Camping, Princess Style

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On 3/24/2019 at 7:56 PM, robirdstx said:

@Smithy said: “Thenon-rhyme I was alluding to was a single-jingle: "We're usually in a hurry when we drive through Missouri". The way I was raised, that sentence would have rhymed with itself. I've learned the error of my upbringing since moving to theMidwest. In order to make it rhyme with the Missourians' pronunciation of their state, it would have to be "We'reusually in a hurra when we pass through Missoura".“

 

 

I suppose you've all heard the story of the three elderly ladies on a road trip together?

They were driving through Kentucky and arrived at the outskirts of Louisville. The one who was driving announced this to the others, who had dozed off (as one will, on a lengthy trip with people whose stories you've all heard before). She pronounced it "Lewisville," and one of her traveling companions took exception to that.

"I've always heard it said as 'Looeyville,' she replied.

Now the third piped up, claiming "I've got family here, and they say it's pronounced more like 'Louahvahlll."

 

They went back and forth on these general lines for a few minutes, getting more heated as they did so. Finally the driver swing abruptly onto the nearest off-ramp, announcing "Well let's just settle this once and for all!"

She pulled the car into the a nearby strip mall and the three of them stumped grimly into the first business they saw, like a pack of little grey-permed thunderclouds. The driver marched up to the kid behind the counter and said sternly "Young man! Speaking slowly and distinctly, please tell us exactly where we are!"

The young 'un recoiled from this blast, swallowed hard and blinked a few times, and then - speaking very slowly and carefully -  replied "Burrr...gerrrr Kinnnggg..."

[Smithy]

Tucson is a nice place to spend time. In my case, that almost always means spending money too - probably too much, but I love the food scene here. Add to that the fact that we're camped in a pleasant area - much more lush and bird-populated than our previous stops - and it makes us happy for a week. (We'd stay longer, maybe, but the campground we're in has a 1-week limit and we haven't found anything else acceptable so far.)

 

 

We've had a couple of shopping expeditions. One involved a stop at the Babylon Market, where we could restock certain dwindling or empty supplies: barberries, Egyptian feta cheese, cumin. We had already stopped at a Fry's grocery store; otherwise I might have purchased olive oil and balsamic vinegar here. The prices were lower at Babylon Market.

 

 

The business continues to thrive, but on our particular visit they were tearing around in overwork. There was a "help wanted" sign, written in at least 3 languages. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of it. If you know someone who lives around here and might be looking for work in a Middle-Eastern food market, send them to Babylon.

 

These caught my eye, although I didn't buy them. I thought of @heidih when I saw the dried mallow leaves. I thought of @Shelby when I saw the quail, and wondered what she'd think of the sizes. They're advertised as Jumbo quail. There were 1/2 - 2/3 the size of my fist! I remember quail as being bigger than that, but maybe I'm misremembering.

 

 

This also caught our eye, though we didn't buy it. This party-sized flatbread took up most of the top of their freezer case. Look carefully above the words "flat bread" and you'll see our pickup keys and fob for scale.

 

 

While I waited in the checkout line - one of the owners answered 3 phone calls and dealt with a butcher-counter problem - these also caught my eye. Before I knew it, they'd fallen into my basket.

 

 

My darling preferred the original flavor and thought the sweet & sour was too hot; I preferred the sweet and sour (and did not find it hot). I wouldn't get them again, though. Like every other variety of kettle-cooked chips I've tried, these were tough. I think kettle chips just aren't my thing.

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by Smithy
Removed duplicate photo (log)

[Shelby]

Geez that olive oil is cheap!  I wish we could get prices like that here.  

 

Those quail actually look a bit bigger than the ones we get here--I can usually fit 4 in a row in the CSO  

 

I wonder why there is a one week limit on camping there?  Because so many people want in?

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

Geez that olive oil is cheap!  I wish we could get prices like that here.  

 

Those quail actually look a bit bigger than the ones we get here--I can usually fit 4 in a row in the CSO  

 

I wonder why there is a one week limit on camping there?  Because so many people want in?

 

I'm glad I asked about the quail! They looked small to me, but the last time I had any was when my father brought them home from hunting trips. My fists were quite a bit smaller then.

 

It's a good question about the 1-week limit. The County owns and operates it, so they get to make the rules. My guess is that since it's first-come-first-served (no reservations taken) they want to maximize the number of people who can enjoy the park...as you say, because so many people want in.

[Smithy]

We made it to Barrio Bread. See here for the difficulties we experienced the first time around. This time, we had landmarks to help us find it. This time, we knew to arrive earlier in the day - and we made it slightly before noon. The shelves were much better stocked than they had been during our last visit!

