VTStateParksCooks

VTStateParksCooks

Breakfasts

Sausage & Tater Skewers

The idea for this dish came to me after I made some kebabs for a wedding I catered. I had dozens of skewers rolling around in my car, and I kept stabbing myself on them, so I wanted to use them up! This is how new recipes are born!

Want an egg with that? I threw a couple of eggs on the grate while I was cooking, turned them regularly, and took them off when they were hot on all sides (after 10-12 minutes). They peeled more nicely than I had imagined they would, and really rounded out skewers.

Ingredients

You'll need wooden skewers for this dish

• Olives
• Leftover or fresh foil-roasted potatoes
• Sausage (I used breakfast sausage but any kind would be great), cut into chunks
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil
• Condiments for serving

Directions

1. Thread the different items onto the skewers in patterns that look pleasing to your eye. I like to start and end with green olives because they're grippy and hold all of the items in place. My skewers went: olive, sausage chuck, onion, potato, onion, sausage chunk, potato, olive.
2. Season the skewered food with salt and pepper and any other spices you'd like.
3. Brush the grate/grill with oil to keep the ingredients from sticking.
4. Grill the skewers until the meat is done. Getting a little color on the meat and veggies is ideal but not required.
5. Serve with any condiments you'd like: pesto, ketchup, may, chimchurri, barbecue sauce, you name it!

Fire Toasted Oats

This is basically granola, but because the temperature of the fire is harder to control than that of an oven, I cook my oats without sweetener, and add a little bit of brown sugar or maple syrup, later on.

Ingredients

• Rolled oats
• Sunflower oil
• Salt
• Toasted nuts
• Cinnamon and other pie spices
• Dried fruits, chopped
• Maple syrup or honey

Directions

1. Butter or oil a piece of foil and fold it into a tray. Or, use a cookie sheet if you've got one.
2. Toss the oats with sunflower oil and salt and toast until browned and a little crispy, stirring regularly.Remove from heat.
3. When the oats have cooled, stir in nuts and fruits and sprinkle with cinnamon and other spiece if you'd like (I used some cardamom).
4. Drizzle on some oil and then the vinegar or lemon juice.
5. Serve with milk or yogurt and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

Grilled Bananas with Peanut Butter & Smoked Salt

Browning bananas makes them taste almost like candy. If you want a campfire dessert that's just a little bit healthier than a s'more, this might be it!

Ingredients

• Sunflower oil
• Bananas, cut in half lengthwise
• Peanut Butter
• Smoked salt
• Allspice
• Dried fruits, chopped
• Maple syrup or honey

Directions

1. Oil the grill and place the halved bananas cut side down over the flames.
2. As the bananas cook the skin around the edges will start to darken.
3. When a banana has gotten some nice browning on the fire-facing side, flip it so that the skin side is on the grate and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Remove the bananas from the heat and smear wtih a thin layer of peanut butter. Sprinkle on the smoked salt and allspice.
5. If you wish, you can mix honey and rum to make an excellent drizzle, but if you're trying to avoid extra sugar, the bananas are pretty sweet on their own.

Plantain Pancakes with Berries & Syrup

These delicious pancakes are gluten-free, and if you use alternative milk, and oil as the fat, they will be vegan, too! Because it's unlikely that you'll be able to run a blender at your campsite, it would be wise to make the plantain purée at home, freeze it, and bring it along in your cooler. Then, you can thaw it and add the other ingredients, when you're camping. Recipes for batters and doughs rely on correct ratios, so unlike most of our recipes, this one actually includes quantities. These can be served with honey and fresh berries; maple syrup; jelly or jam; or any other toppings you would like.

Ingredients

• 4 Green Plantains, pureed
• 4 Eggs
• 4 T. oil or melted butter
• Milk or alternative milk until the batter is the consistency of pancake batter
• 2 pinches salt
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Directions

1. Mix together all ingredients until the mixture is uniform.
2. Heat fat in a pan over the fire, and when it's hot, make a test pancake. If it cooks too quickly, move it to a cooler part of the fire. If it cooks too slowly, move it to a hotter part of the fire. Also, try your test pancake for seasoning and adjust the seasonings as desired.
3. Cook your pancakes and top with desired toppings.

