New Additions to the Truck!!

     As you may have figured out, the food truck is our only means of transportation this summer.  I just don’t picture The Carmalts rolling up to a restaurant and asking someone to valet the beast (plus that may be illegal), nor can I imagine parallel parking on a busy city street when we want to go to dinner or run a quick errand.  Although the stares, comments and questions we get when we arrive somewhere in this thing are delightful; at 26’ long x 9’ wide x 10’3” high, the size can be a bit of a hassle.  Cabs can get expensive, and walking can be a slow venture, THUS the need for some bicycles!

Luke's New Ride

     Low and behold, the latest and greatest addition to the food truck.  After walking about 8 miles to see the Old Mill District and Downtown Bend, visit breweries, walk through Drake Park and walk along Deschutes River, we seriously considered the need to buy some used bikes for the remainder of the tour.  We had scratched the plan to get bikes after a long and busy week in Seattle, and a concern about space available in the back of the truck.  However, once we unloaded our 1,400+ bananas in Seattle along with boxes of other goodies – space didn’t seem to be as much of an issue.  So while in Bend, we bit the bullet and bought these beautiful bikes!!

Leah's New Ride

     These beauties didn’t set us back much, and were much needed to get us through this summer without sore feet and worn out shoes.  Plus, they fit nicely in the aisle of the food truck and can easily be bungeed to the prep table when we are in motion so we don’t lose them out the back of the truck on our long hauls!

 I think (and hope) these will come in handy all summer, but for the time being, we are super excited about this new addition to our tour this summer.

OH YES - Another addition:

Bobby the Banana in inflatable form also managed to make it onto the truck.  He stands on his own and is about two feet tall.  I can only imagine with that big grin and widespread arms he must be thinking, (high, squeaky voice) "I love you thisssssss much!"

Peel the Love Bobby.

A Day in Seattle

The Pike Place Fish Co, aka Fish Flingers

I didn't have much time to do it, but I managed to be touristy while in Seattle and What a GREAT Day it was!  Unfortunately, Lucas had to work, so I explored Seattle solo, but I met some wonderful people and had such a fabulous time!  Some highlights are below, but I definitely would love to come back to see some other areas of Washington in the future!

Pike Place Market
I could spend hours walking around the market.  Between the flinging fish and the flourishing flowers, I was so pleased walking around, sampling, and seeing so many different talented artists, farmers, fish flingers and so on.  They truly have everything at the market and it is no wonder it is such an attraction.
The Peel the Love truck even made an appearance (a drive by to pick me up)! 

I spent the whole morning at Pike Place Market and managed to get lost multiple times.  It is a bit of a maze and I would go up a set of stairs and come down somewhere completely different.  Wandering leads to new discoveries! One such discovery was the garlic spears pictured on the right.  They look like asparagus with a clove of garlic at the top and apparently taste like a mix of asparagus and artichoke with a hint of roasted garlic flavor.  The woman said the season is so short, they aren't something you see all the time, but I hope to try it sometime soon.  Too bad I don't have an actual kitchen!
Another discovery was the chile pepper and garlic decor I stumbled across at a fruit stand pictured below.  It couples as decor and a place to dry peppers, plus it is beautiful!  Had I not been traveling in a food truck all summer, I definitely would have taken one with me.  Don't worry, I got their card so I can order one in the future!  

A French Bakery - I didn't indulge, but I had to get a pic of that bread!

Guess what this is??  Fresh Cheese!  From Beechers on Pike Street.  The samples were yummy!

I also stumbled across a true Carmalt gem.  A map store with more maps than you could ever imagine.  Hiking maps, traveling maps, antique maps, globes, puzzle maps, map cards....it was truly a Carmalt dream.  If you haven't figured it out yet, Carmalts love maps (and many of them basically have all major roads in the U.S. memorized...).  I was SO sad Lucas wasn't with me to appreciate this find, because as a Carmalt via marriage, I haven't quite found the same map passion as the rest of the family. (But I am working on it)!!

