HIKING the RUBICON TRAIL plus… avocado boats with shrimp and cucumber!
joy of nesting
My baby treated me to a week in Lake Tahoe recently. We hiked, swam, and ate entirely too much but no matter. With all the activity I managed to lose a little weight and came back with a killer tan.
I had never hiked around this part of Lake Tahoe before. Last year, we hiked around Emerald Bay but the views of this portion of the lake are especially lovely.
In person, the water is the most amazing shades of turquoise and cobalt. With a purported 100 feet of visibility you can see the large granite boulders along the coastline, just beneath the surface of the water.
I am much too wimpy to swim in snow melt water but we did take a dip in Harrah’s heated hotel pool everyday. And some splendid naps were had on the lake front beach. One evening we had an outdoor dinner at the Beach Cafe’ just steps away from where we napped in the sand. The Greek salad with salmon was amazing. The wine list was not. I noticed our neighbors had a bottle of Raymond red but when I inquired, I was told they had “brought their own”.
One evening we found a sidewalk cafe serving Cesar salads and pizza and another night we went to the top of Harrah’s and waited the 45 minutes to have their buffet. I loaded up on fresh shrimp, pineapple, and sushi. David had three helpings of prime rib. How does he stay so thin!
The walking stick is to fend off bears. I’ve been petrified of bears since I was a pre-teen and heard about the grizzly bear attacking and killing three teenagers in their sleeping bags.
The best part about hiking is that you get a really great workout without even knowing it. You are so enraptured with the scenery, you forget you’re exercising. It builds up a great appetite and is a nice bonding experience for partners.
Our hike around Fallen Leaf Lake produced some beautiful images too. We saw lots of Salvia, wild roses, and Indian paintbrush. For some reason the shallow waters near the damn created some interesting shots.
Right before we left for Lake Tahoe my refrigerator broke down. I have been home without a refrigerator since Sunday and have been subsisting on odds and ends. One little meal I made was quite nice and I wanted to share it. I’ve dressed it up a bit for readers…
Avocado Boats with Shrimp and Cucumber
Romaine lettuce
Avocado
Shrimp
Red onion
Fresh lemon juice
Olive oil
Cucumber
Cocktail sauce with horseradish
Create a bed of romaine lettuce and dress with fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, and plenty of fresh ground sea salt and pepper. Place avocado halves on lettuce bed and fill with good quality shrimp cut into 1″ chunks, finely chopped onion, and peeled and seeded cucumbers cut into chunks. Serve with cocktail sauce liberally spiked with fresh lemon juice for dipping.
This is a perfect summer meal, deliciously tangy and cool.
August 10, 2011
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