Camp Culinary: Delicious, healthy meals can be prepared while camping

Robin Donovan

Wednesday, June 19, 2002 | 9:39 a.m.

Basic equipment

Supplies

Special touches

Tent? Check. Sleeping bag? Check. Mosquito repellent? Check. Extra virgin olive oil? Check.

Huh?

Poised on the threshold of the summer camping season, as others ponder whether to head for the mountains or the desert, the coast or the woods, all I can think about is dinner.

Don't get me wrong, I love the outdoors as much as the next guy, but I have to admit that the highlight of any camping trip for me is the food. Meals around the campfire are the pinnacle of my camping experience.

"Food snob," my friends sneer, rolling their eyes, as I nix their dinner suggestions of hot dogs and canned chili. My friends, I've just discovered, are among the majority of campers, who while waxing rhapsodic about the pleasures of sleeping outdoors, breathing clean air, and communing with nature have resigned themselves to unsatisfying, unhealthy meals to enjoy the great outdoors.

"It never occurred to me that you could cook anything really good and healthy at a campsite," says Susan Miller, an avid camper who swears that she and her husband ate macaroni and cheese out of a box every single night of a recent three-week camping trip.

Other friends share grisly tales starring soggy concoctions of canned meats and dehydrated vegetables, bizarre combinations of processed foods congealing on plastic plates, dishes with scary names like "Ramen Cheeseburger Soup" or "Cottage Cheese Cabbage Noodles."

Sadly, these people are missing out on one of the greatest joys of summer. If you're carrying all of your food on your back, you may need to rely on dehydrated and processed foods, but if you're car camping, there's really no reason to suffer at mealtime.

Armed with just a bit of essential know-how, even the most inexperienced cook can create three-star meals around a campfire.

Mother Nature kindly provides ambience that any high-end restaurant would kill for: stars twinkle overhead, the flickering fire casts a romantic glow, and a cool summer breeze makes for subtle background music. Equally elegant campfire cuisine depends on you for just three elements: a well thought-out meal plan based on simple recipes, high quality wholesome ingredients that burst with flavor, and a few pieces of basic equipment.

Of course, a bottle or two of good wine won't hurt.

With the trivial details -- such as where you are going and how long you'll stay -- decided, the first task is to map out a meal plan and create a menu for each breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Before you begin your planning, find out what facilities are available at your chosen site. Many campgrounds -- especially in the desert -- don't allow open fires, so you'll need to bring charcoal if you plan to do any grilling. Also, many desert campsites don't have running water. In this case, plan to cook meals that don't require a lot of pots and pans in order to keep dishwashing to a minimum.

In planning meals, it is important to consider how long different foods will last in a cooler. Fish, for instance, shouldn't be kept for more than a day, while beef (properly stored) will be fine for at least two days.

Likewise, lettuce begins to wilt after a day or two, but heartier vegetables such as zucchini and asparagus can last up to four or five days.

Cheese and precooked meats, such as smoked sausages, are great for meals later in the trip as they will last up to a week in a cooler that's restocked with ice regularly. Plain canned beans will last forever, and with the addition of fresh vegetables and spices they make an excellent one-pot meal.

Plan to cook the most perishable items first and the longer lasting items last.

Since you probably have better things to do during the day than hang around the campsite, simple breakfasts and lunches will do you well. For breakfast, instant oatmeal, cold cereal or bread with peanut butter and fruit is always satisfying.

For lunch, pack a turkey sandwich, some fruit, and snacks to take along on your day hike. When you return after a vigorous day in the wilderness, a delicious hot meal is a welcome reward.

Keep things simple by choosing recipes that have a limited number of ingredients, and plan to use some of the same ingredients in more than one dish rather than packing your entire pantry. Usually no more than six ingredients are necessary (excluding salt, pepper and olive oil) and many ingredients, such as garlic and lemon, re-appear throughout.

Keep in mind that without the modern conveniences of a home kitchen, the end result is entirely dependent on the quality of your ingredients. Always choose the freshest meat and produce you can find and steer clear of processed and canned foods (I make an exception for canned beans, which are lifesavers on a long camping trip). And, of course, good olive oil is a must.

