Savory Egg Casserole Recipe

Ok, for all those folks out there who have loved the Mediterranean Egg Casserole that we have served up lately and have requested the recipe but haven’t received, my apologies, I tend to be a bit of a rebel and a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal when it comes to cooking at times, a bit more of an eyeballer than a level teaspoon type of person.

HOWEVER, I have some time today to sit down and really think about what goes into that scrumptious breakfast and share it with all of you.  As most of you know we make a real effort here at the Inn to accommodate everyone’s dietary needs.  Occasionally we have a few guests in house that are unable to eat dairy and generally we can  scramble up some eggs for breakfast for them since most of our egg casseroles do have milk and cheese in them.  One weekend I was faced with about half an Inn of guests not able to eat dairy and well honestly that is a lot of folks to scramble eggs for in our small kitchen on a busy Sunday so I needed to come up with an alternative and hence the Mediterranean Egg Casserole was created!  It was a hit, whew, and I figured if it was a hit without dairy just think how much better it would be with cheese, for those of us able to eat it of course.  So it has been a work in progress and I think we have come up with a winner.

 Originally I had put the kalamata olives in the casserole but noticed a few plates returning with them pushed to the side, they are a fairly strong olive which some don’t like so for a while I left them out.  I also noticed that the feta seemed to get lost taste wise baked into the casserole so eventually those two ended up as a garnish which guests could choose to have or not to have and the tomato sauce? Well again that is my “ let’s see if this works” attitude and low and behold it worked!  So please enjoy the recipe, which is great to make ahead for large gatherings such as holiday brunches and for a family get together.  For me a recipe is framework…you can add and subtract and embellish to your hearts desire. 

~Marti  Gorton

Innkeeper Bath Street Inn

 

Mediterranean Egg Casserole

30 eggs

1 cup milk

3-4 cups cottage cheese

2 cans artichoke hearts drained and squeeze of all water, finely chopped and added to cottage cheese

1 package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, with most of oil blotted off -chopped

½ cup roasted bell peppers (we use the Trader Joes  brand with red and yellow pepper which has some nice chunks of garlic as well)- chopped

1 cup cheese…can be anything really

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 t garlic salt

1 t basil

1 t oregano

1/2 t pepper

Topped with a tomato sauce ( we use the Trader Joes vodka tomato sauce) but I have made my own as well. Crumbled feta cheese and chopped kalamata olives.

This will make a dish that can serve 18-24 people.  Coat a baking dish with non stick spray and bake for about 90 minutes 325-350.  It is ready when a knife is pulled out clean.

We put this together the night before and put it into a cold oven in the morning and then turn the oven on.

Can be made dairy free by omitting cheese, doubling spinach and substituting water for milk~just as tasty!

Arctic Sanctuary Exhibit Santa Barbara

 The Santa Barbara Natural History Museum recently opened its newest photography exhibit, Arctic Sanctuary.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service's nation-wide traveling exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of ANWR, the 19+ million acre Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge in Northeast Alaska.   The exhibit is filled with stunning images by naturalist photographer Jeff Jones. Jones has been a pioneer in landscape wilderness photography in the Arctic and is no stranger to ANWR, having hiked to remote areas of the Sanctuary for years to capture the beauty of this seldom seen natural world.  The museum bookstore carries the accompanying book filled with photos and essays about this unique and precious place.

The Arctic Sanctuary Exhibit runs through January 8th, 2012; entrance is included in the price of admission to the Museum, $10 for adults.  The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

If you've come to the museum as part of a getaway to Santa Barbara consider our fine bed and breakfast for your accommodation.  We'd love to see you. 


Deborah Gentry, Innkeeper Bath Street Inn

Lotusland Santa Barbara

Remember that Lotusland closes on November 15th for three months, so if you are planning to visit the gardens, jump on it now.   Something is always in bloom every week of the year in several of the 13 themed gardens that comprise the 37 acre estate. October blooms in Lotusland's  Fern Garden include the Cashmere Bouquet  and the Freddie Begonia by Rudy Ziesenhenne.  November brings the fruits of the persimmon trees in the Deciduous Orchard Garden and pomegranates at the entrance to the Cactus Garden.  The tours cost $35 per adult and are docent led.  They take about 2 hours of pretty constant walking, so good shoes are a must. Reservations are required, no drop ins accepted.  Phone 805-969-9990 to book a Lotusland tour.

 If you are planning a trip to visit Lotusland and need a fine Santa Barbara Bed and Breakfast, we'd be happy to talk with you.  Call us at 805-682-9680 or book online, your preference.


