Home decor…. I love the looks and all their beautifully descriptive monikers; Tuscan farmhouse, New England barn, sleek urban loft, distressed chateau chic, Belgian minimal, Scandinavian perfection, Provençal melange … Wherever and however you can imagine humans altering their environment for their use and the beauty that comes when form follows function… I love them so much that I just want to mix them all up and make them my own! Now, to go with our classic timeless artistry motif, we we are hitting our “Barn Chateau” stride! If “Barn Chateau” doesn’t go viral, isn’t the next big thing, then we are going to have to move to Tuscany or perhaps the south of France, where the barn and the chateau are made of the same time honored materials.
Speaking of time honored materials, we are all about the silk and linen for the foreseeable future. Reveling in gorgeous Chinese dupioni silks with their intentional “imperfections” and a Russian linen that has everything; a weight that is exactly right for a pillow, soft but still sturdy and the perfect mix of light and dark weft and warp to add texture and something a little more – is it rustic or elegant? Oh right – barn chateau! There are still some cottons available, notably the long and lean Anastasia III and the Fresco family in old gold and antique red, all designed to dress up a bed and make it a warm and welcome retreat as the weather cools. The Frescoes are also now available in silk! And I am dreaming up ways to mix the silks and linens – oh there is that “rough luxe” I missed in the list above!
This fall we have added a neutral tone to our foundations collection. We are calling the color “sepia linen”. We know it is a little confusing as the images are printed on silk but the color is inspired by the simplicity and elegance of classic Belgian linen and is designed to work in a monochromatic scheme or to add balance and nuance to a field of riotous color! Also for fall, Forgé makes an appearance in “pumpkin spice” and it is gorgeous! I am making a few just for me! My initial compulsion was to back this with a burnt pumpkin silk twill – and it is beyond lovely – but …. I found a “Persian Red” Shantung that has won my heart and added a little zing to the spice… sort of a hint of chilé to the pumpkin pie? Oh! must try THAT this Thanksgiving! I am digging up a low carb recipe and will include it at the end of this post!!!!
Our fall photoshoot makes use of our classic sofa ( I love it so much I have to use it at least once every season) and that quintessential barn wall… add a few Victorian windows and doors as well as a bed from the same era, and throw in some linens from yesterday and today… a soupçon of that light … that perfect light when summer starts to turn to fall. Why does a stretch of linen on an antique sofa make it look so contemporary? Probably anything that is a true classic, is always apropos…
And art, always and forever, art for every room. This fall we feature a painting by Maxwell Barrett. I could drag out the “artese” to talk about this work, instead I will just say it has inspired me.
We opened the big barn doors and let the light and air fill the cavernous space… old wood, perfect light, linen and silk…. barn chateau…. timeless artistry… and some days, there’s pie….
Barn Chateau Chile Spiced Pumpkin Pie –
I am really winging this one folks – my combination, with alternations, of several excellent recipes and I will be trying this out this fall – but here are the basics….. give it a try with me and let me know how you do! (This is a sugar free, low carb, gluten free recipe…cause that’s how I roll these days!)
For the Crust
2 cups blanched almond flour – you can use Bob’s Red Mill fine almond meal but it will be a bit more crumbly… I use it all the time even though the recipe’s warn me not to… like the world is going to end? It’s a PIE!!!!
¼ teaspoon salt – we like sea salt but use what you have!
2 T coconut oil or organic grass fed butter, room temperature
1 large egg – I have made this crust without an egg as well, very crumbly… the egg helps it all stick together nicely.
Filling
2 cups pumpkin puree – Canned is FINE, If you grew some pumpkins this year, then bake them up and purée them!
1 cup heavy cream – stop worrying about the fat, low fat stuff is for those of use stuck in the 80s mindset. Fat doesn’t make fat, carbs make fat…enjoy the darn FAT!
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the tasty goodies:
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice *, plus 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
And here it is…1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and/or other dried chile crushed to a powder,
and a dash of cumin.
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
*Make your own MUCH BETTER Pumpkin Pie Spice by combining: (only use 1 1/2 T for the pie though)
3 1/2 tablespoons ground Ceylon Cinnamon,
2 teaspoons ground ginger,
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg,
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves.
Whipping cream, 1/2 tsp vanilla, tsp of sweetener and a dash of bourbon ( all optional)
Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl, mix together your pie crust ingredients and press the dough into round pie pan. Bake for about 9 – 11 minutes, it should be golden but not brown. Let it cool while you mix up the filling.
In a different bowl, beat the eggs and add the pumpkin purée, vanilla, approximately 1 tablespoon ( plus a bit to taste) of your Spice mixture and whatever sweetener you have settled on. Once that is nicely mixed, add the cream and combine well.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Let cool and maybe even refrigerate a bit before serving.
Top with homemade whipped cream laced with a little vanilla, a hint of sweetener and maybe a dash of bourbon – my family is from Kentucky, everything fabulous has a dash of bourbon waved over the top…. I have NO idea about calories here, it is pretty low carb though and basically you are getting your yellow veggies in a supremely satisfying manner! Have fun, Enjoy …. Oh … I have also made an amazing low carb pumpkin pie cheese cake …I’ll dig up the recipe and share in October!