For many people this is a great time of year to be outdoors. The swelter of summer has yet to arrive and summer vacations are still a week or more away. In addition, places that attract throngs of people in high summer are still relatively quiet. |
Here in the mountains Mother Nature has bestowed upon us an early spring. May is often a cold, wet, snowy/rainy month, but this year it's all about blue skies, sunshine and green grass. Dave and I decided to take advantage of this warm weather window and we took off camping for a few days this week.
In the vein of full disclosure, camping for us isn't about sleeping under the stars with only a downy layer between the bears and us. In our younger days a tent was adequate, but these days we travel in comfort. We've had an Airstream trailer for 6 years and have logged over 15,000 miles. We consider that camping.
Regardless of how you choose to spend the night in the great outdoors, food is an important component to any camping trip. I like to keep it simple and I try and make a few things ahead of time so we can just heat and eat.
As for equipment, if cooking directly over a campfire a well-seasoned cast iron skillet is a must. (For tips on seasoning and caring for cast iron,
click here.) For Coleman stove or other gas-heat cooking methods, any heavy bottomed pan from your kitchen will work. I have both a skillet and a pot with me at all times, although most meals can be made in just one pan.
The key to meal planning is to include ingredients that can be used for multiple meals. Below is a typical menu for our 3-day camping trips, with tips on making the most of leftovers.
First off, a hearty, hot breakfast is key to starting out the day, especially in the mountains where it can be quite chilly before noon. My typical camping breakfast menus include:
Scrambled eggs with frozen hash brown potatoes
I toss many a leftover vegetable in my scrambled eggs. Onions, peppers, fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes - they are all candidates for brightening up my eggs. If the veggies are uncooked, sauté them in a little olive or canola oil before adding the raw egg. Frozen potatoes have come a long way and make for a very easy and filling side dish. Check the ingredient list before you buy, and opt for those that are as close to 'just potatoes' as possible. You can always add your own salt and seasonings.
For the pancakes, I mix all of the dry ingredients together before we leave home. (I wrap the brown sugar tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.) Leftover bacon (is there such a thing?) can be used in the Breakfast Tacos in lieu of chorizo sausage. Bananas are good for keeping our muscles strong during those long hikes and fishing trips, so we always have a few around the trailer.
Breakfast Tacos with scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage (optional), salsa, grated cheese and sour cream
I buy pre-cooked chorizo and cut it small before mixing it with the scrambled eggs. Tortillas, salsa, grated cheese and sour cream can be used both for the Breakfast Tacos and the Chicken Fajitas (see below.)
Lunch is light and easy. We usually head off to explore after breakfast so foods that travel well are a must. On our adventures we bring:
Slices of hard cheese (such as Manchego)
Hearty crackers such as Triscuits
Apples
Almonds mixed with dried cranberries
Hard-boiled eggs
Packages of tuna
Baby carrots
For salty snacks back at the campsite, I like to make popcorn (I just bring along the Whirly-Pop) and nibble on tortilla chips with salsa.
Dinners are typically cooked outside. For starch accompaniments (such as pasta and rice), I cook these at home. For pasta, I boil it according to the package instructions, drain it, toss it with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and then spread it out on a baking tray to cool. It keeps in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 days or can be frozen. To reheat it prior to serving, I either toss it with a little water in a pan over medium heat or plunge it in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Rice can also be cooked, cooled on a baking tray and then stored either in the freezer or refrigerator in a manner similar to pasta.
For this trip our dinner menus included:
The spaghetti sauce can certainly be made in advance, but it is simple enough to cook in one pan over the stove. For salads (and sandwiches), I bring a box of mixed greens since it travels well. I add green onions, carrot slices (from the baby carrots), and tomatoes and toss it with a simple vinaigrette (one part balsamic vinegar to 3 parts olive oil.) A large baguette can be used for the garlic bread. I toast the bread cut-side-down in a skillet and then brush it with melted butter and crushed garlic. Leftover baguette makes toast the next morning and/or a snack with cheese and an apple during the day.
Dave-O Burgers with cheese, Guacamole, lettuce and tomato
What's a Dave-O Burger? A cheeseburger cooked with loving attention by Dave Odell. He seasons grass-fed beef or bison with generous quantities of salt and pepper, cooks them until nicely browned on one side, flips them once and continues cooking until they reach medium doneness. They taste even better with a cold beer and side of tortilla chips.
There is a lot of ingredient crossover here with the Breakfast Tacos. Also, I make a double batch of guacamole and use it for both the Dave-O burgers and the fajitas. Leftover fajita meat makes for a tasty lunch the next day.
Other dishes that are great to make ahead and take on camping expeditions include:
Hmmm... what am I missing? Dessert, of course! I usually make bar cookies with substance, such as
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I keep the candy supply to a minimum, as it's too easy to scarf down handfuls of the stuff, however, a few chocolate covered raisins around the trailer never hurts.
Some say that variety is the spice of life, but variety of food on camping trips simply means packing and unpacking more stuff. Planning your food so that the same ingredients are used multiple times makes good packing sense and means less waste.
Enjoy your outdoor adventures this year and remember - good cooking makes happy campers.
Bon appétit!
"You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then let it go. They don't want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something."
- Mitch Hedberg
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