Not that there's anything wrong with warming up with whiskey, of course. But sometimes a rich, cozy, hot drink on a cold hike is all you need, and more. I don't regularly backpack in winter temperatures, but a recent trip to the Indian Heaven Wilderness was one of my coldest trips to date. Temperatures overnight were well below freezing, and plunged quickly as the sun went down. I was backpacking alone (and flask-less), so I chose what I thought might be the third best way to stay happy and warm in the backcountry: making UNBELIEVABLY good hot chocolate on my little alcohol stove. Forget the chalky packets of hot cocoa you can buy at the grocery store: this is a dry cocoa mix for chocolate lovers. Made with ground high-quality chocolate bars, this mix packs deep chocolate flavor and an indulgent calorie count, making it an ideal treat for the trail. The original recipe calls for whole milk, but I've adapted it to incorporate powdered milk to make it a backpacker-friendly concoction. You can also substitute powdered coconut milk if you are dairy-free, although the measurement of coconut milk powder may need adjusting depending on which type you are using. If you have a food processor, this mix is a breeze to make. (And I'd still argue it's worth it even if you have to chop or grate the chocolate by hand.) The mix also makes a wonderful holiday gift! Give it a try to treat both yourself and your nearest and dearest this winter. Happy trails! Backcountry Hot Chocolate Mix Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it a little from Cook’s Illustrated Yield: Enough for 9 cups of cocoa 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch 3 oz (85 g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped 1/2 cup (40 g) cocoa powder 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or scrape a tiny piece of a fresh vanilla bean. You're so FANCY.) 1/4 tsp kosher salt The easiest way to do this is to combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until powdery. And that's it! If you don’t have a food processor, you can also simply chop or grate the chocolate as finely as you can stand to do it, and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Store the mixture in an airtight container. If you're drinking your cocoa at home (gotta sample it first, right?), heat one cup of milk in a saucepan over medium to low heat until it's steaming. (Deb notes that non-dairy milks like coconut or almond will also work here.) Add 3 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix and whisk on the heat for a minute or so. When the mix is completely dissolved, pour into mug and enjoy! Taking that cocoa to go? Before you leave for the trail, measure out 3 tablespoons of mix for each 8 ounce-ish serving you want to have on hand. Add in 3 tablespoons of dry milk powder per serving and mix well. Put each serving into a snack-size ziploc. On trail, heat a scant cup of water until hot but not simmering. Stir in one ziploc of backcountry hot chocolate mix until the mix dissolves. Don't let it simmer - I found it useful to take the pot on and off the heat as needed. Want to add a twist? Add dashes of chile powder, cinnamon and cayenne for Mexican Hot Chocolate; use mint extract instead of vanilla (it's the ultralight way to bring along a candy cane); or make it a mocha by adding a few tablespoons of espresso powder to the original batch of mix.
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If you are very, very lucky, you have one of those friends who always buys the best gifts. They find something you have never even heard of before, but is exactly what you needed, even if you didn't know it yet. As you may have guessed, I have one of these friends. A while back, she bought me a Pop Up Grill, which stows in a conveniently tiny, easily portable bag. You can cook on charcoal or use it as a grate over a fire if you don't use the lower levels of the grill. It's even designed to work in snowy conditions if you're of the winter camping persuasion. It's a really convenient little thing, ideal for camping in developed campgrounds that doesn't have grills, and I'd even consider bringing it backpacking if I had an easy hike to a base camp for a few days. If I ever live out my #vanlife dreams, this grill definitely is coming with me. So far I have only used it once, when I stayed at the incredible Fremont Point Cabin in southern Oregon earlier this year. I knew that the cabin didn't have a grill on site, so I was excited to test out my new toy for the first time. For its first test, I chose to grill a simple strip steak that I was going to enjoy with a tasty pea and pickled carrot salsa verde from my beloved Six Seasons cookbook. I was cooking for one, and this was a perfect post-hike dinner. I chose this recipe to share because it's such a great fit for camping menus--kind of a condiment and side dish in one. Most of the dish can be prepped ahead of time and stashed in the cooler. If you're feeling fancy, the mint and lemon juice would be mixed in at the last minute, but if you don't care to mess knife work and lemon juicing in camp (and don't mind some discoloration), the entire dish can be assembled at home. Either way, it's a colorful, healthy, and very flavorful accent next to everyone's favorite things to grill in the great outdoors: steaks, fish, chicken, pork chops, you name it.
English Pea and Pickled Carrot Salsa Verde Adapted from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden 2 lbs English peas in their pods, shelled, or 2 cups frozen peas if you must. 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaves 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias. 1 cup thinly sliced pickled carrots (click the link for a recipe, or use store bought) 1 lemon, zested and reserved for its juice 2 TBSP capers, ideally salt packed, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped Extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. At Home: Bring a heavily salted pot of water to a boil. Drop in the peas and boil for 30 seconds max if they are tender (or you're using frozen), or a bit longer if they are starchy. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry peas. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and small stems. If you like, you can also finely mince the thicker stems (as you would chives). Combine the parlsey, scallions, pickled carrots, lemon zest, capers, and peas in a medium bowl. Season with pepper to taste and mix in 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil. (I would start on the lower side and add more according to your taste.) Pack: the salsa verde, your zested lemon, mint leaves and a citrus reamer if you like. (This is assuming that kosher salt, pepper, and olive oil are already in your camping kit.) In Camp: When ready to serve, chop the mint leaves and mix into the salsa verde with about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, oil, or lemon juice as needed. Serves 4 We recently took a much-needed car camping trip to Fort Stevens State Park, where I got to try out my new camp kitchen set up. It sets up very quickly, and it's so convenient having this well-organized space right next to my stove. I'm really pleased with it, and look forward to getting to know my new gear on future trips. Inspired by the park's location on the Oregon coast, we wanted a salmon-centric recipe, one I could cook on the stove, which had a roof over it, rather than on the grill in case of rain. This brightly flavored salmon chowder came together so easily in camp, and could easily be scaled up to serve to a group. It's just the thing to dive into on a chilly evening after a long day of hiking in the Pacific Northwest. Salmon Chowder
Serves two hungry hikers or three with lighter appetites Ingredients: 4 oz red potatoes 4 oz sliced bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips 1 bunch scallions, sliced on the bias 1/2 cup sweet corn kernesl 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried 1 bay leaf pinch red pepper flakes 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/3 cup cream 3/4 lb salmon fillet kosher salt and black pepper to taste zest of half a lemon Fresh chives, finely chopped, to garnish At home: Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, then cook in simmering salted water until nearly tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain, cool, and move to a water-tight container. Remove skin from salmon and cut fish into 1-inch pieces. Combine salmon with cooled potatoes and refrigerate. Combine sliced scallions, corn, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes in a small water-tight container. Measure milk and cream and combine in a water-tight container. Pack the lemon and a zester, plus a stash of salt and pepper. In camp: Cook bacon in a heavy pot, stirring, until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain with a slotted spoon. Add scallion and herb mixture to the pot over moderately low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add milk mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, then add potatoes, salmon, bacon, s+p, and lemon zest and cook, stirring occasionally, until salmon is nearly cooked through. Adjust seasonings as necessary - feel free to add a splash of lemon juice if it suits you. Ladle the chowder into bowls and serve with crusty bread and, if you are in NW Oregon, a crisp, refreshing beer from the Fort George brewery. Recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine. |
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December 2018
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