that includes this clever idea, but in the meantime, I stumbled on this idea on Pinterest: a nautical cleat as toilet paper holder. Brilliant!

The Pinterest photo was a good starting place and we did some improvising with a dowel, red and white line and mini clamps. Kinda cute, right? There seems to be more and more red creeping into our home, which is funny because I think of myself as a blues and greens kinda gal … but I like this change!

Above is a (dark) peak at some of the art in our bathroom: The elephant was bought by my mom on the street in New York in the 1960s for $1 and the awesome cross-stitches are by Jenni of From J. Loo to You.

Summer squash carpaccio

What's cooking? Not much around here you might say, but here's a little recipe that continues the non-cooking, while letting you eat in a flash. It's a beautiful and simple summer squash carpaccio. I've tried several variations of this in the last few weeks and so far, this recipe from Tyler Florence is my favorite. But it also lends itself to countless variations: tried it with some toasted pine nuts or walnuts, throw in some dill or chives, cut the squash lengthwise, rather than in disk, add tomatoes. You name it.

Summer Squash Carpaccio

Adapted from Food Network

2 medium zucchini or yellow squash
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 leek, white part only, sliced thinly
1/4 pound piece Parmesan
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Directions

Using a mandolin, vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife, slice zucchini into very thin rounds. I used a vegetable peeler for slicing: zucchini and squash are quite tender, so it works like a charm. I chose one zucchini and one yellow squash since it makes a pretty presentation.

Arrange zucchini disks slightly overlapping in a single layer on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice and scatter with leeks. Shave very thin slices of Parmesan over the plate with a peeler. Scatter mint leaves over top and serve immediately.

Burlap coffee bean sack ideas

Attention Ann Arbor crafty types! Did you know the Scrapbox has a giant box of burlap coffee bean sacks for sale? $2 a pop. I picked up a few yesterday and am pondering a variety of home projects. I'm sure you could score some for free around town somewhere, but this is much easier and supports a great local resource!

Wondering what to do with them? Here are a few ideas and links to how-to's:

Burlap/Coffee bean sack wreath

Coffee bean sack ottoman

Coffee bean sack planters

And if you want to be really ambitious, there's always this beauty:

Coffee bean sack upholstered chair

There's also a really fun Pinterest board chock-filled with inspiration for projects using sacks of all kinds.

So get thee to the Scrapbox (or maybe a local coffee shop near you)! 

North Fork Foodie Tour 2012

It's that time of year again: The North Fork Foodie Tour is coming! Above is the poster I designed for this year's event. Having worked on the Foodie Tour posters for the past four years, I was worried about coming up with a new concept, but worry not: Thanks so much to the talented illustrators, Jannie Ho and Fran Mason for that little kick of inspiration I needed!

Book Business Tuesday

I am thrilled to announce that Parnassus Books in Nashville is now carrying a selection of my greeting cards. I am always excited to add a store to my growing list of retailers, but this one in particular is sending me over the moon: Parnassus is owned by one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett. 

If you're not familiar with Patchett, Bel Canto is a wonderful place to start. It is probably her most well-known novel and a truly remarkable story — though you can't go wrong with anything on this list. I just this week finished State of Wonder, Patchett's most recent book, and it kept me rabidly turning pages late into the night. It would be an equally good place to start! Or, you can check out Patchett on the Colbert Report talking about Parnassus and the state of indie bookstores. You tell him, Ann! 

So what does that have to do with the photos above? … they are photos of the library in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The building used to be a big box supermarket but it has been given a new life as the gorgeous town library you see here. And this is my random book business connection: Eden Prairie is the home of the central character in Patchett's State of Wonder.  *Sigh.* Lovely connection.

I hope you find time to turn some pages this week! 

Ann Arbor Art Fair

The Original Ann Arbor Art Fair 2012 poster by Julie Beyer

I'm very excited to be dipping my toe into the Ann Arbor Art Fair world this year and will be set up for two days of the fair. On Wednesday and Thursday, July 18 and 19, I'll be sharing a booth at the sidewalk sale of the 322 Liberty Lofts on Liberty Street between Division and Fifth Ave. (Click link for map.) We'll be there from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day right next door to Seva and the Comedy Showcase.  

I've been updating my shop like crazy with a slew of new prints and will have them all with me at Art Fair. This is my only show this summer until September, so come by, say hello and see what's new! 

My boothmate is the super fun and talented jewelry designer, Elana Levine with Little Sisters Designs. I'm looking forward to spending some laughter-filled days with her and can't wait to see her latest creations! 

