Cheese at the Farmer's Market

Finally we have cheese at the Farmer's Market in Shreveport. I am so excited.

The cheese makers come from south of Dallas, which seems like a very far piece to come, so I hope they had an excellent day and will be back. They sell artisan cheeses made from milk from their own cows, so this is the real thing.

I got some nice feta, which I am using for supper tonight mixed with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, also from the marker. I added just a hint of ground Jalapeno Pepper, a market find and some oil, also market available. It will be a wonderful addition to the cucumber salad I made with the other half of the one I cut up with the feta. Had to use Greek Yogurt from Kroger, as there is no yogurt at the market yet. As the main dish, a spinach pie (just warm it up in the oven). How do I survive without the market?

Have some cheddar, which will go well with cauliflower to make a cheese soup, and, for school lunch next week, pepper jack. The market just makes Saturday as far as I am concerned.

Thanks to Noma for seeking and finding some interesting vendors.

Pumpkin & Lentil Soup

It has been raining here for the past 20 hours, so the perfect time to make some comfort food. What could be more comforting than soup?


I got pie pumpkins at Kroger last week, 2 for $4, which was a bargain I think and today was the perfect day to use one of them. What I love about this kind of soup is that the only waste is the stem. Very eco-friendly and healthy.


First cut the pumpkin in half and scooped out the seeds. Put the seeds into a small pan with a bit of oil, salt and various spices. I personally like Indian. Coat the inside of the pumpkin with a bit of oil, salt, pepper and spices. Indian again for me, though even sweet spices might be good. It depends on your taste. Bake both seeds and pumpkin in a 325 oven for an hour or so, until the seeds are crunchy and the pumpkin is soft.


Meanwhile, start some yellow lentils with salt (not much), cayenne pepper, and some onion powder. Also brown some onion and two stalks of celery. Add these to the lentils, and, when it is baked nicely, add the pumpkin, skin and all. Boil the whole in water just to cover and then shut it down to cool.


I worked the Revel of an hour or so and when I got home put the soup into the blender a bit at a time to make it creamy. Serve with a nice big spoonful of plain yogurt on top. Splendid.


Will take the seeds to school for a snack tomorrow. Lots of soup left for an easy Monday.

Natchitoches Meat Pie Fish

I am the "Artist for a Day" in the children's section of the Red River Revel on Monday and as such needed a project to teach. Came up with a new way to make fish, or at least I cannot find the idea anywhere on the web, so it is new to me. There is one thing I have learned, however, and that is that no matter how novel the idea seems, there is probably someone out there in art idea land someplace who has had the same brain storm before.


The fish I am teaching are made from a pancake of self-drying clay with a triangle cut tail section. The rest is then brought together much like a meat pie. The mouth is left open and eyes and fins are added. The nice thing about self-drying clay is that in a day or two it gets hard enough to paint with watercolors, tempera or acrylic.


I like this idea for the regional appeal. Plus, it is so easy that even a three year old can do it with a little bit of help. Perfect for the Revel.