I’m still dreaming of the week we spent camping to celebrate my birthday and close out the month of July. Swimming in lakes, sleeping under the stars, and living outdoors is a wellness retreat to me. The most challenging aspects of setting up a home away from home in the trees also serves as the most rewarding as you learn so much about yourself and the process each time. Jesse and I have been camping as a couple for three summers now and I am humbled each time; even though I think I’ve crossed all of my t’s at the beginning of our journey - there’s always an oversight! Some of the lessons in this round include:
Double check your list - we have a master list that includes all of our tools, gear, clothes, toiletries, and food complete with a menu plan. I got cocky and packed the coolers by memory, leaving behind a couple crucial components
Add bandaids to said master list
If it calls for rain, set up a tarp *before* you go to sleep…
While I loved reading in the sun, and exploring the landscape by hiking, and paddling, for me, the most enriching part of camping is cooking (obviously). This time around we did all of our cooking over the fire and I cannot recommend it enough! It’s a bit of a pain scrubbing off the soot upon return to your normal life, but why worry in the moment? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner become activities in themselves and we relished every moment. It’s a highly sensory and mindful experience when you are focusing on the task at hand: it’s inherently tactile, and when you are living radio-free you are encapsulated by the sounds of fire crackling, and the pan sizzling, the smells of burning wood and whatever delicious fat is being heated, intentful watching as you cook delicate foods over an open flame, and of course the gratification of tasting the simple but delicious meal you have cooked. Here are my tips to the ultimate camping cooking experience…
PREP
This year I did some things in advance re: my learnings from the past two trips, mainly, don’t try to wash and dry greens. It’s a waste of water, it’s frustrating trying to dry them, and you’ll save room leaving your salad spinner behind. I also made granola bars which were life savers in pinchy times when our blood sugar was running low, next time I’ll make some muffins too as they can double as dessert. This year I prepared:
2 big ziplocks of washed and dried lettuce
1 big ziplock of washed and dried swiss chard
1 big ziplock of washed and dried herbs (cilantro, parsley, and basil)
1 mason jar of salad dressing - a shallot-y dijon situation
1 large mason jar of cashew milk
Jillian Barecca’s Brown Butter and Tahini Granola bars (which were unreal!)
Marinated mozzarella leftover from a family lunch
I also gave all the fruit and veg was brining a rinse
SETUP
I take my setup very seriously, and honestly think I nailed it this time around - no learnings to report! Note that I lean domestic, you may not want to bring your good table cloth and napkins, and that's all good lol I also have an affinity for collecting enamelware so I take the opportunity to show off my collection, you should totally go stainless steel or plastic if that’s what you have. My list includes:
Small dutch oven (key for my campfire nachos!)
A large stock pot with steamer basket (makes cooking pasta super easy)
Two cast iron pans small and large size
One small enamel pot for boiling water
Serving spoon
Spatula
Enamel bowls: two medium, two large (one large can serve as a sink)
Four enamel plates
Camping mugs
Cutlery (a mix of plastic camping and regular)
A good sharp knife
A paring knife
Bottle opener
Can opener
Two cutting boards: one small plastic, one large wood
Table cloth
Cloth napkins
Dish towels
Enamel vase for wildflowers :)
MENU
All in all, pretty simple! We leaned on fresh local produce, veg from our garden, and eggs from our chickens which don’t need much! The beauty about summer camping is that you can make use of all of the bounty grown around you so take advantage and don’t over complicate things. We cooked mostly everything in butter and seasoned simply with salt and pepper.
Breakfast
We kept it pretty much the same every day with a combo of the following for a balanced start - protein, fat, fibre, carbs all represented
Bacon (a camping treat!)
Eggs (fried in the bacon fat of course)
Avocado
Sauteed chard
Fruit (peaches, plumbs, raspberries)
Toast (buttered or avocado’d)
Lunch
Quick easy, and nostalgic faves
Hot Dogs with Crudite and Chips
Herby Tuna Salad Sandwiches with Sprouts, Lettuce, Crudite and Plums
Take out Fish and Chips
Leftovers
Snacks
Fruit (this was key for hiking and paddling - fruit is hydrating, full of fibre, and the best of the best is in season right now)
Chips 🙂
Granola Bars
Carrot and Cucumber sticks
Dinner
We made an event out of our last meal of the day. It was so much fun we never wanted the process to end. Jesse would keep the fire going and I would make the food magic happen: teamwork!
Steak, Charred Zucchini and Bell Pepper cooked in Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and Dressed with Lemon and Basil, Green Salad
Whole Wheat Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, and Marinated Mozzarella, Green Salad
Pickrel in a Lemon Parsley Butter Sauce with Charred Garlic Scapes, Long Beans, Zucchini, and Corn on the Cob
Campfire Nachos (a tradition of ours!) and Avocado
Drinks
Dandelion Tea with Cashew Milk in the mornings
Water (lots of it!)
Beer
Peppermint Tea before bed
So pleasing to look at and read ❣️