Tartiflette

This past Saturday, I ate Tartiflette for the first time. Let me tell you, this French dish from Haute Savoie, can easily become one of my favourite comfort foods. Potatoes and Melted Cheese – Mmmmm!

Tartiflette is traditionally made with potatoes, Reblochon cheese, garlic, onions, cream and lardons.

If Reblochon cheese is not available in your area, one can easily substitute it for another ripe, soft paste, washed rind cheese. Lardons can also be substituted with smoked salmon for a tasty alternative.  

I would like to thank Jacinthe, our wonderful hostess and the gang from La Fromagerie Atwater for the delightful experience of relishing this yummy dish.  

Tartiflette Recipe

Serves 4

1.5kg (3.5 lbs.) medium-sized red potatoes

1 large white onion, peeled and diced

2 thick rashers of smoked streaky bacon, diced

25g (1 ounce) butter

1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ripe Reblochon cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 5.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes whole, in their skins, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the onion and bacon in the butter in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat; they should sweat but not brown.

Drain the potatoes and as soon as they are cool enough to handle peel them — the quicker the better. Slice thickly across.

Choose an ovenproof earthenware dish and rub it well with the out halves of garlic. Layer half the sliced potatoes across the base, season, then scatter over the onion and bacon mixture. Add the remaining potatoes and more seasoning.

Place the whole Reblochon on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/350’F/gas mark 4 for a further 20—25 minutes. The Reblochon should melt within its skin and the fat drip down while the potatoes crisp.

Tartiflette is a filling dish and all you really need to go with it is a nicely dressed green salad.

Recipe source: The Food of France by Sarah Woodward

Maria Martinez

Maria Montoya Martinez was born in 1887 at San Ildefonso Pueblo, a small Tewa Pueblo community north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Maria learned pottery at an early age from one of her aunts. In San Ildefonso, polychrome pottery was dominant and this is what Maria made at first. Red clay was used to make the body of the pot and over this a white clay slip was applied and polished. The wares were then decorated with either rust-orange, brown and black paintings over the white background.

 

Maria had a strong interest and willingness to experiment with techniques and this helped in preventing the art of pottery from going into extinction, in a developing world where inexpensive Spanish tin ware and Anglo enamelware was replacing the traditional containers and cooking vessels made by the Pueblo potters. Maria paid attention to quality of line and form and perfected the art of making pots in the traditional method of making pottery with coils instead of with a potter's wheel. Maria was able to coil large pots with thin walls and perfect symmetry.

Jar, ca. 1935-40, H. 38 cm. - Platter, Maria and Julian, ca. 1940 D. 38.1 cm.

Maria married painter Julian Martinez, he along with other members of her family through the years, helped with the decoration of her pieces as she expertly executed pots at three times the speed of other potters.

 

In 1909 Maria was asked to replicate examples of black-on-black pottery that had been excavated by an archaeology dig led by Professor Edgar Lee Hewett. After many challenges and experimentation Maria and Julian's skills and techniques developed into a business for the renowned black ware pottery.

Maria and Julian, Jar, ca. 1939, H. 45.7 cm. - Platter ca. 1936, D. 50.8 cm.

Maria continued to live in San Ildefonso till her death at age 93. The pottery of Maria and her family has become increasingly more collectible and difficult to find.

Above photos taken from The Living Tradition of Maria Martinez by Susan Peterson
Read more on Maria and her family who continued the tradition of making pottery.


My inspiration
It was Maria Martinez' pottery that inspired me and ignited my interest and appreciation in the art of the Pueblo Pottery of the American Southwest.

Here are examples of some of my own hand coiled pottery pieces inspired by Maria Martinez.

 

Salt Spring Island's Flower Chèvre

Flower Chèvre is a fresh pasteurized goat milk cheese decorated with edible flowers.  This is a soft creamy mild flavoured chèvre that can either be served for breakfast or a lovely addition to any cheese plate. Salt Spring Island's chèvre frais is also available in a variety of flavours; basil, hot chili, lemon, pepper & truffles.

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company is located on Salt Spring Island off Vancouver Island in Canada’s west coast. They produce wonderful handmade goat and sheep milk cheeses.
http://www.saltspringcheese.com/

Visit their site for a great description on the process of cheese making. http://www.saltspringcheese.com/cheesemaking.html

Nampeyo

Nampeyo with numerous examples of her work. C-1901

Nampeyo was born in the village of Hano on First Mesa in the north east of Arizona around 1860. Hano was inhabited by descendants of Tewa-speaking Pueblo people from the Northern Rio Grande river in Arizona. From her people the Tewas, Nampeyo learned the art of molding and shaping the clay to make beautiful cooking vessels. She learned the art of making pots with fine designs from her grandmother who was a Hopi potter.

