Camping, Princess Style

[IowaDee]

And don't forget Little Miss Muffet on her tuffet eating her curds and whey!  

[Smithy]

I was intrigued by the suggestion of bathing in it for soft skin.  In this desert climate it might do wonders for me.  There are two problems, though: no bathtub, and no place to store that liquid until I have enough.  (If we had that kind of storage capability, my darling would have a beer keg refrigerator.)

 

And actually, I'm not sure I'd want to get into a vat of whey. 

[Smithy]

Breakfast, a couple of days ago: grilled cheese sandwiches on the last slices of herb bread.

 

 

Because sometimes you just have to kick over the traces. This is comfort food, and I've been needing it.

 

Thanks to this topic about preferred cookware, I decided that I needed to use one of my clay pots. 

 

 

I bought this in Egypt, thanks to Paula Wolfert's discussions in these forums about cooking in clay, and because I am crazy about Egyptian moussaka - which is made in pots like this.  They make excellent braisers: they provide even heat and somehow provide a more moist product than many of my metal pots.  (The background discussion is scattered around in the forums - Paula was one of the original eGullet enablers - but some of it can be seen here and here.) They can be used on stovetop, provided the heat changes aren't extreme, and they are oven safe.  In Egypt I saw them sitting in coals as the moussaka cooked.

 

Chicken, seasoned and browned....

 

 

then smothered in mild Hatch chiles and their juice...

 

 

 

and cooked in the oven until done.

 

 

Meanwhile, green beans were being cooked with bacon and a number of vegetables on the stove top.

 

 

I tend to forget about this chicken treatment when we're camping, because we so often cook chicken over the campfire.  But it's been windy, and it gets dark early, and I've had quite a few reasons to wimp out on campfire cookery the last few days.  This is a stellar way to treat chicken.  These thighs come out fork-tender and juicy, and the chiles add a nice seasoning.

 

 

There were two thighs apiece, but we restrained ourselves and saved some for the next day's lunch.

 

[FauxPas]

Damn, that all looks SO good! 

[Shelby]

Yeah that chicken looks awesome.  I will have to try that.  

[FauxPas]

Back to whey. You can make other cheeses from it. I've never done this (and it looks time-consuming), but here are some references to making a Scandinavian style cheese (gjetost from goat's milk, prim-ost or mysost when made from cow's milk). We often had Ski Queen gjetost in the house when I was a kid, but not everyone liked it as it has a caramel-type flavour, sweetish rather than the usual salty cheese tang. Maybe you've had that cheese? 

 

The first link mentions making this style of cheese from leftover yogurt-making. There's also a mention (and a link) in the second article about making Mexican dulce de leche from whey. 

 

http://blog.cheesemaking.com/prim-ost-anyone/

 

https://joybileefarm.com/make-gjetost-whey/

 

 

 

 

[Smithy]

34 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

We often had Ski Queen gjetost in the house when I was a kid, but not everyone liked it as it has a caramel-type flavour, sweetish rather than the usual salty cheese tang. Maybe you've had that cheese? 

 

I have indeed. Gjetost is easy to come by in the Duluth area, and a very dear friend who's quite proud of her Norwegian heritage made it a point to introduce me to it.  I thought it was okay - the sort of thing that I enjoy in the proper context (as in, skiing and picnicking with her) - but haven't been drawn to it on my own.  I did not know it was made from whey!

 

Thanks for those links.

[FauxPas]

38 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I did not know it was made from whey!

 

I didn't either! Or if i did, it didn't really sink in.

 

I just happened to be browsing on iGourmet and was looking at their Norwegian gift baskets and saw their description of it as a whey cheese. Remembering the discussion of what to do with whey, I looked a bit further and found several references to making the cheese. 

[Arey]

I had a friend who's parents were  2nd generation Norwegians in Wisconsin in the early 1900s.He once offered me some Gjetost , and said that his father's breakfast every morning was a slab of Gjetost on a piece of bread.

[lindag]

My late DH was , in his words, “a Norse God” and had the T-shirt to prove it.

He introduced me to pickled herring, which I actually came to enjoy.

[ElsieD]

4 hours ago, lindag said:

My late DH was , in his words, “a Norse God” and had the T-shirt to prove it.

He introduced me to pickled herring, which I actually came to enjoy.

 

A man of excellent taste - I love pickled herring!

[Smithy]

5 hours ago, lindag said:

My late DH was , in his words, “a Norse God” and had the T-shirt to prove it.

He introduced me to pickled herring, which I actually came to enjoy.

 

49 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

A man of excellent taste - I love pickled herring!

 

Pickled herring is quite definitely something that "took" with me when I moved up north!  Great stuff!

 

Lutefisk...well, not so much. I have my limits. 

[Porthos]

Herring in sour cream - major yum.

[Smithy]

"Adventures are not all pony-rides and May-sunshine." --J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

 

Just so: trailer travel is not all it's cracked up to be.  When you're mobile, the usual support networks that you've established at home, if you're fortunate, aren't there.  Something breaks and needs repair.  (There are 7,000 trailer camping spots in the immediate vicinity of Pismo Beach, California; and they're ALL FULL at New Year's!)  The factory warranty place may be a few hundred miles away.  The mobile repair folks will come, but they have a call-out charge and may not be able to get to you, and get parts, as quickly as your schedule demands.  Something human breaks, and you have to find a doctor...and later, a pharmacy. A pet needs attention, and you have to find a vet.  And it all takes scheduling. I don't think it could be done without a good mobile connection.  I'm sure I wouldn't be willing to do it.

