Let’s Talk Food: Cooking in an artist’s kitchen

My friend Rosemary Linden went to Sante Fe, N.M., and brought back for me “A Painter’s Kitchen, Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O’Keefe.”

When we think of Georgia O’Keefe, a painting of oversized flowers comes to our mind. However, through this cookbook, I learned that O’Keefe cooked simply and healthy. She used Adele Davis as one of her guides, ground her grains for flour for bread and made yogurt from local goat’s milk.

The author, Margaret Wood, was 24 years old when she first met O’Keefe, who was 90 years old and was her companion from 1977-82. During that time, she learned how to cook simple, delicious food with fresh ingredients, mostly from her garden.

O’Keefe’s garden was very important to her, and in March, along with her caretaker and gardener, as well as his grandsons, prepared the garden. Her business manager organized the planting according to her specifications.

By May there were radishes, lettuce and spinach. Then seeds for snow peas, chard, kale, carrots, turnips, beets, cucumbers, yellow and green squash, string beans and corn are sown. Onion and garlic were planted next.

Seedlings of several varieties of tomatoes, green chilies, bell peppers, broccoli and cabbage were put in last.

Marigolds were planted to repel pests.

In shady areas, green and purple basil, lovage, marjoram, tarragon, dill, sorrel, parsley, summer savory, and three types of mint thrived. Nearby, flowers were planted and cut to decorate the house.

In the middle of the garden was a mulberry tree. Pear trees grew along the wall to the west. Apple, apricot and peach trees were planted on a terrace to the east. Thick rows of raspberry bushes were established behind the vegetables.

There was a ditch system from springs to run water to the garden.

All these fruits and vegetables were eaten fresh and the rest were dried, frozen or canned for winter use. Apricots were dried on large screens in the open air. Bunches of herbs were hung from beams in the pantry. The green chilies were roasted, then frozen. Corn and green beans were frozen. Peaches, apricots, applesauce and raspberries were also frozen. Tomatoes, pickles, relishes and fruit were canned.

If any food was purchased, it usually was organic. Local eggs and honey were bought from neighbors, and herb salt was used to season food.

“We usually ate this (guacamole) as a salad on fresh, small lettuce leaves. The best avocadoes were contributed by Miss O’Keefe’s youngest sister, Claudia, who brought them from her yard in Beverly Hills (or “Beverly” as Claudia called it). Claudia often stayed in Abiquiu (N.M.) for a few months in the summer to supervise the garden while her sister stayed at Ghost Ranch. She brought one staff person with her and a miniature Yorkshire terrier. Claudia wore a wide-brimmed straw hat as she carefully walked the garden paths, tending areas here and there or picking produce that was ready for the table.”

Guacamole

Serves 4

2 ripe, creamy avocadoes

Scoop the avocado fruit out of the peel and into a bowl, then mash the avocados with a fork until they have a rather creamy consistency.

Finely chop:

1 small tomato, (discard excess juice)

Add it to the mashed avocado along with:

2 teaspoons finely diced white onion

Squeeze through a garlic press and add to mixture:

1 medium garlic clove

Stir in:

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Herb salt to taste

Serve on small lettuce leaves, garnish with paprika.

“All ingredients for this recipe could be found at Bode’s General Store on the main road through Aliquiu. Miss O’Keefe remembered that the late Martin Bode, of German descent, had stocked good black bread and some very good cheese in her early Aliquiu days.”

Red Chili Cheese Enchiladas

Serves 4

Grate:

1 cup Monterey Jack or mild cheddar cheese

Mince:

1/4 cup onion

Heat an iron frying pan and add:

1 tablespoon safflower oil

Saute the onions until translucent, then set the onions aside and clean the pan. Add a slight amount of oil to the pan and return it to medium heat. When the oil is hot, quickly heat both sides of:

8 yellow or blue corn tortillas

Heat both sides of the tortillas so that they are soft and pliable, adding more oil as necessary to keep the tortillas from sticking. Keep the tortillas covered until they are used.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For each serving, dip 1 heated tortilla into the red chili sauce (recipe follows) to lightly coat it. Then, place it on an ovenproof stoneware dish. Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of cheese evenly on top of the tortilla. Then add a scant tablespoon of cooked onion. Place another tortilla on top, then cover it with about 1/2 cup red chili sauce, spoon the sauce on top of the enchilada so that it completely coats the tortillas. Using a new plate each time do the same thing for all 4 servings. Bake the enchiladas for about 10 minutes, or until the chili begins to bubble. In the last few minutes of cooking, add a little grated cheese on top.

Red Chili Sauce

Remove the tips and dried white seeds from:

8-9 dried whole red chilis

Break the chilis into several pieces and place them in a mixing bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the chili and cover, set aside, for a few hours or overnight. Put chili in 2 cups of its liquid in a blender. Add:

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 teaspoon herb salt

Blend at the highest speed for 30 seconds, or until the chili is completely smooth. If necessary, add water to make 2 cups of sauce. The sauce may be strained for extra smoothness. Set the chili aside to begin the enchiladas. Remember not to rub your eyes after handling chilis.

Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.