Thursday, July 14, 2011

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!!!

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22 comments:

  1. Oh YUM! I'm drooling over that curried tomato soup and grilled cheese combo- I have always loved tomato soup with a grilled cheese sammie- one of my all time favorite comfort food combos! Will you be posting the recipe for the soup?
    By the way, I "waved" at you last week as we left West Virginia and passed signs for Roanoke....you have no idea how much I would have loved to be on my to your class instead of back to "Hot-Lanta"!
    Thanks for this post, oh, and I think your studio should be featured in Where Women Create- it is LOVELY!
    x
    Stephanie

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  2. Your studio, house and garden are beautiful, so lovely and peaceful.
    Wow what a great menu he must be a fantastic chef with a menu like this. The soup, tomato and pesto sandwiches look fabulous, so love pesto. Stephanie is so right you definitely deserve to be featured in Where Women Create. Annette x

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  3. Yummy fantastic dinner. I love all photos. Your studio, your rooms are beautiful...and your garden are amazing and full of magical nature.

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  4. You had me at the broccoli quiche and pizza!!! Then, when I saw all of your fresh herbs and your gorgeous deck, I went over the moon!!! Your students will NEVER EVER want to leave, Cheryl!!!! You've created a true retreat. The chef's menus with his delicious choices are the icing on your creative cake. Hugs, Terri xoxo

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  5. SCULPTING and EATING that luscious food, be still my heart...i have to go rummage up something for lunch now...LUCKY students you shall have! delights for all their senses!

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  6. It's absolutely the ultimate retreat, Lynne! You have managed to create an experience that will touch, heighten, and enlighten, ALL of the senses. Bella vita, amico mio, hai una bella vita.

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  7. What a lovely menu … and inviting space to enjoy it all!

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  8. The menu is just too good to be true. I am having a terrible time controlling myself. How many more days until the class starts? Let me count the hours. OH, my! Everything looks so delightfully wonderful. Talking about hours. How many hours did you have to spend in your studio to do what you have done to it? I can not tell everyone how happy I am to be one of your students!!!!!!!!
    Trish

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  9. I'm really impress by the menu for the week because it is also something most vegetarians could enjoy, except for the pork and chicken, of course. And although the filet sounds yummy, I am sure I could enjoy the rest of the meal. Your studio looks practically ready and the pool, tiki bar, and table overlooking the pool look inviting. If I had your weather (cooler than mine), I would be out on that deck creating art in a heartbeat. It all looks SO tempting. I guess the class has filled?

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  10. Oh my, how wonderful. You are set for some fun, food, art and just a good dunk in the pool. Tee hee. Have fun!

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  11. Hello Cheryl! I love your place. I love the colors, interiors, decors, and most of all the deck and the place near the swimming pool. Every corner in your place looks so comfortable and full of bright ideas. Added to it the sumptuous meals served.. perfect!

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  12. Oh Wow! Salivating both at the menu and at Woodloft Cheryl! Those lucky students....x

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  13. There is nothing I love more than good ole comfort food. Grilled cheese and tomato soup has long been a favorite of mine. This version however, kicks the standard up to a most elegant and classical version. YUM!!! Truly, I can almost smell the tantalizing scents of curry and pesto ... mouthwatering!

    By the way ... Woodloft is looking like a fairytale these summer days ...

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  14. OK Cheryl. It is 11.50pm, I am raiding the fridge - AND IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT!

    What are you trying to do to me? And if that's not enough - just look at your studio... and your patio... and your garden...

    Oh what a time your students will have!

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  15. You have the luckiest students ever! Perhaps I will save up for the next time. :)

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  16. I read the entire menu, because reading cookbooks is so fun! Even tho I am a veggie, I always read the meat a substitute, so that never distracts me. My gosh, I'd be in it for the food and housing alone, nevermind the art classes and field trips. Why oh why do I can't overcome my hodophobia?
    XoXoX

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  17. Cheryl--this is what I call a true retreat in every sense of the word--this is just wonderful--you've perfected every detail, and I know this will be a success.

    And..where I was at on Saturday was Willoughby--the Willoughby Arts Fest--it's between Mentor and Cleveland--a wonderful one day show--are you familiar with it?

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  18. The water is running out of my mouth and I am just wishing I could be at this retreat. Maybe better I wished I could move in. I love everthing in this post! Thank you for sharing.
    Manon

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  19. Actually the only mistakes in it are the peach and blueberry vinegars ARE NOT smoked... though I will be making some smoked vinegar and some smoked sea salt... both of which are delicious.

    Stratton.

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  20. So Creative Cheryl,
    All I can say is wow and I am speechless.
    What an amazing and sharing post. I love everything,thanks for sharing. Wowsa Wowsa and more Wowsa..
    Have a great day.
    Big Friendship Hugs,Laura.xoxx

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  21. Wow, the menu's look DELICIOUS. And I am sure they love the cooking 'lessons'. Everybody loves that, so destressing, such fun..... And your house is wonderful, the plants, the dinnertable, everything! You are such a creative woman!!

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  22. Still can not believe I was here today. So beautiful and the energy was unbelievable. Wonderful experience. Thank you. <3

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