A lavishly illustrated sumptuous collection of recipes celebrating the enduring connection between art cooking and gardening inspired by the seasonal bounty of homegrown fruits and vegetables or just-picked produce from local farmsGreat artists and great cooks have long been inspired by gardens and the many sensory gifts they provide Artist Claude Monet took inspiration from his gardens and the lily ponds at Giverny Van Gogh Manet Matisse and Cezanne created still life masterpieces of fruit and flowers Similarly cooks from Julia Child and Alice Waters to Patricia Wells and Jamie Oliver have taken culinary inspiration from homegrown or fresh local produce Artist Maryjo Koch explores this centuries-old connection in a new cookbook inspired by her studio garden The garden not only provides the artistic subjects she and her many students paint but it also serves as the culinary toolbox for the delectable and visual feasts she prepares for her family guests and painting classes throughout the yearDivided into four chapters and inspired by the seasons artists cooks and gardeners alike will find tips recipes and painting projects centered on seasonal food pairingsFor example the winter garden focuses on soups with offerings like Minestrone with Crumbled Bacon and Butternut Squash-Apple SoupSpringtime brings culinary attention to leafy greens such as Flower Petal Salad and Spring Asparagus Fritttata with Peas and PeppersAs the seasonsrsquo bounty progresses the painting subjects and menus change as well invented with whatever is freshest and most beautiful in the gardenWhether you find yourself more at home with an artistrsquos paint brush a cookrsquos wooden spoon or a gardenerrsquos spade yoursquoll find a trio of artistic culinary and gardening inspirations inside Maryjo Kochrsquos lavish cookbook.
