Site Directory - Please scroll down for the camping section directoryPreparing for the Outdoor Kitchen NOTE: Since this was written a few years back, I have converted to a vegetarian diet. The meal ideas on the next few pages are still pretty on target, and I still grill a mean steak for my guests, but you'll find me trading in a couple portabella caps for a porterhouse ;)
Now that you have an idea of what to make, you need to decide what you actually will make! I highly suggest to plan a menu, especially if you are going with others. Nothing is worse than having to run out to the store at the last second because you either forgot one lousy item, or worse, you didn’t bring enough food for everyone!
It’s also a good idea, especially with others, so you can discuss likes, dislikes and allergies. What I did in the past is write what I would like to have, and then let everyone decide if that’s satisfactory with them. If not, ask about any suggestions to alternate the basic menu. Hey, if you have the kitchen duties, you might as well enjoy what you’re doing! Remember that if you have a large enough variety, you should be safe with most items. Also, by doing it this way, you’ve cut out a large chunk of everything there is in the world to make. It may be more diplomatic to have everyone write down meals on a slip of paper and drop it in a hat, but someone has to make it! ;)
Once that’s settled, write down a comprehensive shopping list and STICK TO IT! You’ll want to show your group how much you paid so you can get partially reimbursed. Be sure to hunt for sale and generic items as much as possible; gourmet doesn’t have to mean pricey! Go alone, if possible; the more people you bring with, the more likely you are to “give in” and steer away from the shopping list.
The night before you go to the campground or festival, have everyone meet at one location with all of their gear. Have a kitchen party by having everyone pitch in with the prep work and adding their magick to the food! Don’t forget to make a good meal for yourselves beforehand; the less hungry you are, the less likely you are to “graze” in the kitchen! Also remember to bag everything up, either to be refrigerated or frozen. Squeeze out as much air as possible; this prevents spoilage as well as reduces the amount of space you’ll need in the cooler! Remember not to over-pack, either with your gear or your food; that, and all of you, need to fit in the car, too! :) There’s nothing wrong with picking up a few items in town after setting camp, especially perishables and bulky items, such as boxes of pasta and paper towels.
And yes, definitely: remember to double-check that you have everything for your kitchen set-up before you drive off! Even if it’s just you, and a couple of your meals are merely cans of ravioli, you’re going to need your can opener to eat it! Be sure you have stuff to cut with and on and that it’s SAFELY tucked away, stuff to cook with and on, stuff to eat with and on, and stuff to prepare and clean up with. Just as you have used your zipped freezer bags to conserve space, so should you with the rest of your kitchenware. If you splurge on one of those nifty wicker picnic baskets with service for four, you can cram your basic cutlery and your tablecloth in there, along with a couple kitchen towels to act as both dish/hand dryers as well as potholders.
I don't know if I mentioned it here or on a blog post, but one I have is packing some of my stuff in milk crates. (And wouldn't you know it, someone took the idea and ran with it! That's exactly what I had envisioned, but much nicer!) They're strong, weighted down and small enough to Tetris-ize while packing the car! My idea is they'll double as a stackable pantry, especially for quickly hauling in goods for those freak storms that come in out of nowhere! Earlier this week while doing some serious reorganizing, I came across a couple in the closet and used them in our pantry here at home. I've discovered one milk crate holds 24 standard-sized cans, plus 12 half-sized cans, like tomato sauce. The other one is packed with pancake mix and whatnot. And hey, by having them side by side, the crates created a whole evtra level to put cereal boxes on top! Yay!
One more thing: don’t be a Piggy Pagan - clean up after yourself! Reduce, reuse and recycle! Bring only what you really need, and only what you can wash, rather than throw away. Many festival sites ask you to bring your garbage home with you, so make sure you have as little as possible! Save up a few plastic grocery bags; bring them with as garbage bags, as well as for your dirty and wet laundry. Also, most campsites and festival grounds offer recycling bins - use them! :)
NEW! Potluck Ideas! There are a GAZILLION recipes out there for potluck contributions, but too few of them specifically cater to ones that can be whipped up out in the outdoor kitchen. What's worse, the bulk of the ones I've come across are either too small of a contribution (there should be 25 servings for a fest contribution!) or they're the standard pasta or salad dish. I say, stray from the ordinary and come up with something you'd be proud to serve the Goddess!
Here's the rules:
1) It should be in a large casserole dish, bowl, roasting pan or pot and accompanied with serving utensil (think catering service size so everyone is sure to get some!)
2) If it's an entree, you can go with just a protein or in combination with a starch and/or vegetable
3) You should all ready enjoy it yourself!
4) Avoid making something like a salad or a pasta dish (everyone brings that!)
5) You should include a list of ingredients. One better, bring photocopies of your recipe to share with others!
