When I heard that two of my favorites were coming together to launch a rug collection I was so excited. I knew that it would be beautiful, I wouldn't expect anything less. From the moment our Dune rug arrived everyone in our family was smitten. When we rolled it out the kids wouldn't stop telling me how soft it was. Since Jenni built this collection as a way to add texture to your home and with the idea that you could layer each of these rugs over each other or on top of your current rugs. I've been feeling as though our dining room needed a to be lightened up and it instantly transformed the space. It makes it feel cozy and ready for cooler temps. Pop over to Lulu and Georgia to see the entire collection. It doesn't disappoint! I've got my eye on a rug for the kids room. Photos by Caitlin Flemming #interiors

When I first saw the work of Elise Birnbaum of OATMEAL - I instantly had a connection to it. The vessels she creates are works of art. The cloud pruned vessel (the one I have in my Dining Room - it gets ask about all the time) is what first drew me into Elise's work and I've been in complete love with the work she's created ever since. Her pieces have texture, movement and the formations the embody are like no other. Her work is something I will cherish forever and I knew that I needed to reach out to Elise to share more of her story with all of you. I was incredibly honored she said yes so quickly. And I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did! What drew you to working in ceramics? I have always been someone who makes things, no matter the medium. I was working in retail display in a more corporate environment and I was kind of searching, for a way out and for a place to channel my energy for creating. For a while I would take all different kinds of classes on nights and weekends, I decided to take a ceramics class, which I hadn't done since high school, and I was immediately in love. How did you manage to evolve your passion into a small business? I started making things and sharing them on instagram, just for fun. I was getting a lot of interest from friends, then friends of friends, then complete strangers. My friend and I would get breakfast (oatmeal) and talk about the things we were making and how we wanted to leave our day jobs. At the time I was working a full time job, working part time at a friend's woodshop and then making ceramics in my spare time. The interest in my ceramic work kept growing and I knew I couldn't continue juggling what now was three jobs, so I took a leap and quit my full time job and less than a year later I had to leave the woodshop too to focus my time and energy on OATMEAL. Tell us about your studio? My studio is my favorite place in the world. I share a space in an old warehouse building with my dear friend and fellow ceramicist, Chealsea Erdner Scott who runs Bombabird. We found the space a little over a year ago, it has huge windows and tall ceilings and is just this big space we've been so fortunate to get to fill. We spent about a month building it out ourselves right before Chelsea got married and I left for Japan for a few months. What is one thing you can't live without in your studio? My dog. I love bringing my dog, Foss, to work. She makes me take breaks and is a good reminder that while my work is very important to me, I am more than my work. Tell us a little about your process and how does the Japanese aesthetic connect to your work My husband and I went on our honeymoon to Japan a few years ago and while we were still there I said to him "I have to come back and make work here". It is an incredibly inspiring place and I felt very connected to the Japanese cultural connection to objects and the thoughtful, considered approach Japanese people seem to apply to many aspects of life. I applied for a residency and spent a summer making ceramics in the Japanese Countryside. It changed my practice and my life. My process these days is that I sketch a lot, I come up with shapes or forms to make and then when I make the initial piece, I allow for the material to stray from my original idea. There is a big difference between a drawing a ceramic form and I let the material show me what it wants to be. Working with clay is a balancing act between being in control and letting go. What does a typical day look like for you? My day always starts with coffee. I like to get up early and enjoy a slow morning to myself on the couch, drinking my coffee and listening to some news. Then I might answer some emails or make some breakfast and head right to the studio. It always feels good to get into making early in the morning. My work tends to involve periods of active making and periods of waiting for the clay to set up and dry a little, so I try to work on multiple pieces at once. I might take a break in the early afternoon and take my dog to the park if the weather is nice (but we live in Pittsburgh, so more like "if the weather isn't terrible") and grab a coffee at a friend's coffee shop. I'll come back to the studio, work some more, pack up shipments that need to go out and then head out to do some sort of physical activity. My brain works best when I am consistently working out and I come up with a lot of ideas that way too. Then a quiet night in, making dinner with my husband or maybe with some friends and an early bedtime, always. Where do you draw inspiration for new pieces? Travel, books, nature, etc. My most recent collection of work was inspired by sculptural garden trees, or niwaki, you see all over Japan. Travel always inspires me, but so do all the books on my coffee table. I think I have become very open to the world and that has allowed me to find inspiration in a lot of different ways. I think some of that is a muscle, I've been working in the arts and making art all my life and have really exercised that muscle. I find that the more open you are to taking in the world, the more curious, the more easily inspiration comes, and from all different places. But I do love to travel and find it essential to staying curious. What advice do you have for others trying to do something similar? Work. Search. Work some more. There is no shortcut, there is no secret or golden ticket, there is something you have to find for yourself and the only way to find it is to go looking for it. I felt lost for years in terms of what I wanted to make, what medium, but I kept searching. Sometimes I still have moments when feel lost, but I keep pursuing it as if I know there is something to find, even when it is hard to trust. How do you see your work evolving in the future? I have a lot of different directions I would like to go. I have more sketches in my sketchbook than I could make and that feels like a very good problem to have. Sometimes I want to make more sculptural work, with less functionality. I think I will just continue to let the work lead me, it hasn't steered me wrong yet! A HUGE thank you to Elise and please check out her sale that launches today, September 2nd. Photos from Elise Birnbaum | OATMEAL #lifestyle

