It's not a long drive from the Columbus interstate to the thin road that leads to Woodhaven Farm - it takes about 20 minutes to get from the exit ramp off I-270 to the single-lane paved path marked "Woodhaven" in Johnstown - but the difference between city and country is striking. It is green here, the sound of birds chirping is muffled only by the wind rustling across the neighbor's corn field, and the scents of farm animals and flowers hang in the air.

Tami Cecil is standing at the front door of her barn with a big smile, pushing her wind-tossed hair from her eyes. "Come on in," she says, motioning visitors through the front door and into the cooking experience she's created on her Johnstown property. Woodhaven Farm, Cecil's six-year-old business, is part cooking school, part corporate training center and part party place, depending on which day of the week it is.

For the first part of her career, Cecil was welcoming clients into a small office in downtown Columbus, brokering stocks on behalf of banks for National City Investments. Though she enjoyed her career in business, Cecil always seemed to find herself thinking about food. So on Cinco de Mayo 12 years ago, she left banking for good. She and her husband, Mark Mallia, purchased the farm in Johnstown and, "Suddenly I thought, ‘now we're living in a barn,'" she says. "Our friends thought we were nuts."

Cecil studied at the Culinary Institute of America, then worked for Columbus restaurateur Cameron Mitchell, helping to open Mitchell's Steakhouse and Molly Woo's, and working at Martini Italian Bistro and M in Columbus. A few years later she brokered her next deal  - this one on a cocktail napkin - to purchase a local eatery in Johnstown, turning it into the Bigelow Café. "Everything was made from scratch every day," says Cecil. "I just loved what we created there."

All the while, she and her husband were working hard on their property, converting their barn from living quarters to a workspace, building a home, planting the garden and stocking the pond. They even built a greenhouse just outside the barn.

Light pours into the windows of Cecil's barn, bouncing off the hardwood floors and playing off the pale yellow and light green paint on the walls. Two restaurant-grade stoves and three tall stainless-steel work tables are clean and ready for students. Groups arrive here throughout the week to learn how to cook. "It's a hands-on cooking experience," says Cecil, who toyed with the idea of creating a demonstration-only space, but soon realized that, "It's more fun to learn by doing."

Most classes at Woodhaven last about two hours. On arrival, guests are given a packet of recipes. Then they get to work. "My main philosophy is, get out of the way of the food and let it speak for itself," says Cecil, who makes use of her own garden as well as products from local farmers, so students cook with fresh eggs, produce, local cheese and, whenever possible, locally grown poultry and meat. The students get into groups and each makes a recipe under Cecil's watchful eye. "I tend to work with themes," says Cecil. "Last week, we made restaurant foods at home, sometimes we'll do appetizer buffets for holidays, and in the summer we have grilling classes outside. Those are really popular."

As the students get started, Cecil runs the kitchen like a pro. Each recipe is timed - appetizers first, then entrees - so that the students get a feeling for the sense of urgency in a professional kitchen. Cecil watches over each group, stopping to demonstrate unusual techniques or point out crucial moments in the timing of a recipe. She works with the students to teach them how to "plate" like the chefs do, arranging the food and garnish on the plates so they look just right.

"Once the recipes are made, we clean up the stations - everybody helps - and then we serve all the recipes buffet style," says Cecil, motioning to the cozy dining area just off the kitchen. "While we're eating, we go over the menu and talk about how everything was made."

Classes at Woodhaven range from random groups of locals who are interested in cooking, to wedding parties, to corporate training sessions where groups from regional companies arrive for team-building training or a reward event for a job well done. "People come in groups and I try to encourage them to split up and work with people they don't know," says Cecil. "We typically get more women than men, but it's a good mix."

Looking around her kitchen, Cecil seems pleased with what she's accomplished. "Everything I've ever done has taken me to this point," she says. "Having a good business background has helped, growing food and letting the food speak for itself, it's just a ball." Every once in a while, she'll get a call from a company that wants her to bring her expertise to a corporate location in Columbus. "But I never go," she says.
"They need to come here. Once you turn down Woodhaven Road, it's like a total attitude adjustment. Being on the farm, out by the pond… It's really something to be here for a little while," she says.

