Our trip along the American East Coast began in Boston: the city centre and the Freedom Trail, the USS Constitution, followed by the unmissable experience of a baseball match at Fenway Park. After the city, Cape Cod offered us a complete change of pace, with the sea and a canoe trip. It was also there that I discovered the perfect American breakfast of yoghurt, fruit and muesli.
Then New York: we explored Manhattan on foot, taking in the city from above at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Central Park and its zoo, and the Statue of Liberty, before returning to our hotel in Queens in the evening to enjoy the Manhattan skyline. Philadelphia was a shorter stopover, with its history but also those unexpected details that stick in the memory, particularly the vintage American cars. Finally, Washington: the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and the Smithsonian museums.
After visiting so many cities, staying in so many hotels and eating out so often, I had one very simple wish: the great outdoors, a proper kitchen, fruit and, above all, plenty of vegetables. So our final stop in Shenandoah, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, came at just the right time. Skyline Drive, a horse ride, two nights in a cottage and, finally, a barbecue: exactly what I’d been craving.
As we’re only staying for a short while, I refuse, however, to buy ten spices and six sauces of which we’ll only use a spoonful. This dinner is based on a few ingredients that are easy to use up: mangoes, limes, peppers, courgettes and potatoes. For those who eat meat, there are pork chops; for me, as I don’t eat meat, the crispy potatoes take centre stage, served with plenty of salsa and grilled courgettes. One kitchen, one table – no separate menus.
Why this recipe will always be associated with Shenandoah
I already know that the combination of mango and lime will take me back to that final stretch of our road trip: after Boston, Cape Cod, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, the tranquillity of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Skyline Drive and the simple pleasure of cooking outdoors. That’s also why I keep certain recipes here: they nourish the memory just as much as they nourish the family.