The Original Starbucks
So I had two easy goals in mind.  1. Get coffee at the Original Starbucks and 2. Walk around Pike Market.  I got to the market and my first stop was Starbucks.  It had a beautiful interior with a great chalkboard menu and a wall of coffee bags from various countries.  What a hit!  I ordered a tall Pike Place Reserve since it is only available at the market.  All I could think the whole time is, how is this place not more crowded?  I texted my Dad a picture and he was so proud of my life decision to enjoy coffee at the Original.

Fast forward two hours.  After lunch I overhear a man giving a couple some directions to the Original Starbucks...down the hill (but I had come from the Starbucks up the hill...).  Oops!!  Wrong Starbucks! I clarified directions and thought, DANG!  I didn't even get coffee from the Original.  I needed to go though, so I went by to see it.  The line was out the door, cardboard boxes became the window and wall decor - I imagine because it is so swamped all day they can't stock product fast enough - and it was not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as the faux Original that I clearly mistook for the real deal.  All in all, I am glad I went by - but head to the Starbucks on 1st. Ave.  I enjoyed it ten times more than the Original!

Underground Tour
So I went under the streets of Seattle and learned all about the original city and the way it was rebuilt after the fire of 1988.  It was really interesting and a great way to waste an hour - but maybe not worth the $16.  One thing I did love learning about was the skylights that were built in the old buildings, that now are part of the sidewalks of Seattle.  I had noticed the purple glass in the sidewalk as I was walking in Pioneer Square earlier in the day, and here I come to find out it use to be sky lights from the old buildings!  So cool.  As we were underground learning about it, people were walking above us and I was convinced the sidewalk was going to fall through and kill everyone below.  But it was fascinating and beautiful in an underground, musky, rat infested tunnel sort of way.  =)
The tour was close to an end, and I started day dreaming about The Crumpet Shop I had seen in the Market earlier in the day, so I ditched the tour early and hustled up to The Crumpet Shop before it closed at 3:30.

The Crumpet Shop
I arrived to the shop at 3:20 and low and behold, they stop selling fresh crumpets at 3:00!  Such a disappointment...I really could have gone for some high tea and crumpets and pretended like I was British at that point in the afternoon.  All that was left of that days crumpets was a four pack of plain crumpets to take home.  The person selling the crumpets did a great job marketing them...
"They are made with water, flour, salt and yeast.  They are pretty plain and spongey which is why we sell them with savory sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches."  Wow lady- you must really love crumpets since you are telling me they are bland and terrible...
Determined to try them and ignoring the lackluster sales pitch, I bought them for breakfast the next day.
Holy Smokes!  They are delicious!  Toasted with some butter and jam.  I am officially a crumpet fan!

WINE TASTING
After getting my crumpets and walking along a super touristy waterfront, I couldn't decide what to do for two hours before the truck could come pick me up, THEN I remembered the Truffle Shop I had visited earlier that had cheap wine tastings.  Yes Please!  It was 5:00 in Colorado!

I headed back to the truffle shop and had the most delightful wine tasting with a woman named Anne.  She filled me in on how great truffles are, why they are so expensive and how she ended up at the truffle shop sampling wines after  going back to school to study wine when her kids were older.  She was so friendly and she loved hearing about my adventure too!  On a separate note, she mentioned that she has competitive dinner parties with her friends which sounded right up my alley. Amy - I gave her the sgiorppino recipe to bust out at her next dinner party - guaranteed to be a hit!

The wine tasting was 3 pours - but she gave me 6!  She had to take a call about having a tasting for some truffle-loving chefs from Tokyo and she felt bad for keeping me waiting.  Fine by me!

The wines and the company was fantastic and it was such a nice way to end the day.  One of the Washington Wines was a red blend - super delicious - and this was the back of the label.  I found it fitting given my current summer employment!  I also had a woman tell me yesterday that you need to take every adventure you possible can, and Lucas and I certainly are living one out right now.

Missing everyone but loving this crazy adventure!

Life is Short, 
Take a Chance...
Cheers!

