THE ARTIST AND THE CHEF

THE ARTIST AND THE CHEF

Typical lunch: Curried Fire Roasted Soup with Grilled Tomato and Pesto Sandwiches

With a little less than a month to go, preparations are well under way for my Residential Sculpture School. Excitement and activity abounds here at Woodloft, the name I have given my home. (I believe that you should name anything you love.)

The hardest part for me is cleaning my studio! I'm almost finished

Another view of the studio

My friend, Stratton Wayne St. Clair, will provide us with lovely meals for the 7 day class. Each week he comes over and familiarizes himself with my kitchen. This week, he came up with another of his great ideas. We planned for him to give a small cooking class by showing students how he makes his spectacular, one of a kind, lasagna, each day at lunch. We have now decided to label his teaching time,“Lunchtime with the Chef.” He will teach the students some of his flavor tricks each day as well. Listed below are examples of what we will learn besides making the lasagna. For those of you who want to be here vicariously, and those of you who like to read cookbooks, as I do, I have posted the menu for the class.

Stratton prepares ingredient shopping list

Lunchtime lessons:

How to make your own vanilla.
Peach vinegar
Blueberry vinegar
Homemade ricotta cheese
Smoked sea salts

Lunches:

Muffuletta

Curried Fire Roasted Tomato Soup w Grilled Tomato and Pesto Sandwiches

Linguine with a Sicilian Pistachio and Almond Pesto with salad and bread

Quiche four ways: Canadian Bacon and Swiss... Brocolli and Cheddar... Crabmeat and
Shrimp with Chives... Grilled Vegetables and Herbs with salad

Garlicy and Lemony Broiled Shrimp Scampi with Spicy Spinach and Tomatoes plus a coarse country bread.

2 Lunches at the vineyard and market

For Dinner we are having:

Medallions of Fillet Migion with Lobster Tails in a Newburg Sauce with pan seared Asparagus finished with fresh squeezed orange juice and Asiago Cheese and Roasted New Red Potatoes

Pizza Four Ways: Pizza Neapolitiano (Fresh tomato slices, Basil leaves and Fresh Mozzarella)... Wild Mushroom Pizza... Pepperoni Pizza... Pizza of pan seared grape tomatoes... cheese... olives and shredded Arugula

Chicken with Tomato Onion Gravy with Basmati rice... Tomato, Cucumber and Yogurt salad... Garlic Na Nan and Mint Chutney

Fresh Tuna Steaks Adriadic style with a salsa of olives, capers, tomatoes and basil... White Beans tossed with Garlic, Rosemary and Extra Virgin Olive oil and a salad of Tart Greens with Parmesan and Proscuitto and a warm balsamic dressing

Pulled Pork Bar-b-que (with Chicken for those who don't eat pork) with a homemade tomato Bar-b-que sauce... cole slaw... collard greens and corn on the cob

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic with French Bread and a salad of Mixed Greens, Smoked Salmon, Parmesan Cheese and Black Olives

Lasagna with homemade spinach noodles... homemade Ricotta Cheese... and Heirloom tomato and sausage sauce with a mixed green salad and bread.

W. Stratton

In the meantime, I have been getting Woodloft ready for the class, all the while sampling Stratton's delicious offerings. (Poor me)

Picnic table overlooking pool

Upper deck overlooking the pool

Front deck

Herbs ready for the picking. The chocolate mint is for mint tea, one of the students favorites

Pool and Tiki bar-there will be a big surprise here-I HOPE!!!