For the Love of San Juan Island

 Coho Restaurant, Great Restaurants, San Juan Island, San Juan Island Dining  10 Responses »
Oct 162012
 

When you arrive on San Juan Island you are greeted with many options for lodging from tranquil camp spots to plush accommodations, gourmet dining and enough outdoor activities to keep you on island for an eternity.

A little over a year or so ago you may remember when we camped at this spot in San Juan Island County Park.  Complete with sweeping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca make sure to bring your binoculars for some amazing wildlife watching from the eagles soaring above to the whales traveling through the Salish Sea below.  In the evening enjoy the twinkling lights of Sydney, BC to the North and Victoria, BC to the South.   It is by far one of the most beautiful spots we have ever had the pleasure to camp at.  I will never, ever forget it.  I would also like to add a “ps” and tell you that camping here in the “off season” is even more spectacular than in the summer months.  You will feel as if you have this incredible piece of the world all to yourself.  We wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Over this past summer however, we changed things up a bit and decided to explore other options for accommodations.  Through a mutual friend, I had the pleasure to meet Anna Maria who, with her husband David are the proud owners/caretakers of Tucker House Inn and Harrison House Suites.  Located in Friday Harbor, just three blocks from the ferry landing, here is where you can step right outside and start exploring walkable Friday Harbor and all that this fun town has to offer from fabulous restaurants to quaint boutiques and even a movie theater.  Then in the evening retreat into your cozy and comfortable room and reflect back on your day while watching the pastel sunset unfold before your eyes (the sunsets in the San Juan Islands are some of the most incredible you will ever witness).

Additionally Anna Maria and David also proudly run “Coho,” the popular (and ah-mazing) restaurant located next to the House Inn and Suites.  Serving up island grown Pacific cuisine with a Mediterranean flair was all that I needed to hear to book a reservation.

“Monica, tonight Chef Bill is preparing Burrata,” Anna Maria tells me with all smiles.

I nearly dropped my camera.

“Did you say Burrata??”  I couldn’t believe my ears . . .

If you are a regular reader here on J5MM, you may remember this time in my life when I first discovered Burrata.  Oh, how heavenly it was.  I could hardly wait to see how it was prepared and by none other than Chef Bill Messick.

~ Our Dinner at Coho prepared by Chef Bill

When I first met Chef Bill I immediately felt a particular kinship towards him.  Lover of nature and the great outdoors, he found himself anxious to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the Colorado city life and find a smaller, close-knit community that was surrounded by plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities.  It’s no wonder he picked the San Juan Islands. 

“I fell in love with here,” he tells me.  {I understood completely}

Thank you Chef Bill for allowing me to share your Burrata recipe with my readers!  Our dinner experience at Coho was one that we will never forget!!

~ Just one of the suites at Harrison House – perfect for a family!

If you happen to stay at either the Tucker House Inn or the Harrison House Suites you can begin your day this way:

~ Breakfast Tray For Room Delivery

The Tucker House Inn and Harrison House Suites are known for their fabulous breakfasts prepared by talented chef Anna Maria and her culinary team and I was excited to experience it for myself. Three course feasts prepared from scratch daily using fresh ingredients from Island farms was the perfect start to our day.  Anna Maria tells me that recipes are adapted to accommodate special dietary requirements.  I think that is wonderful!


Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner – dining in the San Juan Islands is always an incredible experience and this morning was no exception.  The combination of the warm poached egg atop a bed of cheesy polenta was perfect for our busy day ahead and the finale of the sweet, delicate heart shaped strawberry shortcake brought it all together.  The warm apricot with the creme fraiche and lavender tips?  It made my heart sing . . .

We said our goodbyes to Anna Maria and her lovely team and began our hunt to find the (secret) Roche Harbor swimming quarries. I’ve heard from many locals that this is the spot to be on those hot summer days.  Located on the top of the hill over Roche Harbor we finally find it and meet some locals leaving.

“Excuse me, is this where the swimming quarries are?”  I ask one of them.

“It sure is!! But watch out for the fish – they like to nibble on your toes . . .” 

Before I could tell B he could go on ahead, he was off and running full speed to stick his little feet in the water to feel those fish “nibble.”

