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Travels

Guide to Tomales Bay

February 2, 2015

It’s been 3 years in the making – a day trip to Tomales Bay.

A couple weekends ago, I excitedly checked it off my bucket list (with the help of my sister) and wanted to share our agenda, so you too can get in on the fun!

First stop? Point Reyes Station.

This is an adorable town with some fun stops to make before heading to Tomales Bay.

After the drive we needed to grab a bite, so we made our way to The Station House Cafe to enjoy a leisurely brunch in their garden patio. If you are in the area be sure to try their Cobb salad and macaroni and cheese.

We popped into a few shops — including Flower Power, an adorable home goods store meets flower shop, then headed to Toby’s to grab some honey, stone fruit and any other fun picnic items you need for what is sure to be an amazing day.

But save the wine and cheese purchases for Cowgirl Creamery, where they not only had an amazing to-go counter to order yummy sandwiches, but make all their cheese in-house (be sure to grab the Mt. Tam) and have a great assortment of jams (including Blue Chair).

Next, make your way up to Hog Oyster (no not this one), and snagged a seat at their great waterfront picnic area. Be sure to grab some oysters to enjoy with your amazing picnic spread (and don’t forget to try their bread – it was described to me as “best in the land”).

We ordered both the BBQ oysters and raw oysters… and both were nothing short of amazing. Also it’s worth checking out to understand the seating process – long story short if you want to shuck your own oysters you need to make a reservation months in advance to score a table. Otherwise you can bring your own wine/beer, food and wait in line to order shucked oysters (and an assortment of charcuterie, cheese plates, salads, etc. if you don’t want to pack a picnic) and sit on the upper deck.

Seating is limited, but the great part is, depending on your group size, you can be sat with other parties – which in our case ended up being one of the best parts of our day! Making new friends over oysters? Yes please.

The hardest part about planning this trip was trying to pick which oyster spot to go to. But why choose? Go to as many as you can! Sadly (not really), we were too obsessed with Hog Oyster to get back in the car and continue down the “Oyster Trail” – but there are great spots like Tomales Bay Oysters and the Marshall Store for more eats and stunning views.

Depending on your schedule and aptitude for eating a lot of oysters, this day can be as long (or short) as you’d like. But make sure to bring a fun friend (or 2), cozy layers, and some portable wine glasses. Also be aware most places open at 11am, and close at 5pm – so don’t get too late of a start!

Here were some more highlights:

Until next time Tomales Bay!

Tasty

Pear Chips

October 22, 2014

My CSA box has sent me an influx of pears lately and I was a little overwhelmed with what to do with them. Thankfully Martha Stewart steered me in the right direction (per usual) and I am excited to have a new fall friendly (and gluten free) appetizer option!

Pear Chips

2 pears (firm, under ripe)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Use a mandolin to thinly slice pears (you don’t have to de-seed or de-stem them).
Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake pear slices for 1 1/2 hours.
Flip slices them bake 1+ hour more or until edges have started to curl.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

These taste best when served with a triple cream cheese and pecans!

Tasty

Scotty 2 Hottie

May 14, 2014

One of J and my favorite date night spots is a place called Oak & Rye… sadly we have spread the word TOO well and have a very hard time getting in there in a timely matter now (le sigh).

We love pretty much everything on their menu, but we both agree the “Scottie 2 Hottie” pizza takes the cake. So when we can’t eat the real stuff, I did the next best thing, and tried my hand at a easy, make-at-home version that can tide us over until we are willing to wait out the hour+ wait.

Scotty 2 Hottie

Premade pizza dough (or make your own… I’m not that ambitious)
Pizza Sauce
Sopressata (you can get this at most artisan grocery stores or Italian delis – but pepperoni does the trick too!)
Mozzarella (I use a log, not shredded)
Basil
Sliced pepperoncinis
Honey

Prebake the crust for 10 minutes at 475 degrees (or according to the dough’s instructions) until golden brown (I feel like in the movies that they always put toppings on raw pizza dough – DON’T DO IT. I always end up with raw pizza… yuck).
Remove crust from oven and top with pizza sauce, sliced mozzarella and Sopressata.
Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted.
Remove from oven and top with basil leaves and drained pepperoncini slices.
Bake pizza for 2-3 more minutes.
Remove pizza from oven and drizzle with honey.
Serve hot and enjoy!

* the key to ingredient amounts is totally up to preference… just beware the pepperoncini’s have a bit of heat, so use less if you prefer more mild food

Tasty

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus with Poached Eggs

April 23, 2014

via Remains Simple

I came across this image on Pintrest and knew I needed to make this for Easter brunch. Sadly when I clicked the link to find it only an image – no recipe (gasp!), I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. Here is how I tried making this picture into a reality.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus with Poached Eggs

Serves 6

2 bunches asparagus, ends trimmed
1 package prosciutto
6 eggs
parmesan cheese
olive oil
freshly ground pepper
Maldon sea salt
optional: rustic bread, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash asparagus and let dry thoroughly (note: if there is any water on your asparagus it will steam not roast).
Lay asparagus out on a rimmed cookie sheet (note: I recommend doing this in batches so there is some space between the veggies and they are not piled on top of one another) .
Drizzle with olive oil (4-5 Tablespoons) and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Roast for 8 minutes in the oven.
Remove and let cool (enough to handle).
Divide asparagus into 6 portions and wrap each “bunch” with a slice of prosciutto (note: try to not make it look “perfect” – a more rustic/organic approach will make it look more appetizing).
Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Roast for 3 more minutes.
While the asparagus/prosciutto is roasting poach your eggs.
Remove asparagus bunches from the oven and top with poached egg.
Sprinkle with more grated parmesan and enjoy!
The key to this dish is quality ingredients and timing so that everything can be enjoyed hot!

Photo to table… the new farm to table!

Party

Picnic Party

April 7, 2014

One of my biggest pet peeves is when the weather report reads that the weather is going to be amazing all week, EXCEPT Saturday and Sunday. Luckily, this particular weekend was just the opposite. After some showers and clouds, the skies parted for sunny, 80 degree weather. And what better way to celebrate than with a picnic?!

We grabbed some of our favorite people and made our way up to our favorite, local winery – Testarossa. We were able to wine taste, sun bathe and picnic… all at the same time!! Does it get any better?

Here was our menu:

I am a HUGE proponent of no dairy/mayo based foods at picnics. Between the sun and lack of refrigeration, the whole thing freaks me out, so we did a lot of olive oil based items. Even the sandwiches went sans mayo, using pesto instead! In warm weather the key is having light yet satiating menu items.

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