 

Whinging aside, there are also good things about trailer travel, and I try to keep them to the fore. Over the years I've established favorite people and places to visit and foods to stock, and I have to remind myself that I'd be depriving myself of those things if I were to stop this winter travel. 

 

I have to get photos in order to tell the stories better, but here are some previews:

 

A plethora of persimmons (and a slo-mo explosion)

 

An avalanche of avocados

 

A sufficiency of citrus

 

A dearth in Death Valley

 

An update on dates

 

...and some fun shopping trips and visits, and how illness and lack of energy have changed my cooking strategy. 

 

[suzilightning]

Oh, no...Nancy.   Hope you are feeling better..... and it wasn't the flu!!!!

I have being sick at any time but when out of my house I am such a b&*%h because I'm not in my wheelhouse safe place.

Did PJ at least snuggle with you and keep you happy and safe?

[ElsieD]

@Smithy  Are you okay?

[IowaDee]

Let me add my hopes that you are on the road to recovery now.  We miss seeing your lovely meals and

interesting stops and keeping up with your amazing critters.  

[Smithy]

Thanks for the concern, everyone. I wasn't trying to throw a pity party, although it may have sounded like that.  It's just taken a long time to feel as though I could say something about our travels without letting my internal SuperGrouch get at the keyboard.  My darling fell and is still recovering from a wrenched back.  We both had bad colds (or mild flu?) and felt like sleeping much of the time.  There are certain household chores that can't be slept through - especially with animals, especially with an energetic puppy (who, btw, neither understands lassitude nor believes in snuggling without wiggling) - and living in a mobile situation adds the complication of having to pack up and move.  We kept the chores to a bare minimum and holed up when and where we could. (And yes, @suzilightning, I'd much rather be at home when I'm sick!)

 

In a fit of pique I started throwing away spices that I haven't used, and opening and using (or binning) mystery ingredients that I bought on impulse, simply in an attempt to be able to find things.  As with many overloaded rooms and refrigerators, the dent isn't visible yet.  Dent or no dent, I have had a few wild successes with the "open it and use it, and don't dirty up so many dishes!" approach.  Simplicity is the target, at least until I regain myself.  One pot is better than two.

 

One success involved a package of somebody's Cajun 15-bean soup ("feeds 10!") that has been riding around in our 'pantry' for at least 2 years.  I threw in some andouille sausage I'd bought when we were feeling better, let it all simmer a very long time, and used potatoes to thicken it up.  Over the past month it's been a good pinch-hit-I'm-tired-comfort food, and we've gotten more than the alloted number of servings thanks to the added ingredients. 

 

There's enough for at least one more dinner. This soup cries out for cornbread, and I'm saving the last servings until I make some.  Now that I know how good this soup mix is, I wish I'd kept a record of the particular soup brand...so I could stock up on it again.  

 

Edited to add: I forgot about the ham bone!  A holiday ham bone that had been cluttering the freezer was also simmered in this soup until it gave up all its meat scraps and collagen.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Smithy
Additional info at end (log)

[ElsieD]

May you both soon feel better.  I'm sending healthy vibes your way.

 

Were the beans HamBeens?

 

Elsie

Edited February 5, 2018 by ElsieD (log)

[FauxPas]

I hope that wrenched back is much improved. And that the cold/flu bug has cleared up, too. That's a nasty double whammy! 

 

I really look forward to hearing more of the travel and cooking/dining details when you have time. I love your tales of the road! 

[Smithy]

6 hours ago, ElsieD said:

May you both soon feel better.  I'm sending healthy vibes your way.

 

Were the beans HamBeens?

 

Elsie

 

 

Yes!! Thank you!! 

 

How did you make that leap, and where did you find that soup mix?

[Thanks for the Crepes]

4 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Yes!! Thank you!! 

 

How did you make that leap, and where did you find that soup mix?

 

I'm not Elsie, but HamBeens is a common brand of soup mix here in these parts. I find it with the regular dried beans in the grocery store, but haven't used it in many years. They still have it though, so it must be pretty widespread if Elsie knows about it and finds it in Canada.

[IowaDee]

I just looked and it is on Amazon.  Also says that Wal-Mart carries it.

It is on my shopping list for sure.

Edited February 6, 2018 by IowaDee (log)

[ElsieD]

7 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

I'm not Elsie, but HamBeens is a common brand of soup mix here in these parts. I find it with the regular dried beans in the grocery store, but haven't used it in many years. They still have it though, so it must be pretty widespread if Elsie knows about it and finds it in Canada.

 

I just googled Cajun 15 bean and found it.  I have never seen it in Canada.  Unless it has the dreaded chick peas in it, I'd be all over it if I ever saw it.

[Anna N]

39 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

I just googled Cajun 15 bean and found it.  I have never seen it in Canada.  Unless it has the dreaded chick peas in it, I'd be all over it if I ever saw it.

 If you found it by googling check the ingredient list. It contains garbanzo/chickpeas.