 

 

Where last fall there had been few choices because the bread was already sold out, this time the selection was plentiful and choices were difficult. I wanted to get one of each! I knew I couldn't keep them or use them quickly enough. But this was my only opportunity for this trip! I had plenty of time to agonize while in line. I selected a loaf each of Heritage and Khorasan bread, and a Barrio Baguette. The loaves are works of art. (These pictures are lower-resolution for ease of posting. If you want more detail in the pictures, I can post higher-resolution versions.) The heritage grains are locally grown, drought-tolerant. I had never heard of Khorasan before now. The Heritage loaf includes Sonoran white wheat.

 

 

I also bought 2 5-pound bags of their Barrio flour blend. I haven't taken photos of that. Here's the bread part of our purchase, along with a money shot of the Heritage loaf:

 

 

Directly we got home, I mixed up some chicken salad and sliced some of the Heritage loaf for sandwiches.

 

 

We were happy.

 

 

 

[chromedome]

6 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

 The heritage grains are locally grown, drought-tolerant. I had never heard of Khorasan before now.

 

You would probably know it as Kamut, which is a trademarked name. Khorasan is the generic word for the same grain.

[Smithy]

I have some comments on the breads we bought at Barrio Bread.

 

As noted before, we had sandwiches with some of the Heritage loaf - which they say uses a specialty blend of their flours. I can't find it now, but I think I read somewhere that it's made with their Sonoran blend. It's delicious.

 

 

 

The next morning I used slices from the Khorasan loaf for part of my breakfast. It also was delicious.

 

 

Well..."delicious" is good, but how different were the loaves? I thought I could articulate the differences, but needed a head-to-head test to be sure. Hey, it's a great excuse for buttered toast.

 

On the left is the Heritage loaf; on the right is the Khorasan.

 

 

Both have a good, firm crumb and pleasant, wheaty flavor. The Heritage bread is a bit browner, the Khorasan more golden. The crust in the Khorasan loaf is stronger. (I think that's a plus; my darling doesn't.) The tastes are quite different. The Khorasan loaf has nutty and deep notes that the Heritage loaf does not. Don't get me wrong! The Heritage loaf also tastes of good whole wheat, but it has a delicate sourdough note - not as pronounced as in a San Francisco sourdough, but it's there. Both are quite good, whether toasted or not. I'll be sorry when they're gone.

 

Before I get to the next part of the story, here's a refresher on what I bought:

 

 

I had a feeling, when buying all that bread, that I was mimicking Johanna Spyri's Heidi, who hoarded bread in a vain attempt to take it to an ailing elderly woman in the mountains!  I was right.  

 

By the time I got to the poor baguette - which wouldn't fit in the freezer - our dinner plans had changed twice and a couple of days had gone by. It was quite, er, crusty. I had intended it to accompany ceviche. I tried reviving half the baguette in the microwave with a cup of water. It worked the first time. Then my darling said he wasn't ready yet! I repeated the action...and again, when he was finally ready.  I didn't do that bread any favors.

 

But you know what? It was mighty crunchy on its own, but broken up and added to the ceviche it was wonderful: perfect croutons, especially suited to soak up those juices. 

 

 

It also is delicious.

[heidih]

My standard bread revival is cupping my hand under the faucet and rubbing the stale loaf and then putting it in the oven wrapped in foil. Oddly my now standard no-knead loaves keep super well - probably cuz of the high hydration. Like a week on the counter

Edited April 1, 2019 by heidih (log)

[Smithy]

During our last visit I fell in love with prickly pear balsamic vinegar and prickly pear syrup. They make great additions to salad dressings and sauces, and are also good simply drizzled over some meats for caramelization. I had a wonderful flan with caramelized prickly pear syrup and want to try making it myself. With that in mind, we went on an expedition to get some more. One of our neighbors is the sort who also loves cooking, gardening and organic foods that aren't common in northern Minnesota. We picked some up for her as a gift. There were impulse buys, also.

 

 

 

Our haul:

 

 

I love the way the light plays through the prickly pear syrup and the white balsamic vinegar!

[heidih]

Prickly pear sounds interesting. They litter the hillsides here. How would you describe the tartness level? My head (which is often wrong) thinks like pomegranate?

[rotuts]

@Smithy

 

BTW

 

What is Jalepeno Olive Oil ?

[Smithy]

35 minutes ago, heidih said:

Prickly pear sounds interesting. They litter the hillsides here. How would you describe the tartness level? My head (which is often wrong) thinks like pomegranate?

 

Pomegranate's not a bad comparison, but I think the prickly pear is more tart. My syrup is also sweeter than pomegranate syrup, but since it has sucrose added I'm not sure the comparison is valid. If you should decide to harvest the fruit ("tunas") and juice your own, please let us know about it!  I wrote here about the process (skim to the very end of the post) and @FauxPas provided clearer detail here. It sounds ridiculously easy if you have access to the tunas. 