This past spring I sat down with Alicia from Cheetah is the New Black to talk about different ways to make your home feel special during this time. It's incredibly important, now more than ever to make your home embody what you love. Especially since we are home every single day. I've even done things in my own home that have made such an impact by just moving pieces I already own around our space. After Alicia and I spoke she asked me a handful of questions to continue the conversation. Below are a handful of questions she asked as well as a few others she's featuring on her site. We're all stuck in our homes (and thankful to have homes)–but how can we make our spaces feel fresh right now? I’m so thankful to have an apartment I enjoy spending time in! That being said, it’s been difficult to not have any outdoor space. I try to bring the outside in to help with that. In terms of keeping spaces feeling fresh, I have tackled projects, one room at a time. We’ve painted our bathroom and put up a beautiful Les Indiennes shower curtain that has a beautiful pattern, reorganized all of the closets, got Jackson an Ikea bunk bed that we assembled and painted, transitioned Amelia to a big girl bed, and we are about to do a little freshening up of our dining room. I think because we’ve been stuck in our apartment most of our day, we can’t help but want to freshen it up in as many ways possible. Tips for setting up a workspace in a small apt? My workspace floats around the house – depending on the needs of my family. I always like being in a room with good natural light and the dining and living rooms are perfect for this. My office is less than a block away from my home, so my husband and I have taken turns working there while the other one is with the kiddos. Credenza styling tips. I don’t actually have a credenza, but the chest of drawers I have in my dining room works as one. I love styling this space as it can be seen from the living room and it’s a dramatic look through the hallway and then into the very end of the dining room. I always have a large vase with some sort of branches or foraged nature. In addition, I have my beloved Oatmeal Shop ceramic vase that is more like a sculpture. I also have a French mirror painted black, and artwork leaning on it. Where to find unique but not expensive art? My favorite places for art are: Lost Art Salon Etsy Instagram Jennifer Ament Josh Young William McClure Elsie Green (for antique pieces) Lauren Williams You can sometimes wait for a sale, but I would prefer to save for what I really want, than to settle for something I won’t like in the future. I don’t mind waiting – it makes me appreciate it more when I do invest in it! General tips for decorating on a budget? I always recommend a local flea market for decorating on a budget. You can still find unique and reasonable items that will have a lasting value. Some might need a fresh coat of paint, but it can be so much fun to create! Better to slowly decorate and keep within your budget. How to style a dresser in a bedroom. I like dressers and bedside tables to be both functional as well as tranquil. Good reading lights, a beautiful bowl for your jewelry, space for the books you are currently reading and maybe a personal photograph. Above you can hang mirrors or artwork to add more interest in a room. Tips for kids playroom bedrooms/kids storage in small spaces? I’ve styled my kids bedroom several times – from when they were infants to kiddos needing it to work as both a bedroom and a play space. The bunk bed we just bought from Ikea, Jackson sleeps on the top and the bottom area has been made into their clubhouse. I took the mattress from the crib Amelia moved out of and moved it to the area covered in a blanket and topped off with pillows. They even have a little table and lamp to make it cozy. If anyone has a solution to the accumulation of toys, I’d love to know! Favorite coffee table books. Still by Natalie Walton and of course, Travel Home, which I wrote with my Mama. I also like to buy vintage art books – which I definitely judge by their cover! Shelf styling. I love that yours always look effortless and curated. My shelves are always changing and getting rearranged. I suggest varying the height of items so there is more visual interest. When they are all the same size, the eye doesn’t know what to focus on. I also try to vary the size of objects. And don’t forget to throw in some books. They make great surfaces for your beautiful items. Tips for picking out throw pillows in the living room and bedrooms? I like to have a variety of pillows. If you like patterns, consider trying out different combinations of large and small design but keep to the same color palate. Some houses also look great with a pop of color in their throw pillows. Definitely some of my best pillows are from Fragments Identity. I have a more neutral palate in my house and the texture of the pillows add so much! Best places to find versatile blankets/throws for inside and outside? Jenni Kayne Amber Interiors Filling Spaces Vintage Rug Shop Hope you've enjoy this Q & A - pop over to Alicia's site for a few more questions she asked. If you have any questions you'd like me to answer please leave them in the comments and we can do another one of these soon!