Smoky Skirt Steak & Eggs with Roasted Tomatoes

Skirt steak is the perfect cut to prepare over a fire. It's thin and cooks quickly, but it's also tender and has a nice amount of fat. Sometimes you can find local skirt steak at farmstands. There are also lots of amazing folks in Vermont who sell their eggs at small-town stores – sometimes gas stations even have local eggs – so keep your eyes peeled as you shop!

It's hard to get the proportion of salt right in a dry rub, so even though I mix together all of the other seasonings, I keep the salt separate, and sprinkle it on, on its own.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Skirt steak (if you can't find skirt, use any kind of steak you like, and adjust the cooking instructions accordingly)
• Smoked paprika
• Chipotle powder
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Salt, or smoked salt
• Eggs

Directions

1. Rub the tomatoes with a little olive oil - or if they're cherry tomatoes, toss them in olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Larger tomatoes should be cut in half and placed cut side down in a pan or on a piece of foil with the edges turned up to hold juices. Place tomatoes over the fire.
2. Remove the steak from its package and pat dry with paper towels*
3. Combine the paprika, chipotle, garlic powder and black pepper to make a dry rub. Use the most paprika and the least black pepper. Add any other ingredients that you enjoy (cumin?).
4. Rub the blended spices onto the steak. Then, sprinkle each side liberally with salt.
5. Keep an eye on the tomatoes, you want them to be nice and hot and allowing them to get a little brown on the edges is even better.
6. Let the steak sit for around 10 minutes. If the tomatoes finish during that time, remove them from the heat.
7. Place the steak on the grate or cook it on a piece4 of foil. If you do the latter, turn up the edges to hold the drippings, as you did with the tomatoes. I prefer to use foil because I hate for any delicious meat juices to be lost to the fire.
8. Oil a pan that is appropriate to the number of eggs you wish to cook and place it over the heat. When hot, crack in the eggs and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
9. When the steak is brown on the first side, flip it and cook the second ide. Because skirt steak is thin you'll need to watch it closely.
10. Monitor the tomatoes, the eggs and the steak. As each one reaches the doneness you prefer, remove it from the heat. The steak should rest for around 5 minutes before you cut it.
11. Cut the steak thinly and top with tomato and eggs

* Why do you dry the meat? Because if you don't, the first thing that happens when it hits the heat is create steam, and steam inhibits browning. To get a delicious brown crust on the meat, it's best to start with a nice, dry exterior.

Cheesy Grits with Scallion

This super flexible dish is a great base for breakfast. Serve it with bacon; sausage; fried eggs; sautéed mushrooms; wilted greens; roasted tomatoes; or anything else that pleases you. The usual ratio of water to grits is around 4 to 1. When I'm cooking over a fire, unless I'll be watching the grits like a hawk, I use just a little extra liquid.

Ingredients

• Water, milk or stock
• Butter or oil
• Salt
• Seasonings as desired
• Grits (coarsely ground cornmeal)
• Scallion
• Cheddar cheese or another cheese you prefer

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the cooking liquid of your choice with a couple tablespoons of fat and a sprinkling of salt. Bring it to a simmer over the fire.
2. Whisk in the grits (if you don't have a whisk, use a fork) and add any spices or seasonings that you'd like.
3. Simmer until the mixture is smooth and cooked through. When you sample a spoonful the texture should be pleasing and not at all gritty.
4. Meanwhile, slice the scallion. I like to use both the white and the green parts.
5. While the grits are cooking, you can also grate or slice the cheese.
6. After your remove the grits from the heat, stir in the cheese and the scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Summer Tomato Salad with Herbs & Cheese

This is a riff on the famous Caprese salad. I've never loved eating whole leaves of basil, so instead, I use a mix of minced herbs. Fresh mozzarella is gorgeous, but there are so many cheeses that go well with tomatoes, that there's no reason to lock yourself in! Experiment with different varieties and see what you like best. I've used crumbled blue cheese, fresh goat cheese, slices of an aged bloomy rind cheese (like Brie or Camembert) and even hard grating cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino.

