Lunch » Just 5 More Minutes

The Beauty of Turtleback Farm Inn

Airstream Kitchen, Hotels and B&B's, Lunch, Orcas Island, San Juan Islands 1 Response »

Jul 192012

Here on Orcas Island, down below Turtleback Mountain is where you will find Turtleback Farm Inn.

We felt very lucky to have been able to spend some time here as well as meeting Bill and Susan Fletcher who are the proud owners of this beautiful farm and charming Farm House and Orchard House. If peace, quiet and sweeping views are something you are after, this is the place to be.

On Island for over 20 years Bill and Susan take pride in creating an environment of complete tranquility for their lucky guests. Susan’s gourmet breakfasts are also quite amazing from her breakfast crepes to corn waffles and many savories as well.

Flipping through Susan’s cookbook I am completely inspired. She uses only the freshest local ingredients and the combinations of flavors that she develops, well, I could hardly wait to return to the Airstream to prepare some goodies. In her book the recipes are clear, concise and the pages are full of so many cooking tips and funny little anecdotes that made me smile. Deep history about Orcas Island also fills these pages and I can say that this book has a home in my handbag and I carry it everywhere.

How lucky we were to be able to be here.

“Can we go and see Chompers mommy?” B asked

On our way went to explore this magical place . . .

~ I prepared these ricotta tartines with inspiration from Susan’s cookbook

Easy peasy sweet roasted fruit:

The sweet roasted fruit was sprinkled with sugar and placed in a 400 degree oven for 1/2 an hour. Cut the rhubarb so it creates a bed for the other fruits to lay on top of. Take 2 cups of marscapone and a handful of chopped dried crystallized ginger and mix together in a separate bowl. The longer this mixture sits in the fridge, the better :) Once scooped onto the warm fruit it melts and turns this simple recipe into something amazing.

Bon appetit!

The Wonders of Yellow Island and a Wooden Sailboat Race

Airstream Kitchen, Lunch, Orcas Island, Sailing, San Juan Islands, Sweet Treats 11 Responses »

Jun 252012

“Did you know you would be spending over six hours on Yellow Island Monica?” asked Phil.

“Why yes!”

(he smiled and looked very surprised)

Who is Phil you ask?

Well, to me, he is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Ever.

You see, Phil lives here on Yellow Island which is one of many islands here in the San Juan Islands. He lives in a cottage, by the sea, that looks like it came straight out of a fairytale. He has lived here for not one, not two – but 14 years and he helps take care of Yellow Island for the Nature Conservancy.

“It’s just the seals and I,” he tells me when I mention to him how wonderful it must be to live here.

Of course he has a boat to reach Orcas Island but just for a moment, try and imagine his life here as I take you through my day on Yellow Island.

Skipper Ward Fay of Northwest Classic Day Sailing brought me to Yellow Island so I could photograph the wooden sailboat race that had its course plotted around the island of which hubby and little B were participating in. Access here is via boat (there are no docks) or kayak.

Prior to the race, Skipper Ward took us on a beautiful cruise in the San Juan Islands aboard “Aura.” He showed us many breathtaking places and even let B take the helm. Oh the thrill B had knowing that “Aura’s” destination was completely in his little hands.

I spent my day on Yellow Island photographing the boats as they sailed by and taking in the stunning landscape of this magical island.

When my day was over and we arrived back at the Airstream I couldn’t stop thinking of all the beautiful colors of the wild flowers that surrounded me during my stay on Yellow Island. With inspiration from those colors I put together a colorful salad and baked a cherry clafoutis for dinner.

Classic Northwest Daysailing
~Skipper Ward and B

Aura
~ Aura and Skipper Ward well on their way . . .

~ Just one of many pathways to serenity you will find here on Yellow Island

Yellow Island, WA State

~beautiful wooden kayaks on the shore of Yellow Island

~ Kayakers paddling past Yellow Island

~ Phil’s Cabin

~ Fava beans from the Orcas Island farmer’s market

view of Yellow Island from the top of Turtleback Mtn, Orcas Island
~ Yellow Island as seen from the top of Turtleback Mtn., Orcas Island, WA

~ Yellow Island as seen from the water

~ Cherry Clafoutis fresh out of my Airstream oven

~Beautiful “Aura”

~ Phil waving good-bye :)

It was the perfect ending to a day that I am certain I will never forget.

