Vacation, Grilled Food, and a Place in the Hammer

I only get a couple of vacation weeks a year, so I took my first week off the last week of April. Jihan managed to get the same week off, and we had both business and pleasure to take care of during that week. We did the pleasure part first, going up to a small rented cottage in Minden, Ontario, with our bikes on the back of the car. Friday and the weekend we used to look for a new place in Hamilton, our old hometown.

Though vacation week, after a sunny, summery week, turned out to be fairly cool, we did manage to get a little cycling and hiking done.

A lot of people neither like to engage in physical activities like cycling and hiking during their vacations, nor spend much time cooking for themselves. For them vacations are about complete relaxation. We like to be active in nature and get creative with our cooking.

Because of the somewhat cool and wet weather, and the barbecue's unsheltered location, we decided to use our electric CuisinArt griddle and grill for coconut milk pancakes (like the coconut milk crepes, only a little thicker) in the morning and wonderful grilled creations in the evening.

One evening I grilled up some veggie burgers, giant mushrooms (size and shape like portobello, but white), and sliced zucchini. I put the grilled veggie burgers and barbecue-slathered giant mushrooms inside rosemary ciabatta buns (grilled lightly after putting on vegan mayonnaise), together with mustard, slices of vegan jalapeno cheese, organic kosher-dill pickles, onion, and fresh tomato. On the side we had the grilled zucchini and a simple baby spinach and red bell pepper salad. Jihan made the salad and the dressing that went with it.

Another evening I grilled sweet corn on the cob, more veggie burgers, and barbecued veggie kebabs made of  king oyster mushroom, onion, zucchini and red bell pepper slices. I drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the kebabs as they grilled, before basting them with barbecue sauce. On the corn on the cob we simply put a little unsalted margarine and sea salt.

Also in Minden, we discovered a cafe that, while neither entirely vegetarian nor vegan, was owned and operated by a young woman and her father who were very open and willing to veganise dishes. I'll write about the Gravity House Cafe Coffee House separately.

After we returned from the cottage we spent a couple of days in Hamilton to look for a new place. The hammer, as it's sometimes called, is our old hometown, and it happens to be halfway between where I work and where Jihan will study in the coming year. I'm sure the new place in Hamilton will be referenced on this blog in the coming months, as will the city itself.

Comments

[vegan cowgirl]

Do you really think that most folks don't engage in activity over holiday? I can't imagine using free time to sit and loaf.

There are some great holiday stays in Portland and here in France and Germany - organic farms where you pay for your stay with some hard core farming.

We are headed to Italy this summer for our hiking holiday, and Canada next summer for a cross canada trek!!!

The food looks great.
What is Jihan up to these days?

Best to you both!

[Abram Bergen]

Well, a number of people I spoke to seemed very impressed that we were going cycling on vacation. "Oh wow! You're so active," they remarked. Most of them talked about resorts in Mexico or Cuba when vacation came up. And Jihan was talking to her hairdresser just before vacation, telling her about our planned trip, who said her idea of vacation was 'beach, sun, sand, and maybe some swimming,' not cycling or hiking. Seriously, those are the reactions we get.

I think we are in a distinct demographic when it comes to our activity choices during vacation. I would think, though I haven't done a survey or asked many people, that veg*ns as a category would be more of our mindset in this regard than non-veg*ns. When we vacation, we like to connect and engage with nature, and with people, rather than escape into highly artificial, fake, and ultimately hollow oases simply to relax.

[andrea z]

I'm with you on the active vs. restful vacation. Our favorite vacations were spent camping and hiking in scenic places. (many of them in your beautiful country) Now that our vacation destinations are a little more restrained by family obligations, we still try to fit hiking and lots of activity into our trips.

I don't remember our vacation "cooking" looking as good as yours!