Big Sur Camping Hash Browns

Over the weekend we went camping at Big Sur on the Central California Coast.

Karen and Mitchell got us the reservations as a Christmas gift, and my niece joined us too.

My son-in-law loves breakfast foods, so each day we had a hearty breakfast.

Hash browns are easy to make, even when you're camping.

Hash browns are one of Mitchell's favorites.

I generally figure one medium-sized potato per person, and if there's big eaters present, which there usually is, then I add a couple more.

Start by grating the potatoes on the large part of the grater.

Be careful if your grater is broken like mine.

After the potatoes are grated, rinse them in cold water.

That removes the starchy-gumminess.

If I'm at home, I will cover them in water and add a few ice cubes after they're rinsed.

When you're ready to cook them, drain all the water and squeeze the potatoes to remove most of the water.

That will make them crispy.

Add about 3 tablespoons of oil when the pan is hot, then add the grated potatoes to make pancake-like piles.

Or make one big hash brown--I do that a lot too.

Tilt the pan so that the oil has a chance to surround each pile of grated potatoes.

 Cook over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, then lift with your spatula to check the bottoms. When they're brown, flip them over.

Season with salt and pepper.

They're done when the bottoms are crisp.

Mitchell cooked the bacon.

Karen cooked the eggs.

I must not have been thinking, because I didn't get a picture of our breakfast plates!

Gochisousamadeshita!

(Thank you for the good meal!)

***

Karen & Mitchell gave us a two-night stay at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park for Christmas last year, along with setting up this blog.

They are very creative in their gifts, aren't they!

We bought this camping stove from Costco last year.

I really like it--it attaches to a propane tank, no more burning through all those little propane bottles with a Coleman camp stove.

Mitchell is setting up camp.

When he made the reservation, he picked us a great spot--pretty, shady, secluded, near the water spigot and bathrooms.

Dixie gets her own green carpet to lay on--otherwise she'd get so dirty!

This is Beeto.

That's the nickname she got from us when she was little.

Her friends at school call her Hayley.

At home she's called Emi--short for Emiko.

If you haven't been following along, there's a little more about her here.

I found this pic on my camera when I got home.

She likes to take self-portraits.

There were several of them.

She's a LOT of fun!

Beeto's parents kindly let us borrow their tent trailer.

It's super comfy.

Thanks, Nancy and Bill!

We're trying to find a footbridge.

Instead, we find a pretty painted dumpster with "Karen" painted on it!

It reminds me of another time we saw "Karen" painted--when she was little.

Mitchell has a technique to making delicious s'mores.

He heats the graham cracker and the chocolate--as well as the marshmallow.

Inside the trailer, we played Wits and Wagers.

It was fun with lots of laughter.

Thank you for such a fun-filled weekend!

***

You don't have to be camping to make good hash browns, you can make them at home!

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Oil for frying

I generally figure one medium-sized potato per person, and if there's big eaters present, which there usually is, then I add a couple more.

Grate the potatoes on the large part of the grater. Put the grated potatoes in a bowl or colander and rinse them to remove the starchy-gumminess. Immerse the rinsed potatoes in water and add a few ice cubes while you heat the oil.

Heat about 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, the amount depending upon how many hash browns you're making. You don't want them swimming in oil, but you want enough oil for them to fry and turn brown.

When you're ready to cook the potatoes, drain all the water and squeeze the potatoes to remove most of the water. That will make them crispy.

Add the grated potatoes to make pancake-like piles. Cook over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, then lift with your spatula to check the bottoms. When they're brown, flip them over.

Season with salt and pepper.

They're done when the bottoms are crisp.