Grilled Banana S'Mores - A Featured Recipe on the Tour

Grilled Banana?       Whaaaaat?       How does that work?      What is the secret?
These are the many questions we get when we tell people we are sampling our Grilled Banana S'Mores.

Although there may be doubt at first, the typical reaction is:
"DELICIOUSNESS" and "YUM" and "HOLY SMOKERAMA GIVE ME MORE!!."  I guess nobody has technically said, "Holy Smokerama Give Me More" out loud, but I know that this is the deep down, whole-hearted personal reaction to these tasty treats.

There are many reasons why you must try these at home whether you are or are not a stop along the Peel the Love tour.

1. Ooey, Gooey Goodness.  When the banana comes off of the grill, the inside is a sweet and custardy flavor and is also very soft.  The natural sugars from the banana become the star of the S'more and are a much better compliment to the graham cracker and chocolate square than a roasted marshmallow.

2. Healthier!! I don't know about you all, but I am not a big fan of marshmallows to begin with, but I LOVE me some bananas!!  So much so, that I still am eating them every morning for breakfast despite the fact that I am surrounded by bananas (and their smell) all day every day.  Bananas are so healthy compared to marshmallows and they are something you are more likely to have around the house!  I always say, "If it doesn't go bad, it isn't good for you."  Can someone remind me how long it takes a marshmallow to go bad?  Foreverrrrrrrrrr.  Bananas?  About 5-7 days.  Anyway, the point is, the Grilled Banana S'more tastes better and is better for you!

3. At Home OR At the Campfire:  I typically don't eat S'mores unless I am camping, because that is the only time I buy or use marshmallows, yet I love s'mores.  Using the banana instead of the marshmallow makes them more accessible as a dessert at home, even if you don't have a campfire roaring in your back yard. At the same time, it is just as easy to pack a banana for a camping trip as it is to pack a bag of marshmallows that you probably won't finish.

All in all - it is a win win situation with the Grilled Banana S'more.  Plus, it is easy!  The recipe is below, so give it a try - or visit us on the tour somewhere - and I promise you will fall in love.

Grilled Banana S'mores
Ingredients & Supplies:
- 6 bananas, still in the peel
  (Ripe bananas are best - "cheetah" bananas if you will.  Bananas without brown flecks are okay too).
- Graham Crackers, each sheet split in half
- Chocolate Squares 
- A grill, a bowl, a small spoon

Directions:
1. Place unpeeled bananas right on the grill rack on medium/high heat. Grill each side for 10 minutes or until the bananas are black and very very soft (the peel may split and some sugars may ooze from the peel).
2.  With tongs, take the grilled bananas off the grill - those suckers get super hot!
3. Peel, Ooze, Squish the bananas into a bowl.  This is super easy because the grilled bananas slip right out of the peel.
4. Stir with a spoon so they are easily spreadable.
5. Spread on a graham cracker, top with a chocolate square and sandwich with another graham cracker.
6. Eat before the chocolate melts all over our fingers!!


You won't want to eat your standard S'more again.  These have been a hit on the tour - and don't worry, I have been able to sneak some for myself too!

P.S.  Check out Dole Bananas at your local grocery store and see if they have the Peel the Love sticker!!


PEEL THE LOVE!!

Launching of Love and Flinging of Bananas

Whew!  It has been quite the week / weekend getting this tour off the ground!  I must apologize to those of you receiving an email from me recently.  I went back to re-read some of my emails and BOY did I not edit that before sending.  I was a bit tired at that point in time, but if you are reading this it means you made it to the correct blog address!

Our first fill up of the 50 gallon tank!

 For those of you that heard about the bridge collapse in Seattle, no, we were not involved.  Ironically, I have a fear of drowning and falling from bridges into water while driving.  Irrational, I know.  But, as we drove in to Seattle I had asked Lucas about the way the truck doors lock from the inside because I was thinking, "What would we do if we went over a bridge in this thing??"  Sure enough, the next morning we heard the story about the bridge on I-5!  Bad timing.  My heart goes out to the people that were involved, but man-o-man that did that make me nervous!