I've followed Filling Spaces for years. In fact, my mom used to live a few blocks from their first store in NW Portland. I'm constantly inspired by what they are creating. Their patterns have so much depth to them. Last fall when we had our Portland book signing at Schoolhouse Electric - Deepali and her daughter popped by to see us. It was such a treat getting to know her more and we've since stayed connected. This brand is killing it right now! When I went up to Portland I reached out about popping by for samples for a few projects. Deepali and her team welcomed me into their new re-designed studio/showroom. Let's just say that I left inspired. I needed a dose of inspiration after so many months of being at home. I'm excited to share a little more about Filling Spaces today. Please pop over to their site - I guarantee you'll be in heaven with their pieces! Tell us about the history of Filling Spaces. How did you get started? I will have to take you twenty-two years back to answer that one. I worked in India, surrounded by textiles, creating product lines for buyers from various fashion and home brands. I then had an arranged marriage, moved to the US, and started looking for a job in textile or fashion-related studios. My first job was working in a fabric store as a sales associate because that was all I could find. I also decided to go back to school for an interior design degree. After I finished school, I decided to reach out to my textile contacts in India and begin designing textiles again—that was the start of Filling Spaces. I visited with my friends, designed some textiles, and approached the interior design community in Portland to introduce them to the custom options and availability in my fabric designs. I'd love to know more about your creative process. You have such beautiful patterns. Where do you start? How do you decide which patterns and colors to go with each season? My creative process is the "best of both worlds." India is full of textures; it's an absolute feast for senses and spirit. Living in the US for 18 years has influenced me in so many ways, especially with my love for travel and exploring other regions and cultures; all that plays an important part when I am doodling my ideas. It all starts with a simple sketch, then working on pattern repeat and then planning the right fabric for the design. Most every pattern, either hand-blocked or handwoven, is hand-drawn just like old fashioned way by me. And then finally collaborating printing or weaving techniques with the artisans. I try to stay on trend with color choices yet stay true to our story. It's amazing that you work together - in Portland and India. How is it working so far apart from one another? Working with a family member, especially my sister, was the best decision I made. I am the design and marketing part of the company, she is the manufacturing side, and we bring the best of both worlds. She takes care of the day to day handling of fabric manufacturing, production, and logistics. I plan the designs, collection, and working one on one with the Designers and Retailers. We try to plan our day around the time difference between India and USA -12hrs (what's app- not sure if people are familiar here. It' s texting app commonly used in India )helps a lot! with photo exchange and day to day updates, of course, face time at least twice a day when she's at the studio so I can see all the live-action:) Your pillows are stunning - love the details of each pattern and the ability to customize. You also have a line of quilts, bags, etc. Tell us about how you've expanded into different products. It was an organic process; one thing leads to another after designing the line of pillows. Our customers, especially Interior designers, desired to use the fabric for other applications like draperies and upholstery, so we introduced "fabric by yard" to trade only- which is doing very well. Some smaller boutiques approached us to make bags in our fabric, staying true to our story; we created products that fit our ensemble well. You recently re-designed your studio space. I had the pleasure of going - it's beautiful! Tell us a little bit about this decision. My main goal with the office space was to create a space that would be ideal for working from home. My dream of having an in-house creative studio started when I decided to close my brick and mortar shop in Portland and focus more on product creation and wholesale. I wanted to have a home-based business to spend time with my two growing kids. Designing the new office was really about creating the ideal live workspace. I had dreamed about renovating our space for years, so to see an area that truly fit our needs coming to life was so gratifying. Now it's more of an open and airy studio space where we can display our products and create mood boards and style photos. Do you have a favorite print, pillow, piece right now? Yes, Kochin Noir on saffron is my favorite print, and Nisa Lush pillows I can't have enough-- I want that in every room! A HUGE thank you to Deepali and her team for letting me come visit their showroom and studio while I was in Portland. Photography by me

