A Southern Palette Tablescape

Visitors to the Neal’s home in Nashville include US Senators, Supreme Court Justices, College Presidents, titans of business and social patrons from across the country. They come to sit in the studio located behind this house because Michael Shane Neal is one of the most sought after young portrait artist in America today.
Neal is a Tennessee native and self-described ‘people person’ who enjoys capturing his subject’s character and personality in addition to their likeness on canvas. A protégée of the nation’s leading artist and presidential portraitist Everett Raymond Kinstler (a second generation student of John Singer Sargent), Neal is a Grand Prize winner of the Portrait Society of America International Competition.
When Neal hosted his mentor, Kinstler, and artists from around the country at his home for a group show, they were treated to a traditional Tennessee lunch. Friends from California to New York found a dining table draped with gingham and covered with a buffet of southern favorites. Never before had many tasted such delicacies as homemade biscuits and ham, garden fresh tomatoes, Tennessee Caviar, a cheese ball, homemade chicken salad on croissants and ‘the house drink of the South’ – sweet tea served in Mason Jars. A sideboard laden with molasses chocolate cookies, miniature pecan and chocolate meringue pies along with baskets of TN ‘Moonpies’ and ‘GooGoos’ was popular as everyone rushed back to the dining room for dessert. For more tablescapes visit http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

For more of Shane's artistic talent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK4Vo_1QDro

For more food and recipes visit http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com

For more fashionable trends visit http://www.fififlowers.com

Tennessee Caviar

3 (16-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed of all juice
1 (11-ounce) can yellow corn with green and red peppers, drained and rinsed of all juice
1 small jar chopped pimiento, juice included
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup Italian Parsley, fresh chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, fresh chopped
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup oil-and-vinegar vinaigrette
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
In a large bowl, stir all ingredients very well. Refrigerate overnight, in a covered container. Remember - the longer it sits, the better it gets! Serve with tortilla or corn chips.