I don't mean to alarm you, but it sort of alarmed me when I realized we've been here a month already. That's almost one third of the whole time we'll spend here, and in many ways, it seems like we've hardly even gotten started, especially since our VC still isn't fully open. There are plenty of other topics about which to write, though, and so I shall. Food, the acquisition, preparation, and consumption of will be the primary topic of this post. It may seem like an odd departure from my usual script, particularly given my general aversion to posting food pictures, but you'll soon see that it makes perfect sense to devote the better part of a post to it.
I've spoken many times about how much I loved tending my own chickens and how we now look for local sources of farm eggs as often as we can in our travels. We hit the jackpot here because our VC director keeps not only chickens, but ducks and quail, too, and we get a steady supply of their eggs. They cook up perfectly in my Instant Pot, and those adorable quail eggs (or quailie-poes, as I call 'em) make fantastic little hiking snacks.
When food isn't being delivered to work, Ashland offers up four places for me to go a-gatherin'. There are two of the usual types of grocery stores, Walmart and a regional chain, Super One, which both have really good selections of the foods we favor. The Farmers Markets have started to assemble, and there is also the Chequamegon Food Co-Op, which has all the organic, bulk, and specialty-type foods. None of them are more than 10 minutes away, to boot.
It's nice to be able to get All.The.Things in one outing without driving for miles or spending half a day, and the above shows a compilation of foodstuffs from one such trip. We'll be seeing those purple sweet potatoes again before this post is through. By the way, Chequamegon is pronounced shuh-WAH-meh-gun or shuh-WAH-meh-yun or, colloquially, SCHWA-mee-un, and it is Ojibwa for "place of shallow waters," referring to Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay.
It is probably not news to anyone that Wisconsin is famous for its dairy production, cheese being particularly associated with the state. It's possible to buy cheese everywhere at just about every kind of store from gas stations to specialty shops, and I took a short drive out to the town of Benoit one very hot Saturday to patronize the Benoit Cheese Haus on their Customer Appreciation Day. I said "town" but there is little else besides the cheese store there. They had some booths and games set up in their parking lot, and a surprising number of people were there as well as in the store buying up all manner of cheeses. I took a turn spinning the Cheese Wheel, winning a small pouch of cheese curds, then I went in for some shopping of my own. When in Cheesy Rome, right?
In my last post, I foreshadowed that we had plans to go out for our anniversary dinner, and we chose Good Thyme just north of us in Washburn. Last year we celebrated at a place called Wild Thyme in Kanab, UT, and now we're determined to keep the "thyme" theme going from here on out, for all thyme, if you will. We loved the converted old house, the food was quite good, but like so many places right now, the service was very slow due to lack of staff and lots of customers for a Wednesday.
We were too stuffed for dessert, but I might have to go back sometime just to try the Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel Pearls, maybe enjoy it on the veranda.
Something I wanted to do while we were here this summer was to try out one new recipe per week. I kept a few of my favorite kitchen appliances when we hit the road, but I don't always use them due to the amount of water cleaning some of them need, like my big food processor. Here, I have the time and the means to be able to relax and enjoy cooking again on at least one of my solo days off. In that spirit, when one of our co-volunteers brought me a generous bunch of his homegrown rhubarb, I made a big pan of Rhubarb Custard Bars, which I re-named RhuBars. Yum! I took the bulk of them into work to share the next day, leaving two in the fridge for our dessert that evening.
When I got home from work, I found the empty little plate in the sink, and discovered that TBG had eaten both RhuBars! He was contrite, and walked across the field to retrieve a leftover for me from the VC fridge.
In order to be sure our good eats got used as fuel, we headed out to Meyer's Beach to hike the Lakeshore Trail, one of four ways to experience the mainland sea caves I told you about in the last post. The other three are all from the water. The first is by paid tour boat, like we did on our cruise, the second is to sea kayak into them either on your own or with a guided tour, and the third is to wait until deep winter when the lake shore freezes and they become the Ice Caves. We're told long, long lines of people form to walk out on the ice to see the caves. Not being big fans of winter or long, long lines of people, we're unlikely to ever see them as ice caves. We're also told that the guided sea kayak tour is uh-mazing, but it's also very expensive and takes hours, the first of which is eaten up by getting everyone into their wetsuits. I don't think my bladder or patience could tolerate that, so we're probably going to pass on it. Off to hit the trail for us!
The first .75 miles of dirt-chasing were a series of planks through the emerald forest, then it became a more traditional type of path, veined with roots. In another mile, the first views of the caves appeared, and continued for about a half-mile stretch.
The trail extends for 4.5 miles one way, but after the cave views, it is a series of rolling ups and downs through the trees. With a mile to go, we decided it wasn't going to offer anything more, and we about-faced. Back at the start of the caves, we claimed our seats on the only bench, and enjoyed some quailie-poes with a view.
A long time ago, I saved a recipe for a Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie, but I have never been able to locate any purple sweet potatoes. The first time I walked into the Co-Op, my eyes were immediately drawn to a pile of purple sweets atop the tuber display. I quickly tossed some in my basket, and it's a good thing taters keep so well, because it took me three weeks to get around to making that pie.
It was worth the wait.
Can you give the recipe for those amazing looking rubars?
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Yes ma’am!
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/rhubarb-custard-bars/
I really don’t know why you object to food pics; my only problem with them is that posts like this make me hungry. Also, you left me hanging without a foto of the locally-made brats grilled to perfection. I suppose I will just have to imagine them.
