Vicki McArdle has a new piece showing at

 Burnt Bridge Cellars.

This piece is handwoven with grasses from India and Italy and copper piping. The size is approx. 5'W x 6.5'L x 3in D.

Vicki will have her work showing at Burnt Bridge Cellars July - Sept.  Stop by Burnt Bridge Cellars and taste some fine wine and see great pieces of art.

 Burnt Bridge Cellars is located at 1500 Broadway in Vancouver. Tastings are 11-5 Saturday and Sunday.

www.burntbridgecellars.com

What's Cookin'

Chehalem Mountain artist, Debra Nelson's favorite recipe for Eggplant Lasagna.  This lasagna replaces the pasta with eggplant - a great option for those avoiding flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil for brushing
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 large eggplants, peeled, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 48 oz chunky tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Oil 2 baking sheets with 1 tsp olive oil
2. Whisk eggs and water together in a shallow dish
3. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a separate shallow dish
4. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture
5. Press slices into the bread crumbs and tap off excess.  Arrange slices on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake eggplant slices in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Flip eggplant and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Remove eggplant from oven and increase temperature to 400 degrees.
8. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef.  Season beef with salt and pepper.
9. Cook and stir until beef is crumbly and evenly browned about 10 minutes.  Drain fat.
10. Stir tomato sauce into ground beef and bring to a simmer and set sauce aside.
11. Oil a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil
12. Place a third of the eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish
13. Ladle a third of the meat sauce over the eggplant layer
14. Sprinkle a third of the mozzarella cheese over the sauce layer.
15. Repeat layering two more times, ending with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
16. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes
17. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly prior to serving

Serve with a simple salad, crusty garlic bread and Chianti - salut!

Meet the Artist

Vicki Joslyn - Glass


"Design and color are always on my mind. My glasswork involves repeated cutting, layering, fusing, cooling, and re-melting. Working with glass— its brilliance, its attitude, has opened the door to my creativity! 


Raised in Seattle, I attended high school in Portland, returning to Seattle to receive art and teaching degrees from the University of Washington. I have lived in 8 different states, but Oregon is my home. In 2004 I began exploring fused glass. I have served on the state board of the Oregon Glass Guild, and was the president of the Portland Chapter in 2006. I enjoy music, baking, any excuse for sharing time with friends and family, and teaching small classes in my studio. 

My colorful designs are one-of-a-kind. I move shapes around and stack them up. Two to four firings may be needed depending on the surface I am trying to achieve. The layering of color and pattern gives the glass depth and form, and a finished piece can brighten the grayest of days and make me smile! 

My sandblasted designs are crisp and clean, black on gold or silver iridized glass. I've always liked the way fallen leaves stain patterns into the sidewalk, and the incredible beauty of the swirls on a seashell. So simple. So stunning. Mother nature is often a source for these designs. I find that what I blast away is just as impor- tant as what I leave in. Each sandblasted piece is also a limited edition or one-of-a-kind.

All of the fused glass pieces I make are food safe; plates and bowls long to be “enjoyed with food”. Large or small, functional or decorative— I’m happy to share my glass delights with you."

Meet the Artist

Debra Nelson - Clay

"A lump of clay is to me what a blank canvas is to a painter.  There is a form in there waiting to get out.

Between the two of us, the clay and me, we agree what that shape will be.  Sometimes I'm entirely in charge.  At other times the clay provides subtle guidance resulting in a truly collaborative relationship.  This is mostly evident when exploring new shapes.  The first attempts can be clumsy until my hands and the clay come to an understanding of this new form.

And if this isn't enough of a challenge, there is always the struggle between the glaze and the fire.  It reminds me of a parent sending a child out into the world.  You've taught it everything you could.  Now it's up to them to sink or swim.  You've formed the clay, calculated and applied the glazes, and released the vessel to the fire.

Opening the kiln is always an opportunity for learning.  What worked and what needs to be re-evaluated.  It is this moment that keeps me going back to the wet clay, to discover other possibilities and to continue learning."

what's cookin'

These Yummy Lemon Bars were brought to the kickoff meeting of the Chehalem Mountain Artists
 at Kris Paul's home

Yummy Lemon Bars

Vicki Joslyn

Makes about two dozen 1-1/2 to 2-inch squares

The Crust

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar -- plus extra for garnishing

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at very cool room temperature, cut into 1” pieces

Lemon Filling

4 large eggs -- beaten lightly

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons finely grated zest

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup half and half or whole milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

NOTE: The lemon filling must be added to a warm crust. The 30-minute chilling and 20-minute baking of the crust should allow plenty of time to prepare the filling. Any leftover bars can be sealed in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to two days.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a 9x13 inch metal pan with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray and set aside.

Crust:

1. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until coarse.

2. Pour what will seem like a very dry mixture into lined pan and press over pan bottom and up sides about ½”.

3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While it chills, you can make the filling.

4. Bake the pre-chilled crust for 18-20 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.

Filling:

1. Lightly whisk the eggs, sugar, and flour together in a bowl. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, half and half, and salt and mix well.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Stir filling again, then pour filling over the warm crust.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until filling no longer appears wet and shaky.

4. Set on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Lift from pan, place on cutting board, and cut into bars wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts, as needed.

5. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Meet the Artist

Don Welty - Watercolor

"Ever since I was a child I've been interested in art and especially traditional transparent watercolor painting.  I received my MFA from Ohio State University and afterwards moved to New York where I spent many years pursuing a career in art, painting mostly abstract works in encaustic and oils.  After moving back to my home in the Pacific Northwest and taking a long hiatus to raise my family, I'm back at working in watercolors.  My work consists primarily of realistic landscapes and I am a current member of the Oregon Watercolor Society."