CORNBREAD ARISTOCRAT - TRÉS AND HELENE TAYLOR

Artist Contributor: Trés and Helene Taylor

Website:  https://www.trestaylor.com/

Instagram @trestaylorworksontarpaper

During quarantine, Trés reached out to his high-school teacher and they decided to have a Bake-Off.  One Friday afternoon they were both supposed to post on Facebook their bread creations.  The rules were that it had to be edible and sculptural.  Trés gathered inspiration from the children's book and movie Where the Wild things Are.  Now, here’s the caveat: while said teacher baked bread regularly, Trés had never baked bread in his life!  And to make matters worse, yeast was harder to find than toilet paper.  Luckily, I did have the ingredients for cornbread.

This cornbread recipe is from a homemade cookbook I made one summer. The cookbook included all the recipes I made when loved one came to visit us in our summer home affectionately named Sweet Apple.  Special times, simple times.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp oil or butter
• 1/2 cup fresh corn cut from the cob

Directions:

Place skillet in oven on 450 while mixing.

Melt butter in bottom of skillet.

Mix together all other ingredients, pour in hot skillet.

Cook in oven for about 20 minutes.

Serve with honey

Check out Trés' Work - It's so great!

SHAKSHUKA - DARYL THETFORD

Artist Contributor: Daryl Thetford

Website: http://darylthetford.com

Instagram @darylthetford

Shakshuka

We have several favorite dishes, but this is our latest, as we experiment with new things to cook during our extra time at home.  We both loved this.  It is especially good with hearty crusty bread dipped into garlic and olive oil.

Ingredients:

•   1 medium onion, diced
•   1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
•   4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•   2 tsp paprika
•   1 tsp cumin
•   1/4 tsp chili powder
•   1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
•   6 large eggs
•   salt and pepper, to taste
•   1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
•   1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

Add garlic and spices and cook an additional minute.

Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into the pan and break down the tomatoes using a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Use your large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking.

Daryl's use of imagery is so thoughtful.  Check out his fantastic work here:

BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA CAKES - DOLAN AND ALI MARIE GEIMAN

Artist Contributor: Dolan & Ali Marie Geiman

Instagram @dolangeiman

Beef Ragu with Polenta Cakes

During our little sabbatical from art fair travel, we launched a recipe share with a few friends & family members interested in clean cooking. The enclosed shot is from Denver-based fitness & nutrition expert Jillian Keaveny (https://www.jilliankeaveny.com/ ) that made the following dish we posted to our shared recipe box.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb beef brisket
• 1 yellow onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 cup beef bone broth
• 3-4 14.5 oz cans of peeled tomatoes (or 2 28-oz cans of whole tomatoes)
• 3 heaping tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2-3 bay leaves
• kosher salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine
• fresh basil

Directions:

• Pat brisket with paper towel. Generously cover in kosher salt + pepper. (Optional: add some smoked paprika + cayenne if you're so inclined)
• Heat avocado oil or ghee. Brown brisket on all sides
• Thinly slice onions and line bottom of crock pot. Place brisket on top of onions. Add some diced onion + garlic and work into brisket.
• Cover with a beef bone broth. Cook on high 4 hours. Pause, drain off broth + fat from crock pot.
• Empty tomatoes into large bowl and break down with hands. Pour tomatoes into crock pot.
• Add tomato paste, basil, oregano, bay leaves, red wine. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook on high for another 4-5 hours. It takes ~ 8 hours to break down the brisket enough to shred.
• Use 2 forks to shred the brisket on cutting board. 
• Serve shredded brisket with tomato sauce over pan-fried polenta cakes and top with fresh basil. (Optional:  add fresh Parmesan)
• Served with grilled broccolini + arugula salad.

Check out Dolan's Work HERE

RICH PEOPLE'S BORSCHT - SIGNE AND GENNA GRUSHOVENKO

Artist Contributor: Signe and Genna Grushovenko

Website:  https://www.grushovenko.com/

Instagram @thegrushovenkos

What made a perfect quarantine recipe? In our opinion: Slow cooking (you’re home anyway, why not take advantage?). Soulful. Frugal. Nutritious. Traditional is a plus since we’re all craving connection.

So, we have the perfect one…borscht. In Ukraine, your borscht is like a fingerprint. Every household, and even each member of the household, has it’s unique variation. This recipe is an adaption of Genna’s beloved mother Elena’s version. We’re calling it ‘Rich People’s Borscht’ as the Ukranian versions usually eat more like a soup and our American version is so packed with goodies it eats more like a stew!

Ingredients: 

• A bone-in boston butt
• ½ large onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 large beet
• 8 oz unsalted tomato sauce
• 2 large potatoes
• 2 T butter
• ½ a small head of cabbage
• peppercorns and bay leaf
• salt & pepper and vinegar to taste
• sour cream and dill for serving
• at least one shot of vodka

Directions:

• Cut away the best of the meat for another use and then boil the meaty bone for around an hour with peppercorns and bay leaf.
• Cool the meat, remove it from the bone, and shred it.
• Strain and reserve the broth.
• In the meantime, prepare the mise en place by grating one large carrot and half the beet, julienning the other half of the beet and the cabbage, and dicing the onion, the other carrot, and the potatoes.
• In a large stock pot, return the meat to the broth, add the diced carrot and potatoes and add water to make your pot 2/3 full.
• Create a zazharka (Ukrainian mirepoix) in a separate skillet by sautéing the onion in the 2 T of butter until golden brown and then adding in the grated vegetables, tomato sauce, and a little water. Cook until the liquids have mostly evaporated.
• When the potatoes are al dente, add the cabbage and cook for a few more minutes.
• Add the zazharka to the borscht.
• Cook until the vegetables are all to your desired doneness, then add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste.
• Serve hot topped with sour cream and dill or parsley. Vodka is the preferred beverage pairing.
  
  

Nazdarovya (to your health)!

Check out their artwork - Isn't it all the things?