On Thursday, we picked up the Peel the Love truck from the airport and finally had a chance to feel how the thing drives!  It wasn't too bad, although getting used to how wide we are will take some time.  We basically take up an entire lane.  It is nice sitting so high above everyone else...so much so that we can't see anyone as they drive past to see their reaction to how bright we are.  It was fun to finally get to drive around, fill up with gas for the first time, and discover that our windshield definitely leaks when it rains!  That will be fixed soon though.

Lucas also discovered the great acoustics that compliments our truck.  We anticipate there will be some great singing sessions during our longer road trips...maybe we can get a video of that at some point.  We also "get to" stop at weight stations!  Riding at 14,050 lbs. qualifies you for a weigh station stop, so that should be an experience!  Don't worry, some quality trucker hats are on the list of things we need to purchase sooner rather than later.

Bed full of t-shirts

Otherwise, we have been doing a lot of shopping, organizing of the truck and figuring out how to clean dishes since the sink on our truck is relatively small.  Oh yes, I also sorted 1000s of t-shirts in my hotel room.  The picture shown is a birds eye view of the queen bed at our hotel...the bed is there somewhere!  There is a lot to figure out but we are starting to get some systems down so our sampling days are like a well oiled, but very delicious, running machine.

1,400 DOLE Bananas

We also loaded up our food truck with 1,400 bananas....and no, that is not a typo.  With 15 boxes stacked every which way, we arrived with 1,400 bananas on the truck for the first event.  We served 1,000s of samples and still had plenty of boxes on our truck.  We are constantly surrounded by bananas but I can't say I mind it so much.  I was worried about the smell, but so far that hasn't been a problem.

Our first event has gone really well and I will be blogging about that it my next post, but we have also had some time to see the city of Seattle, walk around the Northwest Folklife Festival (where our first event took place), see Luke's wonderful cousins, eat some local Seattle fare and also met some great people.  I wish I could write about it all right now, but I really like the idea of going to bed.  So I will show some photos instead!

The first brewery we tried of the summer.  Delicious!! In Kent, WA.

Puppets and guitars at the Folklife Festival

Space Needle 

Pikes Place - I finally got my own pic of the sign! 

I was tired and this seemed like a good idea...

The gum wall....so gross, yet so cool!!

One of the many garages under The Pike Brewing Co. 

Clara - our cousin, doing some dancing with her flower balloon!

Our last day at the Northwest Folklife Festival is tomorrow and I will post about it then, so be on the lookout!

For now, I will leave you with this:

Blue Diamond Almonds is a 100 year old company and is a co-op.  They work with 3,000 almond farmers from California for all of their almonds and work closely with them to make their snack almonds, Nut Thins, and Almond Breeze delicious!!

Good night and Peel the Love!!

The Peel The Love Tour!!

     It must have been fate when I created this blog, because my husband and I are about to embark on the most adventurous Gourmet Getaway of all!  This summer we will be seeing the country - from coast to gulf to coast - on a food truck!  Traveling to events, museums, festivals, science centers, zoos, and various grocery stores, we will be sampling my favorite fruit ever...BaNaNaS!!  
     Considering I already eat a banana just about every day, love a delicious smoothie, enjoy traveling and cooking, aim to live a healthy life and love talking to people - the tour was just too good to be true! Bananas, promoting healthy lifestyles and some adventure mixed in...this tour was designed for someone like Lucas and me!

 In addition to Dole Bananas, we will also be sampling Almond Breeze almond milk made by Blue Diamond Almonds, and combining bananas and various flavors of Almond Breeze to dish up some tasty and unique recipes!  It turns out bananas are a great addition to salads, and the chocolate almond milk made by Almond Breeze is out of this world.  I can go into details later, but this is just an intro into this adventure of ours!



The Truck:
    Since choosing to be tour managers for the Peel the Love Tour, the food truck has been referred to as many different things - The Banana Boat, The Banana Bus, The Banana Truck, The Banana Mobile, etc.  
     Also, many questions such as - 
Is it shaped like a banana? No...
Is it big? YES.... 
Is it yellow?...Not exactly, but more exciting than yellow... 
Will you live in the truck?  Nope.

