Hints of Summer: art, books, and greens
Upcoming show, what I am reading, and a recipe
"Hints of Summer" at The Station Gallery
Group Show June 7 to 29, 2024
Please Join us this Friday, June 7, 5 - 8 PM for a Wine & Cheese Opening Reception at Station Gallery, 3922 Kennett Pike, Greenville, DE 19807
I'm thrilled to share that my work will be on display at the Station Gallery in Greenville, DE, throughout June. This show is especially exciting as I'll be exhibiting alongside two artists I greatly admire, Lynne Lockhart and Kirk McBride.
Come out to the opening. I hope to see you there.
Books:
I don’t have a book review for you this month, but this is what I am reading and listening to.
I am listening to Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The audio book is read by the author and I love hearing her tell indigenous stories and her own biography of becoming an environmental biologist in her own voice.
I'm currently reading The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. The story is set close to my home in Philadelphia, making the setting vivid and familiar. I am enjoying the tenderness of the characters and how the overlapping narratives weave the story together.
For The Love Of Kale
Braised Kale Recipe
How I make it. . .
Most of my cooking does not come from a recipe or have exact measurements. This braised kale recipe is no exception.
4 slices bacon cooked, reserve the fat for cooking the rest of the dish
2 tablespoons olive oil if not using bacon fat
3 or 4 cloves garlic sliced
1 very large shallot, chopped
1 pound washed and chopped up kale
1 teaspoon salt
crushed red pepper to taste
1 or 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 or 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
water as needed
poached or soft boiled eggs
Cook the bacon and reserve the fat. Set aside the bacon for the end of the dish.
In a large (12 inch) skillet sauté shallots and garlic in the fat or in olive oil for 2 minutes, add salt and crushed red pepper. Start adding the kale in batches, putting the lid on to wilt it enough that you can get all the kale in the pan. Let it wilt under the lid for a few minutes until you can start stirring it around without it falling out of the pan. Keep stirring it so it does not stick to the pan and until the stems are soft. Add water occasionally if it is getting too dry. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
At this point, bring a small pot of water to a boil for poaching eggs.
Back to the kale: when the stems are soft, add the bread crumbs, and stir until everything is coated. Add the bacon. Add a couple splashes vinegar and stir to get all the crumbs, garlic, shallot, and kale loose from the bottom of the pan. Plate the kale.
Poach your eggs (soft boiled are also suitable) and serve over the kale.
I like to eat this for dinner or breakfast. My husband, who does not like a bitter green, will happily eat this dish. It is surprisingly filling.