As for the tomatoes, buy a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. I love to combine halved, mixed-colored cherry tomatoes with slices of larger tomatoes. Ask your favorite farmer to recommend their favorite tomato varieties!

Ingredients

• Tomatoes, sliced or halved
• Salt
• Herbs, minced. Basil, dill, chives a smidgen of oregano, spearmint, fennel fronds, parsley
• Cheese
• Toasted walnut oil or olive oil
• Aged balsalmic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon

Directions

1. Arrange tomatoes on a plate or platter
2. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salet and then with minced herbs. Let your taste guide how much you use.
3. Crumble, grate or slice the cheese and distribute over the tomatoes.
4. Drizzle on some oil and then the vinegar or lemon juice.
5. So easy!

Tuna Salad with Corn, Blue Cheese, and Olives

Most people aren't going to light a fire three times per day, so it's great to have some interesting cold meals up your sleeve. This recipe calls for tuna but could also be made with nearly any leftover seafood or meat.

Ingredients

• High quality tuna, or leftover chicken, pork, salmon, or shrimp, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• Mayo
• Roasted corn kernels, cut off the cob
• Blue cheese, crumbled. I like to use Vermont cheeses such as Bayley Hazen Blue; Boucher Blue; or Mad River Blue
• Green olives, chopped
• Olive juice, to taste
• Red onion, chives, or shallot, minced
• Fresh dill, if desired
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, mix and mash everything together, and season to taste. A little squeeze of lemon could be a nice addition, too.
2. Serve with potato chips.

Roasted Zucchini, Snap Pea & Cherry Tomato Salad with Farmer Cheese

It doesn't get much more summer-y than this combo, with each item barely kissed by the flames to bring out its sweetness. There are plenty of vegetables that would make nice additions, or could be subbed in, especially eggplant and red peppers.

If you don't eat cheese, you could dress this with any vinaigrette or other salad dressing that you like.

Ingredients

• Zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan squash, or a combination, cut into half lengthwise
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sugar snap peas, ends and strings removed
• Lemon or vinegar
• Farmer cheese (I used Sweet Rowen Farmstead's Garlic & Tomato variety)

Directions

1. Coat the cut side of the squash with oil, season with salt and pepper, and place flat-side down over the fire. Cook until the squash has grill marks and some brown from the flames, and is starting to soften a bit. Flip to the rounded side, and cook a few minutes more. When finished, the squash should be tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat.
2. In a pan or Dutch oven, heat another bit of oil, and sauté the cherry tomatoes until they have started to burst. Add the peas, and cook, stirring, until the peas are bright green. Remove from heat.
3. When they've cooled enough to touch, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, and cut the strips into bite-sized pieces (quarter moons).
4. Season the vegetables with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar, and more salt or pepper, if needed.
5. Top with farmer cheese, or toss the vegetables with the cheese to make a creamy coating.
6. If you're using salad dressing instead of the cheese, skip steps four and five, and mix the veggies with dressing, instead.

Salad with Roasted Broccoli & Peppers with Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 cup oil
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoon mustard
• 1 close garlic, minced
• Black pepper to taste
• Basil, minced
• 1 box or bag of pasta, whatever shape you like
• Grated cheese

For the salad:

• Baby lettuce or mesclun mix, cleaned and placed in a salad bowl
• Broccoli, chopped and roasted over the fire
• Bell peppers, roasted over the fire, peeled, seeded and sliced
• Pumpkin seeds, toasted over the fire on a piece of foil

Directions

1. In a mason jar, shake the dressing ingredients until they're combined.
2. In a salad bowl, toss the lettuce with the dressing.
3. Drizzle a bit of dressing over the broccoli and peppers and place them on top of the salad.
4. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds

Fruit Salad with Honey Whiskey Sauce

This can be made with any fruits you like. The sauce makes it pretty special!

