It's Camping & Glamping Season. Let's Eat!
Copyright Janet Groene 2025. To ask about rates to reprint this content or to place your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene@yahoo.comTHUMBNAIL RECIPE OF THE WEEKCalico Rice Mix In a small zip-top bag place ½ c. each brown rice & red lentils. (They’ll need rinsing later.) In another small bag place 1 T. each Tang, powdered bouillon (beef, vegetable or chicken), potato flakes and dried onion, green pepper & celery flakes. Keep cool and dry. In camp, rinse and drain rice and lentils. Boil 3 c. water. Stir in rice, lentils & contents of second bag. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 35-45 minutes until tender. Serves 2 or 3. To turn this from a vegan dish to a meaty stew, add a can of roast beef in gravy, chunk chicken or ham after rice is tender. Heat through. CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEKFireball Fish Skillet Make this one-dish supper outdoors over the campfire or grill or in the RV oven. It’s a complete meal when you add chunks of peasant bread to sop up the delicious juices. 2 tablespoons olive oil About 6 miniature sweet peppers in red, green and yellowMedium onion, diced2 teaspoons minced garlic2 or 3 ribs celery, sliced4 portions thick, meaty fish such as cod, mahI-mahi or salmon28-ounce can diced tomatoesHot sauce Seed and cut up peppers. Sprinkle fish with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large skillet over high heat, sizzle vegetables in hot oil until limp. Nestle fish in these vegetables and add tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over a hot fire, about 5 minutes or just until fish is firm. Serve in shallow soup plates with chunks of sourdough bread. Pass the hot sauce. For tips on getting the most into your emergency food locker, see Survival Food Handbook. It's a guide to stocking an emergency pantry in a small space such as a camper boat or cabin with the most nutrition per inch, per ounce and per dollar using familiar, affordable supermarket staples + recipes to use them to make a meal. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe MAKE-AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK See You Tube to learn to make a leak-proof foil wrap, sometimes called a drugstore wrap or drugstore fold. Prunes have faded from favoritism but it’s time to give these flavor-packed fruits another chance. All the mess stays in the toilStuffed Pork Tenderloin1-pound pork tenderloinSalt, pepper6 pitted prunes, chopped1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped1 tablespoon each cinnamon and sugar1/4 stick butter, melted½ cup beer, cider or apple juice Pat the pork dry with paper toweling. Cut the tenderloin lengthwise so it can be spread open but don’t cut all the way through. Set it on a length of foil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. In a bowl mix chopped fruit, cinnamon, sugar and melted butter. Bring up sides of the foil enough to keep liquids in. Fill the pork with the fruit mixture. Drizzle with beer, cider or apple juice. Bring up foil to wrap the tenderloin and roast it at 325 degrees for one hour. Cool without unwrapping. Wrap in another layer of foil and freeze. In camp thaw the wrapped roast and heat in a covered skillet or over medium coals. Open carefully to avoid hot steam and hot juices. Remove pork to a cutting board and carefully drain juices from the foil. Slice tenderloin, drizzle with juices and serve. VEGETARIAN MAIN DISH OF THE WEEKPumpkin Custard Pop open a can of pumpkin puree to take the place of mashed butternut squash in this savory supper dish. 1 can pumpkin puree (not pie filling) 6 eggs 1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream2 teaspoons powdered vegetable bouillon OR2 teaspoons Better Than Vegetable bouillon½ teaspoon each paprika, turmeric, ginger Butter six custard cups or one custard baking pan. Set the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk all ingredients well and bake just until firm, as for custard. Suggested garnish: croutons, sunflower “nuts”, buttered bread crumbs or sliced almondsFREE YOURSELF! GO FULL-TIMINGThe 4th Edition of the Groenes’ book Living Aboard Your RV, A Guide to the Full-Time Life on Wheels, is available from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3knbvll/The book starts with making the complicated decision to go full-timing. Then it leads you through choosing and outfitting the RV as a home plus topics such as making money on the go, home schooling, finding affordable campsites and more. It ends with advice on easing out of full-timing, when and if that day comes. Need a retirement gift for someone? A birthday? New divorcee or empty nester? Someone with job burnout? Amazon can wrap and ship it for you if you like.BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEKCatch a mess of catfish in the creek, make a fire on shore with pine bark for kindling, then whip up a kettle of Pine Bark Stew . 3 pounds dressing catfish8 cups water1 tablespoon salt5-pound bag of potatoes, scrubbed and diced3-pound bag of onions, diced28-ounce can diced tomatoes8-ounce can tomato sauce1 tablespoon each sugar, crumbled dried thyme and vinegar Cut catfish into bite size. Bring water a
Copyright Janet Groene 2025. To ask about rates to reprint this content or to place your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene@yahoo.com
THUMBNAIL RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Calico Rice Mix
In a small zip-top bag place ½ c. each brown rice & red lentils. (They’ll need rinsing later.) In another small bag place 1 T. each Tang, powdered bouillon (beef, vegetable or chicken), potato flakes and dried onion, green pepper & celery flakes. Keep cool and dry.
In camp, rinse and drain rice and lentils. Boil 3 c. water. Stir in rice, lentils & contents of second bag. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 35-45 minutes until tender. Serves 2 or 3.
To turn this from a vegan dish to a meaty stew, add a can of roast beef in gravy, chunk chicken or ham after rice is tender. Heat through.
CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Fireball Fish Skillet
Make this one-dish supper outdoors over the campfire or grill or in the RV oven. It’s a complete meal when you add chunks of peasant bread to sop up the delicious juices.
2 tablespoons olive oil
About 6 miniature sweet peppers in red, green and yellow
Medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 or 3 ribs celery, sliced
4 portions thick, meaty fish such as cod, mahI-mahi or salmon
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Hot sauce
Seed and cut up peppers. Sprinkle fish with salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a large skillet over high heat, sizzle vegetables in hot oil until limp. Nestle fish in these vegetables and add tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over a hot fire, about 5 minutes or just until fish is firm. Serve in shallow soup plates with chunks of sourdough bread. Pass the hot sauce.
For tips on getting the most into your emergency food locker, see Survival Food Handbook. It's a guide to stocking an emergency pantry in a small space such as a camper boat or cabin with the most nutrition per inch, per ounce and per dollar using familiar, affordable supermarket staples + recipes to use them to make a meal.
MAKE-AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
See You Tube to learn to make a leak-proof foil wrap, sometimes called a drugstore wrap or drugstore fold. Prunes have faded from favoritism but it’s time to give these flavor-packed fruits another chance.
All the mess stays in the toil
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1-pound pork tenderloin
Salt, pepper
6 pitted prunes, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon each cinnamon and sugar
1/4 stick butter, melted
½ cup beer, cider or apple juice
Pat the pork dry with paper toweling. Cut the tenderloin lengthwise so it can be spread open but don’t cut all the way through. Set it on a length of foil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
In a bowl mix chopped fruit, cinnamon, sugar and melted butter. Bring up sides of the foil enough to keep liquids in. Fill the pork with the fruit mixture. Drizzle with beer, cider or apple juice.
Bring up foil to wrap the tenderloin and roast it at 325 degrees for one hour. Cool without unwrapping. Wrap in another layer of foil and freeze.
In camp thaw the wrapped roast and heat in a covered skillet or over medium coals. Open carefully to avoid hot steam and hot juices. Remove pork to a cutting board and carefully drain juices from the foil. Slice tenderloin, drizzle with juices and serve.
VEGETARIAN MAIN DISH OF THE WEEK
Pumpkin Custard
Pop open a can of pumpkin puree to take the place of mashed butternut squash in this savory supper dish.
1 can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
6 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered vegetable bouillon OR
2 teaspoons Better Than Vegetable bouillon
½ teaspoon each paprika, turmeric, ginger
Butter six custard cups or one custard baking pan. Set the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk all ingredients well and bake just until firm, as for custard.
Suggested garnish: croutons, sunflower “nuts”, buttered bread crumbs or sliced almonds
FREE YOURSELF! GO FULL-TIMING
The 4th Edition of the Groenes’ book Living Aboard Your RV, A Guide to the Full-Time Life on Wheels, is available from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3knbvll/
The book starts with making the complicated decision to go full-timing. Then it leads you through choosing and outfitting the RV as a home plus topics such as making money on the go, home schooling, finding affordable campsites and more. It ends with advice on easing out of full-timing, when and if that day comes.
Need a retirement gift for someone? A birthday? New divorcee or empty nester? Someone with job burnout? Amazon can wrap and ship it for you if you like.
BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Catch a mess of catfish in the creek, make a fire on shore with pine bark for kindling, then whip up a kettle of Pine Bark Stew .
8 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
5-pound bag of potatoes, scrubbed and diced
3-pound bag of onions, diced
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon each sugar, crumbled dried thyme and vinegar
Cut catfish into bite size. Bring water and salt to a boil and add potatoes and onions. Cover and simmer until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings. Add more water if too much boiled away so far. Bring back to a low boil and stir in fish just until it’s firm and white. Serves 12. Pass the pepper mill and the hot sauce.
Camping and RV Dessert of the Week
Pink Lemonade Pie
2 crumb pie shells, 8 inches each
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6-ounce can of pink frozen lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon powdered beets
1 tub of whipped topping
Combine condensed milk with thawed concentrate and powdered beets. When it begins to thicken, fold in whipped topping. Put in pie shells and chill. Makes 2 pies. This is best served on the day it’s made.
Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Desserts made with fruit are always a hit at summer potlucks. This refreshing dish throws together in minutes.
Carolina Fruit Salad
4 cups small curd cottage cheese
8-ounce container whipped topping, thawed
1 packet dry lemon or lime gelatin dessert mix
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
Sliced almonds (optional)
Fold everything together and chill several hours for flavors to blend. Garnish with sliced almonds. Depending on sizes of the fruit cans, this can serve 8 to 12.
Tips for the Camp Cook
* Make a quick snack. Warm a can of pizza sauce and stir in a heaping tablespoon of grated dry cheese such as Parmesan. Serve as a dip for bread or pretzel sticks.
* Mix two parts small curd cottage cheese to one part bottled chutney such as Major Grey’s. Good dip with tortilla chips.
* Keep liquid margarine on hand. It’s handy to brush on biscuits before baking or squirt evenly over campfire-baked potatoes.
* Rules of thumb: 64 regular size marshmallows is a pound; 4 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 2 teaspoons butter equals a square of baking chocolate; 10 graham crackers make a cup of crumbs; one cup of heavy whipping cream makes 2 cups whipped cream.
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