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When I told my Father that I was going on a whitewater canoe trip down Manitoba’s challenging Bloodvein River, he took a contemplative sip of his coffee, leaned back in his chair and said, “Camping, huh?”
I replied in the affirmative. He said, “You know, the thing about camping is, it’s just so… ” I pondered what he could be thinking. That it’s fun? Rewarding? Challenging? Finally, he replied. “It’s just so… inconvenient.”
He had a point. Besides the undeniable charms of communing with nature and getting exercise via paddling and portaging, the whole point of this kind of camping trip seems to be removing yourself from the creature comforts of the city (Starbucks, microwave popcorn) and seeing how you do in the wild.
Then again, my dad had never heard of the new gourmet camping: I’m talking juicy steaks, exotic curries and chocolate fondue, with wines to match.
“Good food takes extra time, but there’s no reason you can’t eat fresh food on Day One or even weeks into a trip,” says Cameron White, owner and chief guide with the Winnipeg-based Red River Outfitters, as we paddle down a corkscrew of a river on the first day of a four-day expedition. The key to successful campfire cookery is not only to make sure you pack a well-balanced diet, but, more importantly, to be prepared. After all, there’s no way to source organic shade-grown Mexican coffee when you’re in the middle of the Manitoba bush.
White is prepared. I know this not only because I’m schlepping canoes and 50-pound dry barrels of food, tents and our fairly snazzy functional kitchen through poison ivy and across steep rock faces, but also because I caught a peek of his Master Meal Plan. Apparently, almost anything you can make at home can also be prepared in the wild. Working around minimal fresh ingredients so that spoilage isn’t an issue, the only limitation to campfire cookery is your imagination: Bannock pizza? Freshly baked cinnamon buns? Coming right up!
“It’s the thing people talk about second-most on a paddling trip,” my gourmet guide-in-training Lori Slobodian tells me, as we prep portobello mushroom appetizers on our first night. “First it’s the water level and rapids, and then it’s the food.” The mushrooms are an easy starter. I just clean and stem them before smearing the innards with a healthy dose of homemade pesto and topping them with mozzarella. Onto the grill they go. While the mushrooms sear and the cheese melts, we thread chunks of marinated chicken breast onto metal skewers and add wild rice and water to a lidded pot. Out of the fire and into our bellies: within an hour we have a fantastic meal. Plus, there’s chocolate fondue for dessert, with canned pineapple and fresh apple slices for dipping.
By Day Three I have capsized our Prospector canoe in the rapids (twice), my digital camera is full of water and I think I may have a poisonous spider bite. But the sun is shining, the beavers are busy and I smell bacon. What’s more, White is about to make his famous campfire coffee, which turns out to be an exercise in dexterity, gravity and wishful thinking.
“Watch this,” he says. He fills an old-school camping coffee pot and boils some water. Then he adds heaping tablespoons of fresh coffee grounds, lets it sit for several minutes and takes a few steps back from the fire. He starts swinging the pot in great circles, using centrifugal force to push the grounds to the bottom. He then dumps a big splash of coffee into the fire to get rid of any floaters and pours us cups of successfully rich, (almost) grounds-free cowboy coffee. As if his showmanship wasn’t enough, White spikes my mug with Bailey’s. It’s a great morning to be on the Bloodvein.
Later that day, as I take up my regular post in the kitchen tent, White tells me: “My job is to amaze people with the quality and variety of food along the river.” I certainly think my paddle mates will be surprised when they see what’s for dinner tonight. First, I mix up some bannock dough while Cam fires up the propane stove. I shape my dough into rounds, grate parmesan, mozzarella and asiago cheeses and slice up some veggies and some
Winnipeg-made Hungarian sausage. Then we fry one side of the dough rounds in a hot skillet before flipping them, adding sauce and toppings and slapping on a lid; just wait for the dough to rise and brown and the toppings to bubble. Before long we’re gorging ourselves on slices of rustic pizza and quivering with enjoyment. (The quivering might also have been caused by the mosquitoes.) It’s camping, but it’s also a gourmet cooking school.
On the last day of our paddling trip, I’m lying on a rock like a lizard basking in the late morning Manitoba sun, drying off from a dip in the crystalline river. My belly is full of that crazy coffee and fresh-baked cinnamon buns (just add water to pre-mixed dry ingredients, flatten and spread dough, slather on butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, and roll and slice). Within minutes they emerge from White’s cool campfire oven buttery, flakey and golden brown. I have to laugh at the fact that my first time ever making cinnamon buns has taken place in the middle of nowhere.
Which gets me thinking that maybe my dad was right about camping, after all. Paddling for days, the backbreaking portages, setting up the gear and my countless sundry bites have been more than a little inconvenient. But I suspect, as I chow down on a second cinnamon bun, that that’s what makes camping fare taste that much sweeter. wl
SIDEBAR
Glamping Gadgets
Replace that battered skillet with these modern essentials
What fun is having the meal of you life if you can’t get on your Globalstar Satellite Phone ($995, globalstar.ca) and tell your pals about it? If you burn the campfire pizza, perhaps you can order delivery.