This summer has been unlike any other. We've been hunkered down at home, enjoying what our city and surrounding areas has to offer. In early July we decided we were going to still take our annual summer getaway to visit family. And let me tell you, being on the road and discovering new things is exactly what our family needed. From the moment we left the kids were overjoyed with excitement. Our first stop was Portland, Oregon. We stayed with my dad out in the suburbs where the kids had the freedom to run around outside (which is what they spent 90% of their days). We did venture out to on a few excursions. Horning's Hideout - Normally you can learn to fish at this pod. My dad has taken Jackson in the past but due to covid there was no fishing allowed but you can walk the property. Our kids had so much fun looking for bugs, salamanders and butterflies. Hoffman Family Farms - This was berry picking at it's BEST! We picked blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and marionberries. We were there at the peak of season. The kids had a blast picking berries and racing around the fields. Helvetia Farm Market - My favorite discovery was this market just a few miles away from my dad's house. I'm always on the hunt for places to support that bring together local farmers and their products. This is not to be missed in you visit or live in Portland. While we would've done a lot more activities we wanted to stay low-key for the safety of our family. We were able to see a few friends from high school for a socially distanced happy hour in their backyard as well as family outdoors. It was special to see the kids play with their cousins, which doesn't happen often enough. Making memories together felt incredibly special - including the kids first s'mores. I'll be sharing more details about the rest of our trip soon!

Back by popular demand is my Workspace series. It took a little hiatus while I was writing Travel Home and I had forgotten about it. When I sat down to think about what I should bring back to Sacramento Street - this was one series a lot of you have emailed about. It’s a place where I feature creatives that I discover and love. To kick things off is Josh Young! When I first came across Josh Young’s work several years ago I instantly fell in love with his ability to work in a neutral palette but with so much texture. I’m constantly on the hunt for artwork for clients homes - looking for what would compliment the design and the aesthetic that bring into projects. Josh’s work is definitely at the top of my list for when clients begin the hunt for works of art. I’ve been able to get to know Josh over the last year - he came to our Travel Home book signing in Chicago and then we all went out to dinner. When you first connect with someone online and then in person it’s amazing how it brings you even closer. I’ve watched how his work has developed and it just gets better and better. When I asked Josh to be part of this series he instantly said yes. Can’t wait for all of you to get to know Josh through this interview and be sure to follow him here. I adore your work - the neutral palette and texture is what spoke to me when I first came across your pieces. Tell us a little bit about how you became an artist, was there a moment when you knew it was the right calling. Thank you! I've been painting and drawing since the age of 5. At 13 my parents learned rather quickly that sports wasn't for me (they were both all-star athletes), and built me my first art studio in the basement of our home in Pennsylvania. I was captivated with the post-impressionist and how they viewed the world in such an abstract way...and I identified with that very early on. When I was 19 I moved to Milan, Italy and would end up living there for almost 6 years. It's where I went to university, came of age, and really found myself both personally and creatively. Milan was really the root of my creative discovery and where I believe I found my point of view. The appreciation of the marriage between classical elements and modern techniques. I distinctively remember one day sitting in my apartment and coming to the realization that this was my true calling. I never thought nor realized it would become a career, but I knew that it was my true calling deep down inside. It would be many years later, and a lot of job hoping before I took the leap of faith and founded my studio in order to became a full time artist. I honestly have my husband to thank for that. He's the one who pushed me and always believed in my work and eye. Tell us about your Chicago studio? My studio is located in the heart of downtown Chicago's historic Gold Coast neighborhood. It's rather convenient because it's actually in the same building as our apartment. I literally wake up in the morning, take the elevator up, and I'm "at work". Convenience is very important to me because I find I'm most creative late at night and I never wanted to stress about driving or walking a long distance to and from home. Plus this is Chicago, let's get real, if you know me you know there's no way in hell I'm walking 5+ blocks in 10 degree weather. It was also important to me to have my studio not only act as a place for me to work and create, but also inspire. I wanted the studio to feel like an escape and to be filled with the objects and things that I love. I work best when I'm comfortable and feel "at home". What is one thing you can't live without in your studio? Yikes, that's too hard to pick just one thing. Aside from the obvious materials and mediums I use I would say good music, candles, and my large collection of art and design books. There are hundreds of them and I am constantly referencing them. What does a typical day look like for you? After getting ready and