Stuart’s ‘Summer Supper’ astounds!

Chef Peter Glander supervised a committee of volunteers to turn out an amazing mid-summer dinner.

Tables on the terrace overlooking the Tennessee River. A scrumptious dinner prepared by one of Knoxville’s celebrity chefs and a committee of volunteers under his supervision. A beautiful and unique house that encompasses salvaged vestiges of Knoxville’s past.

You know that it is a Knox Heritage Summer Supper — and one of the best ones ever.

Last Saturday, 30 guests (and nearly as many hosts) gathered at the stunning cottage of Stuart Worden on the south side of the river. He and his late wife, artist Betsy Worden, designed the place 40 years ago with an eye to incorporating artifacts from the city’s past.

“All the beams and windows came from old Knoxville hotels and stagecoach inns,” Worden told the guests during his brief remarks from the stairs. “It took two years to build — and four brothers, the Rule brothers. I feel very fortunate that I get to live here awhile.”

Greeters as we parked our car. From left, hosts Scott Brun, Scott Schimmel, Rosa Mar and Finbarr Saunders. “There’s a gazebo with a table set for eight. Try to grab it,” Rosa advised. We did!

Here’s Alan Carmichael halfway down to the main house where the Summer Supper was held. It’s 66 steps to get there. Beautiful, isn’t it?

First things first: cocktails!

Host Jenny Blackburn, left, with guests Johnnie and Bryant Creel.

More hosts, from left, Amy and Nathan Honeycutt with John and Kathryn Greer.

From left, Marga and Jay McBride, Lane Hays and Pandy Anderson.

Stuart Worden, left, with John Cate and Gail Jarvis.

John Craig and Coral Turner with the youngest guest, Clio.

Appetizers, anyone? Hosts, from left, Meg Arning, Ashley Glander and Rob Johnson.

The flowers on the bar and on every table just screamed summer!

Music was by Downtown Bigfoot.

Summer melon and Benton’s ham bites.

Marla and John Peterson.

Suz and Wells Holbrook.

Shawn and David Owens.

Host Rick Blackburn on the terrace.

Penny Lynch and Kimbro Maguire.

Hosts David and Meg Arning.

Carol Merchant and John Thomas.

Scott and Annette Brun.

Bill and Susan Morris.

A perk of being the bartender! Chad Boetger enjoys a PBR.

Best appetizers were summer onion hoecakes topped with pimento cheese. Here they are on the kitchen counter waiting to be put on a platter. (I grabbed one!)

Hosts Lyn and Jeff Johnson. He made those hoecake appetizers using Chef Glander’s recipe. Bravo!

Hosts Scott Schimmel and Lisa Sorensen.

Chef Glander getting the tomatoes ready. A secret? He bought the tomatoes a week prior to the party so they would be super ripe. And they were!

Chef Glander attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Prior to graduating from there, he worked with renowned restaurateur Alice Waters at her Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. In New York, he worked with culinary luminaries Jean Georges Vongerichten and Gabriel Kreuther. Closer to home, he was the executive chef at The Barn at Blackberry Farm and was director of culinary and research at Ruby Tuesday. Today, he owns a catering company, Knox Provisions. “I’m never leaving here,” he said, referring to his love for East Tennessee.

Here’s Stuart telling us a little about the house. Rick Blackburn, left, is listening.

This window came from the Gilbert-Stratford Hotel in downtown Knoxville.

This bar was the hotel’s check-in desk.

This chandelier was salvaged from a downtown church.

A beautiful table was set on the screened-in porch.

Two were on the terrace.

Cute.

Here’s our sweet table in the gazebo. Monique Anderson was our guest — and it was her birthday!

Here are those tomatoes ready to go. They were topped with homemade ricotta cheese made with Cruze Farm milk.

Dinner was served family style. Here’s the slow roasted trout with a sumac and cucumber relish. Delish.

This okra, bean and corn succotash also was to die for.

Marinated and grilled summer squash.

Blackberry cobbler with homemade ice cream. (Alan, of course, made this one of his two allowed desserts this month!)

Bruce and Monique Anderson.

The sunset took our breath away.

Some of our tired hosts at the end of the night. From left, Rob Johnson, Meg Arning, Allison Stanley, Peter and Ashley Glander and Elizabeth Justus.

Great job, everybody!

 

Filed under: Events, Food, Historic preservation, Knoxville. Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to Stuart’s ‘Summer Supper’ astounds!

  1. Alan Carmichael, on August 17th, 2018 at 2:00 pm said:

    The Peter Glander menu was delicious, and the hoe cakes by Jeff Johnson were mighty good too.

  2. Cynthia Moxley, on August 17th, 2018 at 2:19 pm said:

    Alan: I guess it does take a village to host a Summer Supper!

  3. Bill Tapp, on August 17th, 2018 at 2:36 pm said:

    Peter is wonderful.

  4. Gina, on August 17th, 2018 at 2:38 pm said:

    One of your prettiest posts ever!

  5. Gay Lyons, on August 17th, 2018 at 3:07 pm said:

    It definitely does take a village! Absolutely everything about this one looks sensational.

  6. Monique Anderson, on August 17th, 2018 at 3:07 pm said:

    It was awesome. Weather, location, food, company were fabulous! Thank you for a delightful evening.

  7. Marga McBride, on August 17th, 2018 at 4:20 pm said:

    Wonderful evening with Tennessee at it’s best! Great food, wonderful, caring folks sharing a Summer’s night on the water….Stuart’s home is one of a kind, artistic, historic,and gorgeously situated amidst boulders and waterfalls….couldn’t have been better anywhere in the world!

  8. Rusha Sams, on August 17th, 2018 at 11:11 pm said:

    One of my favorite houses in Knoxville with one of my favorite chefs overseeing the cooking. What a night! No wonder everyone looks happy.

  9. Cynthia Moxley, on August 18th, 2018 at 7:29 am said:

    Thanks for all the comments, everybody. I know these events are a heck of a lot of work for all the parties involved. This one really was magnificent. We are so lucky that Chef Glander loves it here and wants to stay! And what talented committee members who could help him deliver on his vision. Thanks, of course, to Stuart Worden for the one-of-a-kind location!

  10. Sharon Pryse, on August 18th, 2018 at 9:59 am said:

    Recipes please! Looks fabulous

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