Free Range Friday ~ Culebra

The weather has been pretty typically summery around here lately. Disturbed with tropical waves, downpours and today the sun working to shine through the mist/dust. Breeziness to cut the humidity, clouds to keep it less than terribly hot, it's definitely on the upside of good days here for the summer. 

The moon still hanging around at 8 a.m. ish

Nope, not crystal clear but another kind of magic

This is a pretty normal look for this time of year. Keep your eyes on the East!

Every time I see this painted rock it is with amused bemusement. Who sees a rock and gets this from it and then actually paints it? I've seen rocks that are shaped like everything from bears to profiles, but the idea of painting in a 3 dimensional way is not in my skill set. I'm glad it's in the set of whoever did this one! 

Do I want to see every rock painted? No I do not!
But a little subtle whimsy along the way? Oh yes.
You can't really tell from this photo but the mustache is a glittery silver.

With some brush cleared out, this view opened up along the road
Someone has some really long arms.

And since Free Range Friday should include some food and I'm not cooking much, I'll bring back a summer oldie. It was brought to mind by a website I get updates from on most days, called Canal House Cooks Lunch. I pretty much eat lunch with them every day in my imagination and my daughter Sarah and I send them back and forth to each other, with appropriate amounts of drool included. Sarah's last response to the latest I sent was 'I hate them.' She doesn't, but I get it. They are clever writers - each post is only about a 30 second read - and brilliant chefs, in a very cool part of the country. Shhhh!

Lately they've been doing summer salads, but not your usual take on a summer salad. Except yesterday when they did duck. Yeah, I hate them too.

This was mainly made because I'd grown the tomatoes.

And the basil too. 

Have a finely fused Friday. Do something frankly.

Free Range Friday ~ Culebra ~ Beef Jerky on the Fly

I've mentioned some great things about house/critter sitting before, and one of them is being given free range, so to speak, to eat, drink and be merry with the contents of the larder and fridge. There, in the back, was some beef jerky. Beef jerky is something I really like a lot (mea culpa, my vegetarian friends) and slowly it didn't take long until the half empty package was distressingly entirely empty. What to do?

Where my mind goes when thinking about 'what to do'
April 7 a few years back

This is Culebra. You don't run out to the store to replace and restock for certain items and this was going to be one of them. I tried. First it was explaining what beef jerky is, then being shown Slim Jim's (shudder). Then I thought, this is ridiculous, I'm just going to make my own beef jerky. So I did.

I used to have a dehydrator pre-houseboat life, but they are one of those large kitchen items that gets put up on high shelves to be used a few times a year. The houseboat doesn't have high shelves like that so it went to a good home with a lot of other kitchen items I found I could live without. Point being, there are a variety of ways to make beef jerky without a dehydrator; this page from The Kitchn gives a whole lot of them, including Alton Brown's use of box fans! Go to the comments to check out alternatives, beside the main article suggestion.

I ended up using a cooking method I've never tried before, a NuWave oven. I've seen them advertised but never have gotten to use one. If there was enough space and power on the boat, I'd be an instant convert; these things rock! However, I'm not selling them, if you're interested you'll have to check them out for yourself. 

First I had to look up a recipe giving instructions on making jerky in the NuWave. And there was one, complete with video! The guy is pretty dorky but I just needed to know some average ideas. One thing he did that I didn't do was vent the oven. After reading a bunch of other things, I decided not to do that. Probably a mistake, as the jerky is amazing tasting but drier by a smidgen than I would have preferred.

First I went to Milka's meat department, because they might not have a big bag of beef jerky, but they do have excellent meat. I bought the - well, I guess they'd be called minute steaks where I come from, but a lot better. Perfect for jerky because the fat content is about 0%.

I used a brush because in the past, soaking the meat in a marinade
makes it really wet, using the dehydrator it took longer than it might have.
With this method, it might have been okay.

I made up a marinade of whatever looked good that was here, and there is plenty that looked good: teriyaki sauce, a citrus-y sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of something with some heat, a splash of olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and I think that's all. This is a fun thing to make because if you're happy with it, it's going to work. Some people use soy and ginger, some use smoked paprika and...well, you get the idea. Play with your food!

