On Top of Old Smokey (part 6)

--------
Day 3 Sunday (part 2)


We managed to make it back before dark. Miracle!
We said good buy to the kids and to their parents, and sat down to relax, just the two of us and a cozy fire.
As it was Sunday night there were hardly any campers left and the night was very quiet. It wasn't nearly as cold as it had been the night before either.
For our dinner on this, our last, night. We brought along frozen chicken breast tenders. (which had thawed out in the cooler over the past two days) and corn on the cob with Jalapeño butter, and queso fresco. The chicken tenders we just salted and peppered and stuck on our skewers. ( much like the bacon we enjoyed for breakfast) The corn was cooked much the same then slathered with the butter and sprinkled with cheese. This was such a simple and satisfying meal that it may become a Matta camping staple. Add a (perfect for camping) sippy cup of 3 buck Chuck and its a meal thats hard to beat even in the comfort of home.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 More about this Jalapeño butter... this recipe is a ***** (five star) must try! Phil has actually announced that, if given the option, he will never eat corn again without it. But its deliciousness does not have to be limited to corn, we recently tossed it into a quick pasta dish with shrimp, roasted squash, and broccoli. If you have more of a simplistic approach to food at home, this stuff is great on toast.
Here's the recipe:

2 jalapeño chiles
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese*
*Queso fresco is a fresh cheese found at Latin markets. A mild feta could be substituted.
Directions


Prepare a grill or grill pan to high heat.


Grill the jalapeños, turning them occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes. Keep the grill on high heat.


Using a small paring knife, peel the jalapeños. Scrape out and discard the seeds and veins. Coarsely chop the chiles and transfer them to a medium bowl. Add the butter, garlic, and parsley and mash together. Season the jalapeño butter with salt and pepper, to taste. Put a square piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Spoon the jalapeño butter onto the center and roll it up into a 1-inch-diameter log. Refrigerate it until firm, at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 week.


Grill the corn on the hot grill or grill pan, turning occasionally, until it is browned in spots and the kernels are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the ears to a platter. Top each ear with a pat of the jalapeño butter, sprinkle with queso fresco, and serve.
 *use rubber gloves when handling the Jalapeños... trust me, its worth it

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Nutella Smores were the finishing touch to our lovely evening. We fell asleep with visions of  hiking trails and breathtaking views, dancing in our heads. We both woke up Monday morning at around 4 am to POURING Rain. The good news is that the rain had brought the temperature up by about 20 degrees. The bad news is that it was POURING Rain. 2 hours later. The rain had subsided somewhat and we decided to pack up quickly and get on the road; hoping that the weather would clear up and we would still be able to do some exploring before we had to head back home. Wouldn't you know it, the very moment we began to disassemble our tent, the heavens re-opened. And so there we were, driving through the mountains in the dark once again, only this time there was also the rain. Driving, once again aimlessly toward a spot on our little gray map with no known roads to follow, and no GPS signal, the higher we climbed, the more ominous the fog became. We found ourselves at the Blue Ridge Parkway on top of some mountain, not able to see more than 10 yards in any direction. Perfect place to stop and have some breakfast, pray for safety, and wait out the weather a bit.
here are some pictures from later that day, as we made our way home along the Blue Ridge Mountain Pkwy.