Low and behold, our newest companion and home away from home for the summer:

The Getaway:

     During the summer we will be traveling to the following cities via food truck, and hopefully seeing some great sites in between each stop!  We begin our tour in Seattle and finish in New York with many cities along the way.  If you have any suggestions for things to do in these cities, please comment at the end of this post:
Seattle...
Sacramento...
Los Angeles...
Phoenix....
Houston....
Des Moines....
Baltimore / DC ....
New York

The Gourmet:
     I will go into details about each recipe as we make our way through the tour, but below is a list of the food we will be sampling at events:
1. Pineapple Banana Coconut Smoothie
2. Chocolate Monkey Smoothie (with chocolate, peanut butter and banana)
3. Frozen Banana Pudding Pops
4. Grilled Banana S'mores
5. Grilled Bananas with Sundae Bar Toppings
6. Thai Peanut Banana Salad (yup, banana salad)!

     If you are interested in following our travels, seeing photos, learning about Dole bananas and Almond Breeze almond milk, and staying in touch this summer...this is the place to be!  I will do my best to update a couple times per week and will also provide recipes, banana and almond fun facts and general updates about our travels.  Please add comments below or shoot us emails during the summer, because we will surely miss everyone!

By the way - Did You Know?!?! - The average person eats 28 pounds of bananas a year!
We will probably eat 28 pounds on this tour alone!

Have a wonderful summer, keep your eyes peeled for our new ride trucking along the interstates, and if you are in a city where we will be, please stop by and say hello!  In the meantime...

PEEL THE LOVE!!

Brown Butter Tortellini with Kale & Peas

Props to Real Simple for this recipe that is, well....really simple!  Go figure.  Now that I have made it, I was bummed that I tried this one on a Saturday night because it is soooooo simple, yet satisfying!  It easily took less than 30 minutes from the time I decided to cook until the time we sat down to eat, which in my book is the best kind of meal for a weekday after hanging out with third graders all day!  Plus, it was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 16 to 19 oz. Bag of frozen cheese tortellini (not frozen would work too but is more expensive)
• 1 C Frozen peas
• 4 T Butter (I used salted, but go for unsalted if your body dislikes excess sodium)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 Bag of Spinach OR 1 Stalk of Kale, stems removed and torn into bite size pieces
• 1 t Lemon Zest (if you are lazy/don't have a lemon, feel free to omit but add more lemon juice)
• 1 T Lemon Juice
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to the package directions (Takes about 5 mins once the water boils)
2. With 1 minute remaining on the tortellini, add in the cup of frozen peas.  Strain.
3. Meanwhile, warm a large skillet over medium heat and brown the butter.  To brown the butter, melt the butter in the skillet and allow time to heat for 2-3 minutes.  Watch out for splashes and use a splash guard as the butter heats.  Once it slightly browns and has a nutty fragrance it is good to go.  Be careful not to burn the butter!
4. Once butter is melted, add in the leafy greens and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until your greens are wilted.  About 5 minutes.
5. Once your tomatoes are cooked and greens are wilted remove from heat.  Add the cooked tortellini and peas to the skillet and mix together.  
6. Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
7. Serve warm!  Piece of cake, right?!

P.S.  My husband said it reminded him of his families Christmas Sugar Cookie recipe but trust me, it does not taste like sugar cookies.  I guess he just associates lemon zest and butter with Christmas cookies?  Regardless, try this one!!

Bon Appetit!

Spicy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

     Thanks to the encouragement of my dear friend Angela, I have decided to do some procrastinating and post about these delicious enchiladas instead of attempting to be productive in other areas of my life.  Food is always a priority in my life.  Trust me, the first planning I do for each day or week begins with the food I will be consuming.  Therefore, I decided the other things I planned on doing would just have to wait a few minutes.  People need to eat!

