Love Letter to Color

(Plus how to make fermented beet pickles)

I have moments every day when I feel so very thankful for my eyes. To see is such a joy; I try never to take the miracle of sight for granted, especially since I can only see out of my left eye and would be rendered blind if I ever lost it. Sight is an important sense to everyone, I am sure, but as an artist it seems particularly crucial. If I could not draw and paint, I'm not sure what my purpose in life would be. That is something for me to consider I suppose...

Color is usually what reminds me to be grateful for the presence of my eyes. I do not know what the experience of color is like for anyone outside of myself... how could I? It is completely subjective. But for me the experience is intoxicating, sublime, and utterly physical in a total-body sort of way. Viewing a beautiful color feels like a massage, or like eating chocolate, or like kissing my beloved. This time of year--- springtime--- is so plentiful in color. When sunlight touches the tulips, they become chalices of color for my eyes to drink. What a glorious thing. 

One of my favorite colors of all time is ultramarine blue. I use it in every painting I make, and I revel in its pristine, straight-from-the-tube hue. During Medieval and Renaissance times, this color was close in value to gold. It was made from powdered lapis lazuli, and can be seen most often in the garments of the Holy Virgin Mary, as here in a small Fra Angelico (circa 1400) at Boston's own MFA. 

I can feel a religious experience coming upon me just resting my eyes on this color; no wonder it was reserved for Mary. I have always loved ultramarine--- when I was a small child, I swallowed a round piece of deep blue glass, thinking it would be sure to imbue me with supernatural abilities if simply looking at it made me feel such joy. The glass didn't harm me, being round. Sometimes I pretend it's still inside, a secret talisman, a magic charm. When I was in grad school, they told me to stop using so much of the same blue. I thought about it, but decided that was too great a sacrifice.

(I was told to "mix more" in general and not use my colors straight out of the tube. I tried, but painting seemed comparatively joyless... plus I like the result, so why torture myself?)

Another color that has always held me transfixed is a certain kind of magenta. In painter's language it is called "quinacridone rose." I am currently working on a painting that was inspired by how I feel about this color, based on my experiences with beets. As a child, beets were some of my favorite vegetables--- and that's saying something, because I liked almost all kinds. I used to watch in pure rapture as Mom removed boiled beets from the pot and popped them out of their skins. Her hands became stained with this color and I wanted my hands to be the same. In fact, I wished that my hands would be permanently colored this way. Even today, I sometimes think that if I ever got a tattoo, it would be to color the palms of my hands... like Kali's hands.

It brings me great pleasure to consume bright colors with my mouth as well as my eyes. I like to collect the most vibrant hues on my palette and my plate. This is why I eat things like turmeric, spirulina, egg yolks, orange peels, hibiscus tea, red wine, and beets. It's an added benefit that most brightly-colored foods are also the healthiest! So, as promised in the subtitle of this post, here is a easy and delicious recipe for fermented pickled beets. Great for the taste buds, the eyes, and the microbiome! 

Fermented Beet Pickles

Supplies: one wide-mouth quart jar with lid, about two medium to large beets (fresh, organic preferable) 1 tablespoon sea salt, and 1 cup fresh water plus a little more. 

Process: wash, peel, and slice the beets into small pieces (1 inch-long by about 1/4 inch thick is good). Pack them into the quart jar, leaving roughly two inches air space above. Dissolve the tablespoon of sea salt in a cup of fresh water; then pour it over the beets. Add a little more water until it covers the beets. Then screw the lid on loosely and set the jar in a warmish place, like on top of the fridge. Let them rest for about a week, opening the jar every few days to make sure gas doesn't build up too much. Them set them in the fridge and enjoy! The juice is also delicious. I like to drink it straight out of the jar.

Tips: be sure to appreciate the beauty of each beet as you cut it open. I find them fascinating; there are whole worlds inside--- deserts, sunrises, mountain ranges, all rendered in the most psychedelic bright pink! And if you see any mold on top of your beets during the fermenting process, just scrape it off and set the jar in the fridge. It's happened to me a couple times, and the pickles are fine underneath. 

