Flower Power: Roasted Broccoli Hero

In all honesty, I don't really mind the rain.  This year I even became accustomed to running in the rain, because it went on forever.  The only thing I really dislike about the rain is when things get cancelled, because I'm not good with scheduling changes.

But it's really hard to complain about the rain when the result is beautiful wildflowers.  Growing up, the saying was always "April showers bring May flowers" but here in California, the more appropriate saying is "Rainy winters bring Superblooms."

2 years ago we had an especially wet winter and the desert paid us back tenfold.  So I was antsy to see what awaited after this winter which was so much wetter and lasted so much longer.

We weren't disappointed.

A drive out to Anza Borrego yielded fields of flowers, growing right out of the sand.  

Thatbaby commandeered my camera and became our little photojournalist.  Unfortunately, his camera skills need a little work, as most of his pictures either featured his thumb, a very blurry image I could tell you was a flower, or the corner of what I could tell you was a flower.

Thatkid defaulted to his favorite flower pasttime - identifying all the different blooms.  We always buy a flower guide for this very purpose.

I'm always impressed with how much my kids love little fieldtrips like these.  I expect them to be bored, or underwhelmed, but they love going.  They get so excited to see the flowers.  And they petitioned for a picnic in the flowers the whole week leading up to it.   I'm always up for a picnic, so I packed up sandwiches and snacks and we hit the road.

The kids went with pretty classic sandwiches - turkey and pb&j.  I knew they wouldn't be interested in ones filled with broccoli.  That's right, broccoli.  I'm always looking for new and interesting sandwiches, so when I saw this one with rave "trust me" reviews by Alton Brown I decided to give it a try.

It is the weirdest combination of sandwich ingredients you can ask for, but they work SO well together.  Sweet, spicy, soft, crispy, salty - it has just about everything.  And it is ridiculously easy to put together when you're gathering water bottles, sunscreen and other supplies for a trip to the desert.

Roasted Broccoli Hero (From Alton Brown)

1/2 cup bread and butter pickles

1/4 cup brine from the pickles

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Tbsp chili sauce (such as Sambal oelek, sriracha, or to keep in green Trader Joe's green dragon sauce works nicely)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 head broccoli, chopped into florets.  Trim the stem and slice into thin rounds.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 french bread rolls, split

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/4 cup fried onions

2 oz ricotta salata or feta, shaved

1. Preheat oven to 400. Combine pickles, brine, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside while you assemble the rest of the sandwich.
2. Toss broccoli with olive oil and salt and spread on pan.  Roast for 15 minutes, then toss and roast an additional 15 minutes.
3. While the broccoli cools slightly, turn on the broiler and broil the rolls for 1-2 minutes.
4. Spread each side of the toasted rolls with mayonnaise.
5. Divide pickles evenly between the two rolls.  Then top with the roast broccoli.
6. Sprinkle onions over the broccoli and then the cheese on top.

Crave Wednesday: Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

As you may or may not have heard, Southern California was hit with a record amount of rain this year.

There's a saying that "April showers bring May flowers" but when you live in a desert, that timeline changes a little.  In our case, March brought with it a "super bloom,"  an explosion of wildflowers that has blanketed the once barren desert.

Thatboy and I haven't ventured to Anza Borrego since before the boys were born, but we didn't want to miss out on the blooms, so we decided there was no time like the present for a return visit.

Upon our arrival, Thatkid grabbed the wildflower guide and made himself the unofficial guide, leading us around and pointing out the different varieties.

Our guide wasn't just interested in the flowers though, he was also interested in hiking up to various boulders and climbing them.

Thatdog and I, who had no interest in climbing big rocks, waited for them in the shade at the bottom.

The flowers themselves were everything I had hoped for.   I had set up Thatkid before we went, remembering that I was disappointed on my first trip out, after hearing about the amazing wildflowers growing in the desert. 

We spoke about how there is very little water in the desert, so things that grow there are small, conserving whatever nutrients they can and not wasting it on giant blooms or leaves.  And I reminded him that typically the desert is just brown brush and sand.  He took our discussion to heart and was appropriately wowed by the flora.

Some areas were a pastel wonderland.  A carpet of small purple and white buds.

Just a few feet away were fields of yellow.

One thing that is fairly well known about the desert is the heat - even in March.  And although that's fairly well known, I still had romantic visions of sitting on a blanket in the middle of the flowers, and having a picnic lunch.  The reality of the situation had us sitting in the back of our air-conditioned car.  Still picnicking, and still viewing the flowers, but not surrounded by them. 

