Even if we all agree that hunger makes for the best of sauces and that after a few days of camping you inevitably find yourself trying to solve the mystery as to why we don’t eat mustard sandwiches at home? They’re just so good while camping! Having had my share of sand covered dishes and unidentifiable goulash made of and or in my younger days, I’ve developed a few tricks to make sure I am not only well fed but that I am also enjoying my meals when out on an expedition.
Many things need to be considered to have a good culinary experience while camping. The type of activity, the duration of the outing and the weather in the explored area to name only a few. Each of these factors will impose restrictions in terms of weight, packability and conservation. A canoe camping expedition for example allows us to be a lot less concerned with the weight of the food we’ll plan to bring than on a multi-day hiking trip. We will most likely not opt for packaged soup or fresh fish on a trip in the Canyons of the Southwest. Though freeze-dried meals have come a long way through the years and that they are sometimes impossible to do without, I prefer by far cooking fresh ingredients whenever possible.
Here are 3 of my favorite recipes that can be used on most outings.
Breakfast: Camping Crêpes (for 4 people)
You can prepare the batter prior and keep it in a sealable plastic bottle that can be washed and used for drinking afterwards.
For the batter:
4 eggs – 1 cup flour – 2 cups milk – 2 tablespoons of sugar – 3 tablespoons of melted butter (you can make brown butter which gives the crêpes a little something extra) – a pinch of salt.
Preparation:
Whisk the eggs – incorporate the flour, the sugar and the salt dilute with the milk. You can add orange or lemon or clementine zest to the batter and pour into a plastic bottle. All you’ll need to do is to pour the batter into the hot pan and serve with fruits, jam, syrup or even ham and cheese for all the gluttons out there.
Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich à la François
Please pardon the lack of novelty here but I am definitely partial to this recipe. All of the ingredients keep and carry well, and the final result is always a hit. Fresh, tasty and refreshing always a winner on hot summer days.
For the salad:
1 tuna can per person – a few celery stalks diced – a few green onions thinly sliced – 2 green granny smith apples diced – cider vinegar – mayonnaise – a bunch of chopped mint.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, salt and pepper to taste and voilà. All you must do is serve in a wrap, a tortilla or even on a romaine lettuce leaf. Simple, efficient and quite satisfying. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Dinner: Mediterranean pasta with red onions, sun dried tomatoes and black olives
Perhaps it’s because of my Italian ancestry but I am a big fan of pasta. Fast, easy to prepare and with great nutritional value in comparison to its weight, this recipe is composed of ingredients that keep well and do not necessitate any refrigeration.
For the sauce: Cut the onions in half and slice them not too thinly. In a large saucepan, soften the onions until they become translucent. Add the thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes and the olives (don’t use the ones from a can) and mix together. Deglaze the pan with a generous portion of balsamic vinegar and reduce. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and serve with real parmesan cheese, not that infamous foul smelling saw dust they sell in those
I hope these recipes will come in handy and that they’ll help getting you back out there to enjoy all of the wonderful flavors mother nature has in store for us.
Bon appétit!
