A Weekend Trip Menu
2 Days of Cooking in Joshua Tree
2 days of Cooking in Joshua Tree
Hello lovely people, I am so so so happy to be headed back home to LA in a couple of days, which means we have finally made it to my last post before I dive into some new fall recipes. (!)
I love putting these weekend trip menus together— this is one I made last year for my birthday in Joshua Tree. All of these dishes fed 6 and then some, and were perfectly cozy comfort meals for chilly November nights out in the desert.
Night 1 — peanut noodles w. scallions + crushed peanuts & Spicy crushed cucumber salad (doubled everything)
I like more of an intense set of flavors with the cucumbers, so I make the linked recipe as opposed to the plain cucumbers pictured. I usually make this sauce in advance and store it in a mason jar because it makes packing for the trip so much easier: you don't have to bring 8 individual condiments. This one is always a hit with friends, so easy for solo cooking, and perfect after a late night out. 🥢
with Honey, miso & soy glazed salmon
This is one that I wing every single time: I start with a couple Tbsp. of honey, soy or coconut aminos and 1 tsp. of miso paste, and whisk to combine. I’ll add in a few generous pours of sesame oil to thin it out and taste as I go, opting for more miso if it needs more tang, and more honey to even it all out. If I’m not pairing it with the spicy cucumbers, I’ll add a tsp. of gochujang paste to the glaze. Once it’s tasting nice and balanced, I add the salmon to a foil-covered sheet pan and evenly coat the fillets (1.5 lbs. or so sliced into a few even pieces: if you’re serving this with noodles and cucumbers, you won’t need a ton). Then I’ll roast in the oven at 350º for 14-19 minutes, checking until it’s reached around 130ºF internally.
Morning 1 — Blueberry cornmeal pancakes & Latkes with chivey sour cream (no need to double)
These pancakes are a trip staple: they’re so fluffy and substantial for a group. They do take a while to make as they need a bit on the stovetop what with consisting of such a thick batter, but no one’s ever mad about the wait. For the sour cream served with the latkes, I just swirl in a few Tbsp. of thinly sliced chives, a pinch or two of flaky salt, some good grassy olive oil and several twists of freshly ground black pepper.
Night 2 — Quick Ragü with ricotta and lemon (No need to doublE)
One of my faves from the NYT: so easy to get the sauce simmering while you hang out and then assemble without a huge focus on presentation.
served with Proscuitto, pears & Basil
This is a sort of a no-recipe-recipe in the sense that you’re simply stacking the following on top of a few (3) pears that are not super soft but also not super firm, somewhere in the middle: 1-2 tsp blue cheese (per pear), some prosciutto or spanish jamon, a basil leaf (about 12 total), some aleppo pepper or chile flakes, honey for drizzling, and some freshly ground black pepper.
and a Little Gem geen caesar + spicy herby breadcrumbs (I always double this)
This is the salad to end all salads: sometimes I make it with the pancetta and sometimes I make it without. Either way, a lovely addition to this caesar is the spicy herby breadcrumb whose recipe you can find here.
Final Breakfast
Kept it simple with soft folded eggs, toast griddled on a buttery skillet (+ a little pecorino mountain, not pictured here, unfortunately) and thick-cut bacon before getting out on the road!