taking the elevator up to the studio I typically meet with my assistant and studio manager to discuss the daily needs. While my assistant works on processing a lot of the orders from my online shop, I'm typically working on client commissions, planning out future collections, and photographing content for both my Instagram and website. The days in the studio are a bit hectic and crazy since we always have a million different things going on at once. With that, I always try to carve out some quite time at night to create new work. There's something so magical about being in the studio alone, late at night (most likely when others are asleep), and I have my playlist going, candles lit, a glass of wine, and it's just me and the canvas. It's something I cherish so much. Your process and the way you add texture to your pieces is beautiful. What is your process like when you have a blank canvas? I'm really big on texture and added layers. When you look at one of my pieces I want you to get lost in it. I want you to notice something new each and every time. The majority of my pieces typically consists of 4-6 layers before they are finished. So for example, I paint a motif and then add a textural layer. Then I paint on top of that layer. Then I white wash that layer, and then create a whole other layer of texture on top of that, etc. The process continues until I have a piece that feels intricate and has a sense of depth and dimension. The majority of my work consists of A wide variety of styles and motifs that are still cohesive and evoke a sense of the past while still feeling modern and current. From my portrait pieces to my abstracts on canvas, this is an element I always try to achieve. Where do you draw inspiration for new pieces? Travel, books, you've talked a little about loving history. Everything with me is about conjuring up emotions. When I create a new piece it's about creating a mood. So when I'm inspired by something (a city, another piece of art, a film, a color) it's typically rooted in how that specific something made me feel and how I want to translate that back on canvas. Favorite artists? Agnes Martin, Cy Twombly, Francis Bacon, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore. How do you see your work evolving in the future? I don't know, and that's part of the beauty. The evolution is inevitable but what helps shape and mold it is still unknown and I love that. That's actually what keeps me hungry and on my toes. I'm always thinking, "what's next", and I'm always studying everything I see and experience in hopes that maybe something will spark that new found inspiration. Photography by Josh Young #lifestyle #workspace #art

When I started Sacramento Street in 2009, the sole purpose was to have a creative outlet. Back then I didn't think that I'd have a career that launched from my site. Fast-forward to today and I never would have expected to have Sacramento Street grow to what it is today, have my own interior design studio, and have a top selling design book - Travel Home. Over the past few years I've been thinking more and more about how I can bring Sacramento Street and Caitlin Flemming Design together. I've been identifying more with my own name rather than Sacramento Street. That is why I'm excited to launch a brand new site all under the Caitlin Flemming brand. I've been working tirelessly over the past four months on this site with the IDCO Studio team. First and foremost, I have to say that this team listened to every single detail, ask, email and edit. Believe me when I say that it took a lot of brainstorming to blend together my vision for this site because I wanted to stay true to me. Welcome to the brand new site! It embodies all aspects of the business - you can take a tour of our past projects (more projects will be photographed soon), you can read about my design services, you can pop over to the blog to get inspired and you can shop my favorite finds. Sacramento Street will still be the same place where I'll be sharing inspiration from my own home, workspaces and artists I've found, my design projects, lifestyle, motherhood and even some recipes. Everything that you find on Sacramento Street will be original content that is photographed by myself or submitted to me. I'm taking this new approach to Sacramento Street and bringing it back to more of a journal of knowledge and things I truly want to share in my daily life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying pulling it together. To say I'm excited for this new chapter is an understatement. I cannot wait for all of you to take a tour of the site or as I like to call it "our new home" because I think now more than ever we are all moving towards a more intentional way of living and I hope you feel that come through here. And a HUGE thank you goes out to the IDCO Studio team for creating this beautiful new space that I'll call my own. And a thank you to all of you for following along on this journey! xx Caitlin #lifestyle