Dreamy, lazy, idle

via SF Girl by Bay

Dreamy lazy, idle summer. That's how it should be. Fireflies, starry nights, cooling waters. You have been—and most likely will be—seeing a little bit less of me around these parts for the summer. Is it because I am just soooo busy and scurrying? Sometimes it feels that way, but I am trying to feel less so because that's more about a state of mind and an environment you create and perpetuate. Instead, I want to truly enjoy summer and take time to be idle. Am I thinking about you? Yes. But I may be doing so while swinging my feet over the edge of a dock or rocking lazily in a hammock. I hope you find time to do some of that, too. 

This article in the New York Times is permanently locked into my open tabs, so I can skim and be reminded to escape the busy trap. And now I'm off to the hammock with this book under my arm.

Roast Pork and Summer Vegetables

This is one of those recipes that is deceptively long, but you shouldn't be intimidated. It's really  straightforward: make a dry rub - make a little sauce - roast some veggies - cook the pork. That's it. It makes a mountain of food that tastes just as good at room temperature, and certainly the next day. In other words, the perfect summer recipe. Make it on Saturday and feed a crowd, or nibble on it in various ways for days and days. 

The roasted vegetable combination is amazing and would taste great in a burrito or just all mixed together as a salad, maybe with a grain thrown in for a complete meal. I skipped the broccoli rabe just because and you could throw in any other veggies you happen to have. And I'm not sure why the shallots are unpeeled, but I did this and they look so pretty, I would do it again. Make extra because you'll find yourself reaching into the fridge for them just on their own. AND… you can make a mean Cuban sandwich with the leftover pork!!

Roast Pork with Summer Vegetables
via Saveur
Serves 6 to 8.

FOR THE PORK:
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 1⁄2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. turbinado or light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3–4-lb. piece trimmed, boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt, to taste
4 shallots, unpeeled and halved lengthwise
2 tbsp. canola oil

FOR THE HERB SAUCE:
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 green cardamom pod
1⁄2 cup minced cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste

FOR THE VEGETABLES:
2 large sweet potatoes
4 tomatillos, peeled
2 poblano peppers
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1⁄2 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and blanched until crisp-tender

1. Prepare the pork: Put coriander, fennel, and cumin in an 8" skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Coarsely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a small bowl. Add paprika, sugar, and garlic and stir to combine. Put pork on a plate and season generously with salt. Rub pork with coriander mixture and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

2. Make the herb sauce: Put coriander, cumin, and cardamom in an 8" skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Finely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a medium bowl along with cilantro, garlic, and jalapeños. Using a fork, whisk in olive oil and season sauce with salt; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

3. Roast the vegetables: Heat oven to 475°. Put sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake, turning once, until tender, 40–50 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Increase heat to broil and arrange a rack 4" from heating element. Put tomatillos and poblanos on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Broil, turning once, until charred and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer tomatillos to plate with sweet potatoes and transfer poblanos to a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes. Peel poblanos, discarding seeds and stems, and tear poblanos into 1⁄2"-wide strips; set aside.

4. Cook the broccoli rabe: Heat remaining olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add broccoli rabe; cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and remove pan from heat; set aside.

5. Cook the pork: Reduce oven to 350°. Heat canola oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Place shallots cut side down under pork. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork reads 125°, 30–50 minutes. Transfer pork and shallots to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. To serve, slice pork thinly and transfer to a platter along with shallots.

6. Serve: Cut sweet potatoes into small pieces and halve tomatillos. Transfer potatoes, tomatillos, poblanos, and broccoli rabe to platter. Spoon sauce over pork.

The bonus! A Cuban sandwich: dijon mustard, swiss cheese, thinly sliced leftover pork, ham, dill pickles, more swiss cheese. Cook in a large cast iron skillet with smaller heavy cast iron skillet (lean into it!) on top of the sandwich to press it. 

Flowers on Friday

 Happy Friday, everyone! Some flowers for your to start the weekend right. Enjoy!

Animal Behavior Opening Reception

You're all invited to join me this Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. for the opening reception for Animal Behavior at Little Monsters in Lake Orion! You can find details and directions over on the Facebook event page. This is a small show with new paintings and drawings. I do hope you'll come out for a sunny afternoon of art and monsters. 

If you need added enticement, there are two restaurants nearby that are rave-worthy and have been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Clarkston Union and the Union Woodshop. Make a day of it! 

And if you don't live in the area, fear not! I have been updating my Etsy shop with new prints from the show, like this, this and this. Yay!