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So far Highfield Hall has created 157 blog entries.

Entanglements
May 2, 2023

Entanglements MAY 2nd - JUNE 11th Entanglements Maine Artist Nancy Grice visits Highfield Hall for Spring 2023. After years of painting representationally with realism at its core, Grice now looks to shape and color to inform her primary subject of nature. Spherical geometric forms inhabit the canvases, suggesting elements beyond our immediate sight – planetary, celestial objects, to sub-atomic particles—Grice still paints nature subjects, but the lens has been adjusted. Artist statement: I work with glazes, transparent surfaces, and interactive finishes such as metallic pigments which respond to the light in the environment. I describe forms that are [...]

2023-03-30T17:03:52-04:00

End to End: Cape and Island Artists and the Land
June 20, 2023

End to End: Cape and Island Artists and the Land JUNE 20th - SEPTEMBER 23rd End to End: Cape and Island Artists and the Land The hooked shaped peninsula that forms Cape Cod has appealed to artists for well over two centuries. How the topographical and geological character of Cape Cod informs artists who make their home here is the exhibition theme for summer 2023. The land that makes up Cape Cod’s Barnstable County is relatively young in geological terms. Glacial movement that began over 25,000 years ago is evident today by Cape Cod’s diverse landscape consisting of outwash plains, [...]

2023-03-30T16:32:57-04:00

Pure Earth: Encaustics by Georgia Nassikas
April 25, 2023

Pure Earth: Encaustics by Georgia Nassikas APRIL 25th - JUNE 11th Pure Earth: Encaustics by Georgia Nassikas  Celebrate Spring at Highfield Hall with a new exhibition opening April 25th through June 11th, Pure Earth: Encaustics by Georgia Nassikas. This artist works in encaustics to capture earth's elements, and the fundamental qualities of nature such as air, light, and earth. Investigations into the tangible and intangible essence of nature as it applies to art-making led Nassikas into several scientific and artistic investigations, in particular sourcing her own beeswax for encaustic medium by keeping her own bees for the supply. Keep [...]

2023-03-26T09:28:06-04:00

Garden Tip 110
March 9, 2023

Garden Tip 110: PREPARING FOR SPRING IN THE GARDEN Spring in the garden means exciting times. My mind races forward with so many ideas that I must carry a garden notebook to jot things down! A shrub that needs pruning here, a space that needs planting there, and ideas for new combinations pop up everywhere. In addition to my spring notes, I have written a winter long collection of new garden ideas. Taking all of this into consideration, it is time to prioritize the list into what must be done, what should be done, what could be done and [...]

2023-03-26T08:22:55-04:00

Sole Veronique
March 9, 2023

Week 138: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, TARA BURKE I stumbled upon this recipe and was drawn to its simplicity– it was so easy. As an added bonus, you can create this flavorful and healthful meal in under 30 minutes. My photo does not do this dish justice, but I loved the pairing of grapes with the mild fish. Moscato Grapes are now on supermarket shelves. Enjoy! Email Gail

2023-03-14T17:28:36-04:00

Almond Cake
March 2, 2023

Week 137: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, GAIL BLAKELY Adapted from from Chez Panisse Desserts by Lindsey Shere, this is a fabulous cake from David Lebovitz’s website. It’s really quite simple, one of those “you’ll never guess how simple” considering how absolutely delicious it is. In the winter I serve it with a simple fruit compote (oranges and blueberries) or some warmed cherry pie filling. In in the spring it goes well with fresh strawberries–carry it into summer and add whatever fruit you have that’s ripe. Or, do what I do: leave it on your kitchen [...]

2023-03-07T17:06:23-05:00

Baked Pear Frittata
February 23, 2023

Week 136: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, CEDITH COPENHAVER Winter break is a great time to plan a special brunch for family or friends! This frittata is sweet instead of savory, easy to prepare, and is sure to be a hit. Berries on top or on the side add color. A mimosa, potatoes, and some nice crunchy toast would round out the meal. After brunch plan to relax with a book or take a nap! Email Gail

2023-02-27T17:42:54-05:00

King Arthur Original Cake Pan Cake
February 16, 2023

Week 135: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, LISA WALKER I am lucky enough to walk my dogs with a wonderful group of women. We connected through our dogs but, during the walks, we find so much more to talk about and share. One woman in this group is PJ Hamel. PJ is a baking legend, she worked developing recipes for King Arthur Baking Company (formerly King Arthur Flour), she is a food blogger, won a James Beard award for the King Arthur cookbook, she is a dog lover, and extremely patient with [...]