Cecil reflects on the path her life has taken and says she likes the country road much better than the downtown corporate ladder. "I live 50 yards away from work," she says, "and I haven't had to wear a pair of panty hose for 12 years."

Foods for Spring Celebrations

Combining fresh, new vegetables with the hearty taste of salmon and salty ham brings a feeling of spring lightness to the table. Tami Cecil recommends these delicious dishes as a way to take advantage of what's new at the market and as a way to add a dash of color. "This is a menu that could easily lend itself to a casual Sunday brunch or an elegant dinner party," says Cecil. "The tastes are bright and delicious and the colors are beautiful. These dishes are also a great way to use the fresh produce that is coming into season."

Menu

Spring Onion and Parsley Sandwiches
Polenta Biscuits with Smoked Ham Salad
Spring Risotto with Fresh Herbs
Sautéed Salmon Saltimbocca
Lemon Blueberry Parfait

Spring Onion and Parsley Sandwiches
Makes 32 appetizers
16 slices good quality thin-sliced white bread, crusts removed
2–3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large Vidalia onion (or 2–3 small ones), peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup minced flat leaf parsley
Salt to taste
Butter the bread slices on one side and cut into 4 triangles. Place a thin layer of onion on half of the pieces and season with salt. Cover with the remaining bread pieces and spread some of the mayonnaise on the outside rim of each sandwich. Roll the rims in the parsley and serve.

Polenta Biscuits with Smoked Ham Salad
Makes 8–10 biscuits, halved
For the biscuits:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup instant polenta
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar, packed
1 cup milk
For the ham salad:
3 scallions, finely chopped
2/3 cup diced celery
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
1/2 pound smoked sliced ham, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1–2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Fresh arugula
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine the flour, polenta, baking powder, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cut the butter into the mixture until it reaches a "pea" size. Slowly add cheddar and milk until the dough is moistened. Place 8 to 10 mounds of the batter on the sheet tray, press down and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. While baking, combine the scallions, celery, jalapeno and ham in a separate bowl. Add the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Split the biscuits when cool and top with fresh arugula and the ham salad.

Spring Risotto with Fresh Herbs
Serves 4–6
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
6 scallions, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups risotto
6 cups chicken broth, brought to a simmer
1 cup asparagus spears, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup green beans cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as flat leaf parsley, chives, dill or thyme
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
In a large saucepan, add half the butter and sauté the garlic, scallions and carrots for about 5 minutes. Add the risotto and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Begin adding the broth, one ladle at a time until the risotto has absorbed most of the liquid. Keep the risotto at a low simmer, stirring constantly. After about 15 minutes,  add the asparagus, beans and peas. Continue adding the broth, and when the risotto is creamy but still firm, fold in the herbs, the remaining butter and the Parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve and top with remaining Parmesan.

Sauteed Salmon Saltimbocca
Serves 4 as a light main course, or 2 for a standard entree.
4 salmon pieces, about 1 inch thick and 5 inches on each side
Pepper to taste4 thin (not paper thin) pieces prosciutto, each large enough to cover the salmon
8-12 fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine, like a chardonnay
Season the salmon with pepper. Place the prosciutto on top of the salmon pieces so that they cover exactly. Place 2–3 sage leaves on each and secure with toothpicks. In a heavy sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the pan is hot, place the salmon, prosciutto side down, in the pan and sauté until the salmon is almost cooked, about 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for about one more minute and transfer to a heated plate. Wipe out the sauté pan, add the remaining butter and heat until it begins to brown slightly. Add the white wine and boil for about 1 minute. Remove the toothpicks from the salmon and pour sauce over it and serve.

Lemon Blueberry Parfait
Serves 4
6 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
4 cups blueberries
Fresh mint for garnish
Combine cream cheese and sugar, mix well. Slowly add the heavy cream and beat until the mixture holds medium peaks. Add lemon juice and zest and fold in. Using four parfait dishes, layer the berries, the cream cheese mixture, berries, cream cheese mixture, etc., ending with cream cheese mixture. Garnish with mint and lemon zest. Refrigerate before serving. Can be made up to 4 hours in advance.