So, as you know, I am car camping in Joshua Tree this weekend, which is apparently a far cry from the Survivor-esque backpacking we did when I was a kid. I remember tramping through the mountains with a 50lb backpack, eating little packages of freeze-dried astronaut food, and spending countless hours packing my tent and sleeping bag into ridiculously tiny waterproof bags. This weekend will be different – a little more civilized, I suspect. I’ve packed my french press, for starters!
Anyways, we designed a menu about a week ago, and everyone was responsible for a few meals. The fare includes corn cakes with preserves, Mia’s dad’s fresh french bread, cherry pie, grilled sausage sandwiches, a full English breakfast spread, and my home-made marinara sauce, below!
I may have mentioned it before, but I have a mild obsession with making pasta sauce. I LOVE pasta sauce. The pasta itself, I could take it or leave it. But a good pasta sauce, just give me a spoon and I’m happy…well, some chianti wouldn’t hurt, either. My sauce is pretty basic, with some exceptions – I like to use heirloom tomatoes, I think they have a richer flavor, and I use a dark brown molasses sugar instead of….well, I don’t know what kind of sugar a traditional marinara has, but I think it has some?
(p.s. I have to apologize for the picture quality, my little kitchen is dark and cave-like, especially at night.)