Our summer spent on San Juan Island was full of fun, adventure and new discoveries.  Please come with me as I reflect back on some of my favorites . . .

Camping at San Juan County Park {click image to read story}

A Zip Lining Adventures with Zip San Juan {click image to read story}

A Whale of a Tale {click image to read story}

Let’s Go! A Day with Susie’s Mopeds {click on image to read story}

Sweet Inspirations from Pelindaba Lavender Farm {click image to read story}

The Magic of Duck Soup Inn {click image to read story}

Chef Bill’s Burrata

Print recipe
Chef Bill’s Burrata

Ingredients

  • Mozzarella Curds (The amount depends on how much you would like to prepare. (1 cup of curds will create one ball of mozzarella))
  • Heavy Cream (1/4 cup for every ball of mozzarella)
  • Cracked Pepper (To Taste)
  • Fresh Herbs (Of Your Choice)

Directions

Step 1: Mozzarella
Step 1
1. Bring a quart of heavily salted water (it should taste like the sea) to a simmer.
Step 2
Dice mozzarella curd into ½ inch cubes and place in stainless steel bowl.
Step 3
Pour hot water over the curd and let sit for 10-15 minutes
Step 4
Take a slotted spoon and portion out 1 cup of the curd.
Step 5
Kneed into a ball for about 1 minute and keep on turning in on itself like you would finish bread dough. The cheese will become smooth and shiny when finished. Do not over kneed or cheese will become tough.
Step 6
Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and twist ends to tighten. Keep at room temperature until serving.
Step 2: Prepare the Burrata
Step 7
Refrigerate fresh mozzarella for 4 hours or overnight.
Step 8
Dice up one ball (the size of a tennis ball) of chilled mozzarella. Place in food processor and add cracked pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
Step 9
Add ¼ cup heavy cream and pulse. The filling should become the consistency of a fresh ricotta cheese. (You can add fresh herbs, chopped olive, or other ingredients to the filling at this point.)
Step 10
Make fresh mozzarella using instructions above through step #4.
Step 11
Squeeze out excess water. Kneed about 20 seconds and flatten into 1/8 inch thick round disc.
Step 12
Take a ½ cup of filling and place in center. Fold up the outsides of the round to form a purse. Pinch off the top to seal the filling inside.
Step 13
Place in plastic wrap and twist off ends to form a tight ball around the cheese.
Step 14
Leave at room temp until serving.
Step 15
Enjoy with an antipasti platter including crostinis, fresh heirloom tomatoes, grilled vegetables, olives, pesto and basil chiffonade.

When the Mountains Call

 2012 27' FB International Signature, Mt. Rainier National Park  10 Responses »
Oct 022012
 

Just a few weeks ago we said goodbye to our beloved Airstream.

As I shut her door for the last time I was surprised by the flood of emotions that run through me.  It was honestly a very bittersweet moment for me handing the keys over to the new owners because, afterall, she was my lucky charm.  From being the star in the 2012 Airstream Marketing Brochure to her trusty little kitchen which inspired me to publish “An Airstream Travel Trailer’s Storybook of Recipes, Vol. 1” the memories, inspirations and happiness she brought my family and I will never be forgotten.

However, I am happy to know that she is in good hands with her new family that has an agenda of future trips to places hubby, B and I could only dream of going.  So off she goes and we say goodbye knowing that her next chapter in adventures has only just begun.

Focusing on the future now, I would like to introduce you to:

our new 2012 27′ FB International Signature. She is a very different animal in both size and interior design (as far as colors and finishes go).  It took me a while to get used to her and figure out what she liked and didn’t like.  There were a few days I didn’t even go inside because I was frustrated.  Goodbye to my fun magnetic colorful balls I adored so much.  Goodbye to suction cups everywhere displaying my funky colorful kitchen gadgets.

They were not going to work in this Airstream.  That was for sure.

So that is when I decided that a true “glamping” theme was in order for this Airstream.  From the dark elegant wood and glossy white overhead cabinets complete with interior led lights and opaque sliding doors there was no question that a glamorous theme was most appropriate here.