Ingredients

• Your favorite fruits: I used oranges, grapefruit, clementine, apricots, nectarines and cherries. You could also use bananas, pineapple, mango, whatever your heart desires
• Whiskey
• Honey
• Vanilla
• Bay leaf
• Salt

Directions

1. Peel fruits that need it and cut all of them into bite-sized pieces. If you want to make a really beautiful, tender pieces of citrus fruits, you can supreme them.
2. When the fruit is ready, bring the whiskey, honey, vanilla and bay leaf to a simmer in a small pot. Cook for a couple of minutes at a rolling boil add a pinch of salt and remove from heat.
3. When the sauce has cooled slightly pour it over the fruit

Salad with Strawberries, Burrata & Blueberry Vinaigrette

This salad is super simple but looks really elegant when you put it on a plate. If you don't like burrata, or can't find it where you are, use fresh mozzarella, blue cheese, or goat cheese. Dijon mustard is really the best mustard to use in dressings, and it's not particularly expensive. Maille is a nice brand, as is Fallot, and Grey Poupon will work, as well.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 c oil (I like to use 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 sunflower oil)
• 1/3 c white wine vinegar or fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
• Something in the garlic/onion family, minced. You can use shallots (classic!), red onion, garlic, scallion, etc.
• 1/2 c blueberries

Directions

For the vinaigrette:

1. If you're making the dressing home, puree all ingredients in a blender. The mustard should cause the dressing to emulsify, which means that it will seem a little creamy, even though there is no dairy.
2. If you're making the dressing at your campsite, mash the blueberries with a fork and put them in a mason jar with all of the other ingredients. Shake it up! The emulsification won't hold, but it will taste great.
3. Taste the dressing and re-season if needed. If you like things a little sweeter, add a touch of honey, maple syrup or sugar. And don't forget, the dressing will be stretched out over all of those salad ingredients, so it won't seem as intense.

Ingredients

For the salad

• Beautiful fresh greens such as baby lettuce or mesclun
• Strawberries, sliced
• Burrata, cut in half, or some other white cheese that is to your liking
• Sesame seeds

Directions

For the salad

1. In a bowl, toss the lettuce with just a spoonful of dressing. You want the dressing to coat the lettuce, but you don't want it to be swimming. Taste a leaf to see if it needs more dressing. If the dressing isn't coming through enough, consider whether you need more dressing, or if the dressing itself needs to be punchier! Sometimes, sprinkling a little salt or lemon juice over the salad is the answer.
2. Put the salad on plates and top with strawberries, cheese and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
3. If you'd like, you can drizzle a little honey over the top.

Roasted Corn with Garnishes

Leave the corn in its husk but peel off a couple of the driest outer leaves. Cook the corn on the grate, turning it every couple minutes, until the outer layers are charred, the kernels are bright gold, and, if you'd like, there's a little darker brown on some of the kernels, too (as in the picture!).

Once the corn is cooked, you can keep it in the husk and store it in your cooler, cut the kernels off for easy use later, or eat it

A few great ways to eat ears of corn

• With melted butter, a sprinkling of smoked salt, another sprinkling of smoked paprika, and a squeeze of lemon
• Smeared with mayo, rolled in cheese, and dressed in lime juice, chili powder, and salt (this is called elote, or Mexican street corn)
• Coated in pimento cheese, which can be homemade, or purchased. Some specialty shops in Vermont make their own amazing iterations of pimento cheese. To make it at home, combine grated cheddar, cream cheese, mayo, roasted red peppers, olives, garlic, and a little cayenne pepper in a food processor or blender, and purée.
• Coated in chicken liver pâté and sprinkled with grated parmesan, or another grated hard cheese.

Foil Packet Potatoes

This is super simple, and most people have probably made it, before. We used multicolored baby potatoes, and made sure that they were completely enrobed in foil, to keep in the steam.

