Beyond S'mores
Four top chefs share the secrets of great campfire cuisine.
By Mike Thelin
Fried Pesto Pasta
Jason French, Ned Ludd
French loves backpacking, but admits that the culinary benefits of car camping far outweigh the pleasures of being 30 miles from the nearest road—especially with two children.
At Home
Place basil, garlic, nuts, chile flakes, and salt in food processor. Pulse several times to incorporate ingredients. Add oil slowly, while machine is running. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in lidded container and store in a cooler. Cook pasta, cool, toss with oil, and also store in cooler.
At the Campground
In a heavy-bottomed pan on a camp stove, add oil. When oil is hot, add pasta, fry until crisp, and season with salt. Remove from pan, place in a separate bowl, and add pesto. Add beans and greens and stir. Add salt and lemon according to taste.
Wipe pan clean and return to heat. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese in a single layer in the pan and heat until crisp. Remove and repeat with remaining cheese. Divide pasta onto four plates. Top each portion with fried cheese. Serve with a good-quality boxed wine.
Other Camp Essentials
Lemon, salt, and olive oil (preferably Katz’s from California): “My holy trinity of ingredients,” French says.
Published: June 2010
OK, so I wanted to try this lamb shank recipe this weekend. But I feel like there must be a mistake in this recipe. Chard takes 3 minutes to cook. Dried beans? More like an hour. Why would you add them in at the same time as the chard? Could this be an error, or we really supposed to cook the chard for an hour?
I’ve made the paella recipe three times now. Twice while camping (pre-chopping is highly recommended) and once tonight at home. While camping we used a cast iron skillet, but tonight we are using a dutch oven on the stove and it’s so much easier! The paella is awesome, my only beef is with the recipe itself. There is no mention of when to add the piquillo peppers, and no mention of when to add the chorizo back in. You kind of have to wing it – I’ve been putting the peppers in with the tomatoes and the chorizo in right before I cover it. It’s a super good cold evening dish – whether camping out or staying in!