A couple of months ago I was in Mells, Somerset on a garden and plant photography course with Jason Ingrams and Paul Debois. Both brilliant and encouraging tutors. Jason was not surprised when I said I liked photographing food and was a freelancer for the Yorkshire Post. 'Photographing food and plants is similar. David Loftus started out with gardens before he moved on to food' Jason told me.
Read MoreSpaghetti with tomato sauce
We have just returned from Northern Finland where we ate the most delicious foraged mushrooms, wild elk, fresh water fish, freshly baked rye bread and berries with everything. I will write more about these when I have unpacked. In the meantime I craved a plate of spaghetti and have just learned how to paste larger photographs in this Blog! Hope you enjoy the picture.
Read MoreYorkshire food online.....
Mounting an exhibition of my Yorkshire themed photographs in a decommissioned telephone box in the charming town of Settle, is one of the most bizarre things I have been asked to do. But I am glad I said yes because it has been such fun. Roger Taylor, a professional curator, formerly of the National Media Museum, Bradford looked after my confidence and assured me it could be done. When we could not see the digital screen as the sun streamed into the phone box I said I could make blinds.
iPad drawing printed on calico blind
Thinking quickly on my feet I came up with a plan of making them from calico decorated with prints of my iPad food themed doodles, the sheep, lopsided cow, pheasant etc. With an act of faith I fed pieces of material through my precious printer and managed rather lovely, paler versions of what I can see on the retina display of my iPad.Another ‘creative’ resident of the Green, Settle, in the form of Marion Armstrong, who usually managed the charming historic Settle to Carlisle railway, turned her hand to making a vegetable themed mosaic floor.
Her husband John organised a planter with local wild herbs such as sweet cicely, wild garlic and nettles - all great ingredients to use in spring menus.
Then one night I thought it might be welcoming for the visitors to the exhibition if we had mini food themed bunting strewn from the vaulted ceiling of the telephone box and across its pretty windows. So I got out my sewing machine once again and made bunting from contact sheet sized photographs. This would send a clear signal to visitors to the Green that what is going on inside the box is nothing to do with the activities of drug users and prostitutes.
Recipes relating to the photographs on display are there for
those who manage to open the stiff door and make it into the 1 metre square
exhibition. If you would like to visit the Yorkshire Food Yorkshire People
exhibition at the Gallery on the Green Settle you have until the 6th July to do so. It is easy to find once you have found the ancient part of Settle.
The address is
, Upper Settle, BD24 9HG. Also you may like to come along to the linked Take Three Chef’s event (I am the only one that is not a chef) with super star Stephanie Moon and Matt Birtwhistle. The event is being held at the charming, Victoria Hall, Settle which is the only continuously running Victorian music Hall in the country. Tickets are £10 and can be obtained from the Victoria Hall Box Office (tel: 01729 825718) or Book online at
Joan Ransley outside the Gallery on the Green
Our first visitors to the exhibition
From left to right. Marion Armstrong, Roger Taylor, John Armstrong, Alison Marshall
About The Gallery on the Green
The Upper Settle phone box was purchased by Settle Town
Council in early 2009 under the BT ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme. As part of the
scheme it was agreed that the phone box would be set up as a community art
gallery. Grant funding was obtained from Craven District Council and Settle
Town Council.
The iconic phone box is of the K6 type and was designed by Sir
Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to commemorate George the Fifth’s Silver Jubilee
and has been refurbished inside and out.
Since
opening in 2009 a series of constantly changing exhibitions have been mounted
with contributions from local, national, and international artists,(including
the guitarist Brian May) whose interest and generous engagement in sustaining
the life of the gallery lies at the core of its success.
Asparagus and herb polenta pizza
Yesterday I went to asparagus heaven, otherwise known as Claremont Farm, Wirral. Here in the sandy, free draining soil, a warm climate bathes the peninsular providing ideal conditions for some of the best asparagus in the country to grow. Andrew Pimbley, Managing Director of the farm showed me round and I am writing up the interview with other photographs elsewhere.
Read MoreWild garlic pesto
Wash the wild garlic leaves, dry and chop roughly. Grind the pine nuts in a pestle and mortar, add Parmesan cheese and about half of the wild garlic leaves. Pound these ingredients together and then add the remaining wild garlic leaves. Gradually stir in the olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Read More