Deborah Gentry, Innkeeper Bath Street Inn

Opal Restaurant, epicure.sb

 Santa Barbara's annual food festival, epicure.sb, is in full swing and Opal Restaurant has come up with a winning autumn Prix-Fixe menu. Long a favorite of Santa Barbarans, Opal has consistently imaginative and fresh foods to satisfy and delight foodies of all kinds and descriptions.  The epicure.sb menu is a three course meal, starting with a salad of gourmet greens and followed  by a grilled Kurobata Pork Loin on Butternut Squash Risotto and assorted veggies.  The desert is a Pumpkin Cheesecake.  Marie and I and our friend Jennifer opted to pair the dinner with wine and had a wonderful meal.  (Richard, one of the owners of Opal, is a wine aficionado and their cellar has won a Wine Spectator award, so you know you're in good hands with their selections/recommendations.)    The Kurobata Pork, we were told, is the king of porkers in Japan; they get massages and the best food.  It was delicious.  The risotto was the best risotto I've had and went a long ways to helping me understand the mysterious hold this rice dish has on millions. The wines were a light white for the salad, a tasty pinor noir for the pork and an ice wine from nearby Ojai for the dessert.  We ate dinner outside on one of the sidewalk tables, the air became crisp as evening wore on and we felt we truly were celebrating autumn.  Reminded me it was time to get the pumpkin pancakes on our breakfast menu. Epicure.sb ends on October 31st, so make the most of it!  Opal's phone number is 805-966-9676

And, if you are looking for a fine Santa Barbara bed and breakfast for a getaway, please give us a call; we'd love to have you. We are an easy 6 blocks from Opal Restaurant.

Deborah Gentry, Innkeeper Bath Street Inn

Picasso and Braque

The Santa Barbara Art Museum has a new and unique installation of the early cubist works of Picasso and Braque this Fall.  Great educational aids accompany this exhibition, making it your best opportunity to get a handle on what these guys were about.   We also celebrate the third annual epicuresb festival, a month long food and wine extravaganza. We decided to combine the two and invite you to nurture your imagination, artistic sensibility and sweet tooth at the Bath Street Inn with our new package Picasso and Tea.  We suspect that Picasso preferred something stronger, but we make a great afternoon tea, so we'll lead with our strength.  The package includes a ten percent discount for any available room all nights of your stay during the month of October, 2011. Our guests will also receive 2 complimentary tickets to the Santa Barbara Art Museum.  Return to the Inn after your trip to the Museum for afternoon tea in the parlor featuring delicious cakes and cookies & over 20 different teas. Epicuresb Brochures detail daily events, lectures, demonstrations, food and wine festivals and special dinner menus. October and Santa Barbara are a must for a food lover's vacation.  The Picasso and Tea package may not be combined with other offers.

Bon Apetit!

Deborah Gentry, Innkeeper Bath Street Inn

Sevtap Winery Solvang

 Marie and I recently had the pleasure of  visiting Sevtap winery in Solvang.  Their motto is Drink Good Wine.  Simple, direct.  One of the newer wineries in town on Copenhagen Drive, we were greeted by mellow lighting and live guitar music, a seamless blend that started as flamenco and merged into classic soft rock.  The tasting room has recently expanded and plans are to continue with live music in the afternoon and evenings on the weekends.  The summer music was guitar on Fridays, Saturdays acoustical harp and soft percussion;  Sundays for flamenco.  Fridays and Saturdays,  the tasting room is open til 9 which is nice for those of us who get a late start and can't make it to the wine country much before 4 pm when many of the wineries are getting ready for the last pour of the day.  The wines were pleasant,  the atmosphere very congenial and I would do another tasting without hesitation.  Check with them to see what the plans are for live music and events in the fall and winter.

Disclaimer here for the oenophiles: we drink wine for pleasure and since I can't remember the taste of a wine from one day to the next there I'm incapable of  having a deep wine discussion.  Art Sevtap, the owner and winemaker, has been making wine for the public for only a few years having come to the realization that it was his passion by working in a variety of other wine related occupations while making wine for his own consumption.  Like many Santa Barbara County vintners, he sources the grapes; his first wines were from San Luis Obispo County; but as of 2010 are his grapes are now from Santa Barbara County.  Has a nice Sauvignon Blanc from Happy Valley vineyards, the unfiltered Rose was quite pleasant and it was good to see dessert wines on the menu.

~ A Votre Sante,
Deborah

Deborah Gentry, Innkeeper Bath Street Inn

Art Walk Santa Barbara 2011

Santa Barbara has such a great art scene year round but one of the highlights has to be the Art Walk at the Natural History Museum.  This art exhibition takes place outdoors and indoors in various galleries throughout the Museum.  Walk along tiled corridors and courtyards and peek into transformed spaces, or stroll along the Museum grounds by Mission Creek as you browse and shop for fine art, jewelry, pottery, fashion and more.  Enjoy art works by over 200 artists all centered on the theme of Parks and Landmarks of Santa Barbara County.  The Walk this year is held on Saturday and Sunday, September 24th and 25th.   Pause to listen to live music or perhaps sit down and enjoy a glass of wine or a bite of lunch.  Admission is $11.00 for non-members.  The event is presented by the Museum League and is one of most fun of the Museum's fund raisers.

If you're coming up from out of town and are looking for fine Santa Barbara bed and breakfast accommodation, we still have a few rooms available at the Inn.  Give us a call; we'll be happy to talk with you.

See you at the Art Walk~
Deborah



Deborah Gentry, Innkeeper Bath Street Inn