Top and side view of jar made by Nampeyo and Lesou circa 1895-1910

Nampeyo established a name for herself making pottery with designs inspired by ancient Sikyátki pottery shards that her husband Lesou had excavated from the nearby abandoned ruins. These well-styled designs and geometric patterns are from a type of pottery dating to the 14th and 15th centuries presently called Sikyátki Polychrome common in the Hopi villages of the southwest.

From the time of her teens until her death in 1942, Nampeyo developed her personal style that earned her international legendary status. Her style of pottery has also served as a foundation and inspiration for her children and subsequent generations to follow in her footsteps and become master pottery artists themselves.

Here are examples of some of my own hand coiled pottery pieces inspired by Nampeyo.

 

Nampeyo pottery photos from American Indian Art magazine - Summer 1976

Dextra Quotskuyva

 

Dextra Quotskuyva was born in 1928 at Polacca on the Hopi First Mesa in Arizona. She is a fourth-generation descendant of renowned potter Nampeyo. Today, Dextra's pottery is among the most highly regarded of all Native American pottery.

Dextra Quotskuyva, Shard Jar, Hopi clay, vegetal and mineral paints, tradionally fired, 3 1/2" high, 13" diameter, 1981

 

Dextra's pottery is fundamentally rooted to the ancient traditional pottery of her Tewa-Hopi people. As with her great-grandmother Nampeyo, Dextra has combined her fine technique and her own creative style to perfection. No wonder she has received numerous honours including the Arizona Living Treasures Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dextra Quotskuyva, Awotovi-style jar, Hopi clay, vetal and mineral paints, tradionally fired, 5 1/2" high, 8 3/4" diameter, 1996

 

Photo source: Indian Artist Magazine - Dextra Quotskuyva -  Listening to The Clay - Summer 1996

Echinacea

(Echinacea purpurea)

I can't help it... it's the 1st day of spring... the sun is shining... I have the gardening itch...

Even though the echinacea flower is not due to bloom until July - August, I've enjoyed the lovely presence of last year's dried blooms peeking through the snow covered bed over the winter months.

The echinacea plant commonly known as purple coneflower is a drought-tolerant perennial herb flowering plant that belongs to the daisy family.  Echinacea is native to North America grows to 1 m (3 ft) and has stuning purple pompom bloom with its daisy-like petals. There are a variety of different types of echinacea available in pink, white, yellow, lime green & red.

The echinacea has been used historically in North America by indigenous people, as one of their major medicinal herbs. It is also commonly used today as an immune system booster.

Doctor Rockit - Café De Flore

This electronic jazzy house groove has become one of my favourites over the past years. The infectious latin beat, beautiful melody and French style accordion riff transport me to another world. I love it!

Café De Flore was released as a single in 2000, it can also be found on Doctor Rockit's albums; Indoor Fireworks and The Unnecessary History Of Doctor Rockit . The original version of Café De Flore is quite beautiful but it's the Charles Webster Latin Lover Mix that I prefer. Charles Webster's remix version is also available on the Hotel Costes compilation Best of Costes.

Doctor Rockit is British born Matthew Herbert, he is also known as Herbert, Radio Boy, Transformer and Wishmountain.



http://www.matthewherbert.com/

The Slap

An excellent Australian television drama series based on the 2008 controversial novel The Slap written by Australian native Christos Tsiolkas. The eight part series explores what happens when a man slaps someone else's bratty undisciplined child at a birthday barbecue get-together. Each episode of the series is told in the point of view of one of eight different people that attended the barbecue and how the repercussions of the slap affect this group of family and friends.

Though at times disturbing it is a believable story that I enjoyed. The series features great performances by Melissa George, Jonathan LaPaglia, Alex Dimitriades, Sophie Okonedo among others.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/theslap/about/

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar

The Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is a farmstead type cheddar from Prince Edward Island that is made using the traditional English cheddar making methods.  The cheddar is wrapped in cloth to age, yet it is allowed to breathe and remain moist.

This pasteurized cow’s milk cheddar aged 18 months is somewhat crumbly but creamy in the mouth, with a smooth earthy flavour with a distinct pleasant tang.

The Avonlea cheddar pairs well with Guinness beer or a nice Portuguese port.

The Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is produced by Scott Linkletter of COWS Creamery in Charlottetown, PEI. COWS is also well known for their famous ice-cream.

http://www.cowscreamery.ca/

http://www.cows.ca/avonleacheddar

Coeur Du Berry

Le Coeur Du Berry is a lovely French pasteurized goat milk cheese shaped in the form of a heart. Coeur Du Berry has a fresh white paste with a distinctive earthy tangy flavour and the ash covered rind leaves you with a pleasant smoky lingering taste.

This heart-shaped chèvre is a must for Valentine’s Day. Offer it as a gift or share it with your loved ones.

Available with a plain natural rind or ash covered.

Coeur Du Berry is produced by Fromagerie Jacquin in La Vernelle located in the south of La Loire in France.

http://www.fromagerie-jacquin.com/