I packed us desert appropriate sandwiches - cool as a cucumber, or a radish, or a carrot.  Or all three!  Banh Mi are Vietnamese sandwiches, usually served on a french baguette.  When I was in high school, we were close enough to a Vietnamese sandwich shop to have them on a regular basis.  And although they are certainly not seasonal, there is something about them that just seems like a summer picnic food.  I think it might be the pickled vegetables, the crisp cucumber, and the freshness of the bread.  This one especially plays on bright summery flavors with the addition of lemongrass.   And while most banh mi are not vegetarian, this one uses tofu, marinated in that lemongrass, which also makes it feel like a light lunch.

Lemongrass Tofu Bahn Mi (From Cooking Light)

1 package extra firm tofu

2 Tbsp finely chopped, peeled, fresh lemongrass

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil, divided

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp matchstick cut carrots

1 1/4 cup matchstick cut peeled daikon radish

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp canola mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp Sriracha

1 French bread baguette, halved lengthwise and toasted.

1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber

1. Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices.  Wrap in paper towels and top with cast iron skillet or heavy pan.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Remove  tofu from paper towels.
2.  Combine lemongrass, 2 Tbsp water, soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  
3. Arrange tofu slices in a single layer in soy mixture, turning to coat.  Let stand 15 minutes.
4. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve.  
5. Add carrots and radish, toss well.  Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain.
6. Stir in cilantro. 
7. Whisk 1 tsp sesame oil, mayonnaise, and Sriracha in a small bowl.  Spread evenly over cut sides of bread.
8. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Remove tofu from marinade, discard marinade.   Pat tofu slices dry with paper towels.  Add tofu slices to pan.  Cook 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden.  
9. Arrange tofu slices on bottom half of bread.  
10. Top tofu slices with carrot mixture and cucumber slices.  Cut baguette crosswise into 6 equal pieces.

Happy Campers

When I was growing up, I was a Girl Scout. But more importantly, I was an Indian Princess.

In Girl Scouts, we sat around making barrettes. But in Indian Princesses, we made tom-tom drums. Girl Scouts sold cookies. Indian Princesses went camping in the woods. I have fond memories of the times Thatdad and I went camping with the troupe. I remember finding snakes on the trails and someone's dad pinning it with a forked stick before tossing it in a garbage bag. I remember being on a canoe in the middle of a pond when the other girl decided she didn't want to be there and started rocking the boat trying to get out. I remember crying around a campfire as Thatdad told stories that were too scary. And the other kids complaining when he'd stop telling the stories to escort me back to the safety of our tent.

When I was a bright young thing starting college, UCLA began a new program they thought would help freshman better adapt to University life. It was called a "GE Cluster." It was a year long course (instead of just a quarter) you took with the same people and it knocked all your GE requirements out for a certain area. I did a math/science one so I didn't have to compete in classes with pre-med students. The class was great and I made some really fantastic friends and got to do some really neat things - including a camping trip in the Joshua Tree desert. I borrowed that same tent that Thatdad and I had used for years, and my girls and I huddled together to keep warm. Accompanying each other with toilet paper and flashlights to serve as lookouts during bathroom breaks.

Desert camping was a new experience for me, but I loved it. I loved how you could see every star in the sky. I loved how beautiful the desert was at night. But unfortunately, that was the one and only desert camping experience I'd have. Thatboy grew up camping in lodges and campers in the woods and he ph-shawed my idea that we could go camping somewhere without trees. And so our near-yearly camping trips were woods camping trips. In his van, or in a cabin.

Until last year, when I convinced Thatboy we MUST make a desert camping trip. And so last February we gathered our gear together and made a reservation in Anza Borrego State Park. But we all know what happened last February. So the trip was cancelled.

Undeterred, we decided to try again this year. Because of the extreme temperatures in the desert, camping is only allowed for a few brief months a year, when it's a given you're not going to die. We found a weekend in February that worked with our schedules and once again, made plans to head out.

You can see Thatdog was anxious to get a move on. He had no idea what he was getting in to. I think if he knew, he'd be hiding under his blanket right now - not sitting by the door.

As soon as we got to the campsite, Thatdog began his miserable dog routine. We staked him to the ground, so he'd have room to wander and explore, but he was having none of that. I tried to give him a treat, but he couldn't figure out how to eat it without putting it on the ground. Which was sandy. Which he was not happy about. Finally, I put down a blanket for him, and our little princess deemed that was where he would rest his weary hind.

