No actual cooking involved here, just soaking, chopping, and waiting. I finally tried sprouting seeds for the first time. It's incredibly simple and requires no special equipment (although they do sell special sprouting contraptions--not necessary). 


To Sprout Seeds:

• place 1/2 c lentils and 2 c water into a quart jar 
• cover the top with cheese cloth, thin dish towel, or mesh lid
• let sit over night
• the next drain the water off
• rinse and drain once a day, keep out of sunlight (I left mine on the kitchen counter away from windows)
• on the third day your sprouts will be ready

Mine began to sprout but never really took off even though I let them go for four days. I'll try a different location next time and see if I have anymore success. 

You can see sprouts starting to pop from the lentils.

Lentil Sprout and Cucumber Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

Recipe from Rawmazing

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juice from
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons mustard (I used dijon)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in bowl and whisk until the mixture starts to emulsify.

Salad:

• 2 cups sprouts (I used red lentils)
• 2 cups cucumbers, cubed
• 2 scallions, sliced

1. Toss together all salad ingredients.
2. Stir in vinaigrette and mix well.
3. Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes to meld flavors.

the obsession with Dillion eggs continues

Butte sunset, June 19.

Montana Living

Hello friends! I have arrived in MT and am settling in quite well. Although Butte is a small and slightly isolated city, finding quality food stores, fresh ingredients and friendly people has not been a problem. Below are some highlights from my first month.

   Yesterday was the summer solstice and the first day since I've been here (and since the new year I was told by locals) where the skies were completely clear all day. It was just a phenomenally beautiful day. They've had an unusually wet and cold spring this year, so it's felt more like the beginning of spring than the beginning of summer. With dawn at 5am and dusk at 10pm there was almost 17 hours of sunlight yesterday--my longest summer solstice ever! The long days leave plenty of light for after work adventures. The early mornings have proven challenging for my persistent internal clock. Days have been full with work, trail running, sunset watching, and delicious dinning (of course). 

The Butte Farmers' Market on Park St.

Beauteous eggs from Dillion. So colorful and SO DELICIOUS.

Hodge-podge scramble dinner made from local eggs.

Sausage, carrot, onion, kale, and rye berries w/ fresh (still warm)

 hola bread---by the new housemate Emily.

Emily is kind of a big deal.....

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. 

Cross Country

So this post is a little different from my usual. In my recent travels cross country I stumbled upon a few great restaurants and little niches. If you find yourself driving through any of these cities I recommend these stops. I took the northern route from Maryland to western Montana, logging about 2,500 miles.


Pittsburgh: Primanti Bros is a killer sandwich shop in the strip district just a few blocks from the water. All sandwich are loaded with french fries, cole slaw, and tomatoes. It's a perfect combo of salty and sweet. The Pittsburgh location was featured on an episode of Man vs Food which is how we ended up there.

Pittsburgh, view from the church where my cousin was married.

The Ruben.

Chicago: not only a clean and easy-going city, but also a drop dead delicious one. Beyond the Chicago dog and deep dish pizza, I found some other tasty native treats. Crumbs, between Franklin St and Wacker Dr, has every possible cupcake flavor you could ever imagine. If you're going to Sear's Tower you must stop by this place for a cupcake ad iced coffee. I highly recommend the half baked or cookies n' cream.

cupcake orgy

Rockit Bar & Grill has a great ambiance and features standard bar food but with a twist. The sweet potato fries come smothered in brown sugar. I highly recommend any sandwich that comes on a pretzel roll. You get a sample of the pretzel rolls in the bread basket too. 


If you don't know exactly what you're in the mood for go to Foodlife and you will become even more indecisive and might possibly leave a trail of drool as you wander from booth to booth. It's cafeteria style, featuring all cuisines. If you can't pick a dish just go for a crepe and call it a day. They're large enough to suffice for a meal. 

View from Sear's Tower.

Minnesota: Drove across the southern portion and crashed one night at a state park. Myre-Big Island State Park was exactly what a road weary traveler needs. Beautiful natural scenery, uncrowded campgrounds, friendly rangers, BALLER BATHROOMS/SHOWERS. There are short hiking trails near the campground and a nice paved bike trail around the lake. I stayed in the White Fox campground and payed $30 for the night. 

South Dakota: Badlands National Park was the highlight of the trip. $15 park entry fee + $15 camping. Sage Creek campground is free but it's way out of your way on the other side of the park, no water and no park staff. I suggest Cedar Pass...it's definitely worth the extra $ so you can rehydrate after a blazing hot day wandering the badlands. 

Wyoming: I stayed a night in Buffalo, WY after my longest day of driving. Buffalo is a small town with a lot of charm. The Indian Campground was a sweet find. Wifi, extremely clean showers, laundry, pool, and friendly staff all for $25/night. The Busy Bee Cafe was a great dinner stop that night. It sits right next to a creek and I listened to the gushing water next to the open windows while I relaxed inside.

pb&j and open road. what else could you want from life?

Happy travels my friends