Because I knew this would take a long time and I'd started late in the day, I didn't marinade it as long as I could/should/would have. I'd say a minimum of a few hours, but used to do it overnight for even more awesome results. Do as I say, not as I do!

I used both layers of grills for this and didn't cut the meat into strips to avoid that
falling through thing. That worked! 

The package I bought had six rolled up 'steaks' of slightly varying sizes. That's plenty unless you have a really big dehydrator or a gigantic oven and plan on making a ton of this stuff (which is really a great idea, because it's time consuming and the more you make the better; it won't last long). 

At a temperature of 150 degrees F (no, I don't know what that is C, you'll have to do SOME work here!), cooking time was six hours. After 3 hours everything was flipped and switched, top to bottom. I think it was really only that last 15 or 20 minutes I could have done without, or maybe a temperature of 125 in this particular unit, but live and learn. 

Jerky is a personal thing. Some like chewy, some like brittle dry.
I like somewhere in-between and this is allllmost that. But I'm picky.

Bottom line, it turned out to be delicious. I re-filled the bag I'd emptied and still had enough to indulge my not quite sated yen. 

Even if you aren't a carnivore, dehydrating food is a great way to make something healthy and delicious for snacking on. Truthfully, the prep time is minimal (compared to making say, baklava) and the results give the double satisfaction of being made by your very own self and being good for you without shouting it out in that way healthy things sometimes do. 

On Culebra, necessity really is often the mother of invention. That worked.

Now, about those macadamia nuts...

Have a frolicsome Friday. Do something funny.

Free Range Friday ~ Culebra

This is from LAST Friday, which is how long it has taken to get someplace to actually post a post! Today, unlike then, is sunny and blue and breezy and beautiful. But we'll use my magic mirror and go back in time, before we get to, eventually, today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unlike yesterday, when we saw rain but lots of sun, today started cloudy, cool and with showers. Here it is mid-day and it is much the same. A day for soup! 

Soup on the simmering boil

I was inspired by the weather but also by my new baby Crock Pot, but didn't want to use it until I got the okay from Jesse that my solar set up would handle it. But then, I couldn't wait, it was just too much of a cooking day to resist (as it turns out - I found out after I'd already cooked the soup - the solar set up will work just fine)

(Update! I used the baby Crock Pot to cook soup later in the week, it works just like I was told it would; great!! Using the sun to cook a different way, saving propane, very exciting)

Into the pot went boneless, skinless (not fatless, unless you trim them a lot, which I didn't; the fat can always be skimmed off later) chicken thighs, onions, garlic, ginger, yellow squash and some fresh herbs from my little kitchen garden, thyme and lemon grass to be exact. Along with a half a bottle of TyLing Natural Thai Green Chili sauce. The sauce has only a bit of spiciness and a lot of flavor, it works for me, even though I'd already put in half the ingredients of ginger, lemon grass and garlic. Subtle but definitely there. 

And it was delicious.

Before that, though, I had a haircutting day with Debbie and David. David said, 'Bring your camera!'. I said of course, because they have this awesome deck on the place they rent and there are always some good photo ops. But that isn't what he meant. Not at all. Oh dear. Debbie said she'd been waiting to do this a long, long time. She and a few other people...

Before. Don't be afraid, they said. I wasn't. Not much anyway.

Debbie is a pro at this. I am a pro at that.

Speaks for itself

Haircut done! A jump in the shower to get off the itchy bits

"Did I get it all?"

After. Thanks, Debbie (and David, and Hound Dog too!)

A thank you lunch at Dinghy Dock. 

The following are random moments around the island. Time goes by and everything is still beautiful. That stability keeps my sanity alive and that's a good thing.

We were all impressed. Talk about a trust factor of 12+!
They had this down.

Often my first view of the day.
This was one of the first mornings the sun decided to shine
after days of rain. It was pretty glorious.

Just another dawn in Paradox

There is this light that defies being captured in the early morning.
But this is pretty close. 

