Well that escalated quickly

+ Farro and Tomato Salad, BLTs with special sauce, Homemade Double Crust Blueberry Pie, Small Batch Cherry, Oatmeal, and Almond Cookies, Homemade Harissa Oil, and 2 super quick dinner ideas

To everyone new here, welcome. I’m Rebecca and this is the Let’s Get Lost newsletter. Many of you know me from my recipe websites, Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot. This newsletter comes out every Saturday morning and includes stories and photos from our life on the road plus a weekly menu of new recipes inspired by the places we visit and the people we meet.

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I got this print for Steve for his birthday. After I frame it, I think it might be one of the first things we put inside the cabin of our boat.

The last two weeks have a whirlwind around here, friends.

As I wrote about last week, we spent the last week of June taking American Sailing Association classes. Our intention was to learn how to sail then charter boats for the next few years until one day, maybe sometime in the future, we might want to buy one of our own and THEN one day, maybe sometime in the future, we might want to live on the boat a few months out of the year.

It was a reasonable plan. A slow, steady, careful transition.

But friends, I just don’t think we have that gear.

On Wednesday we put down a deposit on a 37-foot sailboat and leased a boat slip. It should be on the water next week and there’s a good possibility we’ll move onto it and live on the boat for the rest of the summer.

This escalation should not surprise us.

We started making plans to tour the country on our motorcycle months after Steve bought his first bike. We decided to move into an RV the day we realized it was possible. The first night in our 5th wheel was the first night we’d spent in any camper of any kind and we had already sold our house.

We are move fast and figure it out as we go kind of people which, I assure you, has some drawbacks. 😂 And also, it’s given us a rich history of experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything.

We are who we are. And we aren’t the kind of people who dream and never do.

We are in Colorado this weekend for a 50th anniversary party for Steve’s parents who are also not the kind of people who dream and never do. Like us, they got married young and then went about creating the kind of life they wanted.

They are an example of what it looks like to know who you are and go about living the kind of life you want. No excuses, complaints, or if onlys.

“Take what you want and pay for it, says God. You can have anything you want, as long as you accept that there is a price and you will have to pay it.” -Tana French, The Likeness

If everything goes according to plan, I’ll have pictures for you next week of the new-to-us boat.

How many of you are sailers? Have any of you lived on a boat? Please tell me about your experience! And may I reach out to you with questions???

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Cynthia Nims

was one of the people who was able to join Lori and I for our conversation about preserving family recipes and she sent over this post about a beloved-recipes potluck and a conversation about using a potluck to spark family storytelling. Both are worth sharing as I think you’ll enjoy them as much as I did.

Consider a Beloved-Recipes Potluck

Using a Potluck to Spark Family Storytelling with Cynthia Nims

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This week’s menu

Farro and Tomato Salad {with or without roast chicken}, BLTs with special sauce, and Homemade Double Crust Blueberry Pie.

PLUS Small Batch Cherry, Oatmeal, and Almond Cookies!

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Farro and Tomato Salad

*No recipe required: As with all no recipe required dishes, this is more of a formula than a recipe. Use more or less of anything and swap out the vegetables, cheese, or other ingredients as you like.

This is one of those quick summer salads that can be easily adapted to whatever you like or whatever you have. It’s a fantastic way to show off all those fresh summer tomatoes, but we also love the addition of chopped cucumber, bell pepper, sweet summer corn, or sliced radishes.

It’s also a great picnic or travel salad. One of the things I try to do on travel days, when we are driving across the country from one campground to another, is to pack our lunch. This ensures that we don’t succumb to fast food or truck stop food which always makes us feel lousy.

This salad is perfect for packing into jars and tucking into a cooler. My other favorite travel day salad is this pearl couscous salad which is also easy to adapt to whatever you have or whatever you like.

To add some extra protein, serve it with hard or soft boiled eggs, tuna or any kind of cooked seafood, or roast chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole grain farro

• 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) water

• Salt and pepper

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (*see note)

• Lemon juice, to taste - start with half of a lemon then add as much more as you like (I usually add 1 1/2 lemons because I LOVE all things citrus)

• 8-12 ounces cherry tomatoes or whole fresh tomatoes

• 3 ounces of capers or 1 cup of chopped olives (or use both!)