[Smithy]

21 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Smithy

 

BTW

 

What is Jalepeno Olive Oil ?

 

According to the label, it's "Cold Pressed California Extra Virgin Olive Oil Co-Pressed with Fresh Jalapeños". I took a flyer on this one! It may have a mild heat; it may blow our heads off. I'll let you know.

 

[rotuts]

@Smithy

 

Id try it

 

and go back and get some more

 

Id also be careful to keep it cold

 

so its doesn't oxidize 

 

sounds like a winner to me !

[Smithy]

On 4/1/2019 at 3:55 PM, rotuts said:

Id try it

 

and go back and get some more

<snip>

 

Nice idea, although we won't be able to go back this trip. There may be other opportunities farther along. Otherwise, if we like it I'll add it to my ever-expanding list of oddball foods to pick up along our route!  Thanks also for the refrigeration / anti-oxidation advice. I hadn't thought of that.

 

We had intended to revisit the Barrio Brewing Co. where we dined with @FauxPas and Mr. FauxPas last spring. The only time we got close was quite by accident. My darling thinks it was a Freudian slip on the part of the GPS. We were trying to find HF Coors, of pottery fame, around several traffic accidents and reconstruction projects. My phone was saying to go one way, and so was my head; his GPS kept saying to go another way. It's no good having 2 navigators working at the same time, so I sat back and let his GPS take the lead. We ended up at Barrio Brewing! The GPS must have thought that was what "Coors" meant. It was much too early for dinner, and neither of us wanted beer with lunch, so we decided to come back later. We never made it. I found a consolation prize at a market later.

 

 

It's a nice, light golden brew: not too hoppy, not too sweet. Pretty good with dinner. I'll add a photo of the brew in a mug later; it's pretty, but has escaped the camera lens for some reason.

Edited April 3, 2019 by Smithy
spelling (log)

[Smithy]

We seem to be continually running ahead of the spring weather we've seen in past years. Sure, there are flowers blooming, but I have yet to see a paloverde tree blossom. The pecans haven't started to sprout leaves yet.

 

 

("Why doesn't someone cut down all these old dead trees?" asked my Florida-born cousin when he visited one winter. How we laughed! I think we were kind enough to laugh when he was out of earshot, but it was long ago and I a teenager. I may not have been as kind as I would be now.)

 

I've noticed an interesting pruning pattern on these tall trees. I haven't been able to see the machinery at work, nor have I found a link to show it. Maybe someone else can show us. This shot is deliberately long, to emphasize the geometry we're seeing on pruned pecan orchards.

 

[Smithy]

As promised above, here's the Barrio Blonde.

 

 

It's the last of that six-pack, and it would have gone well with dinner, except that it was finished during the preparations. 

 

 

Dinner used the last of our medium-heat Hatch chiles from last year, and a few of the hot chiles as well. I'll know during the next visit not to get as much of the hot chiles. They've been hard for us to use up.

 

I'm coming to the end of our oranges, too.

 

 

There are plenty of lemons and limes left, but I'll miss having an orange, or its juice, for breakfast.

 

 

We're far from the citrus groves now!

 

 

[Smithy]

I am amazed at how well the chicken breast I sous-vided back here has held up. I waited a week to open the package once the breasts had been cooked, because I counted on it to be pasteurized before it was opened. Still, yesterday marked the 10th day since I opened the package. There was a little less than half the package left. (I mentioned before that the breasts were huge!) I decided I'd best use it before it went off. 

 

I don't think I could count on supermarket-deli chicken to hold up this well. A low-temp circulator has earned permanent real estate in the Princessmobile - whether it's the Joule or the Anova remains to be seen. I need to play with the Joule more while we have shore power, to see whether I can work out the issues I've been having. It had a firmware update the last time it was on, so it may behave differently than it did when I was kvetching about it.

[Shelby]

You have me craving chicken salad.

[FauxPas]

3 hours ago, Shelby said:

You have me craving chicken salad.

 

Me too! And olives and romaine! And the plate underneath, I only bought the mugs in those patterns. Speaking of which, did you ever make it to HF Coors on this visit? 

[Smithy]

23 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

 

Me too! And olives and romaine! And the plate underneath, I only bought the mugs in those patterns. Speaking of which, did you ever make it to HF Coors on this visit? 

