So before we hit the road for this current North American tour, I went down to my folks house for a couple of days and enjoyed the countryside, spending time with my dog, and cooking up a storm.
Good quality local produce, a kitchen with utensils that I only dream of having when on the road, and time to come up with recipes. One of which I thought I’d share with you whilst I’m feeling a little homesick sitting in a carpark by the interstate in Billings, Montana on our way to Sasquatch Music Festival. Apart from the shows which have been a lot of fun, we’ve managed to fit in some fun activities as we’ve travelled across the mid-west, including sailing on lake michigan, and shooting in Bismarck.
The Alternative Full English Fry Up
We all know the British cliches - Bad Teeth, Drink loads of tea, and fry our breakfasts in lots of Butter and Salt. The Builders Breakfast, The Full English, The Ten Deadly Sins (Streaky Bacon, Sausages, Baked Beans, Fried Bread, Black Pudding, Eggs, Hash Browns, Fried Mushrooms, Kidneys, Tomatoes). And the idea behind this massive breakfast was that it sets you up for the day, gives you the fuel to power through till tea time.
But I always find that after I eat all of these different things, my body’s exhausted and I spend the day wishing I’d eaten a lighter breakfast.
So this is what I’m proposing:
Back Bacon
Eggs
Tomatoes
Garlic
Lettuce
Potatoes
Onions
Creme Fraiche
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Step One:
Peel the Potatoes and place them in a pan of boiling water. Chop up the Onions and fry them off in Olive Oil. Keep stirring the onions so as not to boil them.
Step Two:
Wash the Lettuce and tomatoes. Make a bed of lettuce on a plate. Finely slice the tomatoes and garlic and lay on top of the lettuce. Dress with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.
Step Three:
Whisk up the eggs, I usually allow 2 per person, add in a lump of creme fraiche and continue to whisk up. Add salt and pepper and if you have it dried italian seasoning.
Step Four:
Test the potatoes are boiled. Easiest way to do this is stick a fork into one of them, and if the fork goes into them and then the potato falls off as you try to pick it out the pan, they’re good. Drain off the water, and add the onions and another spoon of creme fraiche. Mash together as you would with mashed potatoes. Then with a large spoon, place this mixture back into the frying pan, so they make little cakes.
Fry off these home-made “hash browns” until brown and crispy on the outside.
Step Five:
Add some oil to the now available saucepan. Put back on low heat. Thrown in the whisked eggs, and keep regularly moving the eggs around with a wooden spoon as they heat up and solidify.
Step Six:
Place the cooked potato cakes (two per person) on top of the tomato salad base. Leaving space in the middle. The Frying pan will now be free to fry off the back bacon. Do that.
Step Seven:
In the gap between the potato cakes, spoon the now cooked Scrambled Eggs. Place the fried bacon on top of the lot.
Done.
If you’re in the doghouse and you fancy cooking your other half breakfast in bed, this will go down a treat. Or, if you’re back home from University and want to impress your parents by showing how well you can take care of yourself, again, this will go down a treat. Or, if you just want to have a breakfast that will fuel you up but not make you feel heavy, give this a try. Throw in some freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of tea or coffee and in the words of Markus Dravs… “Jobs a goodun”.
More actual recipes from road catering itself on their way but for now, I fancied giving you a taste of home.
We’re all well and happy. And to be honest, having the time of our lives. And as a bonus, whilst I’ve been writing this, Winston’s just gone and come back with the laundry. An especially good day in the M & S camp.
Love to everyone,
B x
PS. A lot of people seemed to appreciate the Matthew & The Atlas link I posted up last week. So I figured I might continue with some musical recommendations each week. The last few days I’ve really been enjoying listening to the album Swim by Whispertown 2000 especially the harmonies on their song Atlantis. These guys were recommended to me by our dear friend Alessi who has her own music here, Winston and I used to be in her Ark. Way back when.
