Category: Food

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Sunday, day of rest

I didn’t plan on a busy Sunday, but one thing led to another…

Saturday evening I filled the motorhome fresh water tank with water and a chlorine mix. The mix sits overnight and then a rinse tank…

I also assembled a meat-herb mix for a kind of pseudo American style gyros meat recipe.

Bright and early on Sunday after bringing the meat to room temp, I fired up the grill and roasted the meat.

Bear was extremely interested…

This worked out very well and although it is not like spit-roasted gyros, it is flavorful and tender and I am extremely pleased with the result!

Back to the motorhome.

Killing two birds with one stone…I hope!

As I got ready to drain the chlorinated water, I got to wondering how the weeds would like a bit of chlorine in their water…

I’ve been procrastinating with the vinegar attack. (see Thistle Saga 2012)

I moved the motorhome over a nice patch of weeds and let ‘er drain.

We’ll see.

Meanwhile between the draining and rinsing and 2nd draining, I quit my procrastinating and wheeled my vinegar cart here and there until I was out of vinegar.

And I mowed the grass.

I trimmed.

I cleaned up with the blower.

I went inside, cooled off and took a shower.

1:20 p.m.

Time to take it easy.

And have a blackberry-goat cheese-lemon thyme tart.

Sunday, day of rest.

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Snippets from Saturday

Just cut rosemary…for crackers.

Croutons for salad or soup.

Ripening avocados.

An heirloom tomato and sweet grape tomatoes…and lemons…and sunhine in the yard.

Afternoon nap.

Afternoon nap outside.

The rosemary gets ready to jump in the crackers.

Sunroom light.

A bit of work.

Rosemary garlic crackers.

Snippets from Saturday.

**latest news from my folks: the fire has calmed a bit as it moved out of the beetle destroyed trees into healthy aspen and ponderosa. The wind shifted. At the moment, things look better for South Fork. My folks and their pets are comfortable.

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Beans on toast

Beans on toast…from my British cozy mysteries, “Beans on toast” is comfort food from a “tin” (can in American-speak): brown bread toasted and buttered with canned baked beans…not a thing wrong with that!

I think I might be the only one of my family that LOVES beans. My Papa might have, but I think they didn’t love him!

Beans and me – we do fine!

My beans on toast.

My own ciabatta.

My own baked beans.

My own cilantro-jalapeno-spring onion vinaigrette.

A dollop of sour cream and a leaf of cilanto: beans on toast!

The bean mix is Rancho Gordo’s: Brown Tepary, White Cassoulet and Christmas Lima beans.

The sauce is a very slight modification to Homesick Texan’s Barbequed Black eyed peas recipe: White Balsamic in place of the Worcestershire, the addition of smoked paprika.

The cilantro-jalapeno-spring onion vinaigrette that I am currently drizzling on almost everything!

May I have an AMEN?!!!

Simple fare. Elevated a bit. Good stuff.

Other news.

Mr. Bob.

We had a Friday ear check and are trying an injectable drug over the weekend with some research/consult, etc. to happen on Monday and then a decision on the next step.

The very good news is that Bob continues to eat and drink VERY well – with normal output from the intake! He is wanting to be with Bear and I normally. Both ear drums are intact. BUT…left ear continues to be the nemesis. RATS.

We’ll see what Monday conversations turn up.

Meanwhile, we enjoy life…

Mr. Bear…mouse and vole hunting – under gray and cool skies.

Happy hunting Bear!

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Growing stuff

The herbies!! – all looking good.

Even the parsley which I cut back to the nubbins.

The cilantro, though – this is my prize! Not only is the starter plant doing well, but the seeds I planted alongside have sprouted.

Baby cilantro!

I thought I’d messed up the seeds as the sprouts did not appear per the seed packet schedule, but several days ago, THERE THEY WERE!!

My hope is that I can grow-harvest-grow at least through the summer.

Garden buddy 1 = Bear

Garden buddy 2 = Bob

A basil bonus: pineapple, banana, coconut, basil and ice blitzed in the Vita-mix with a splash of tequila = adult slushie.

Growing stuff.

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Rhubarb Chutney

I’ve lived in the north Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana for 19 1/2 years. This past Memorial Day weekend was only the third that had sunshine and OMG! – there was sun ALL THREE DAYS!!

And the temperature was in my personal range of perfection: mid-60’s.

Bear, Bob and I enjoyed being outside a good part of all three days. I puttered about doing some yard chores, potting my herbs, cleaning the Jeep, cleaning Wild Thing (motorhome), some minor maintenance chores on both vehicles – all alternating with sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee, tea or glass of wine.

It was mah-ve-lous!!

It was SO marvelous that I’m thinking of taking the entire 4th of July week – or at least the 4th and 5th – off to do a similar amount of nearly nothing.

But, I digress.

Monday morning, I picked rhubarb. I ended up with slightly less than a cup after cleaning and chopping.

I searched recipes with rhubarb and settled on a chutney which I adapted to the following:

1 cup rhubarb
3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup currants
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves

Combine all, boil and then simmer until thickened – stirring frequently. SO easy and my house smelled wonderful.

A side note about some chalkboard labels and stakes. I first found the garden stakes: ceramic with a chalkboard glaze – so much fun for the herb pots! Those have been working so when I noticed the labels and wine charms, I bought a quantity of those also. The labels are particularly useful in that I can date items and have my own private “use by” date system. Much better than the sniff and guess method. Both items were found on Etsy.

Onward.

I intended to make a stir fry to test the chutney but ended making a pizza topped with thin sliced mozzerella, carmelized sweet onion and some grilled chicken. I added some goat cheese and the chutney after the pizza was ready.

Oh boy – that worked.

A perfect blend of savory-sweet-tangy-hot-cool goodness.

I should get another similar harvest from my little rhubarb patch and another batch of this chutney.