~Thursday, February 3, 2022~
Day 599
Just a quick little update…..our Site #20 neighbors are not checking out today! What do you know? But since they arrived, I must say we’ve heard very little barking. Maybe they cast a spell on them?🪄
It’s hard to believe Hank (our truck) has not had a bath since Vermont (October or 4,000 miles ago). So, I began the first phase of cleaning and vacuuming the front seat area, which took about 3 hours (that should explain how bad it was). Between the dog hair, corn nut crumbles (we love these on long road trips) and a few drips of spilled lattes and chai teas, I don’t think the truck had ever been this dirty. I’ll have to finish the rest of the interior tomorrow before we head to the carwash (like many places, we’re not allowed to wash vehicles at our campsite)
And today was the assemblage of the new Blackstone Griddle. All in all it went pretty smooth, but what took the longest was seasoning the cast iron griddle…..one of the most important steps before its first use.
In fact, it took 4 repeated steps to get it just right. Hmmm……so what will be the first main entree on the grill? Whatever it is will have to wait until the outdoor temperatures pick up and there’s less wind. Instead, I whipped a delicious twist on Brussels sprouts. Jeff’s never understood the renaissance of the Brussels sprout, since it seems that most cooks just want to cover up the flavor with fancy sauces, bacon, cheese, etc. I don’t have fond memories either of the sprouts of yesteryear….bitter and boiled. Traumatic memories actually (sorry mom). But doesn’t it seem they’re less bitter than they used to be? Well, it’s not all in my head since I found out that the Brussels sprout has gone through a little transformation, chemically. Since the 1990’s, chemists began developing new strains of sprouts that didn’t contain the bitter chemical, Glucosinolate and hope I'm not supporting GMO methods by buying them. Glucosinolate is present in broccoli and cauliflower to name a few. I too, have recently gotten on the bandwagon in how to enhance these little, less bitter mini cabbages. Tonight’s version…..Panko Battered Brussels Sprouts with a sweet and spicy sauce. Little did I know just how involved this new version would take between the batter, the panko and the sauce. In the end, I wished I had added a bit more flavor to the batter, not just the sauce. Final score…..a 7 out of 10.