My favorite recipes - Aug. 27, 2009

Jana Mathia | Aug 27, 20090

Meet Linda Fletcher, Tekoa

Watercolor paintings decorate the home of Linda Fletcher at Tekoa. Most of her paintings depict nature, the Palouse and a quiet ease of life. Her paintings seem to speak of a quiet rural life which is something Linda currently lives. She has always thought the Palouse beautiful, but she had to adjust after living in bigger and busier places like her hometown of Manchester, England, a big industrial city.

“You can’t get any more different,” she said, comparing her current and previous home.

Linda came to the United States 30 years ago. Before that she lived in France for four years where she was a nanny. The family she was working for came to the United States, and she decided to come with them and stay for a year. After that year ended she decided she wanted to visit the West Coast and see San Francisco. She got a job in San Francisco, and soon after started attending the University of California in Berkeley. There she earned a degree in comparative literature for French, English and Greek. She also met Jim Fletcher, a Tekoa native.

After they were married. Jim and Linda lived in California where they both taught. Jim taught mostly math and science subjects. Linda taught fourth through sixth grades. She also spent an hour each day teaching French to younger children.

“They are so enthusiastic and they soak it up like sponges,” Linda recalled.

They moved to Tekoa so Jim could return to the family farm. They built their home, and Linda employed her green thumb to turn it into an oasis. Linda has always loved gardening. As a child in England she gardened with her father who once pulled up concrete that covered their backyard so they could garden.

Shortly after moving to Tekoa Linda became a United States citizen. She said getting her citizenship was like making a commitment to this country that had given her so much. One thing she likes about the United State is the many opportunities and flexibility in education.

“You can decide what you want to do and then you can just do it,” she said. “As long as you work hard at what you want to do, it’s more possible here than any other country.”

Linda taught in Worley for a few years before going to Plummer where she taught high school English, French and journalism. She also taught French to elementary and middle school students. She taught at Plummer for 15 years, so she was able teach French to elementary students and then have them again in high school. She also took students to France every few years and to Washington, D.C.

She also taught French at her home in Tekoa, where she and her students would have sleepovers and make crepes, French bread, chocolate mousse and cream puffs.

During her teaching career at Plummer, Linda earned a masters degree in education from Eastern Washington University. In the summer of 1997 she took classes at Spokane Art School in preparation for retirement.

“I knew I wanted to do watercolor,” she said. Linda had already done stained glass and quilting.

In the last couple of years Linda has started depicting human figures in her paintings. Last year she had an exhibit called “Seven Women Reading, One Man Fishing.”

Linda loves to read and is a member of two book groups. The women reading were her book group friends. The one man fishing was inspired by a man she saw sitting on some rocks fishing while she was in Australia. Linda said the correlation between the reading and fishing is that both activities take you to a different state of mind.

Once Linda and Jim retired, they were able to travel more and have visited several countries. All of Linda’s family remains in England, so they go back and visit once a year. Both of the families she served as a nanny in France have come to Tekoa to visit.

The Bank Left Gallery in Palouse is the main outlet for Linda’s work.

“I feel so fortunate to have them,” she said, noting the encouragement of the owners. Every year she has a solo show.

Linda’s work has also been featured at the Café Artisan and Empire Theater in Tekoa and the Whitman County Library. Linda is a former director of the Whitman County Library Board.

“I really believe in libraries to get kids reading early…and loving books,” she said.

Many of the books Linda finds for her book groups come from listening to KWSU. The station has book reviews.

Linda also likes to cook and host friends for luncheon and dinners.

PALOUSE LENTIL SALAD WITH CABERNET DRESSING

Prepare the Cabernet vinaigrette a day in advance:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp. black pepper

3 Tbsp. Cabernet Sauvignon

1/2 tsp. salt

a pinch of sugar

Store the dressing in a glass jar and let it sit overnight.

Prepare the lentils:

2 cups lentils, washed thoroughly 1 large onion, cut into four pieces through the base (optional) 2 bay leaves garlic cloves (optional) 1 teaspoon salt

1. Place the ingredients in a large saucepan, add 6 cups of water, and cook about 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

2. Drain and cool the lentils and discard the onion and bay leaves. If you have extra cooked lentils, freeze them in small batches to add to winter soups.

3. Add dressing to the salad lentils. They can be served immediately or chilled and marinated for two days in the refrigerator. Before serving, taste and add more vinegar, salt, or Cabernet if you feel the salad needs it. (Adjust seasoning)

4. When ready to serve, garnish with a bunch of fresh parsley, washed and chopped, and your choice of the following: black or green olives (not canned), hard boiled eggs, sliced or cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh basil leaves

INTENSE GARDEN TOMATO SAUCE

When you have an abundance of fresh summer tomatoes make this and freeze some for winter. To add intense garden flavor, serve just a small amount on grilled meats or vegetables, add to steamed or broiled fish, use as a base for toppings on home made pizza, or spoon a dollop into a bowl of lentil soup.

1. Cut up and remove stem ends on 1 1/2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes and put them into a saucepan over medium high heat with: 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, scant teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2. Bring tomatoes to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Stir the sauce occasionally as the liquids cook down and the flavors intensify.

3. Add 1 teaspoon fresh or dried basil and 1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano, and simmer five minutes more. Cool and store in ajar.

This makes about two cups and will keep in the refrigerator several days, or it can be frozen.

LEMON AND THYME GARLIC TOPPING

Spoon this onto baked or broiled chicken, or roasted vegetables, during the last five minutes of cooking. Or spread it on slices of French bread and bake, for lemon garlic toast or croutons.

It is whisked up quickly in a food processor or blender. Alternatively, use a garlic press and stir in the remaining ingredients by hand.

12 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

GLUTEN FREE PIE CRUST FOR A ONE CRUST 8-INCH PIE OR TART

Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday, and even though several friends and family members are gluten sensitive, they can still indulge in pie on that special day.

(Potato starch and white rice flour can be found in bulk bins or in the Bob’s Red Mill section of the supermarket.)

1/4 cup potato starch

1/2 cup white rice flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter, chopped

1 egg

1 tablespoon ice water

1. Rub butter into dry ingredients by hand or pulse in a food processor.

2. Add the egg.

3. Add some or all of the ice water and stir/pulse until the dough holds together in a ball.

4. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray and press the dough into the bottom and up the sides. Make your layer of pastry as thin as possible. Trim the edges. Save any remaining dough in the refrigerator.

5. Bake the shell at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Ways to use the shell:

1. Immediately arrange slices of peeled ripe pears or peaches in the hot shell and return it to the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the fruit is cooked. Serve with ice cream.

2. Cool the shell and fill it with fresh ripe strawberries or raspberries and blueberries, or fresh peeled and sliced peaches, or chocolate mousse pudding, or sliced bananas topped with vanilla pudding. Garnish with whipped cream.

Ways to use the extra pie dough to make GLUTEN FREE COOKIES:

1. Add chocolate chips and a little vanilla extract.

2. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts with a good shake of cinnamon.

Use a teaspoon to drop pieces of the dough onto a non-stick baking tray. Flatten a little with the spoon or your thumb. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes.