A specialty from the Dauphiné region of France. This savory treat consists of thinly-sliced potatoes layered with garlic, herbs, and Gruyère cheese in a dish filled with milk. The dish is then baked for at least an hour, or until the potatoes come out tender and delicious.
Serve with a succulent roasted chicken on a cold winter night.
Agave attenuata in the gardens of the Mission. This is one of the "safest" agaves to plant, as the leaves are much less rigid than those of other agaves...meaning the injury factor is reduced.
Waiting for sunset on Poly Mountain in San Luis Obispo, California. The other shots I took were marred by pesky dust particles...time to clean the sensor.
The hills appear to be brown in the photo, but close examination of the earth along the trail revealed thousands of tiny seedlings coming up due to the 7.5 inches of rain we received the other day.
Here's the stamen of a hibiscus flower at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The colors on these flowers are incredible...gold pollen against a rich pink stamen and rosy white petals.
Anyone have experience with tropical hibiscus plants?
Saturday night I was hiking up Poly Mountain and a large, slow-moving creature next to the trail caught my eye. Upon looking closer I saw that it was a tarantula.
This is the time of the year when the tarantulas are out and about in the hills. Some places, like Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area, are famous for the large numbers of the arachnids that creep through the dry grasses in search of mates...and prey.
McClintock's Barbecue serves up succulent tri-tip sandwiches to a long line of hungry customers at the popular San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market.
Every Thursday, 3 blocks of Higuera Street close down and are converted into this farmers' market-street fair. It's worth a visit if you're in SLO!
San Luis Obispo is home to one of the most famous farmers' markets in California.
Earlier tonight I found out why.
The market definitely lives up to its reputation. There are a decent number of produce vendors along with many food stands, barbecue joints, kettle corn sellers, and candy makers. If that's not enough there street performers, clubs and organizations, and live music.
If you're ever in SLO on a Thursday night, try to stop by the farmers' market - it's a great experience.
In California, October is usually a dry month with little in the way of rain.
That was not the case with this October.
Yesterday a powerful storm came through the area and dumped 4-7 inches of rain, bringing the creeks back to life. Mining Ridge in Monterey County was drenched with an incredible 21 inches of rain in 24 hours!
This is Brizzolara Creek in the rugged Poly Canyon near San Luis Obispo. Two days ago there was no water at this spot - as you can see that is no longer the case!