 

Kombucha

About two years ago, I became interested in brewing my own kombucha. I've liked the stuff ever since I was a child (Mom made it at home), and buying good old GT's was not financially sustainable. As I always do before embarking on a new project, I conducted a good deal of research--- typical homeschooler behavior! I am happy to report that my efforts have paid off big-time, and I now put up about 18 bottles per week. I've experimented with many different flavors involving all sorts of fruits, flowers, seeds, spices, herbs, etc. Flavoring is the most creative aspect of the process and therefore the most enjoyable. Myer and I are able to drink a bottle each per day of the best 'booch I've ever tasted, and the cost is quite low as tea and sugar (to fuel the Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast, or SCOBY) are relatively cheap. In addition to being a delicious and refreshing beverage, kombucha is also quite nutritious, providing good-for-the-gut yeast and bacteria, as well as organic acids such as acetic and ascorbic acids, a variety of enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants called polyphenols, and vitamins B1, B6 and B12. I find it helps with digestion, can be a great energizer, and gives me an all-around clean feeling inside!

Here are instructions for starting your own kombucha:

I use the "continuous brew" system, and it really seems to work better than the batch-by-batch method. It's cleaner, safer, and makes more 'booch. Here are some good resources about continuous brew:

http://www.picklemetoo.com/2012/03/02/kombucha-continuous-brewing-system/

http://www.kombuchakamp.com/what-is-kombucha/continuous-brewing

The ceramic crock with spigot is the only equipment I bought, although "kombucha kamp" advertises a lot of other accessories. I purchased the crock here:

http://foryourwater.com/FYWCCCD/C0100.html

I started mine in a glass gallon jar and later transferred it to the crock when the "mother" was strong. I combined: 1/2 jar of PLAIN GT's kombucha (you can get it at Whole Foods) together with a gallon of sweetened black tea. This "SCOBY fuel" should consist of 1 cup sugar (raw, organic cane is best) dissolved in a gallon of tea. My go-to tea is Trader Joe's English Breakfast--- 8 bags per gallon, steeped for 10 minutes or thereabouts. You can experiment with teas, but remember that the culture likes CAFFEINATED teas. Make sure the tea is room temp when you add the half bottle of 'booch. Then you just cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band to hold it on, and let the whole thing sit in a WARMish, DARKish place for a couple weeks. Never EVER store your SCOBY in the fridge; she will die! Room temperature or a bit warmer is best. 

The really important thing is to keep your whole operation clean, so as to avoid mold problems. I've never seen mold myself, but I've heard it's obvious when it happens. You should only use glass and never touch the tea or mushroom with plastic, wood, or metal. You can use stainless steel (I use a big stainless pot to boil the water in for tea), but that's it. Always clean your hands and equipment with vinegar before you begin, and DON'T use soap--- this kills the bacteria in the culture. In addition, be sure to use filtered water to make tea, and boil it for five minutes before adding teabags.

Once you have a nice, vinegary batch, you can transfer it to the crock, add more sweetened tea, and wait a while longer--- taste as you go until it seems right to you. Now that my SCOBY is very strong, I can take out 8 or 9 bottles every four days. The culture grows pretty fast once it gets going, so you'll have to peel it apart every few weeks and discard the extra (or give it to a friend who wants to start their own). One benefit of using the continuous brew crock is ease of bottling. Occasionally the spigot gets clogged, but you can clean it out by blowing bubbles into it from the inside with a straw.

If you want to bottle and flavor, the best bottles are Grolsch bottles. I love those things! The gasket is long-lasting, and the green coloring of the glass helps keep the bacteria-guys safe (they don't like direct light). You should always put your flavorings directly into the bottle before you fill it up with kombucha, and add about a teaspoon of sugar or honey (raw buckwheat honey is divine) as well so that the bacteria have some "food" for the second ferment. When you've filled and sealed the bottles, put them in a warm place to set for about a week. I use the fridge-top for my entire 'booch operation, and it has worked perfectly. Please put your bottles in a tray of some sort, as they occasionally explode... and the tray will save you much time and stress if this happens!

Some of my favorite flavors include: fenugreek, rose petal, hibiscus, cardamom, lemon peel, juniper, basil, anise, raspberry, tellicherry pepper, beetroot, rosemary, nutmeg, and garam masala. I ALWAYS put a piece of fresh ginger in, no matter what other flavors I am experimenting with. I just love ginger so much... I can't not.

Happy brewing!