Mostly I object because so many food pics are posted that do not showcase the food in a flattering manner, then it looks like food the body… rejected 😩 I actually always thought being a food stylist would be a fun career. I’m sorry I didn’t take a pic of the brats, which I really did grill awesomely 😋
We just celebrated our anniversary at the Garmish Inn on Lake Namekagon last evening. Don’tcha love the names around here? I hear ya on the kayak tour. As much as I think the scenery would be beautiful from the water, my bladder and paddling arms wouldn’t be up for the challenge. If you and TBG are up for German food, we’re always up for a meal at the Garmish. It’s a 30 min drive for us and should be about 30 to maybe 40 min drive for you.
Oh, that sounds good! I will send a private communique. Happy anniversary to you, too❣️
Thanks. Look forward to chatting!
Happy anniversary to you two. I can’t wait for a good old German meal. I’ll likely receive a list of social skills for restaurant etiquette from TLG for when we meet again. 😇
😆 No social skills required … this is WI after all.
I love that the cheese store has “customer appreciation day.” I feel like the customers should have “cheese store appreciation day” and they should have it every single day of the week. Because it’s cheese – the world’s most glorious food!! Nom nom nom nom.
Speaking of which, the only way I have ever eaten rhubarb is in strawberry rhubarb pie (which is delicious). Your alternate rhubarb dish intrigues me! (Apparently, it intrigued TBG too and, hence, the long sad walk to atone for his sins.) 🙂
Had I stayed until 3 pm, I could’ve watched the little parade they were have through “town” 😀 😀 Small towns just squeeze my heart with their small town-ness. I wish I had the means to store more cheese, but at least it’s all quite handy for the summer.
I gave serious thought to strawberry-rhubarb something, and that is what I thought I’d be making, then I found the bar recipe. The rhubarb flavor doesn’t shine through, but they are dangerously creamy and good, as TBG’s actions clearly demonstrated!
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I did the perp walk you know.
Sounds like you are in comestible heaven! I love the idea of hard boiled quail eggs. They are very cute. And that purple sweet potato pie is gorgeous. So funny, your story about the disappearing rhubarb squares. That is exactly something that would happen around here. Good thing TBG could redeem himself so quickly. 🙂 Eric once bit the head off of an adorable bird-shaped fancily decorated cookie and I was mad for days! (Not really, haha. But for a few minutes.)
That hike looking down at the sea caves is beautiful. I’ve always wanted to kayak in those caves, but after your accounting of the annoying loud tour and the wetsuits…now I’m not so sure. I would definitely have to pee 15 minutes after getting myself stuffed into one of those wetsuits.
There is certainly no shortage of good-quality foods around here! I’m thinking of pickling a jar of quailie-poes before we leave here so we have some to last longer. I remember that story of Eric biting the bird cookie! Bad Eric! Food just isn’t safe around hungry boyz.
I think we saw some folks returning from their kayak adventures who weren’t in wetsuits, so maybe not all outfits require them. Superior is notoriously very cold, and I’m not sure it’s a good idea to *not* wear one, even on a hot day. I’d be surprised if you two didn’t kayak while here! It’s your “thing!” Just no coffee 24 hours ahead of time 😀
You sure picked a good place to summer out,
no doubt your home base is a little warm right now.
Thanks for sharing.
A lot of the state has been getting big heat already, but here in Ashland, it’s been very tolerable if a bit windier than we like. We haven’t topped the mid-80s yet, and we’re enjoying that ‘lake effect!’
I’ll be snitching that rhubarb recipe too. I see the stuff growing all around here and hope some neighbors will share while I wait until next year to harvest our own. Love rhubarb, but not as much as I love cheese 🧀 🐁❤️🐭. When I was in Amish country they had an amazing dill/onion cheese that added more than a pound to me, but oh so worth it. Won’t have our own goat milk by the time we see you again, but have a source so we can try mozzarella again, or some other yummy variation.
You’ll love the RhuBars! And you can count it as both rhubarb and cheese since the topping uses cream cheese 🙂 I’ll bet there is a comparable cheese to that Amish one you found. I know the Cheese Haus had a lot of different Gouda flavors, and a return trip will certainly happen for some different varieties. Yes! We must try mozzarella again! Can’t wait to see your new place ❤
How sweet that you have fresh produce almost at your doorstep. Love you fresh egg selections! I really miss fresh produce stands. Not a lot of veggie gardens growing here in the desert! Your rhubarb bars looked so yummy. Oh, boy, TBG was in deep trouble. Good he was able to recover:)
No complaints about the availability of good eats around here! I originally had plans to put some herbs and such in some planters here at the RV, but scrapped that since the local stuff is so readily available and easier. Ugh, TBG and food! 😀
Everyone has already said what I wanted to say. However Im intrigue how you cook those eggs in your Instant pot. Steve uses it mostly for his risotto recipe. I wonder if I could ever taste your pie and bars one day, they all look very appetizing.
Hard-cooked eggs were the first thing I ever made in my IP, and I’d never do them any other way now. How: pour a cup of water in, then put in the rack or steamer basket. Place chicken eggs on rack (holds about 6-7, but I’ve heard you can stack ’em) or in basket. Cook on Manual for 6 minutes. Quick release. Move eggs into ice bath to cool.
I will make you all the treats when we see you!