Use a Primus Two-Burner Gas Stove ($56, mec.ca), so the risotto can be simmering on one element while you sear the duck breast on the other.
Pack Wild Boar Proscuitto ($14/100 grams, oyama
sausage.ca), the preferred cured-meat trail snack for Western foodies.
The Coleman Camping Coffee Maker ($69.99, canadiantire.ca) tops the list of cool camping gadgets: just rest atop a camp stove and it’s like you never left home.
As long as you don’t draw the short straw and have to carry this somewhat bulky appliance, there’s no beating the convenience of the Trailwood Camping Stove and Oven ($199, canadiantire.ca), for those times when you just have to have a roast beef and Yorkshire pudding dinner on the trail.
Go Now
Bloodvein River paddling trips with Red River Outfitters (redriveroutfitters.ca) begin at Artery Lake and can include a visit to one of the world’s most significant collection of pictographs. Fifteen- and eight-day itineraries are available ($1,900); the price includes transportation from Winnipeg, bush plane flights, all delicious meals on the river, equipment less sleeping bag and clothing, and a traditional native feast and sweat lodge experience at the end.
For this and other Manitoba experiences, visit Travel Manitoba (1-800-665-0040, travelmanitoba.com).
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RECIPES
Halibut with Marinated Spaghetti Squash
 3 Roma tomatoes, cut into 6
wedges each
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, to coat
Fresh basil, sliced fine
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved, seeds removed
Fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin
4, 5-oz halibut fillets Preheat oven to 275°F. Season tomato wedges with salt and pepper. Mix with basil and olive oil. Place on baking tray in oven. Roast for 3 hours. Set aside.
For spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 425°F. Season cut sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place skin-side up on baking tray and cook for 45 minutes or until flesh is soft. Cool. With a fork, scrape flesh into a bowl. Add chopped basil, green onions and enough olive oil to moisten. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Season halibut with salt and pepper. Preheat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Sear skin-side up until golden brown. Turn skin-side down. Place in oven for 3 to 4 minutes. To serve, place fish on spaghetti squash and top with red-pepper coulis (see recipe below) and oven-dried tomatoes. Makes 4 servings.
Red Pepper Coulis
1 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and cubed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups fish or vegetable stock
In a medium saucepan over medium heat sauté shallots and clove of garlic in olive oil until transparent. Add red pepper and continue to cook until soft. Add stock. Simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain sauce, keeping strained red peppers and liquid separate. In a blender, purée red pepper, adding a bit of reserved liquid as necessary to reach sauce-like consistency. Warm for 30 minutes before serving.
Pan-Seared Wild Pacific Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup
2 cups canola oil
1 long English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/8 cup red pepper, diced small
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh dill, minced fine
Olive oil, for sautéeing
4, 5-oz salmon fillets
12 large prawns, cooked
To make maple balsamic vinaigrette, place onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup into a food processor or blender. Purée and slowly add canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.
To make cucumber salad, place slices in bowl. Add red pepper, red wine vinegar and season to taste. Add fresh dill. (Dress salad right before serving, as salt will bleed moisture from cucumber.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium and coat with olive oil. Sear salmon skin-side up until golden brown. Turn over and bake in oven for 4 minutes for medium-rare. Garnish each fillet with a prawn; serve over salad and drizzle vinagrette around the plate. Makes 4 servings.
Pear and Parsnip Soup
with Truffle Oil
Olive oil
3 lbs parsnips, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
2 medium onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 pears, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch oregano, chopped, plus
whole leaves for garnish
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Coat bottom of a stockpot in olive oil and place over medium heat. Add first 6 ingredients and sauté until vegetables are transparent. Add stock and stir well, scraping up browned bits off bottom of pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft. In a blender or food processor, purée until smooth. Pass soup through a medium strainer. Return to pot, bring to a boil and season to taste. Garnish with truffle oil and fresh oregano. Makes 4 servings.
Flatiron T-Bone, Dungeness Crab and Grilled Vegetables
4 T-Bone steaks Fresh thyme
2 whole dungeness crabs, cleaned
Sea salt and cracked black peppercorns
1 zucchini, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
1 red pepper, cut in six wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil, to coat
To poach crab, fill a large pot 3/4 full of water. Bring to a boil. Place crabs in water and poach for 11 minutes, or until crabs float. Remove and keep warm.
Meanwhile, season steaks with sea salt and cracked black peppercorns. Sprinkle with thyme. Heat a cast iron pan over medium. Sear steak on both sides until desired doneness. Let rest briefly before serving.
Preheat a grill or barbecue on high. Toss zucchini, tomatoes and red pepper with olive oil, fresh thyme and sea salt and cracked black peppercorns to taste. Grill vegetable for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly charred. Makes 4 servings.
