Harbour Town Adventures
The studio cold in the mornings before the sun visits. A couple of small paintings finished, and others packed and sent off to their new homes. An emotional handing over of a copy of the portrait of the ‘The Pirate’ to Anton. My objective in painting this portrait series to show that homeless people still have dignity, achieved in this instance.
A couple of brave souls for the dry-run studio movies that are planned for winter. As it was a British movie, Terry made fish pie (Jamie Oliver), of which I was a tad sceptical. It was amazing and I was glad that there were leftovers! A few niggles with remote control changes from the video that runs on the screen showing my finger-painting style and the dvd player. The chairs comfortable, and the blankets unnecessary on an unnaturally warm evening.
Forest run. My legs, still stiff from the earlier hills, struggeling over the uneven surface. Coordination shot.
Promised storm has arrived. Fire warming the apartment.
Disconnected bark ….
Grown old within the forest,
Tree stands alone
His branches touching others, reaching out
No other woody-limbs responding
Left to wither, scorned by spruces
When really, maturity brings
Strength, wisdom, stature
Dignity to withstand the loss of youthful sap.
His deeply weathered, protective canopy
Grown thin
Tree’s autumn leaves
Announce life’s natural rhythm
Always there, seldom seen
He is alone, within a forest grown
Silent, statuesque
Tree’s pride awaits his fall
Terry Ellen
June 2016
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 400g frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons butter
- zest of 1 lemon
- salt & pepper to taste
- 500ml (2 cups) milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 200g frozen hake fillets
- 200g frozen smoked haddock fillets
- 200g frozen shelled prawns
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 heaped teaspoon English mustard
- 40g (1/2 cup) mature cheddar, grated
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of boiling water or in a steamer and cook until soft.
- Pour boiling water over the peas to de-frost them then blend in a food processor.
- Mash the potatoes then mix in peas, butter and lemon zest. Season to taste.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
- To make the fish pie, poach the fish in the milk with the bay leaf. When the fish is cooked, remove the fish and flake into large chunks. Reserve the milk.
- In a large, oven-proof frying pan fry the onion and carrot in a splash of olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir then add the milk the fish was poached to create a creamy sauce.
- Add the English mustard and fish and stir well then add the cheese and lemon juice and stir.
- Season to taste.
- Top the fish filling with the mashed potato and create indents with a spoon which will become nice and crispy in the oven.
- Place the pie in the oven and allow to bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.
