A Hunt for Color

Mary O'Neill's " Hailstones and Halibut Bones " is a children's classic of rhyme and verse first published in 1961. This book has been used often in schools as a supplementary tool for teaching poetry. In the book there are 12 vivid poems where O'Neill explores colors using the senses. Not only do the rhythmic lines lend themselves to song but writing one's own color poem.

What I like best about the book is how each page has imaginative verses that explore the meaning of a color. Each page begins What is... and then names a color. 

A recent trip to the Como Conservatory (St. Paul, MN) in search of color made me think of O' Neill's book and this poem which I have previously posted. 

The Colors live
Between back and white
In a land that we
Know best by sight.
But knowing best
Isn't everything,
For colors dance
And colors sing,
And colors laugh
And colors cry-
Turn off the light
And colors die,
And they make you feel;
Every feeling there is
From the grumpiest grump
to the fizziest fizz.
And you and I
Know well
Each has a taste
And each has a smell
And each has a wonderful
Story to tell...

ending page from "Hailstones and Halibut Bones" by Mary O"Neill

Enjoy these pops of color to brighten your day! 

A Seasonal Side

Cook's notes: Ham, Cheese and Apple Slab Pie is the perfect side for creamy tomato basil soup. The slab pie recipe was adapted and comes from a publication Celebrate the Season BHG 2016

The soup recipe has been previously posted. http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2015/04/earth-day-2015-and-creamy-tomato-basil.html
Ham, Cheese and Apple Slab Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 TB. honey mustard
• 1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed 
• 6 oz. thinly sliced Black Forest or Tavern Ham
• 6 oz. thinly sliced Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• 1 egg
• 1 TB. water 
• sesame seeds
• grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a small bowl mix cream cheese and mustard.
• Lightly flour a large sheet of wax paper and roll one pastry sheet to 15 x 12 size or as close to it as you can. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. 
• Spread cream cheese mixture on rectangle, leaving a 3/4 inch border all the way around. Layer ham, cheese and apple slices on the pastry sheet.

• Whisk egg and water and brush lightly on the border all the way around rectangle.  
• Roll second pastry sheet on floured wax paper and carefully transfer to other pastry sheet stretching to fit edges. 
• Use a fork to seal edges together. Brush top and sides with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and grated Parmesan cheese. Use a sharp knife, cut slits on top of pastry to let steam escape. 
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet before slicing.