Thank you Skipper Ward Fay for the incredible day! Not only did we enjoy viewing the islands through a different perspective, I was able to enjoy my day on Yellow Island.

You can find the Clafoutis recipe here and as for the salad? I used Tom Thumb lettuce that I grew in my home garden, watercress, quickly blanched fava beans, sliced red onions and grape tomatoes. The magic happens with the basil oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Basil oil is simple — just a handful of b
asil and 1/2 cup of olive oil and give it a whir in your blender. Don’t forget to add some salt and voila — you have a delicious oil you can use on anything from salads to soups or mix in with sour cream for a delicious dip.

Bon appetit!

A Promise of Tulip Fields

Airstream Kitchen, LaConner / Mt. Vernon, Lunch 1 Response »

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.

~ 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.

An Afternoon Stroll Through a Japanese Garden and a Simple Quinoa & Radish Salad

Airstream Kitchen, Lunch, Seattle 1 Response »

Apr 022012

A long time ago, I used to come here. Often.

I used to come here to think,
and most importantly,
to enjoy the peace and quiet this beautiful botanical garden had to offer.

I owe a lot to this beautiful garden. It helped me through some very trying times.

It feels good to come here now and reflect.

. . . and to be happy.

— Yao Garden at Bellevue Botanical Gardens

With these happy thoughts came inspiration for this quinoa and radish salad. It is full of vibrant colors and tastes incredibly fresh and bright.

My CSA box was full of beautiful radishes in vibrant reds, pinks and surprisingly — black.

A black radish? Who knew? Certainly not me.

Thank you Full Circle — I am in love!!

Baby garlic was also in my box. Baby garlic! I don’t think I have ever been so excited. I knew it would be an excellent addition to this already delicious salad as it really offered up a nice crunch and intoxicating mild garlic flavor and aroma. I absolutely love, love, love baby garlic.

Thinly sliced radishes, kale, baby garlic and tomatoes only begin to tell the tale of this most delicious salad.

My favorite part?

It is soooo simple to make.

Bellevue Botanical Gardens

Prepared in my Airstream’s kitchen, it was truly an enjoyable day

Surrounded with bright colors both from the veggies and my bright and fun home Airstream decor made me very happy.

Isn’t it interesting how certain colors make us feel?

I am always happy here.

Always.

Some fun canisters in my kitchen . . .

If you do happen to try this recipe, I would love to hear what you think.

Here’s to present and future beautiful days!

Quinoa Radish Salad

Springtime in Seattle and a Refreshing Potato Salad for Lunch

Airstream Kitchen, Lunch, Seattle 3 Responses »

Mar 262012

It was probably one of the nicest weekends we have had here in Seattle in a very long time. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and just in general, the feeling in the air was one of happiness and excitement. Happiness because the sun felt so good on our skin and excitement for the beautiful weather ahead of us.

We spent this weekend at home spring cleaning. The Airstream needed a good bath after all of our winter skiing adventures and our poor garden that has been neglected over the winter needed some serious tending to.

As we all worked around the house I knew that soon enough there would be a call for lunch. Hubby was washing the Airstream, B was helping me plant some culinary herbs in the garden and hours had passed since breakfast.

I had my CSA box from Full Circle in the Airstream’s fridge and I was very excited about it. Inside of it I was greeted with the most beautiful bunch of carrots I had ever seen. In the box were also some red potatoes, crisp green beans and oranges. All of the necessary ingredients to create a really delicious potato salad were right there in my box.

A simple salad that really took no time and as we discovered, gets much better with time.

B has been waiting for this day now for quite some time since he saw me bring a mossy looking basket home. He knew that he would be helping me plant some culinary herbs in it so that we can take it along with us on our travel adventures. There is nothing more rewarding to me in the kitchen than being able to use fresh herbs that I have grown and now, with this basket — I will always have them with me on our trips.

After we planted the herbs in the basket, we ventured into the garden. B dug nice big holes for the rest of the herbs and planted them himself. We also planted radish seeds – about six different varieties, carrots and beets.

We are ready for summer :)

“Mommy, this is so much fun,” B said looking up at me and smiling.

My heart was melting. I was so happy that he was really enjoying himself. To me, I think, it is so wonderful to teach your children how simple it is to grow their own food. From one tiny seed come so many good things.

“We should play some music for the seeds mommy, like they did at Doe Bay. Do you remember?” he asked . . .

