Studio open

Studio, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

I took the whole day Sunday to be inspired and open my studio to wonderful colors like Cadmium yellow, Cadmium orange and Cadmium red. The inspiration came from my garden...pumpkins and squash everywhere...even on the chicken coop roof!!!
It was a great day to do nothing but create.

Pumpkin patch, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

pumpkins on the coop, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Cinderella on the roof, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Lakota squash and blossom, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Watercolor and pumpkins

Jarrahdale, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and from these colorful squash came inspiration for painting:
with bright colors mixed in all sorts of combos:
Cadmium yellow
Cadmium orange
Cadmium red
Sap green
add some iridescence and "twinks"

squash trio, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Cinderella, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Galeaux d'Eysines, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

butternut squash, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Chilled corn soup

chilled corn soup with shrimp salad, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

with shrimp salad
Cold soups are interesting. I always think of soups as a warming dish on a cold day but this summer the opposite works too. Last week I made gazpacho from my garden harvest....excellent burst of flavors.
I found this recipe in the Bon Appetit magazine August and thought I'd try it. The recipe called for lobster but I couldn't find it in Denver..certainly not live so I substituted Key West wild shrimp.
Although the soup looks really creamy it is dairy free. All of the flavors are extremely subtle and for a guest to try to detect the ingredients is a mystery to the senses. Try this with your summer corn. It is worth it:

Chilled corn soup with shrimp salad:
corn soup:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 cups of corn kernels (6 ears)
2 sprigs thyme
salt, pepper

Shrimp Salad:
2 cups gently cooked shrimp, cut bite size
1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp good olive oil plus more for drizzling
fresh ground pepper
3 Tbsp celery LEAVES, coarsely chopped plus more for garnish
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped plus more for garnish
Sea salt

Saute onions and garlic in butter and oil until soft, about 5 minutes
Add corn and season with salt and pepper, cook until soft and almost brown, about 8 minutes
Add thyme sprigs and 5 cups of water, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until corn is very soft (6-8 mins).
Discard thyme sprigs
Transfer to blender and work in batches until all pureed
Force through sieve or strainer, separating the solids.
Chill liquid for 2 hours

Salad:

Whisk shallot, lemon juice and mustard in a bowl,
Whisk in olive oil
Season with salt and pepper
Add shrimp, celery leaves and tarragon
Chill for 2 hours

Assemble:
Pour soup into bowls
Add salad to soup
Sprinkle with celery leaves and tarragon
Drizzle with olive oil
Season with salt and pepper

Bon Appetit Froid!

Zucchini parmesan chips

Zucchini parmesan chips, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

What to do with zucchini? Here's a quick (40 minutes) side dish that is absolutely tasty!
Heat oven to 450 deg
Slice zucchini 1/4 inch thick round
Coat with olive oil
dip in bowl with half bread crumbs, half Parmesan cheese (grated), plus any seasoning (I like an ancho chili powder) and coat both sides.
Place on baking sheet
Place in hot oven for 30 minutes
Bon Appetit!

zucchini parmesan chips, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Zucchini, garden vegetables and goat cheese frittata

zucchini, garden vegetables and goat cheese frittata, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Who doesn't love zucchini? Here's another way to use your summer garden squash and other veggies. I used zucchini, peppers, Japanese eggplant and goat cheese. Here's the basic recipe from food network.
Make sure you use yummy eggs:

fresh eggs, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

zucchini frittata, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Zucchini gratin

zucchini gratin, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

What doesn't make you feel like a gardener when you plant a couple of zucchini seeds? But after about the first 6 what do you do with them all. I have a few go to zucchini recipes but this one is by far my favorite. I used the $15 mandoline from Williams-Sonoma to slice these guys thin. Then I followed Ina Gartin's recipe from The Barefoot Contessa. I had enough to double the recipe so I cooked both and froze the the extra one. Friday night I had an impromptu garden party with gazpacho and grilled bread. I felt like the menu was kind of weak and then remembered the gratin in the freezer along with some stuffed mushrooms. The gratin was delicious!
For dessert:
ice cream--lemon, lavender and goat poop (mint with Peppermint Patty pieces)
Bon Appetit in the jardin!

zucchini sliced thin, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

zucchini gratin, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.