Oct 082014
 

Suddenly Last Summer with our Airstream via J5MM.com

Fall is upon us now and the other day, it suddenly dawned on me, that last summer — a lot of cooking had been done in my silver kitchen which never made it onto J5MM.  Pouring over all my photos I took of my culinary creations made me realize also — what a beautiful, gloriously long summer we had here in Washington.  The warm breezes continue to blow, even now in what should be a chilly October.  We have our funny days where temps reach 80!  But today will be a nice mid 60’s October day according to the weather woman.  I’m ready for warm sweaters in the upcoming season and exhilarating early morning hikes where the frost graces the edges of the creek near my home. Continue reading »

Jan 242014
 

Five Or Less Friday via J5MM.com

How much do I love this heavenly green concoction I’ve called Pesto?  Well let me just count the ways :)

I love it gently swirled into a deep bowl of delicate angel hair pasta — B thinks it’s even better with his eggs over easy and I won’t forget hubby’s favorite way —  straight out of the jar (naughty, naughty).

But today I enjoy it this way — on a Tartine :)  which means, “open faced sandwich,” in French :)

This style of eating is one my favorites :) and B’s favorite too.

A slice of toasted French bread smeared with a generous helping of peppered ricotta followed by a nice dollop of the pesto and a thin slice of ‎ proscuiotto followed by a grand finale of perfectly roasted tomatoes.

Perfection.

Pesto is what I first called it — but upon further consideration it could easily merge into the category of Heavenly Deliciousness taking any meal to higher levels :)

You may remember this trip we took when I first created this recipe.  I realized I had forgotten the real Italian pesto at home :(  So, using what I had onboard I introduce you to our new favorite pesto/sauce/heavenly concoction  ♥

Cheddar Almond Chive Pesto via J5MM.com

Five Or Less Friday via J5MM.com

Airstream Kitchen Pesto Recipe via J5MM.com

My next thought for this?  Atop a hot baked potato with a dollop of sour cream ♥

If you do try this, please let me know — I would love to hear what you think xo

Bon Appetit xoxo

~ Monica

Smoky Almond, Cheddar and Chive Pesto

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chives (just take the bunch of chives and roughly break them apart so they will loosely fill three cups)
  • 1/2 cup smoked and salted almonds (roughly chopped)
  • 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese (finely shredded)
  • Zest of one small lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste (at the end)
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Step 1
In a food processor (I used my trusty little 3-cup capacity food processor I keep on board the Airstream) put the chives, almonds, cheese, lemon zest and give it a whirl. Add your olive oil to it - a little at a time until your desired consistency is met.
Step 2
Add salt and pepper to taste at the end. Hubby said I should bottle this stuff and sell it. I also think next time I may add some garlic . . .
Step 3
In addition to topping eggs with this, I imagine it would be delicious with pasta or on sandwiches :) ♥
Aug 282013
 

Highway 75 between Challis and Ketchum in Idaho

Located right in between Challis, ID and Stanley, ID — along the Salmon River off Hwy 75 is where you will find one of the most picturesque campgrounds ever.  It’s called the “Salmon River Campground,” and we could hardly believe our eyes at the sites here.  They are all big and spacious sites but best of all, they are located along the Salmon River.  Right there!  If you love fishing or just relaxing by a river — this is the place for you. Continue reading »

Apr 302013
 

tartine

There is nothing I enjoy more than coming home from corporate America and preparing dinner in the Airstream on these beautifully sunny Seattle days.  Except for of course, preparing dinner in our Airstream when we are actually on the road – on vacation, lol :)

Continue reading »

May 102012
 

“You must go and visit the tulip fields Monica,” a friend of mine told me a very long time ago when I first moved here to Washington.

Now that I am here, I am wondering why I waited for so long to make the trip.  As far as your eyes could see, there were brilliant colors of reds, pinks, purples and yellows rolling over the gentle hills.

It was an early morning actually.  Very early.  That is probably one of the greatest benefits of having your home on wheels with you.  You can go anywhere and get there early before all of the crowds.

It was so beautiful here.  I’m sorry I didn’t make the trip sooner.