This was one of those days about 10 people tell you they could see St. Croix

Pulling down the curtain

Gazing from the rock

Ending the day and the last sunset of Ann's time here -
until the next time!

PSA! Things happened in-between. Being sick as a dog was one of them, along with a whole lot of other people around here, luckily not as long as some, unluckily long enough. I'll just take this moment to say one thing: if you are sick, PLEASE don't hug anyone. Or kiss them. Or breathe on them. Really. Each year the bugs get nastier and last longer and it's the one of the few things that is not nice to share. I have friends who are still sick. They miss work, they run up doctor bills. I know not all of it can be avoided but we're a hugging crew around here, so just think before you hug! Por favor! Gracias!

I don't know what I'll cook today, but hopefully it will be something really good and when I'm hooked up again, I'll share it. In the meantime...so long for now, Ann, and a whole bunch of other people who are flying out today, and welcome home, Peri!!!!

Have a full of Freedom Friday! Do something frivolous. 

Free Range Friday ~ Culebra and Crab Cakes Oh My!

What seems to be turning into a sort of weekly round up is once again at hand! 

Not having immediate connection makes me realize the  immediate fashion I've been viewing the world in. If news is a day or two old, it's O L D. Whatever did Laura from Little House on the Prairie do with mail that was months old, where new borns were already toddlers by the time she got word? It's strangely comforting even as it is frustrating as hell...Events are still eventful even if they didn't happen five seconds ago. What a strange lesson to learn at this stage of the game.

One of the events that made my week(end) was seeing Jimmy and Kat of Coqui Fire in Vieques when they came over for the weekend. Last weekend. It's always good to catch up with their news, how the restaurant is doing, what's happening over 'there'. 

But there are other moments.

Water diamonds at Melones

I love when Dale and Kelli are talking about business and I interrupt them and they look like they've just been lazing around having the best time ever. 
 

Ok, there is a bit of 'that smile' - MJ, we love you AND we're busy!

 First things first!

Staying on the less windy side of the bar

There's always time for a Chuck story

We are now at the food part of Free Range Friday. David and Debbie  and Hound Dog (Jane the vet's dog that has moved deeply into their lives) are down for their yearly visit. That usually means some totally unexpected food treat, be it ham hocks or something else I've been wishing for, even if I didn't know it.

This year, it was lump crab meat. As in Jumbo Lump. For crab cakes. David not only had ALL the ingredients he wanted, he had some ideas I'd never thought about as well. What a fabulous treat!

Better than ice cream!

So many goodies in here for flavor
(I'd tell you but then you'd have to kill me)

A feast in the making

Pancetta for the rice and grains

It's the little things

Using the cooking water from the asparagus for the grains
Smart!

Making it pretty
(why do I never think of this?)

An simple remoulade sauce for the crab cakes

The thing about remoulade is that, from what I can gather, it's sort of like potato salad. No one makes it the same way. Which can either be exciting if you like to experiment or frustrating if you don't trust your own palate. I choose excitement! So should you - life is too short to not have fun cooking. 

There was an almost visceral pleasure watching this meal being put together. Debbie and I wandered in and out from the porch where our double vices were being enjoyed, watching it grow from start to finish, flavors and aromas building upon one another, melding to the causation of drool state.

The big covered casserole was not part of the meal.
Don't tell that to Hound Dog though; it's dinner in his world.

Contentment

 While back at the prep station...

Finishing touches

Making it pretty

Wa la!

Oops! Not quite done yet!

For a while there were only the contented sounds of eating an amazing meal, punctuated with the occasional continuing compliments. And then there was dessert. Crepes. Really.

Can you smell the warm fruit/honey/cinammon/whipped cream
wafting through the air?

I was sated enough to take them up on their stay over offer; rather than wrestling with the dinghy in the wind it was much nicer to wander down the porch to the extra bedroom and tuck in to a peaceful sleep. A pretty perfect ending to a very enjoyable evening. 

I'm not sure how I managed to not get a photo of David and Debbie together but I didn't. Yet. 

Have a fragrant Friday. Do something feelingly.