     I am so pleased I decided to try these beauties.  Enchilada recipes in my life tend to fall into two extreme categories: 1. Way too Plain or 2. Way too Crazy.   My Mom makes a delicious, yet rather simple, enchilada recipe which I go to when I am seeking traditional, and the other enchiladas I have made involve pumpkin cream or delicious Asian inspired flavors.  If you don't believe me, check out the Pumpkin Cream Enchiladas or the Thai Chicken Enchiladas.  This recipe, however, falls nicely in between those extremes.  Thank goodness my husband asked me to try something fairly traditional but with more flair (aka more sauce and more spice).  The recipe below meets that criteria to a T.

     The recipe below is from the Colorado Classique cookbook which is a favorite among many of my friends and family members.  I can honestly say I have never made or eaten a recipe from this cookbook that was not 100% satisfying.  So if you like this recipe, GET THE COOKBOOK.  You won't be sorry.

     Anyway, onto the good stuff.  The cheesy sauce pairs nicely with the spicy jalapenos...and grilling the chicken adds some nice flair.  Nothing beats the flavor of grill.  That sounds gross, but you know what I mean.  =)  Plus, the black beans add the perfect touch to bring each bite together in perfect palate harmony.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we did.  They are certainly going to be a dish I go back to time and time again (although, my Mom's will always be popular in the recipe books as well).

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:

• 1/2 C onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 t coriander, ground
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1 t cumin, ground
• 2 T butter (or you can sub olive oil to make it healthier)
• 3 T flour
• 8 oz. sour cream (I use light, but if you love the real deal, go for it!)
• 2-1/2 C chicken broth (round up or down if that makes life easier)
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced fine with seeds (I use seeds from 1 but not both, but I like mild)*
• 4 oz. can of diced green chiles
• 1 C cheese, shredded (Mexican, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack for more spice)

*For the jalapenos, I used fresh, but the cookbook I used calls for a 4oz. can of jalapenos.

Enchiladas:

• 4 chix breasts, halved (so they grill faster), grilled and cut into bite size pieces*
• 8 medium flour tortillas
• A 15oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 C cheese, use the same that you use in the sauce
• 1 C chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 C sliced green onions

*For the chicken, I make the breast thinner before my husband grills for easier cooking.  I marinated the chicken breast with a small amount of olive oil and some salt and pepper, but they don't need much because the enchiladas are very flavorful.


DIRECTIONS:

1.  Grill the chicken ahead of time if possible.  If you are feeling lazy, you can cook the chicken ahead of time with another method, but I highly recommend grilling.
2. Preheat the oven to 350.
3. In a large sauce pan, saute the onions and spices for the sauce in the butter (or olive oil if you prefer).  Cook until the onions are tender.
4. Meanwhile, stir together the flour, and sour cream.
5. When the onions are tender, add the flour/sour cream mixture to the saucepan and mix well.
6. Stir in the broth, jalapenos and canned chiles.  Stir the mixture until it thickens and the sour cream and flour smooths out.  This can take about 10 minutes.
7. Once smooth, remove the sauce mixture from heat and stir in the 1 C of cheese. 
8. Set aside.
9. Once all your other ingredients are prepped, set up a space to assemble the enchiladas.  I usually have one plate piled with tortillas, one plate where I wrap, and the greased Pyrex all in a row.
10. Mix 1/2 cup of the prepared sauce with your grilled chicken in a small bowl
11. In each enchilada add a spoon full of the chicken, a spoonful each of black beans, diced tomatoes, green onions and a pinch of cheese. 
12. Roll up the enchilada and place it seam side down in the 9x13x2 baking dish.  This helps to keep the tortillas rolled while you fill the others.
13. Once all your tortillas are filled, top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
14. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Begin checking around 25 minutes to make sure the cheese isn't burning, and if you run into problems with too much browning, cover the pan with foil for the remaining bake time.
15. Allow time for the enchiladas to cool slightly, then serve warm and garnish with more green onions and tomatoes if you have some left.  Otherwise, it is delicious as is!

P.S. The series premiere of "The Taste" is on tonight and you can bet I will be tuning into that new show!  Get people to enjoy your dish in one bite?  I imagine that could be tricky!

Bon Appetit!