Ingredients

• Potatoes or baby potatoes, cut into uniform pieces
• Olive oil or butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dill, minced
• Onion, scallion, garlic, or shallot, minced

Directions

1. Tear off sheets of foil, and put a couple cups of potatoes on each. The more potatoes in the packet, the longer it will take to cook.
2. Add olive oil or butter, or another fat that you prefer (bacon grease would be great!).
3. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with dill and whichever allium (plant in the onion family) you prefer.
4. Wrap up the packets. If there's a gap at the top, wrap with an additional layer of foil.
5. The packets can be cooked on the grill, which will take longer, or in the coals, which will require a more constant level of attention.
6. To cook the potatoes in the coals, rake a bed of coals away from the flames, and put the packet or packets on top. Check and turn regularly.
7. The potatoes are done when they are soft all the way through.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Lime Juice, Tequila & Agave Syrup

This recipe isn’t like anything I’d ever tasted: It’s sweet and rich, with a little zing from the limes and the tequila. I wanted a starchy side dish to go with a Mexican-themed meal, and didn’t want to buy out of season corn, but still had access to last year’s sweet potatoes from a local farm. And, I had some tequila kicking around! This recipe could easily be made vegan by substituting oil for the butter. Toasted sesame oil would be a really nice addition.

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato for every two people, or more if you want leftovers (you do!), peeled or unpeeled, depending on your preference, and chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Butter
• Freshly squeezed lime juice (it's great to zest the lime before squeezing, and use the zest in this recipe or in something else
• Agave syrup (if you can't find this you can use maple syrup or honey, but the agave gives it a pretty unusual flavor
• Tequila (I used a Reposada - or lightly aged variation

Directions

1. Cook the sweet potatoes with salt, pepper and butter in a foil packet, or a covered pan until super tender and mashable.
2. Add a bunch of butter (you can use some cream or milk if you'd like, but using all butter makes the texture super silky and rich) and mash until smooth and creamy. If you have a whisk, it makes a perfect mashing tool. If not, improvise! A fork would be perfectly sufficient. You can leave the mash a little chunky if you prefer or make it smooth.
3. Mix in lime juice, agave and tequila, tasting as you go until the acidity and sweetness are nicely balanced.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garlicky Beef Meatballs

Nothing complicated here! Just seasoned ground beef with lots of garlic, and whatever spices make you happy. I like to make a batch of meatballs, keep 'em in the cooler, and use 'em in a few different ways: on top of pasta or rice, in a baguette as a sandwich, or chopped and dropped into omelettes.

Ingredients

The spicing can go a few different ways...here are some options:

• Chile powder, chipolte, cumin, cilantro
• Fennel, sage, thyme
• Orange zest, dill, red onion
• Ras el Hanout
• Smoked paprika and smoked salt

Ground Beef

• Ground beef
• Garlic, diced (onion, chive, shallots...all of these would be good in addition or instead
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A squeeze of lemon or lime juice
• Your favorite spice blend
• Herbs

Directions

1. Mix the ground beef with all of the other ingredients.
2. Form into balls of equal size. For cooking over a fire, I find that small to medium-sized meatballs work best.
3. Cook in a pan in order to retain all of the juices! Save the drippings and use them in whatever the meatballs will end up in.
4. Drizzle on some oil and then the vinegar or lemon juice.
5. So easy!

Salmon in Foil with Dill & Lemon

This classic camping technique is based on something called cooking “en papillote.” In French cuisine, delicate foods are wrapped in paper and then cooked. When the packets are opened, the fragrant steam is almost as delightful as the food itself.

The salmon will cook quickly, so keep a close eye on it!

Ingredients

• Salmon fillets
• Butter or oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Scallions, sliced
• Dill, minced
• Lemon, cut into half moons

Directions

1. Butter or oil a piece of foil for each piece of fish.
2. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and place it skin side down on the foil.
3. Crumble, grate or slice the cheese and distribute over the tomatoes.
4. Drizzle on some oil and then the vinegar or lemon juice.
5. So easy!

Campfire Stew with Roasted Corn

My first camping trip was my sophomore year of high school. My friend's youth group canoed the Winooski river from Montpelier to the mouth of Lake Champlain, and I got to go along for the ride. I don't remember anything we ate except for the “Campfire Stew,” which was a mix of Campbell's Alphabet Soup, ground beef, and some formerly frozen veggies. This is my variation.

This is a great recipe to make if you've used some frozen chicken stock to keep your cooler cold!

This recipe is a good one for reminding cooks to season in small increments all the way through cooking.

