Delicious Thursday morning breakfast at Meling Ranch...

Like the day before, today, Thursday, September 25, 2008, I was up with the chickens to take a pre-dawn stroll around Meling Ranch. I checked the thermometer that I have in my truck, and the outside temperature read a chilly 53 degrees, but that's not surprising, as even though Meling Ranch is located in Baja California at a latitude just north of 30 degrees, its situated at the base of the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountain range, at an elevation of 2120 feet. But I find it stimulating to get up early, so I can listen to the roosters crow, and savor the sweet mountain air.

Photo: Andrea selects fresh tomatoes and chili peppers for today's breakfast, as ranch hand Sam looks on.

Just before seven o'clock, I noticed smoke pouring from the chimney of the kitchen annex, so I ambled across the grass to check out the breakfast preparation, and help myself to a cup of Andrea's delicious coffee. As I walked into the kitchen, I could senses lit up to the intoxicating aroma of wood smoke, bacon, and coffee... yes!!!! I knew that I was in for something special, as Andrea, Antonia and Jicelia were busy in the kitchen, starting the preparations of what appeared to be a special breakfast. After exchanging the usual "buenos dias" morning greetings, and helping myself to a cup of coffee, I asked Andrea what was for breakfast. She replied, "Cheesy eggs, salsa potato pancakes, and for you, refried beans." Andrea and the girls know how much I love their refried beans, and they know that I like to eat them at every meal, so they're more than happy to oblige, as refried beans is a dish that Meling Ranch always has on hand.

Photo: Jicelia and Antonia assist Andrea, as she grates potatoes for the potato pancakes. Note the spacious island in the middle of the kitchen, which provides ample work space.

Photo: Jicelia lays bread directly on the cooking surface of the wood-fired kitchen range. This is the method used at Meling Ranch to make toast! Refried beans are warming in the pan, next to the coffee pots.

I love to "hang out" in the kitchen, drink coffee, chat with the girls, and watch them prepare breakfast. The staff at Meling Ranch is so friendly, that they welcome you, and make you feel like you're a member of their extended family, so for me, it's neutral to "hang out" and chit-chat as much as my Spanish will allow me to do so. But these girls work hard, so I stay out of their way, and attempt not to annoy them, as they go about their business.

Fresh cooked salsa is a breakfast staple at Meling Ranch, and it doesn't get any fresher, as Andrea asked ranch hand Sam to pick some tomatoes and chili peppers from the garden, which is planted behind the kitchen annex. He returned with a wheelbarrow of veggies, and Andrea selected tomatoes and chili pepper for today's morning salsa. At Meling Ranch, salsa is served at every meal, and its usually the cooked variety.

Photo: Andrea fries delicious potato pancakes. Note the large frying pan of salsa, cooking in the foreground.

Photo: Jicelia stirs the salsa, as Andrea cooks potato pancakes.

The kitchen annex at Meling Ranch is quite large, and features a work table in the middle of the room, so there's ample room for the three ladies to prepare a meal. I observed the roles that each woman played: Antonia chopped vegetables, prepared salsa, heated refried beans, Andrea peeled potatoes and cooked potato pancakes, and Jicelia toasted bread directly on the wood stove. Meling Ranch doesn't use a toaster, as they toast bread directly on the surface of the wood-fired kitchen range! I"I'll keep that trick in mind for future camping trips...

Photo: Today's delicious breakfast, featuring cheesy eggs and salsa, refried beans, diced melon, potato pancakes, condiments, orange juice and coffee. Not shown is the bread, toasted on the wood stove.

When the salsa was cooked, Andrea added eggs to the pan, and scrambled the mixture together. When the eggs were cooked, she removed them from the pan, placed them on a plate, and sprinkled coarsely-grated cheddar cheese on top, and put the assembly in the oven to warm, and to allow the cheese to melt.

Photo: Left to right, Chuck, Steve and David, my breakfast companions, enjoy another hearty and delicious breakfast at Meling Ranch.

Today's breakfast consisted of the delicious eggs-cheese-salsa mixture, fried potato pancakes, refried beans, toast and diced melon slices. Condiments included fresh, cooked salsa, butter and apple butter, with orange juice and coffee to drink. I can't say enough about the delicious food that you enjoy during your stay at Meling Ranch. My three breakfast companions, Chuck, Steve and David all agreed with me that the food served at Meling Ranch is as good as it gets.

Photo: My first plate of breakfast; note the toast, toasted on the wood stove. It was perfectly toasted! This was only my first plate, as I ended eating thirds! The breakfast served at Meling Ranch is that good!

After breakfast, I personally thanked Andrea, Antonia and Jicelia for preparing a fantastic breakfast, and I let them know that I find the food that they serve to be some of the best food that I've ever eaten.