Gluten Free on San Juan Island?

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to get away to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island for an overnight visit. He had never been, and I went once, more than 10 years ago. In attempt to keep down the cost and because I didn’t know what kinds of gluten free accommodations I would find, I decided to make some provisions of my own -- just in case.

I packed our cooler with a cold cabbage salad, an Egg-less Egg Salad made with tofu, and a pan of Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. I only had the night before our trip to prepare, so I used what I had on hand.

The cabbage salad recipe came from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, which I mentioned in my last post. I have to say that in my journey toward wellness, this book has become my closest companion. I have learned so much about nutrition and balance in my cooking and eating. It has changed my life, specifically in the way I cook and the ingredients that I use. I will reference it often here.

However, in my kitchen I am striving to balance this super nutritional approach with other recipes that bring me back to my roots and comforts. That is why I also reference more conventional recipes, such as the chocolate chip cookies that I baked for our trip.

We ate the Egg-less Egg Salad with tortilla chips and rice cakes -- but crackers or bread would have been nice too. This salad wasn’t what I was looking for when I set out to prepare it. I want a recipe that tastes like one I used to get at the Trader Joe’s in Huntington Beach, California. As of now, the Trader Joe's in Bellingham doesn't have it. My quest continues. 

The chocolate chip cookie bars I brought were based on the old standard Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe. I substituted my personal gluten free whole grain flour blend and otherwise followed the recipe as it is written. I baked them in a 9"x13" glass baking dish and cooled them, cut them, and left them covered in the pan to sit overnight. This way they held together well and I packed them in a big, plastic zipper bag.

I will talk more about flours in an upcoming post. It is a fundamental component of gluten free cooking and baking, and one that is often confusing and overwhelming. There are many approaches to figuring out flours and I can help you understand your options so that you are empowered to have the gluten free experience that reflects your wants and needs.

So, my suggestion when taking a trip to a place that you don’t know much about is to call ahead. Find out if the grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee houses/bakeries carry gluten free products or have a gluten free menu. If, like me, you don’t have time around, go prepared and have more fun.

As it turned out, Friday Harbor was not very accommodating to a gluten free diet. We visited a few coffee houses, a restaurant, a breakfast diner, and the grocery store. I didn't find anything. I like to be able to enjoy a baked treat with my coffee on occasion. I want to have that option, especially on a fun trip. So it was a great thing that I had an option. Because of my preparations, I felt no deprivation and I had a great time exploring everything that the island did have to offer.