Ingredients

• Olive oil or butter
• Onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Ground beef
• Spices, as desired, including paprika, chile powder, or a blend of curry spices
• Golden potatoes, diced
• Chicken stock
• Beer, wine, or cider, if desired
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Roasted corn, cut off the cob
• Spinach, cleaned, and roughly chopped
• Lemon or vinegar

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or medium-sized pot, heat the fat.
2. When hot, add the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until translucent.
3. Add the ground beef to the pot, season with desired spices, and add more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned.
4. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and wine, beer or cider, if desired. Season again!
5. Simmer until the potatoes are nearly tender and add the cherry tomatoes and roasted corn. Simmer for another few minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
6. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, spices if needed, and lemon or vinegar for acidity.

Grilled Drumsticks with Smoky Spice Rub & Blueberry Cider Sauce

On a hot day, drumsticks are a great thing to cook over the fire. They cook pretty quickly, taste good at room temperature, and are perfect for eaters of all ages.

Seasoning the chicken in advance, and using some interesting spices, can turn a pretty common dish into something a little bit more special. The fruit and hard-cider sauce seals the deal.

Ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks, or other chicken pieces, if preferred
• Salt
• Spices, including smoked paprika, black pepper, and chipotle powder, mixed
• Nice hard cider
• Blueberries, and other berries, if desired (we used some sour cherries)

Directions

1. Remove the chicken from its packages, and pat dry. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the skin to dry further.
2. Amply season the chicken on all sides with salt.
3. Roll the chicken pieces in your smoky spice blend.
4. In a small pot, combine the berries and hard cider, and bring to a simmer. Move the pot around over the fire to keep the sauce at simmer.
5. Place the drumsticks on the grill, and cook until golden brown on the first side.
6. Turn the chicken, and cook until it is cooked through (165-Fahrenheit). When it's fully cooked, you'll notice that any juices that are running from the chicken are clear – not red – and that it feels firm when you press on it. If you're in doubt, cut it open to see if it's white and opaque.
7. When the sauce has reduced to a thickness you like, add a couple tablespoons of butter, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and vinegar as needed.

Lentils & Pasta

When Seven Days reporter Sabine Poux visited me at Grand Isle State Park, this is what we made! It takes two pots, but it’s a rich and amazing dinner. If you want to make it vegan, just make sure you don’t buy egg noodles, and leave out the butter.

I make mushroom powder at home by grinding up a dried mushroom blend in a food processor, and use it to season soups, stews, sauces, and any dish that needs a little bit more savory-ness. It’s a great cooking trick!

Ingredients

• Lentils de puy (I like them because they hold their shape after you cook them)
• Garlic, minced
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Mushroom powder
• Salt & pepper
• Butter
• Spices (I use smoked paprika because it's my favorite)
• Herbs
• 1 box or bag of pasta, whatever shape you like
• Grated cheese

Directions

1. Put a medium-sized pot of water over the hottest part of the fire, and bring to a boil. This will be for the pasta. It can take a while for water to boil over a fire, so start this nice and early. Salt the water until it tastes nearly as salty as the ocean.
2. In another pot, combine the lentils, tomatoes, garlic, mushroom powder, salt, pepper, and water. The typical ratio for lentils is 1 cup lentils to 2 cups water, but I tend to use a little extra water when I’m cooking over a fire. Add any herbs and spices you’d like.
3. Simmer the lentils for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nice and tender. Adjust seasoning as needed.
4. When the lentils are about halfway done cooking, cook the pasta in the boiling water, according to the package directions. Drain when done, and combine lentils and pasta in any proportion that you like. Top with grated cheese, if you wanna!

Pork meatballs

A nice, simple meat dish that can be served over rice and beans, mashed sweet potatoes, grits, or whatever other starch you happen to have. I am pretty picky about where I get ground meat, but Vermont has many amazing farms, and they sell some delicious pork made from heritage breed pigs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork for every 3 - 4 people, depending on their appetites
• Shallot, red onion or scallion, minced
• Cilantro, minced
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Lime juice and zest
• Cumin

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients
2. If you wish you can cook a small bit of meat, taste it for seasoning and adjust the seasonings before you cook the whole batch.
3. Form the meat into meatballs of whatever size you'd prefer.
4. Cook in a pan with a little oil or on a piece of foil. with the edges turned up over fairly high heat.
5. When the first side browns turn the meatballs
6. They're done when the meat is no longer pink.

