THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509210051
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JERRY CRONIN, SPECIAL TO SUNDAY FLAVOR
LENGTH: Long : 128 lines
IF YOU'RE PLANNING a day or weekend of fall hiking, fishing or just plain fun in the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina or elsewhere, keep in mind:
A well-fed camper is a happy camper.
But erase from your mind notions of hot-dog and beanie-weenie suppers. Replace them with Sausage Etouffee, Indian Pullau, Thai Bass - and the satisfaction of knowing you can create dishes on the trail that rival what they're serving at that fancy bed-and-breakfast on the other side of the mountain.
With a little ingenuity, planning and bravado, you'll be amazed by what you can create. Meals on short weekend trips should be enjoyable. Leave the Spartan instant-soup mixes and freeze-dried foods to mega-trekkers going the length of the Appalachian Trail.
B.J. Hajduk, an avid camper living in Norfolk, likes to roast a leg of lamb on the campfire. He suggests trimming a boneless lamb, filling it with herbs and garlic and trussing it before you head out. Roast it on a grill and, toward the end of cooking, add a few fresh vegetables, such as eggplant and squash, and you've prepared a gourmet meal without messing a pot.
Unless you already cook on a grill, you'll have to learn to juggle recipes on one or two burners. Try it at home beforehand. Sauced pastas easily can be prepared with a single burner, for example. Cook the pasta first, then remove to a covered supper plate when the noodles are al dente. Fix your sauce in the same pot. When the sauce is ready, return the pasta to the pot and heat it through.
Even simpler is an Indian Pullau, a one-pot rice dish. Saute the vegetables and meat with the spices. Add rice and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked. Move on to double burners and you can cook rice while preparing an etouffee.
If you will be fishing and plan to keep a few, carry supplies for preparing them. Cook the fish in a sealed pouch of foil with vegetables, gingerroot, hot pepper and basil and water or wine, for example, and you have a Thai-influenced dish. Dredge fish in flour seasoned on site and pan-fry them in a bit of oil for a different result. The makings for both take up minimal space.
Herbs, spices, condiment packs and hard cheeses such as Parmesan are lightweight, make life enjoyable and don't take up significant pack space. Prepare mixes ahead, seal them in small plastic bags and mark the bags so you don't put Cajun Etouffee spice into your mulled cider.
Chop vegetables at home and seal them in plastic bags. Trim meats before the trip to eliminate parts you will not eat.
Freeze your meats and vegetables before your trip. When you pack the frozen foods, wrap the packages in clothing to keep them cold for a day or so.
For recipes that use stock, bring bouillon cubes or flavor packets you have saved from packaged noodles.
When creating your menus, consider what you will be doing on your trip. If you are headed into the woods to relax and read, plan for long breakfast or lunch. If you want to hit the trail or stream at dawn, plan a minimal-cleanup breakfast, such as fruit and hot or cold instant cereal. Fruit and cheese keep well and make a quick lunch.
Hiking a trail or wading through a cold river burns calories, so remember to pack high-energy snacks. Make a trail mix of dried fruits and nuts to munch during the day. If you're a chocolate lover, you might indulge in a carbohydrate-rich bar. High-protein string cheese is another favorite of back-packers. Just remember to pack out the wrappers.
Choose beverages that can be made with water: tea, coffee, powdered-fruit drinks. If you want wine for an evening meal, use a collapsible bag. MAKING FIRE
Heat sources for cooking include open fires, take-along grills, grills built into the campsite or camp stoves.
If you envision a roaring fire, know that many areas restrict them, and the fines can be steep. And unless you are experienced with open fires, a stove or installed grill is safer and more efficient.
For installed grills, such as those at Seashore State Park in Virginia Beach and Newport News Park, bring plenty of wood or charcoal; foraging is not allowed.
When operating out of the back of a station wagon or pick-up truck, try a full-size camp stove, such as the two- or three-burner units made by Coleman and others. Although you wouldn't want to backpack these monsters, they put off better heat than many apartment-size ranges.
A lightweight, single-burner backpacking stove is best if you plan on heading up the trail a few miles. Ask some of your hiking friends for advice about their favorite models. Consider borrowing a unit or two until you find one you like.
Before taking any stove into the woods, try it out at home. Find out how long it takes to boil a pot of water, and make sure you can light it. Some stoves, such as those fueled with white gas, require priming to get them going. Although this may seem tedious, the stoves usually burn hotter than instant-light propane or butane units. DON'T FORGET. . .
For cookware, there are a variety of outdoor mess kits on the market.
Consider the kind of camping you will be doing and how many mouths you'll feed. Again, if you can, borrow a setup from a friend and try it. If you are operating out of the back of a vehicle, bring whatever you want from the kitchen.
If you'll be hiking short distances, think about what you want to carry. I've been known to pack a large cast-iron skillet. Weight purists may scream, but I like cooking in it.
Whatever cookware you take, make sure it has a lid. Food takes longer to cook if the heat escapes, and you'll waste fuel.
Breezes around the stove and pot also drain heat. Use your packs or a tarp to build a windbreak around your cooking area.
You'll also need a fork, knife and spoon that can reach the bottom of your deepest cookpot.
If you're car-camping, take whatever you feel comfortable loading; if it's all going on your back . . . leave the garlic press at home.
You can build your inventory of specialty gear over time. WATER WAYS
No discussion of camp cookery is complete without a few words on water.
``As pure as a mountain stream'' might make a nice image for a beer commercial, but they're dangerous words for a camper to follow. Even streams in ``pristine'' wilderness areas can have their share of bacteria floating around in them.
Weekend campers usually can carry enough water for cooking, drinking and teeth-brushing.
Use plastic bottles and collapsible containers to pack water.
So, as you camp this fall, try converting some of your favorite gourmet recipes for outdoor preparation. You'll prepare meals to remember in settings you won't forget. MEMO: Jerry Cronin is a free-lancer writer and avid cook living in Norfolk. ILLUSTRATION: JANET SHAUGHNESSY/Staff
by CNB