• Shredded Pecorino, pecorino Romano, or parmesan

• Fontina or fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes

• A generous handful of fresh basil, chopped

Instructions:

1. Add the farro to a fine mesh strainer and rinse it until cold water for a minute or two. Add about 6 cups of water to a saucepan and add enough salt to make the water taste slightly salty. Set it over high heat and add the farro when the water starts to boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Pour it back into the fine mesh strainer set inside the sink, rinse under cold water until cool, then leave in the sink to drain.

2. Stir some lemon juice into the olive oil and add about 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

3. If using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half. If using larger tomatoes, cut them into bite-size pieces. Add the tomatoes to a medium size bowl and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

4. Add the cooked farro, capers or olives, both kinds of cheese, and chopped basil. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over everything and stir to mix. Taste and add as much more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as you like.

Recipe notes:

This salad will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and even longer if you don’t add the tomatoes until serving time.

A couple of weeks ago I met

Lolly Martyn

in South Haven Michigan for dinner. Lolly is a Lost Supper Club member who lives in Italy and writes Weeknight Pasta from Italy. She was visiting family here in the states and I was just pleased as punch to learn that she’d be close to where we are at the moment!

The restaurant we wanted to go to had a long wait, so we wandered into an olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop where every single oil and vinegar in the shop was available to taste. We were in heaven! Our favorite olive oil was harissa olive oil. We both bought a bottle and when I made the farro salad you see pictured here, I used that delicious, spicy oil.

I realized immediately that I was going to go through my bottle of harissa oil quickly, so came up with a way to make it. The recipe is available to Lost Supper Club members (paid subscribers): Homemade Harissa Oil

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BLTs with Special Sauce

It's hard to beat a good Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich. While this humble sandwich is free from pretense and fuss, it's simplicity demands the highest quality ingredients (like summer tomatoes!) and a really, really good sauce. Here's how to make a kick-ass BLT.

"Very good recipe. The sauce is the star of the show here. Nice twist on a classic, and I even caught my daughter sneaking spoonfuls of the sauce straight from the fridge lol. I will be making this sauce for other sandwiches as well from now on." - Jason

Here’s where to get the recipe —> BLT Sandwiches with Special Sauce

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Homemade Double Crust Blueberry Pie

I have heard from a lot of you who’ve made the blueberry pie cookies from a couple of weeks ago and it’s been so fun to hear how much you like them!

So, blueberry pie lovers, how about an actual blueberry pie?

This one is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. The filling has a concentrated, bright fruit flavor that holds its shape when sliced.

Even better, this recipe works well with fresh or frozen blueberries, so you can make it any time of the year.

The pie calls for my go to pie crust recipe - Foolproof Pie Crust. It’s flaky, tender, and well... foolproof. But if you have a favorite pie crust recipe, by all means, use that. Either way, covering the top crust with a light dusting of sugar creates a delicious sweet crunch to every bite.

"I made this pie for a potluck last weekend and it was gone before most people even got dinner! I was shocked! Not a slice was wasted and I got so many compliments. It is also now a continuous request that I make it for all future events." - Missie

Here’s where to get the recipe —> Homemade Double Crust Blueberry Pie

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What’s happening in the Lost Supper Club

Exclusive content for paid subscribers

For a limited time, receive 20% off your first year’s membership in The Lost Supper Club

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Introducing the small batch baking series!

Over the next few months, I’m sharing a series of small batch baking recipes, starting with this recipe that makes just 6 cookies

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New subscriber chat for members of the Lost Supper Club!

I'll be using this chat to share tips and tricks and recommendations throughout the week. YOU can also use this chat to connect with other Lost Supper Club members and share your own recommendations and ideas!

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—> Class replays: LIVE classes are free for anyone to attend, but the replay library is a perk of being a paid subscriber. Click here to access all the class replays!

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Limited time offer

For a limited time, receive 20% off your first year’s membership in The Lost Supper Club

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