“Of course I remember.” I smiled looking down at him.

What a beautiful day it was.

I don’t think I will ever forget it. I am sure of that.

And the salad? I must say, it was the perfect lunch on such a beautiful day . . .

. . . and we also enjoyed it for dinner alongside some chicken and apple sausages. I simply sauteed the salad until the potatoes turned a nice golden brown color and turned crispy — and the carrots? I think they were even better.

It was delicious!

Coming Home to the U.S.A. and a Basil-Honey Grilled Cheese Sandwich After a Long Day on the Road

Airstream Kitchen, Canada, Dinner, Lunch, Rossland No Responses »

Mar 122012

Driving home from Rossland, B.C. back into the U.S.A. and onward to Seattle was quite an adventure for us.

We experienced:

icy roads,

slush covered roads,

dry and sunny roads, and

stage 1 snow emergency roads declared in Spokane, WA.

Here is a shot of that experience:

. . . and then we had beautiful dry and sunny roads again . . .

It was all enough for me. I was ready to be home.

But guess what? To really get home, we had to drive over Snoqualmie Pass. According to the road report, traction tires were required as well as chains for trucks.

We decided to keep that adventure for the next day.

Luckily Whispering Pines RV Resort was on our way and we pulled in — into a pull through!

We were happy. Sometimes we really love those pull through sites. Really. No un-hitching. Just pull on through and pull right out and continue on . . .

Let’s camp and eat!!

And think about tomorrow, well, tomorrow.

This is by far, one of my most favorite grilled cheese recipes. Okay, well maybe for except this one.

But really, it is SO good. Sweet and savory, both at once.

A couple of years ago (or maybe more?) I was watching Oprah and she and Gayle King featured this grilled cheese recipe on their show. I was starving when I watched it and of course, had to make it straight away after watching the show.

Needless to say, I make it often.

Very, often.

Here is the link to the recipe.

Bon appetit!

Caramelized Onions & Parmesan Cheese Potato Tarts after a Chilly Morning Stroll at Red Mountain in Rossland British Columbia

Airstream Kitchen, Canada, Dinner, Lunch, Rossland, Skiing 2 Responses »

Mar 022012

Caramelized Onion and Feta Cheese Buckwheat Tarts

We were on vacation. A nice, long vacation. We were preparing for this trip for a very long time and finally we were here at Red Mountain in Rossland, British Columbia. It is just a few hours north of Spokane, Washington. The drive coming up was beautiful. The drive going back home? Not so much. I will be posting about our trip home soon, it was very interesting.

The routine was the same, everyday. It was nice. Wake up early, feed the boys and set them off for a day of skiing. Hubby on his way for cat skiing with Big Red Cats and our photographers Matt Small and Kenny Blum and B off to his ski class with his favorite instructor, Maude from France.

“Mommy, is Maude going to teach me skiing today again?” he would ask as I helped him get dressed in all of his layers.

Layer. After. Layer.

“Yes she is,” I would tell him and then would come the smiles. Big smiles. He really enjoyed his days skiing, thank you so much Maude. You’ve created wonderful memories for him.

While everyone was off enjoying their days of skiing, I would walk around the resort and take photographs and seek out inspiration for our next meal. The fact that I had my box of goodies from Full Circle Farms was an added bonus. A box full of fresh, organic veggies — the possibilities were endless. If you live in Washington State, Alaska and Idaho I am sure you have heard of Full Circle Farms. They are an “organic food delivery service,” and it feels like Christmas morning every time my box is delivered to my door. Community Supported Agriculture — I am very proud to be a supporting member. Here is more about Full Circle Farms

Red Mountain Resort, British Columbia

Out of my box I pulled some beautiful organic red potatoes, an onion and got to work slicing, sauteing and assembling. I have only made sweet tarts before, never a savory one. I was excited for this one.

Potatoes, buckwheat flour (I have been on a buckwheat kick lately — I am in love with the taste), caramelized onions and parmesan cheese — once baked together we experienced deep, earthy savory flavors. It was incredible.

Buckwheat Tarts with Caramelized Onions & Feta Cheese

After I picked up B from class we came back to the Airstream for some hot cocoa (our apres-skiing ritual).

He saw the tarts on the counter, cooling.

“What are those mommy?” his eyes wide with curiosity.

“A potato tart. Would you like one?”

He ate two.

Caramelized Onion and Feta Cheese Buckwheat Tart

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