When I go camping I enjoy cooking just as much as when I cook at home. I like to go camping as often as possible.
I particularly enjoy the challenge of undertaking of cooking with limited resources – few ingredients, simple cooking methods and equipment. Each meal is further restricted by what ingredients and produce has to be used first.
Camping meals also have to be easy, quick to cook and as flavoursome as I can make them. The basics are extra virgin olive oil, good quality wine vinegar or balsamic, anchovies, capers, mustard, fresh herbs from my garden, some spices and anything else that is in my home fridge and that I have room for in my camping fridge/ cooler box, for example any of the following: harissa, egg mayonnaise, tapenade, preserved lemons, left-over cooked food and sauces…these will enrich the flavours of what I am to cook.
Above: kale sautéed with garlic, anchovies and chillies is accompanied with saganaki. Like when cooking FORMAGGIO ALLA ARGENTIERA I always add a sprinkling of dried oregano while it is cooking.
Above: braised mushrooms will be used to dress pasta or may accompany pork sausages or used to make a frittata.
Above: eggs poached in some tomato salsa and sprinkled with fresh basil leaves.
Above: braised red radicchio with pan-fried salamino (or chorizo).
Above: cauliflower cooked with rosemary and saffron and some creamed feta. This too could be used as a pasta sauce.
Above: pork sausages are pretty much staples for camping. They can be crumbled into dishes or cooked whole with tomatoes, sauerkraut, lentils or beans.
Above: pork sausages with lentils.
After 30 years of using a blue gas stove I now have a yellow one. This one lights more easily and generates more heat.
Sautéed green leafy vegetables with chilli.
This is a common Italian method to cook any green leafy vegetables , such as : kale, cavolo nero, spinach, chicory, endives, cime di rape, brassicas. Italians, like my mother would blanche or cook the leafy greens in boiling, salted water before sautéing , however because I prefer my vegetables not to be overcooked I omit the precooking.
I like to add a substantial amount of anchovies, but I am careful about adding salt to the greens when I sauté them in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and chilli.
Sauté the anchovies, The anchovies have to be cut finely and tossed about in some extra virgin olive oil to dissolve/ melt. This happens quickly.
Add some chopped garlic and chillies and toss for a couple of minutes before adding the washed greens and sauté until cooked to your liking.
Other posts about camping:
EATING WELL, Camping in Tasmania, BBQ chicken-Pollo alla Diavola
EATING AND DRINKING IN THE GOLDFIELDS in Victoria
PRODUCE IN GIPPSLAND ; Campside Eating
Below: The Otway National Park, Victoria, my last camping trip.