Last year was a whirlwind year. It’s no surprise that this year feels completely different. I was busy launching a book that has been a bestseller, on its second printing, and about to be published in Russian. I was traversing this beautiful country from one end to the other giving book talks and meeting incredible people who stood in line for the book. In addition, I had a thriving interior design business that needed my full attention. Of course this is all with two young kids at home. Fast forward to the new year, and while I am grateful for all that happened last year, this year has been a time to slow down – whether we like it or not. I have to say, having more of a focus on the space around me, has been great for me. And as a result, I have made some changes that have helped our home to feel more comfortable and unique to our lives. One of the best decisions I could have made was to reach out to Fragments Identity to give my home a facelift. We worked together to find ways to make the spaces feel more unique and fitting for our family. I have always loved the products from Fragments Identity – giving spaces the texture and a mix that is needed to keep it from looking cookie cutter. I chose two different wing chairs – one vintage and recovered in vintage fabric – and the other new with a soft linen upholstery. I also chose a linen ottoman in the center of the living room and then filled in with stunning wooden benches used as side tables. Additionally, we changed all the pillows in both the living room and bedroom. Fragments Identity has a wide range of textiles that can transform a room. My family loves the new update to our home – especially the wing chairs that sit in our Living Room and Dining Room. I have a feeling those chairs will be a part of their collective memory. Jackson and Amelia love to snuggle in the chairs when they wake up each morning. We are all feeling well-loved while spending more time at home. I’m thankful for the slow days we’ve been able to spend with our children. It’s a gift that I believe we will all remember in the busy years ahead. Photos by Andrea Posadas Creative for Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

It's amazing to think about life back in early March. We were all thinking and talking about going into quarantine for just a few weeks. Now, we are 12 weeks into "shelter in place" and it feels as though this is the new normal. When this all began it was a huge adjustment for our family. We were going at a hectic pace and weren't slowing down to enjoy the little things. This time has been a blessing in disguise. It opened my eyes to enjoy a simple cup of tea in the morning before opening up my email (I used to open it in bed). The questions I've been getting asked the most are how am I working and parenting? And how did our kids adjust to it all? Both Eric and I are lucky that we quickly figured out our daily schedule the first week in. We knew that if we both tried to work at the same time that we inevitably wouldn't get as much done if the kids were also trying to get our attention. So, we take turns - Eric gets the morning shift and I get the afternoon. It gives us that dedicated time for work and the kids get us fully present. Our kids have never been better. Both of our kids thrive on structure and routines. So, they know that they have mom in the morning to do some school activities and an adventure outdoors, and then dad comes home to do legos, drawing, crafts, and then they set out on another outdoor activity. It's incredibly important for us to get our kids outdoors walking and playing twice a day so that they actually want to go to bed at 7 pm. While I know this time will soon be behind us, I have to say, it's been so good for all of us. Eric, who usually travels up to 20 days a month during baseball season, was able to spend time with both kiddos at such a great time. I've learned how to disconnect and our nature walks are something all of us look forward to. Of course, we worry about our ability to continue this and receive a paycheck and our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. Our income has reduced but we are spending less and I know that's a fortunate thing. Photos by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

Soups have certainly been a favorite of mine since I was little. I remember my mom and I making them in our kitchen in Portland. One of my favorites being - corn soup when the season arrived. Who doesn’t love corn season? It’s the best! This recipe is something you can whip up quickly for yourself or family. It’s so easy! Hope all of you enjoy it. Ingredients: 2-3 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 yellow onion (chopped // 1/2 onion yields ~1 cup) 3 cloves of garlic (minced) 1 russet potato (peeled and chopped into ¼ pieces) Sea salt and ground pepper to taste 4 ears of corn (kernels sliced off husk) 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth 1 cup of regular milk (or almond milk) 1 string of sage for garnish 2 slices of sourdough bread cut in half in squares Instructions for Fresh Corn Soup: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the russet potato, season with a little salt and pepper, and cover to steam for 5 - 7 minutes. Add most of the corn, reserving a 1/4 of a cup for garnish, and stir. Add broth and milk, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook until the potatoes are softened - should only take about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for about 15 - 20 minutes. While the soup sits, put the cut sourdough slices on a baking sheet with olive oil. Place into the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 mins or until they are browned. Add about 1/4 of the soup to the blender at a time until it’s all done. Blend until creamy and smooth. To serve, top with remaining fresh corn, a sprig of sage, croutons and black pepper to taste. Photos by Caitlin Flemming #recipes