 

We did! I got into a terrible dither there. The idea, of course, had been to see what was on the factory-seconds shelf since we wouldn't be there for the First Saturday factory-seconds sale. I found one Mimbreño salad plate. I'd more or less decided that I wanted china dinner plates, and possibly another platter. While I was walking around, holding what I REALLY wanted and telling myself that I didn't need them, they weren't on sale, my darling doesn't care for breakables, no room, and on and on, I spotted another pattern that was slightly lower in price. DH was eyeing them too. "What do you think of these?" he asked. "I like them," I said, "but I'm not sure I'd like them after a month or two of use." He bowed out of the discussion. Eventually, as I dithered, he bowed out of the shop. When I had finished dithering, I had TWO large dinner plates of the Mimbreño pattern and TWO dinner plates of the other pattern because it had kept growing on me. He was pleased at the other dinner plates...and not terribly surprised that I'd come out with more than I'd intended.  

 

 

 

I took some consolation in the fact that I wasn't the only one dithering. Another woman was having trouble deciding between two different desert-themed patterns for her home, and whether one was too kitschy. While I was waiting to pay, three or four of us had a fun confab over the pros and cons of the designs.

 

I'm telling myself that I'm done with that factory now, unless we manage sometime to be in Tucson on the first Saturday of the month. We'll see. I wouldn't mind getting a match for that breakfast plate that you commented on above. 

 

 

[FauxPas]

2 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I'm telling myself that I'm done with that factory now, unless we manage sometime to be in Tucson on the first Saturday of the month.

 

Or until they introduce some cool new patterns, maybe?   🙂

 

I'll try to keep you posted, if I see anything. 

 

[lemniscate]

11 hours ago, Smithy said:

I'm telling myself that I'm done with that factory now, unless we manage sometime to be in Tucson on the first Saturday of the month.

 

I have been intending for eons to get to the Saturday sale at HF Coors.  I've made up my mind, Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) is the day I will finally make it, as Yoda says "Do or do not, there is no try".    I love that second pattern you showed, a lot.

[Smithy]

We wandered the nearby town of Rodeo, NM yesterday for a short time. This town was a railroad stop until 1952, and it's unclear how the town has stayed alive since then. It is clear that the town's struggling (my darling said "dead") but the not-too-old paint jobs, and faded murals on closed store fronts, show that efforts to revive the town can't be more than a decade old.

 

 

 

The only places we found along the highway that were still open were a hotel/RV park and a second-hand store.

 

A new grocery store / restaurant has opened recently, a few miles out of town on the way up to the mountains. We met friends there for dinner a couple of nights ago, but I didn't take pictures. I may get another crack at it; we'll probably drive past on our way up into the mountains today or tomorrow.

 

It's windy and cool here: typical high-desert spring weather, I'm afraid. Yesterday afternoon was a good time to cook a ham.

 

 

Now we have ham for sandwiches, and possiby ham 'n' mac 'n' cheese, and definitely my darling's favorite split pea soup. We'll have to get more split peas first, since we cooked them already. (He has no such recollection, and insists that the gremlins hid the peas!) I think the potatoes are the best part of this dish: soaked with all that ham juice, they mash easily and have excellent flavor.

 

My darling says to publish this rule: whenever something is to be roasted, don't put it on a rack despite instructions. Put it on a bed of potatoes instead!

[Smithy]

I finally got around to trying the recipe for Great-Great Grandma Anna's Romanian Eggplant Spread (Potlagel) to which @heidih pointed me, way back near the beginning of this year's trip. This can be done in a food processor or by hand-chunking, according to the recipe. As it happened I had a plastic container of fire-roasted, peeled red peppers from last summer that had cracked when it fell out of the freezer thanks to some especially rough road. It needed to thaw in a container. I opted for the easiest container.

 

 

The rich, savory smell of these peppers was tantalizing as soon as it began to thaw! Not shown is the similar container (not cracked) of cooked, peeled eggplant, also from last summer.

 

Where I went wrong, I think, was in using already-chopped sweet onion that had been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days. This is the second time we've had half an onion sit in the refrigerator, already chopped, for a couple of days and then regretted using it. Man, that onion was hot! It overwhelmed everything else. I was going the lazy route and whirling everything together at once, rather than chopping the individual ingredients and tasting as I went.  I added more vinegar, and salt, and prickly pear juice and prickly pear balsamic vinegar to tone it down. 

 

 

This morning it's tamer, but doesn't taste of the individually delicious ingredients. My darling thinks it's all right. Next time, I'll use fresh onion and I won't chop the pieces so finely. It looks a lot prettier in the Food52 article - but then, that shouldn't surprise anyone.  

 

Questions: 

1. Has anyone else experienced this business of sweet (Walla Walla, or Vidalia, for instance) onions losing their sweetness within a few days after being cut, even though they were refrigerated?

 

2. What do you do with something like this dip to tone down rampageous heat? Sour cream or other dairy didn't seem the right way to go.