When you are limiting the number of ingredients in each dish, a focus on flavor is essential. Herbs, spices and strongly flavored condiments can completely transform the character of a dish.

A strong cheese -- such as feta or grated Parmesan -- does wonders for a simple salad. Crumbled rosemary adds complexity to a basic chicken marinade. Cured olives provide an unexpected flavor sensation when added to sauces and salads. Every dish should have at least one flavor that stands out -- be it the pungency of garlic, the blast of hot peppers or the bright snap of fresh herbs.

Finally, you'll need to stock your portable camp kitchen with a few basic essentials. For everything from boiling water for the morning coffee to cooking rice or stew, a camp stove is a necessity. The one I use is as basic as you can get: a simple burner that screws onto a propane canister.

Many recipes can be accomplished with a stove this simple, but many fancier options are available. Visit your local camping supply store -- where you'll find models ranging from the most basic to extra deluxe -- and decide what's right for you.

By planning to cook dishes that use the same cooking methods and cookware, you can travel as lightly as possible. All of the recipes in the three-day trip menu presented here can be cooked either directly on the grill, wrapped in foil on the grill or in a 2-quart pot on a one-burner camp stove.

Even with the addition of breakfasts and lunches, you can easily pull off three days' worth of meals with a modest equipment list. Scour tag sales and flea markets for inexpensive cookware and assemble a camp kitchen that's ready to go whenever the urge strikes.

Your friends may resist your gourmet tendencies, but I guarantee that when dinnertime rolls around, snide comments will be quickly overtaken by the silence of a hungry crowd thoroughly enjoying their food.

In the end, everyone will appreciate having a foodie along.

Spicy Orange Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Grated zest and juice of one orange

1 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

1 Tbs brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds (crush seeds in a plastic bag using an unopened can)

2 Tbs olive oil

Place chicken breasts in a zipper-lock bag and pound to flatten (use an unopened bottle of wine or a can). Mix the other ingredients and pour into bag with chicken. Seal bag and place in cooler to marinate for anywhere from one hour to overnight.

When ready to cook, place chicken on grill over hot fire and grill about five to seven minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with Couscous and Olive Salad (recipe follows) and grilled zucchini. Couscous and Olive Salad: 1 c. water 1/2 tsp salt 1 c. couscous 1/3 c. Kalamata or other strong cured olives, chopped 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped Juice of one lemon 1/2 Tbs olive oil

Bring water, with salt added, to a boil. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir and cover. Let sit for five minutes. Fluff with fork and allow to cool. Mix in the other ingredients and serve.

Grilled Steak Tacos

1 1/2 lb flank or skirt steak

Juice of 3 limes

1/2 c. red wine

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbs dried oregano

1 tsp each salt and pepper

To serve: Corn tortillas

Chopped lettuce

Sliced radishes

Lime wedges

Chopped Tomato Salsa (recipe follows)

Place steak in a large zipper-lock bag. Mix lime juice, wine, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and pour into bag with steak. Seal bag and store in cooler up to 24 hours.

Grill steak over hot coals, five to seven minutes per side, until medium rare. Remove steak to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for five minutes.

Meanwhile grill tortillas over the fire until warm. Slice steak into 1/4-inch thick strips and serve with warm tortillas, lettuce, lime wedges, radishes and Chopped Tomato Salsa. Chopped Tomato Salsa:

1 small red onion, chopped 1/2 tsp salt Juice of 2 limes 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped 4 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 c. cilantro, chopped

Place chopped onion in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, squeeze lime juice over and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Chop chiles, tomatoes and cilantro and add to onion and lime juice mixture. Stir to blend. Serve immediately.

S'Mores are the quintessential camping dessert, but if you need a break from all that gooey marshmallow, this is a great alternative.

Baked Chocolate Bananas

1 banana

1 Tbs semisweet chocolate chips

1 Tbs shredded sweetened coconut

With the banana still in its peel, make an incision lengthwise through the top of the peel and the fruit, leaving the underside of the peel intact. Pull the sides of the banana apart and sprinkle chocolate chips inside. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake over hot coals for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fruit is hot and soft and chocolate is melted. Remove and discard foil and peel and sprinkle coconut over the top.

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