Tomato, Garlic & Chile Sauce for Meat or Beans

Put this sauce together at the beginning of your prep time and throw it on the fire to simmer as soon as you can, making sure it’s in a spot that’s not too hot. The garlic will become soft and mellow, and by the time your other food is done, you’ll have a rich, flavorful sauce. It would be amazing on tacos, or as a topping for scrambled eggs, too. This recipe would be vegan if you swapped olive or avocado oil in for the butter.

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved, if you're using small ones
• Lots of garlic (I used 10 cloves to make 2 cups of sauce. The way we cook it will mellow it out).
• A hunk of butter
• Smoked salt
• Black pepper
• Coriander
• Chipotle chile powder
• Other Mexican spices, such as cumin
• Lime juice if desired.

Directions

1. In a small pot, combine all ingredients and a little bit of water and set over the fire in a place that's not too hot.
2. Let simmer, stirring regularly until the tomatoes and garlic have broken down completely. Add more water as needed, but ultimately you want the sauce to be thick
3. Taste the sauce and season to taste with salt, lime juice, chile powder and all the other spices.

Beer-Braised Beef with Red, White & Blue Potatoes

There was a song I learned in middle school chorus that went: “I'd like to teach the world to sing...” (In the 80s, a popular soda company co-opted the song for a commercial). If I could teach the world one thing, it would be how to braise.

Braising is a method of cooking food slowly, in liquid, until it is falling-apart tender. It's a great way to prepare cheaper cuts of meat, which are not only economical, but are also great to buy from farmers. Why? Because it's easy for farmers to sell the steaks and the burger, but it's harder for them to find people who know how to use the other cuts. If you're one of those people, they will appreciate you a great deal!

I made a nice, quiet fire, and let the beef cook for three hours, while I read a book.

Ingredients

• Beef shanks
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive, sunflower or grapeseed oil
• Beer, red wine, stock or a combination. I used stout and some water because that's what I had.
• Garlic cloves, chopped
• Mushrooms if you'd like
• Red, white & blue baby potatoes
• A touch of white wine vinegar to correct the seasoning.

Directions

1. Remove the beef from the package and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Amply season the beef on both sides with salt & pepper.
3. In a Dutch oven or other heavy pan with a cover, heat the oil in a hotter part of the fire.
4. When the oil is hot, add the shanks. Sear until deep brown on the first side.
5. Turn the shanks, and sear on the second side.
6. Add your braising liquid and stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (the fancy term for that is deglazing!). Make sure that there's enough liquid so the liquid won't boil off and burn. More is better than too little! Add the garlic, too. Place the pan over a part of the fire where it will simmer, but not boil. Cover.
7. After 30 minutes, check to make sure that the temperature in the pan is appropriate.
8. Cook for around two and a half hours to three hours, checking every 20 to 30 minutes, and adding liquid as necessary. When you notice that the meat is getting tender and starting to fall off the bone, add the mushrooms and potatoes, and a little more salt and pepper.
9. Cover again and cook until the potatoes are tender. If the meat isn't done, it's ok to remove the potatoes and keep cooking the meat, or, if you don't mind that they'll be a little soft, leave 'em in.
10. When the meat is done, if you wish, you can take the meat out, put the pan over slightly higher heat, and reduce the sauce to the consistency of a glaze.
11. Either way, finish season the sauce with salt, and vinegar if it needs more acidity.

Cornmeal-Crusted Fish

Ingredients

• Perch, cleaned & gutted
• Eggs
• Flour
• Cornmeal
• Salt & Pepper
• Other spices and dried herbs as desired

Directions

1. Using paper towels, pat the fish dry. Let the fish sit and air out as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
2. Crack eggs into a container that is big enough for dipping the perch. Whisk with a fork until mostly uniform
3. In another container of similar size, combine approximately equal parts cornmeal and flour. Season with salt and pepper, and other appropriate seasonings you have on hand (see note)
4. Lay out a piece of foil to hold the dredged fish.
5. Holding the perch by the tail (or tail end, if the tail has been removed) dip in the egg until fully coated, and then dip in the cornmeal mixture. Place the dipped perch on the foil.
6. When all of the fish has been coated, cook it on the grate (if you are willing to keep a close eye on it and turn it regularly), on the piece of foil (which gives a little buffer between the fish and the flames), or in a pan (for maximum control).
7. Perch is done when it is opaque and tender, and the flesh easily flakes away from the bones.