2023-02-21T18:53:38-05:00

Garden Tip 109
November 17, 2022

Garden Tip 109: PREPARING THE GARDEN FOR WINTER With the shorter days and falling leaves I begin to think about making preparations for the winter months ahead. One of my projects this time of year is to reorganize the garage. During the growing season, the garage becomes more of a garden shed rather than a place to park the car. Last week, I gathered and sorted empty pots, hung up tools in their proper place and even dragged out a couple of dead plants to the compost pile. By this time of year there are always five or six [...]

2023-02-20T13:12:49-05:00

Almond Croissants
February 2, 2023

Week 134: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, GAIL BLAKELY These croissants are easy to make, and fun for instructing kids who are interested in cooking. They provide a “wow” presentation, and are easily adaptable to other ideas for the filling: cubes of ham and cheese, chocolate bits, butterscotch chips, or a smear of jam. Experiment! Email Gail

2023-02-07T17:17:48-05:00

Persimmon Bread
December 8, 2022

Week 133: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, CEDITH COPENHAVER A friend from California sends me a box of Hachiya Persimmons every year. It’s a real treat, but what to do with this luscious fruit that is only edible when it ripens into a gelatinous mush? Make Persimmon bread, of course and then share it with family and friends! If you’re not ready to make the recipe when the fruit is ready to process, you can scrape out the pulp and freeze it until you are ready to bake. [...]

2023-01-30T17:01:26-05:00

Gretchen Romey-Tanzer: The Fine Art of Weaving
February 8, 2023

Gretchen Romey-Tanzer: The Fine Art of Weaving FEBRUARY 8th - APRIL 23rd Gretchen Romey-Tanzer: The Fine Art of Weaving Over fifty handwoven compositions of color and weave effects created by Gretchen Romey-Tanzer are on view from February 8 through April 23, 2023. This expansive collection of the artist’s work inhabits multiple galleries at Highfield Hall, offering visitors a unique and intimate environment in which to view these hand-loomed technically complex works of art. Made over the past three decades, with fifteen made in the past two years alone, Romey-Tanzer’s passion for her craft is evident in all that [...]

2023-03-26T09:14:11-04:00

Rosemary, Gruyere, and Sea Salt Crackers
December 1, 2022

Week 132: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, GAIL BLAKELY This is a recipe from one of our talented, and dedicated, culinary volunteers, Colleen Wood. She gave it to me to publish in my column in the Enterprise and also attached the accompanying photos. The dip in the second photo is a red pepper hummus, taken from The Kitchen Girl website. The rosemary, gruyere and sea salt crackers are from Deb Perelman, of Smitten Kitchen fame. Deb calls them “cheese-its for grown ups.” Colleen suggests cutting them with a holiday cookie cutter—she uses stars, but [...]

2022-12-04T10:07:12-05:00

Garden Tip 108
November 10, 2022

Garden Tip 108: REMOVING FOLIAGE FROM ANNUALS Every summer I plant a few annuals in the garden to create an accent or focal point in the landscape. A few impatiens here, a group of super petunias there; it doesn’t take much to create that extra interest. By this time of year any extra interest value is long gone, and it is time for them to go. Years ago, I would pull them all up and lug them off to the compost pile. One year, in an enlightened moment, I realized that I was pulling up a rootball of some pretty [...]

2022-11-15T17:58:47-05:00

Turkey Roulade
November 10, 2022

Week 130: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, TARA BURKE Not everyone has large crowds for Thanksgiving and I have found this recipe to be a great addition to my holiday line up for a small gathering at Thanksgiving. This recipe is easily adapted to add your favorite stuffing items. One year I included prosciutto and always increase the amount of mushrooms! It is simple and delicious recipe with plenty of left overs! Enjoy! Email Gail

2022-11-15T17:55:07-05:00

Garden Tip 107
November 3, 2022

Garden Tip 107: MOWING LEAVES IN FALL I mow my lawn weekly from mid-October through late October, not to maintain grass height but to shred the fallen leaves. Mowing frequently in early fall keeps the accumulation of leaves on the lawn light enough so that I am able to mow and mulch them in place. Leaving the shredded clippings on the lawn adds fertilizer and organic matter to the soil. When leaves accumulate more heavily, I mow, mulch and bag the leaves and spread the collected clippings on the nearest perennial bed or shrub border. When there are a [...]

2022-11-09T17:26:46-05:00

Eggplant Soup
October 27, 2022

Week 128: RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, LISA WALKER This recipe has been adapted from a Sunset Magazine recipe that I first cooked 22 years ago and is still in frequent rotation at my house! Half of my family hates eggplant, or at least they think they hate eggplant, but they love this soup! Little do they know, they eat eggplant more than they think as I find it to be a secret ingredient in many other recipes! This soup is really easy to put together and is packed full of healthy [...]

2022-10-31T16:08:58-04:00
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