We got to our campsite at night, after the sun had gone down. So Thatboy quickly fixed a fire. And set up the tent. Thatdog wasn't too sure about what to make of the fire. It smelled, and it was smokey. But he wasn't about to move off his blanket to investigate.

Once the tent was set up, we quickly got to work on the important stuff. Smores. Thatdog LOVES smores. Well - the graham cracker part. And the giant marshmallows. We don't give him chocolate. Especially because we decided to upgrade from Hersheys and use Godiva.

After smores, we tucked into our tent and went to bed. Thatdog wasn't thrilled about this idea either. We'd already introduced him to the tent. But he never really caught on to the fact that he was going to have to sleep there with us. He's not a good bed sharer. He likes his own space. Everytime we'd unzip the tent to go use the facilities or come back in, he'd try to make a break for it. If we took him for his own potty break, he did everything in his power to avoid going back in.

But we made it through the night. And in the light, we could actually see where we were camping.

Check out these views from the front of our tent.

You'll also note the ominous clouds. That's because we picked a weekend of rain to go camping. Not on purpose, the weather here is just that unpredictable. It started raining in the morning, and we hung out in the tent until there was a break in the weather.

And then breakfast was on! Beer pancakes anyone?

While I made breakfast, Thatboy tried to prepare Thatdog for the wet and windy weather. Can you see Thatdog wishing he had stayed at home?

I had wanted to go for a run before we headed out, but as soon as we finished breakfast, it started raining again. So instead I packed us up a lunch to take on the road so we could get moving. Egg salad sandwiches. With bacon. Obviously.

And of course, as soon as I finished making the sandwiches we had another break in the weather. So I left the boys to clean up so I could get a run in. I mean with views like this, how could you blame me for wanting to take advantage of it?

I kind of ran aimlessly, just enjoying the scenery, and somehow ended up on top of one of those mountainy looking things. All by myself. And convinced I was being stalked by a mountain lion or a bear. I have a vivid imagination. I stopped to take this view from the top, before heading back to my campsite.

I came back and we cleaned up and headed for the visitor center. Which is built right into the side of a cliff.

We picked up maps and information and spent the rest of the day seeing the amazing sites of the desert. Like this California Palm grove. Which I used to prove Thatboy wrong. Because he insists palms don't grow here naturally. Right...I'm sure the California Palm is from Costa Rica.

Since we were in the desert, it's no surprise we saw a ton of cacti.

But what may surprise you is one of the key reasons we made this trip. The wildflowers. They grow EVERYWHERE in Anza Borrego. They're gorgeous, and in all different colors, sizes, and shapes. Because Thatdog isn't allowed on the trails, I was worried we wouldn't get to see them. I shouldn't have worried. They grow abundantly on the roadside and our campsite had them everywhere.

My favorite were the ocotillo, which stretch to the sky before spouting off a brilliant red bloom at the tip. Like nature's fireworks.

We drove into town for a bit, stopping roadside for a picnic lunch, and again to pick up some beautiful royal tangelos we saw growing. So sweet and juicy, we've been enjoying them ever since. We made it back to the campsite, planning on relaxing by the fire for the remainder of the afternoon, but the incoming storm had other plans for us. Around 4, the wind began to blow so hard that poor Thatdog crouched between us, looking up at us as if to say "We HAVE a home. We don't have to be outside in weather like this! I didn't like being a stray before and I certainly don't like it now. Where is my bed? Where are my blankets? Where is my home?!" We were worried about him with the wind, so put him in the car to get a little break. And then the rain started coming down. We moved into the tent with Thatdog as it got dark dark dark at 4:30pm. Thatboy and I were convinced we were going to die, wet and frozen in the middle of the desert. We decided to make the move into the car. Thatdog thought this was a brilliant idea. We spent the night bundled up in the car in our sleeping bags - soaking wet from the short trip from the tent to the car.

When we awoke, we were greeted with this sight. Which almost made it all worth it.

I made us breakfast since we were starving from our lack of dinner, and we packed up the car to head home. Thatdog was ecstatic. We did make two quick stops on the way home. The first to Dudley's to pick up some more jalapeno cheddar bread. The second was a new stop I wanted to try.

Our lunch consisted of apple pie for me and strawberry rhubarb for Thatboy. Flakey and perfect, everything a pie should be. I brought home some cider doughnuts for later, and of course some of my fave apple cider.

I almost had Thatboy completely won over on desert camping - if it hadn't rained. He thought it was beautiful out there and really enjoyed the dry portions of our trip. Thatdog however, has informed me that the next time we plan a camping trip, he would appreciate it if we could leave him behind.