Camp Recipes from the Road

This is the fourth post in our series: Travelin’ Solo – Colorado and the Southwest.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

We’re talking recipes for the road this week. I bring a few easy seasonings in my camp kitchen kit that combine in different ways for new outcomes. Think travel clothes: I take a purple blouse that goes with the brown skirt but also the checkered leggins. With a small car and little extra room, I need favorite seasonings that do double duty.

At home or camp, my finishing seasonings are usually a drizzle of bold-tasting olive oil, a sprinkle of flake salt and white pepper and a spritz of fresh lemon. I put them on anything, once the meal is plated. If you can’t find your knife (welcome to camping) you can always use a fork to punch holes into lemons. Even plastic forks work for this.

I also packed umeboshi vinegar (a best kept culinary secret), nutritional yeast, sesame chili oil, chili crisp, small packets of soy sauce, Dijon and mayo, and homemade Seed Shake (equal parts flax, chia, sesame seeds), for seasoning and “regularity,” because travel often messes up my digestion.

Seed Shake: Mix equal parts chia, flax and sesame seeds

Umeboshi plum vinegar and nutritional yeast work well together in this Collard and Corn Sauté. The combo makes a zesty cheese-like sauce that is even better the next day. Add in equal parts of both while sauteing your vegetables, and adjust to taste. Kale, collards and corn all hold up well in a cooler.

Directions: Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add husked corn and chopped, de-stemmed collards (stems chopped very small can also be sauted). Saute 5 minutes or so till cooked through and a little caramelized. De-glaze the pan with stock, water or whatever you’re drinking, such as cider which I was enjoying this especially hot evening. Accompanying the vegetables is White Pepper Vegan Beef Strips de-glazed in Hard Cider and a side of store bought mac and cheese. Saute the onions in olive oil till slightly browned, add the “beef” strips and sear, de-glaze pan with hard cider, add in salt, a touch soy sauce, a dot of Dijon, and white pepper to taste. Stir well to make a sauce and serve.

I started eating more packaged salad mixes this trip (check the date to insure freshness). The mix is usually kale, cabbage and veggies that hold up well in a cooler. Directions: Packaged dressing is usually too sweet, so add in some of that fresh lemon, then top with whatever else you have: toasted nuts, canned tuna, baked tofu, Trader Joes canned herb chickpeas, chili crisp, as well as bold olive oil, flake salt and homemade seed shake. Bring a tupperware to store extra for the following meal.

Cucumbers hold well in a cooler and if they escape and start floating in cooler water – who cares? This refreshing Summer Kiss Cucumber Salad is seasoned with umeboshi vinegar, sesame chili oil, chili crisp, lemon and white pepper.

Directions: wash and slice cucumbers, drizzle in seasonings to taste and toss.