Our first trip with her was to beautiful Mt. Rainier.  Specifically White River Campground.  This was the last weekend this breathtaking campground would be open and lucky for us, we found the perfect site:  D29

~ A view of Mt. Rainier in the distance and White River down below

~ Still trying to figure out a system for storing cutlery and the like

~ White magnetic board with white spice holders; Kuhn Rikon (super sharp) colorful knives I found at Uwajimaya; and a blue kitchen timer from Kikkerland; a row of oils and vinegars

~ Stainless steel drink ware is the way I decided to go this time.  Easy to clean, looks elegant and retains the temperature of hot or cold beverages amazing well.  Microwave is a keeper too.

~ Still trying to figure out the best practical way to wash dishes in the single round sink.  At this moment, I miss my double sinks.

~ Bedding set from Bliss Living (Ashley Citron Duvet Set)

~ Bedside acrylic lamps from Target.  Our yellow sleeping pillows are in the overhead lockers and at night we swap them out for the decorative ones on the bed.  We also have the Nintendo Wii in this room.

In addition to enjoying our new Airstream and figuring out how everything works we also experienced two incredible hikes.  Our first day we hiked Sunrise.  This place was amazing with rocky, glacial filled landscapes.  Reminded me very much of Switzerland here except for the lack of cows.  From White River Campground, Sunrise is a short 12 mile drive away.  I say short because time goes by quickly as you are in awe of the incredible landscape that surrounds you.

~ Shadow Lake taken from above and then from down below

That is Ranger Dave thinking of an alternative way we can get up closer to the glacier.  Turns out if that’s what we had in mind, a hike to Glacier Basin was in order.    We were happy to hear that because the trail head to Glacier Basin was located in the White River Campground.

When we came back to camp I snapped some shots of of the exterior of the Airstream in all her glory here.  I also took some pictures of some of the things we like on our 2012 that we did not have on our 2006.  For example, we now have a propane outlet on the front of the Airstream to where we can hookup a gas grill or propane campfire.  Airstream gives you a nice long hose for this as well.  I also like that we have two power plug ins.  One is located in the usual spot on the side but the second is located on the front of the Airstream.

The media system in the Airstream comes with Bluetooth connectivity as well as a Pandora app programmed into it.  You simply connect your phone, turn on Pandora and the media system takes over.  It displays your channels and you can control the songs through the buttons.  You can skip Pandora and just listen to your music on your phone too.  You can also connect your ipod to it as well and the entire front face of the radio/media system opens up so your ipod can slide right in.  Also a microphone comes with the media player so if you want to send and receive calls — you can do so through the system.  Not sure we’ll be needing that, but still a convenient option if you work out of your Airstream.

The BlueRay DVD player also comes with a feature for USB connectivity so you can play movies from your handheld device as well.  There seems to be many options that I still need to explore.  For now, however, we watch our movies through my ipod which is plugged into the back of the TV.

~ A truck comes by at dusk to offer campers firewood

~ Wildflowers B called “Grinch” flowers on our Sunrise hike; Nespresso U espresso maker; acrylic utensil caddy 

~ Glitter glass colorful plates from TJ Maxx.  Wish I would have bought more when I found these a while ago.

~ Exploring White River with access from the campground

The next morning we wake up completely refreshed thanks to our comfortable bed and the sound of the soothing river outside.

We begin our day with a seven mile hike up to base camp.  Seven miles up and a few hours later we arrive at Glacial Basin Camp.  Here is where you will find mountaineers gearing up for a hike to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier.  I was in complete awe knowing that this was the end of the trail (for us) and what was beyond was a world of pure beauty and mystery.  To hike beyond here you must be incredibly experienced.  It seemed to be so close, yet so far and all at once magical.

With only four models of the 2012 International Signature in the entire U.S.A., I would like to give a big thanks to Airstream of Seattle for assisting us in the purchase of our new Airstream.  Thank you Craig, CJ, Shelby and Roy! !

Our weekend spent at Mt. Rainier was one we will always remember from getting up close and personal with our Airstream to the two most beautiful heart pumping hikes we have experienced in quite sometime, this is a place we will definitely come back to.