I’d rather be paddling my KIALOA Tiare – but the redwoods were awesome

It’s our third night out on the “Great Winter SUP Trip” and the wind keeps cranking into the 30-40 mph range, although the time between rainstorms is getting longer. The trip is the epitome of making the best of what the weather delivers. We have yet to see a single surfer or paddler out in the water.

So we bundled in to the car and headed out. We explored from Brookings, OR to Orick, CA in the Redwood National and State Parks today. We dodged rain, a herd of elk (safe distance), fallen trees and shoreline salt spray.

As dusk approached we bundled up for a hike on the Lookout Trail above Harris Beach State Park for some peek-a-boos of sun – YAY.

As dinner time approached it just seemed like a night for soup. Luckily, a few weeks ago I had made a number of crudite’ trays with lots of leftovers. I sauteed all of it – carrots, zucchini, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, even some cucumber with onion in a little olive oil. Simmering it all in vegetable broth smelled good but did not have the robust flavor I wanted.

Looking around I spotted about 8 oz of leftover hummus and about 2 oz of Manchego cheese. Soon it was all simmering and mingling flavors. That frozen goodness became our dinner – with  a fresh green salad and garlic bread. 

Here’s the hummus recipe – what a delicious addition to a vegetable soup.

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
Scant 1/4 cup olive oil – only as much as is needed to create the texture you like.
8 dashes hot sauce

Directions: Place the chickpeas, garlic, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 15 to 20 seconds. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. Add the lemon juice and water. Process for 20 seconds. Add the tahini. Process for 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and about 8 dashes of hot sauce.