THE RIVER

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LOOKING OUT  acrylic  16x40

Several months ago I began working on a series of paintings focused on the river that has given life to the city of Paducah.  The Ohio River is joined by the Tennessee River at the shores of our city, before moving on to the Mississippi River a few miles away.  A brisk morning walk easily gets me to the riverfront, only 8 blocks from our home.  From there I can see the river boats either slowly pushing their long line of barges up and down the river, or parked along the shore line, waiting their turn for whatever they wait for.  I have not figured our why they are called tugboats, since they push their loads rather than pull them.

So far one small area of the riverfront – about 4 blocks long – is providing me with more than enough visual material to work with.  My goal is to create a body of work, in a variety of media and sizes that can be exhibited in the next 6 to 12 months.  Of course they are also available now to any interested buyer.

ALMOST THERE  watercolor media  12x20

 The  portfolio - to date -  can be seen on my Facebook page.

7-28-15 Basil Fettuccini with tomato/butter sauce.

Usually I do not enjoy cooking for myself when my dear wife is out of town, but tonight’s experience my change that.  After feeding the canine crowd at 5 o’clock I walked down the street to a reception of new work by the visiting artist at A.I.R. Studio, and returned about an hour later.  Standing in the kitchen, I was sorely tempted to reach for the peanut butter and jelly, when I saw the two Roma tomatoes on the counter.  They were almost a week old, and were beginning to show their age.  I knew if I didn’t use them tonight they would end up in the trash, and wasting a fresh tomato is something I would never do.  And I knew in an instant what I was going to do

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Fettuccini

2.     Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped, seeds included

3.     Olive oil

4.     Shallots, thinly sliced

5.     Garlic, one clove pressed

6.     Basil

7.     Sweet Vermouth

8.     Mozzarella

9.     Butter

10. Oregano

                                            

PROCESS:

While the pasta water is heating, cook the shallots in olive oil until they become soft, then add the garlic and basil, followed by the tomatoes.  Simmer uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes before adding about ¼ cup of the sweet vermouth.  Cook the sauce for about 15-20 minutes.  Add the butter – I used about one generous tablespoon – several minutes before the pasta is ready.  I added the pasta directly to the pan with the sauce, but it could be mixed in a separate bowl.  Mix in the mozzarella and serve, garnished with some fresh basil and oregano.

COMMENTS:

This is the way I love to cook, making something happen with whatever is hanging around the kitchen.  It was delicious, and I’m sure I will do it again. 

Linguini w fresh tomato sauce

7-18-16   Linguini w fresh tomato sauce

      

There was never any question about tonight’ dinner. Looking at all the fresh tomatoes from Patience’s porch garden, the obvious choice was pasta with a light, fresh tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Linguini

2.     Fresh tomatoes from Patience’s porch garden – grated on the large teeth of a hand held cheese grater. 

3.     Tomato paste

4.     Fresh basil

5.     Parsley

6.      Olive oil

7.     Garlic

8.     Onions – ½ medium onion thinly sliced

9.     Garlic 1 large clove minced

10. Sweet Vermouth

11. Oregano, salt and pepper

12. Mozzarella cut into dice size pieces.

13. Kalamata olives.

PROCESS

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the “heel”, and grate the tomato over a bowl to collect the pulp.  Set the skin aside.  For the 2 of us I used 6 medium sized tomatoes

Cook the onions in the oil until they begin to soften, then add one large clove of garlic through a garlic press.  Cook for several minutes before adding the tomatoes.  As the sauce is cooking, add a splash of Sweet Vermouth (or a red wine of your choice), a handful of Kalamata olives, fresh basil leaves, parsley, and oregano.  Continue cooking to allow the sauce to thicken.  A tablespoon of tomato paste can be added if needed.

Note – I decided to add the tomato skins to the sauce while it was cooking, and removed them before adding it to the pasta.  I don’t know if this is necessary, but thought I would get all that I could out of the fruit.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, mix in the sauce, and add the dice mozzarella.  Garnish with Basil and serve.

COMMENTS:

This is a great summer recipe.  It is easy and quick and can be a last minute week night dinner.  Any fresh tomatoes can be used.  I’ve done this before with Roma tomatoes. 

Patience and I gave this a 10 plus.