Bell's Beach Mussels with Chorizo and Thyme

As much as we love living in Seattle, it's sometime nice (and necessary) to get out of the city and away from the constant assault of sirens, leaf blowers, and NOISE. We knew our time for warm, sunny days was slipping away, so we headed up to Whidbey Island for a relaxing weekend with some friends visiting from France. Elliott's family has a great little cabin on Bell's Beach where you can watch the tide come in and with little effort, wade out to as many mussels as you can eat.  After two mornings of waking up to complete silence, a lazy kayaking adventure,  and the feeling of warm sand between our toes, we were at last rejuvenated to return to our life of city living. Here's a great recipe if you're ever in need of a little escape from the city (or if you've just got a hankering for bivalves)! :-) Ingredients: 1 lb mussels, scrubbed 2 links Spanish chorizo, casing removed and broken into small pieces 1 small can tomatoes, diced 1/2 yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1 1/2 cups white wine 1 tsp. chicken bouillon 1 cup water Splash of heavy cream 1 lemon, quartered Fresh thyme Salt & Pepper to taste In a large pot, sauté the chorizo until browned and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Add the diced onion to the drippings and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for a couple of minutes more. Add the tomatoes and white wine, simmer for 10 minutes, then add the water and bouillon.  Add back in the chorizo and thyme and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the mussels, cover and steam for three to four minutes. Finish with a splash of cream and fresh lemon. Serve with a fresh baguette or a very large spoon as you won't want to waste any of this broth. Bon appetit! [caption id="attachment_2142" align="aligncenter" width="750" class=" "]

2/3 of our guests for the weekend, putting the tried and true cabin toys to good use.[/caption]