Walleye with Mustard & Herbs

Walleye is a delicious, sought-after fish. There are many excellent ways to prepare it. I wanted something that was super quick and easy, and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients

• Walleye, cleaned & gutted
• Dijon Mustard
• Salt & Pepper
• Parsley, minced
• Chives or scallions, minced
• Butter

Directions

1. Using paper towels, pat the fish dry.
2. Place each fish on a piece of foil that is big enough to completely enfold it, and to create a nice seal at the top.
3. Smear the fish with a little Dijon mustard, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
4. Sprinkle on the parsley and scallion.
5. Cut pieces of butter and place them on top of the fish.
6. Fold up the foil packet and seal.
7. Cook until the fish is opaque, tender and flakes off the bone.

Brown Trout Stuffed with Lemon & Thyme

The fattiest of the three fish that we used, trout has a rich flavor that pairs well with citrus, plants in the onion family, and various herbs. I decided to stuff it and roast it.

Ingredients

• Trout, cleaned and gutted with the blood line removed, skin on.
• Salt & Pepper
• Lemon, sliced into half moons
• Shallot, minced
• Thyme sprigs
• Olive Oil

Directions

1. Using paper towels, pat the fish dry.
2. Place on an oiled piece of aluminum foil.
3. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, and then open the center and season the interior too.
4. With the fish lying on one side, open the flap and place lemons, a sprinkling of shallot and the thyme sprigs inside. Top with a drizzle of olive oil.
5. Roast the fish on foil or in a pan, turning halfway through cooking. It is done when it is tender, and the flesh easily comes away from the bone.

Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Violets & Rose Petals

You could make this on-site, but you could also make it at home, and unmold it when you're camping. If you're going to make it at your campsite, you'll need to make sure you have a nice cold cooler with lots of space, in order to chill it. Panna cotta, which comes from Italy, is basically a fancy jello that is made with cream. I put flowers in the mold because it's pretty, but you totally don't have to. You could also chill the panna cotta in little mason jars, don't worry about unmolding it, and sprinkle the flowers on top! You'll want to give the dessert four to six hours to chill, but you'll be able to tell how set it is by pressing on it with your finger. This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz.

Ingredients

• Neutral oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed
• Dried or fresh wild rose petals
• Violets
• 6 T cold water
• 4 1/2 t powdered gelatin (or two packets)
• 2 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/8 t salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 c sour cream or buttermilk

Directions

1. If you plan to unmold the panna cotta, oil your mold, and sprinkle with edible flowers. If not, you can oil your mason jars a bit, to make them easier to clean, later.
2. Put the cold water in a bowl, and sprinkle on the gelatin powder. Let sit until the gelatin has absorbed the water and is the consistency of a soft gel. You can do the next step while you're waiting.
3. Heat the heavy cream, sugar and salt until the sugar has dissolved. Stir
4. Pour the sweetened cream over the gelatin and mix until uniform
5. Add the vanilla and the sour cream, or buttermilk. The cold dairy will make the mixture begin to set.
6. If you have flowers in your mold, gently spoon a little of the panna cotta mixture over each flower to "glue" them in place. Refrigerate until the "glue" is set and then pour on the rest of the cream and chill until set.
7. If you're going to garnish with flowers instead, pour the panna cotta into the prepared molds and chill until set. Sprinkle with flowers.
8. Once it's set you can unmold it, if you're going to do that. Slide a knife around the edge, put a plate or platter, or cookie sheet, on top of the mold and flip with one quick motion. If the panna cotta doesn't slide out you can try smacking the mold a bit and if it still won't come out, tilt the mold slightly and use a butter knife to wiggle one edge loose. I've never had this fail!