Spring is here and the grill is out!!!  I was recently at my friends apartment that I spend a good amount of time at.  We BBQ a lot in the warm months of the year and are always trying new things on the grill.  Last weekend we grilled cabbage to make a grilled coleslaw.  It was tremendous!!!   But as most of you know I will through anything on the grill.  Grilled celery anyone?  Don’t knock it till you try it.   I’m sure there a lot’s of people who feel the same way I do about grilling everything and anything.  So I am sure you will have no problem with this warm version of slaw.  We used only red cabbage instead of the usual red and green.  I cut the red cabbage lengthwise, about 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices, with the core to keep the slices intact.  I left the carrots whole, peeled and cut the onion into rings.  When everything was done I did a rough chop of the veggies, giving them a rustic feel.  When grilling just use a small amount of olive oil on the cabbage.  This makes it so you won’t have to use a lot of mayo, which is usually essential in a good slaw.  We used a garlic mayo and minced capers for our dressing.  You could also leave out the capers, squeeze a lime and chop some cilantro with the garlic mayo for a different version.  Even add a little red pepper flakes for some heat.  Or whatever your heart desires.  I find grilling things opens my creative mind to different ways of preparing and eating food.  I hope this inspires you to explore and start grilling in different ways!!!

Window view

Blossom

Cherry blossom

Blossoms

Bougainvillea

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Purple flowers

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Red tree

Tulips!

Sunset at BK Heights

Spring is here, price and in New York City that means a lot.  It means no more heavy coats, page gloves, ailment scarves, thermal underwear, layering several articles of clothing, runny  noses, or simply running to the subway to get out of the cold.   We spend on the average, six months bundled up and hustling to where we are headed.  Every year winter seems to be longer and longer, while Spring seems to get shorter.

With the warmer seasons going by in a New York minute, we New Yorkers are slowing down.  The leaves are returning to a bright green, blossoms are blooming with white, pink, yellow and purple flowers.  Tulips and Daffodils are taking over every sidewalk garden.  Pansies can be spotted in window boxes and we are stopping to smell the roses — well, the Dogwoods and all the many other fragrant flowers and trees in bloom.

Some people think New York is harsh, cold, abrasive and down right mean.  I am talking about winter, not the people.  But one thing all New Yorker’s can agree on is that Spring is one of, if not the best, seasons in this city.  It’s when everything is new and the possibilities are endless.  To some New Years Day is the start of a new year, but here, Spring is a celebration, our New Year. We live and breathe for it.  It triggers a sense of accomplishment, a certain knowing that we all made it and will live to see the beauty that is starting to unfold.  It means newness, a freshness and a big sigh of release.  We come together and smile more, say hello more and treat each other like neighbors, not just another person trying to get somewhere.   

Spring also means taking the longer way home from work or walking to do that errand or two.  It means eating in back gardens, front restaurant patios, hitting happy hour before the sun sets or as it sets, especially if you can find a rooftop; finding a small garden by accident and taking it in while tourists buzz by in their must see everything confusion.  We look forward to nighttime strolls by the rivers, accidentally meeting a friend on the street and taking the time to get a quick drink or bite, or just catching up.

We know we live in a great city.  But in order to really appreciate it you must live through a winter and come out the other end.  Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes we New Yorkers rise from winter and with total abandon and glee we go running into the colorful world of Spring.  Hello neighbor.

The day started out fine, pills a little cloudy but not too bad. We hit the subway, no rx then train to Tuxedo, grabbed the last of the supplies and hit the trail. We made it to camp with plenty of time to gather wood, pitch the tent, get water and start our fire. It was a lazy afternoon. Well as lazy as that can be. We took our time and enjoyed the spring day. We did notice along the way that there was still snow in random spots and when we arrived at our usual camp site, the lake was still frozen in parts. Jason dubbed this trip, winter camping! We were still delighted, the sun had come out and we just lapping up the quiet and slow pace we were settling into.

Marsh

Marsh panorama

Lake Skenonto and tent panorama

Lake Skenonto panorama

Baby island at Lake Skenonto panorama

The still iced over Lake Skenonto

Lake Skenonto panorama 2

Woohoo dance

Bushmills and campsite selfie

Swamp across from Lake Skenonto

Lake Skenonto and swamp panorama

Creek panorama.

Dinner!

Steak, onions and mushroom stems

Dinner cooked!

Dinner is served!

Sunset

Final rays of the sun

With our fire in full swing and whiskey in our cups we started dinner. We kept it simple. Dry rubbed ribs, steak, asparagus and baked potatoes. One of the best things about camping is you can wrap everything in foil, chuck it in the fire and leg it go. Of course we love cooking a more elaborate meal, but our first outing we wanted to keep it as simple as possible. After dinner we put more wood on the fire and watched the sunset. So far so good, right? Then the sun went down and the wind and cold went up! We usually hangout by the fire for a while but not that night. We headed into the tent and watched a movie I had downloaded. All snuggled up with hot water bottles, snacks and our movie we settled in for the night.

The next morning was bright and sunny. The wind was still whipping around a little and we thought we might have to take the early train home. But thankfully it went away and a beautiful spring day took over. We made breakfast, eggs, potatoes and bacon, and just relaxed. By lunch time we were sufficiently hungry and found our leftover ribs and butter were missing. These were to be added to our egg drop ramen soup. We couldn’t find them anywhere. After a little more searching, I found the empty foil I had wrapped the butter in, and a fork! Jason had heard something in the night like an animal walking through our camp but thought nothing of it. There are deer, geese, hawks, ducks and we usually camp next to a beaver and his dam. I guess one of them got hungry in the night!

We still enjoyed our lunch, finished our movie and made our way back to civilization. It’s always a bitter sweet walk. As we get closer to the train station you realize it’s almost over. But our reward for making this trip and back in one piece is Chinese food across the street from the platform. With our delicious snack in our bellies we drink our travel beer on the train and make the long ride home. Already dreaming of our next camping adventure.

Spring is here, although it took a while, we are seeing the signs everywhere.  People are out and about.  Eating on the sidewalks, lounging in parks, riding bikes and doing anything they can to be out in the world.  We here at Houseofzeta.com have been prepping in our own way. We have made a few batches of beer over winter,  collected some recipes to try out and put the up the BBQ.  We made our annual trek to D.C. for the Blossom festival, planted new flowers, signed up for the bike share and put away our winter clothes.  It is time to start fresh and get ready for summer!!!  Here is a quick easy recipe, that we have made many times and is a staple at our rooftop bbq’s, but now with a South Island twist that we learned when we were in Auckland and Fiji.  So enjoy and make it all summer!  Your guest will love it and never get tired of it!