6) If you're using meat, dairy and/or eggs, make sure they were kept cold the entire time before usingSuggestions I have:
a) Chili!
- Ingredients are easy to pack, you get to use your cooking cauldron over a campfire tripod all day (*squee!*), and a veggie version is easy with using TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein), or not. Try pairing it with brown rice or oyster crackers.b) Sausages and Kraut
- My dad used to make this for us, and you really don't need to be a wiz in the kitchen. Just add a bag of small red potatoes (2 lbs.), a bag of baby carrots (1-2 lbs.), peeled small onions (1 lb.) and a chopped celery heart, mixed with a couple cans of saur kraut (I like Bavarian style). Simmer in a large pot with water or vegetable stock (just covering the vegetables) and add some salt, pepper and garlic (fresh or powdered). Then add your meat, be it bratwurst, polish saurages or spare ribs. And yes, Yves makes veggie versions of these that are quite tasty!c) Finger Burritoes
- I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like Tex-Mex, so go ahead and have fun with this! Make burritoes (but just small) by using taco flour tortillas and wrapping them the way you would normally. Use refried beans as a binder so the tortilla stays together, and fill them with *everything*: spicy meaty filling, Spanish rice, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole (avocado, cilantro, lime juice, tomato, onion, jalapeno) and taco sauce. Obviously, you're only going to get a mere teaspoon of each ingredient in order for them to close, so be aware of that. Also, no one is going to want just one, so make two for each serving!d) Easy Triffle
- 4 boxes of instant vanilla pudding, 2 pound cakes, 1 container Cool Whip (I say use this because it freezes), 2 cans pie filling. Break up cake with your fingers into chunks and add ingredients in several layers. Use a see-through dish so everyone can see how pretty it is!e) Stir Fry
- Chopping up vegetables is easy, and if you hit an Asian fruit market, it's cheap! Use standards like green onion, green pepper, tomatoes, celery, carrots, mushrooms and broccoli, but jazz it up with sliced water chestnuts, bok choy, napa cabbage, baby corn, bean sprouts and bamboo shoots. Any Chinese or Thai inspired sauce will do, though I like to make my own (just make at home and freeze). I use ginger, garlic, peanut butter (yes! it works great!), orange marmalade and of course soy sauce. Making it spicy just needs crushed red pepper flakes! And yeah, if you'd like it meaty, go for it! Morning Star makes really good "chicken" and "steak" strips. And remember to retain some of the green onion to garnish on top!f) Red Beans and Rice
- Mmmmmmm! I love creole, and there are a million recipes online for this. Alton Brown does a great version of this that I've tried, though I used Anjoille sausage instead. Remember to bring your potato masher!g) I'm Thinking Something... Indian
- Ever get that hankering for something spicy, something, exotic, something... different? Then have fun making a big pot of an Indian-inspired stew! I rarely follow a recipe closely and prefer to just follow my taste buds, but there are a million recipes out there, as well as canned, condensed stews that just need you to add some water to it. Either way, pair it with either naan (Indian flat bread) or basmati rice, and you're good to go!h) Shepard's Pie
- And just how praytell does one make such deliciousness out in the field? It's actually really easy! The pie crust is replaced with mashed potatoes (I like garlic powder and parsley flakes mixed in mine), and the filling is a ground beef stew, consisting of peas, carrots, onions and celery, mixed with ground beef and brown gravy (vegitize it if you like!). Now to get the top a bit crusty is tricky without an oven, so I've compensated for that with frizzled onions (y'know, like the kind you make green bean casserole with!), gently pressed into the mashed potatoes on top.i) Stuffed Cabbages (Galumpkis)
- I looked forward to when my mom made these for us, and she did it when we were "between checks", if you catch my drift. These are very easy to make, but they do take a delicate hand. The filling is a mixture primarily of half brown rice and half ground beef (cooked and well-seasoned to taste), with two jars of your favorite pasta sauce (retain half of one for topping). The easiest (and quickest!) way to make the cabbage leaves is to cut off the bottom of a head of cabbage (pick the greenest one you can find!!) and peel away each leaf individually into a stock pot of boiling water (as salty as the sea). By doing it this way, not only will it cook faster due to the water getting in-between each leaf, it will be 1000x times easier to access them for stuffing! And when the leaves are tender, remove them gingerly, one at a time, fill them with a spoonful of the mixture and wrap them like little burritoes. Line them up in a roasting pan and spoon over retained sauce. I also made an all-veggie version of these for a vegan picnic, replacing the beef with diced carrots, celery, onions, green peppers and mushrooms. It was a hit!And if you need any more ideas, check this site out for TONS of outdoor dutch oven recipes for every meal! Blueberry Fantasy Cake sounds delicious!
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