Also happening at the same time was the farmers market in Mt. Vernon which is very nearby to the fields.  We needed something for lunch and I was so happy to find fresh English peas, ready to eat edamame and some smoked salmon.  What a perfect way to enjoy our lunch that afternoon.

Fresh and simple with a light spread of savory mascarpone that I seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper.

That’s it :)

Oh and I won’t forget to tell you about those radishes :)  They were very, very spicy and added a nice crunch.

Mt. Vernon Farmers Market, Washington

~ an outdoor market in Mt. Vernon, Washington

What an amazing weekend full of bright colors, delicious food and just being together.  I hope that you can come and visit it here one day.  It is truly something to experience once in your life.

 


 

 

Jan 282012
 

The week before last, the Seattle area was greeted with a record breaking snowfall. This meant no school and no work.

We. Were. Stuck.

Snow in Seattle, 2012

But that was okay. Actually, it was good!

It is times like this when the best memories are made, I think. B and I went through scrapbooks and photos rekindling our memories of the past. We played board games and we baked bread.

Oh the bread. It was delicious.

Today I sit in my Airstream as I type this. The snow is gone and B is back in school. But I still have that bread we baked.  It is a buckwheat loaf with seeds and honey.  If you like a heavy, dense type of bread that is full of natural earthy flavors, this is the recipe for you.  It freezes very well and when you toast it the flavors deepen, the outside becomes crunchy and the inside is nice and soft.  Did I mentioned how delicious it was?  You can find the recipe here if you like.

I’m enjoying my lunch this afternoon in my Airstream. It is our bread with a salty ricotta and pepper spread topped with crunchy radishes, green onions, grape tomatoes and some watercress which is nice and peppery. I have drizzled just a tiny bit of olive oil ontop with some crunchy sea salt. I can eat this every day.

I am also in my Airstream because I am planning. I am planning in my mind about our upcoming ski trip hubby, B and I are going on. I have never been on a “cat” skiing adventure before.  As I go through the pictures of hubby’s last ski trip I begin to get excited.  Our trip will be a rather lengthy one and I am thinking on how to pack everything, deciding on our meals and putting them into my recipe book and generally making sure we have everything we need. I am a little overwhelmed and think that a list is in order. But not just any list, but rather an on-line list of sorts that I can share with you on how I prepare for these trips of ours. Packing, organizing, planning. Things like that.

In the meantime, I would like to share with you two great articles about Airstreaming and skiing as well as advice about towing in the snow.  These articles are not only a joy to read, but are full of invaluable information.    These articles come from the Airstreamer newsletter.  If you have not yet read it, here is the link.

Also in this newsletter is an article about me and my book. It was my very first interview. I was SO nervous. But I was also SO very, very honored.

As the next few weeks evolve I hope that you will join me in my journey as I get the Airstream ready for our big trip.  I am really excited about it.

Ricotta Spread with Crunchy Veggies

And that ricotta spread?  It was so easy to put together.  Simply take some low fat ricotta and put it in a bowl, mix in (to taste) your salt and plenty of pepper along with a dash of olive oil.  Mix well and spread on your bread of choice and top with whatever veggies you have on hand.  Today I had crispy radishes, grape tomatoes, green onions and watercress.  Finish with a dash of olive oil and crunchy sea salt.  Have you ever tasted Maldon’s sea salt? It’s my favorite salt for finishing :)

Sep 132011
 

Sweet Roslyn.  Deep history and some of the friendliest, down-to-earth folks you will ever meet.  But you’ve heard me say that before…

If you are planning a trip to the area next summer, the Roslyn Sunday Market is a must.  Fresh veggies from local farms, homemade goods, beautiful art and best of all, the people.  It is a guaranteed excellent, heart warming good time.

A breakfast of orange ricotta hotcakes and we were out the Airstream door headed here . . .

The Roslyn Sunday Market and Orange Ricotta Hotcakes

That’s Paul looking at me funny (before I introduced myself) – you can find him at the Ellensburg market every Saturday from Parke Creek Farm.  Just about the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.  I say in Ellensburg because, sadly this was the last Sunday Market in Roslyn.

Roslyn Sunday Market and Ricotta Orange Hotcakes

I will miss you Roslyn, so much.  The weather is slowly changing and it’s time to change our Airstream venue — I can almost hear the San Juan Islands calling . . .

Recipe here