focus

A photographer, I am not! I know this, and I accept it. And if you stop by here often, then I am guessing you know and accept it too.  Sometimes I just can’t get the correct light or am unable to correct the light and color in Photoshop. I’ve never taken a Photoshop course and really only know a couple of quick tricks out of the whole big program. Marissa and I signed up for a community college photography night class five years ago when she was a senior in high school. We quickly discovered that the instructor wasn’t really organized enough to teach. Being the great example-setting mom that I am, after only two very disappointing classes, I turned it into girls-night-out for shopping and dinner instead. Hmm?

Imagine this blog without food pictures, even mediocre pictures. Hard to do, at least for me. So I take on average between 6 and 10 shots of each picture I want to feature and hope for the best. That didn’t work out so well for today. I took 9 different shots of this broccoli last night. Then we had it for dinner.  This morning, I downloaded the photos and every single one is out of focus! It sure didn’t look that way on the camera screen last night. Please forgive me, I still want to post the recipe because it was really good, but I won’t go to the store to buy more broccoli just to get a focused picture.

On a happier note; at the same time that Maris and I signed up for the photography class, we also signed up for a weekend watercolor class. I think there were five other women in there and Maris and I were, by far, the youngest… and the least talented! I mean, we were awful! And please keep in mind, that my son, Connor is a great artist! That is one of his many watercolors above, which he did when he was 11 years old. We came home each week with our pitiful “art” and I do not know how he kept a straight face. But we stuck with it! And we had fun. It helped that our instructor was very sweet and encouraging even though it was obvious that neither of us was getting any better. If you’re interested in seeing my talented son’s artwork, you can check out some of his work at this link. Most of the art posted here is done with a Pen Pad and his computer. Plus there are a few photographs of some of his oils as well. Hope you enjoy the broccoli and the art.

Steamed Broccoli with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette

1 1/2 pounds broccoli
1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly mashed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large tomato, diced

Cut broccoli  into florets. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the stems and then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, set aside. Set up a steamer and bring to a low boil.

Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.

Cook garlic in oil in small heavy skillet over moderate heat until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, discard garlic, reserve oil.

At the same time, steam broccoli in covered steamer set over boiling water, until just tender, 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Add hot oil to vinegar mixture, whisking until emulsified, then add to broccoli and toss to combine. Garnish with diced tomato.

Serves 4