Campfire Cinnamon Buns (adapted from Camp Cooking, The Black Feather Guide: Eating Well in the Wild by Mark Scriver, Wendy Grater and Joanna Baker (The Heliconia Press, 2007))
(serves 8)
May be made in a camp oven or frying pan with a cover (or at home in an oven). The dry ingredients for the dough can be mixed ahead of time and brought along for ease of in-camp preparation.
Ingredients:
For dough:
4 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup milk powder
½ cup butter or margarine
1 ½ cups water (to be added later, in the woods)
For filling:
2 tbsp butter or margarine
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
¾ cup of raisons or pecans (optional)
Method:
1. To make the dough, mix dry ingredients together, then using a fork or two knives (or pastry cutter) cut ½ cup butter or margarine into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in waterproof bag or container in cool place.
2. When you’re in the woods, preheat the camping stove to 350 degrees F. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups water to dry dough ingredients and stir until just combined. The texture should be pliable but fairly firm, not sticky. Add a little more flour or water if necessary.
3. Place mixture on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently until smooth.
4. To assemble the cinnamon buns, use a smooth-sided water bottle to roll out the dough into a rectangle that is about ½ inch thick. Spread 2 tbsp. butter across the dough, leaving about 1 inch bare at one end. (You need this bare end to seal the end of the cinnamon bun roll).
Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly across the dough, once again leaving 1 inch bare at one end. Roll the dough into a long sausage toward the bare end, and then gently pinch the end of the roll to seal it. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into slices that are about 1 inch thick. Lay the slices in a greased baking pan or Dutch oven.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are gold brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
THAI RED COCONUT TOFU CURRY
(serves 4)
This is a recipe adapted from my cookbook, Cook This, inspired by the months I spent camping in Thailand. Okay, more like swaying in hammocks while drinking whiskey and Cokes. But we were by the water.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb package extra-firm tofu, cubed and patted dry
2 14 oz cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 14 oz can straw mushrooms (or regular), drained
1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 stalks lemon grass, rough ends and outer layer removed, remaining chopped in thirds
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 red peppers, chopped
¼ cup Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 limes, juiced
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (optional, but sooo good)
rice to accompany (Basmati or other)
Method:
- If serving with rice, put it on to cook now.
- Heat oil in pot over medium-high flame. Add cubes of tofu and fry until golden on all sides, about five minutes of cooking. Put browned tofu in a bowl and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium. Wipe pot clean, then add coconut milk, stir and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Then add mushrooms, water chestnuts, lemongrass, ginger, carrots, red pepper, curry paste, sugar, soy and golden tofu. Cook for 10 minutes, stir in lime juice and give her a taste. Not hot enough? Add more curry paste. Not salty enough? Add more soy. Thai food, even in the wild, is a fine balancing act.
- To serve, fish out and discard lemon grass, ladle curry over rice, and top with chopped coriander.
PESTO PORTOBELLOS
(serves 6)
Three ingredients, one great appetizer.
Ingredients:
6 large Portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and stemmed
6 tsp pesto sauce, either homemade or store bought
6 thick slices mozzarella cheese (deli slices are easiest to pack)
Method:
- Lay prepared mushroom caps, gill sides up, evenly spread with pesto, lay a slice of the cheese over the pesto, pop it in a pan with a little oil, or straight over a grill, and cook until mushrooms are hot but not mushy, and cheese has melted.
BANNOCK PIZZA
(serves 8)
Here’s a traditional Manitoba recipe, made modern with your favourite pizza toppings
Ingredients:
9 cups sifted flower
1/3 cup baking powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup non-fat dry milk powder
2 cups shortening at room temperature
Toppings:
Good hard cheeses that travel well and are easy to grate (mozzarella, asiago, Parmesan, cheddar)
Sauces, like pesto, tomato and salsa
Toppings like fresh onions, peppers, zucchini, olives, canned pineapple, mushrooms, meats like pepperoni and cured, cooked sausages
Method:
- At home: Sift together dry ingredients three times. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture looks like coarse corn meal. Store in covered container at room temperature.
- Once in the wild, add in enough water to make a smooth and subtle dough. Knead a bit on covered work surface sprinkled with flour, then shape into eight pizza rounds.
- Fire up stove (or low burning campfire), quickly grill pizza rounds on one side, flip, add sauce, cheese and toppings onto grilled side, then place back on flame on non-grilled side, cover if possible, and cook until done.
LORI’S TOMATO ORANGE CREAM SAUCE
(serves 6-8)
Here’s an adaptation of my gourmet guide Lori’s crazy delicious campfire specialty.
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
5-6 fresh large tomatoes (or about 8 canned, drained)
3 cups half and half cream
4 tsp fresh orange zest
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 boxes angel hair pasta
6 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
Method:
- Put water on to boil for pasta
- In a large pan, fry garlic in oil until fragrant, add chopped fresh tomatoes and salt and pepper, cook for 3-5 minutes. Add cream and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in orange zest. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Drain cooked pasta, add pasta to sauce, toss until well coated, dish it out.
Top with fresh Parmesan.
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