It happens every year about this time. I just can’t help it.
The daydreams about summer start in earnest. Daydreams about fly fishing uncrowded waters, creeks and big blue ribbons, demonstrating flawless skill while scores of brightly colored native fish are released with a smile.
Somehow I look like a young Robert Redford in these ethereal visions and cast with the authority and grace of John Juracek or Joe Willauer.
Even though it’s high summer in said daydreams, the wind never blows, the skies glow with that crystalline blue of the north country, hatches pour off the water’s surface like clockwork, drifts are drag-free and no one ever sunburns.
Maclean was right, the summer days in Montana really are almost arctic in length.
One of my favorite times to be on the big waters is early, early morning in summer, well before sunrise. Even in real life there are few if any other fishers rigging at the ramp, even if another early rising group joins us they’re subdued by the early hour.
Critters are still on the prowl, the morning’s coffee simply tastes better early and the river is just waking up for the day.
One sacrifice often made to this glorious early summer morning run is breakfast; it’s easy enough to brew a pot of coffee early (if you’re doing this right most of the coffee huts won’t be open yet) but cooking breakfast usually falls by the wayside.
We stumbled across this breakfast-on-the-run answer years ago, but only recently tweaked our Bacon Breakfast Cookies to make them worthy of the summer daydream above.
Packed with oats, nuts, sharp cheddar cheese and the mother of all good things food – bacon, these breakfast cookies are far, far tastier and teeming with more nutritional muscle than elvish lembas bread.
Make up a batch of these and you’ll start looking forward to missing your sit-down breakfasts.
Here’s to your summer river daydreams.
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
Prep work. Preheat your trusty oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, quick oats and wheat germ; mix well. Grate the cheese and chop the walnuts.
Bacon time. Cook the bacon to crisp, drain, then crumble when cool enough to handle.
Make a dough. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer; mix until smooth. Beat in the egg, then add the vanilla.
Add the combined dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing well.
Stir in the good stuff. By hand, stir in the cheese, walnuts and bacon.
Make a cookie. Form into 1/4 cup sized cookies and bake on parchment covered baking sheet for 12-14 minutes. Cool completely before storing; keep best in the fridge or cooler.
Enjoy.
Tags: Friday Feast
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Now this looks like a masterpiece.
A round of applause for your article post.Really looking forward to read more. Want more.