Slice six to eight pounds of summer fruit into moderate sections. Remove papaya and watermelon seeds. Peel mangoes. Core apples and pare at your discretion (we don't). Spread directly on lightly "Pammed" trays. Dry for 12 to 24 hours. Pack in large Ziploc bags. Yield: about 3.5 pounds of dried fruit.

Camping uses:

• Eat as is.
• Chutney for Indian meals. See recipe, Chapter 10.
• Filling for chocolate cake. See recipe, Chapter 10.

Fruit Leathers
Any fruit you can stew you can dry as a fruit leather, too. The leather is intensely sweet, as the sugar gets concentrated, and in our opinion better than almost any other sweet we carry with us. There are two problems, however. One is that they're heavy. Made properly, they come off the dehydrator almost thin enough to see through yet concentrated with some moisture and lots of sugar to give them heft. You can't carry as much as you'd like unless you're willing to sacrifice that Dickens novel you've scheduled for the vacation. The second problem is they're popular. Ours lasted one day during a recent five-day trip. Now you see 'em, now you don't. Plan accordingly.

RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY LEATHER
2 lbs. rhubarb
1 1/2 c. water
2 pints strawberries
2 c. sugar
lemon juice

Wash and slice the rhubarb crosswise. Place in a large enamel pan. Add water. (Rhubarb is loaded with water, so don't fret if it looks like there's not enough). Bring to a slow boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add one cup of sugar. Stir very gently once during cooking to immerse top pieces in the boiling water. Slice strawberries and add just before the rhubarb begins to get soft. The whole process will only take 10 or 15 minutes. Near the end, add the other cup of sugar to taste. Rhubarb is tart and usually takes more sugar than you'd like. When soft, it's done. Remove from heat. Squeeze half a lemon onto the mixture and adjust taste.

Spoon onto thoroughly "Pammed" and lined trays. Heavy aluminum foil works well here, as does plastic wrap. Dry for 12 to 24 hours. Peel off and store in airtight bags. That's the time to reduce the weight by eating more than you store. Enjoy.

PEACH AND APRICOT LEATHER
2 lbs. ripe peaches
2 lbs. ripe apricots
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. water
lemon juice

Slice peaches and apricots, remove pits, place in an enamel pan. Add sugar and mix thoroughly until all slices are amply coated and the mixture begins to "sweat." Add water, bring to boil, keep heat moderately high, stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When the fruit mixture begins to thicken, in about 20 minutes, it's done. Remove from heat and add the juice of half a lemon to taste.

Spoon onto "Pammed" and lined trays. Dry for 12 to 24 hours. Peel off and store in airtight bags.

Fresh Vegetables
All veggies contain water and hence can lose it through dehydration. But like fruit, some rehydrate better than others, a consideration for the campfire cook. Some first need to be blanched (plunged into boiling water for a minute or two, no more). Others require thorough cooking before dehydrating. Some can be treated like fruit and tossed directly onto the drying trays.

No preparation required:

• Bell Peppers
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes (Okay, they're fruit, so sue us.)
• Zucchini

Blanching helps:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Green Beans

Cooking required (see dinner recipes below):

• Beans (dried)
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Tofu

Cut four pounds of fresh vegetables into medium slices. Blanch those requiring it. Place directly on lightly "Pammed" trays. Dry for 12 to 24 hours.

Note: Onions smell while drying. Place dehydrator outdoors on an extension cord in good weather to keep the smell out of the house.

Note: Marinate fresh tofu in soy sauce/tamari and rice vinegar and only partially dehydrate, on Pam-treated plastic lining, for about six hours. It's done when chewy and overdone when rock-hard. This will only keep a few days. Dehydrate two days before your trip; eat on the first day.

Camping uses:

• Eat as is. Peppers, tomatoes and onions are sweet, delicious snacks.
• Reconstitute for in-camp recipe or sauces.

Fresh Meats
We can almost hear the gnashing of old-time game-hunters' teeth when they contemplate the namby-pamby methods of "jerking" beef these days—using commercial dryers and shovel loads of preservatives. "There's nothing complicated about making jerky," wrote a genuine Hudson's Bay outdoorsman 30 years ago, reminiscing about a better—a truer—age. "You cut lean deer, moose, elk, caribou, buffalo into long strips about one-half inch thick. These you hang apart from one another in the sun, in the attic, or some other place wherethey will gradually lose most of their water content. At the same time, they'll become hard, dry, black and, incidentally, both nourishing and tasty Good? Friends of ours jerk a deer or so a year in this fashion just for their own personal eating." (excerpted from Bradford Angier, in Wilderness Cookery, pages 87-88. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA, 1961.)

That's a hard act to follow. We don't jerk no deer here. But Bradford was right. Jerky can be good, and it's simple to make.

BEEF JERKY
1 1/2 lbs. lean beef (the better the beef, the better the jerky: flank or round steak, and up from there)
soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, red wine as marinade
fresh ground pepper to taste
fresh grated ginger
powdered mustard to taste

Either have the butcher slice the beef into quarter-inch slices or freeze the meat and slice it while just beginning to thaw, so you can get the blade through. The slices can be as long or short as you wish. Marinate in two parts soy sauce to one part other liquid ingredients, thoroughly mixed together with a wire whisk. Add pepper, ginger and mustard to taste. Marinate in fridge overnight.

Apply a liberal coating of Pam directly on the dryer trays; lay the beef strips on the trays and dry for 24 to 36 hours, until very dry, blackened, hard. Pack in airtight Ziploc bags and keep out of sun in camp. We try to make all our jerky the last week before a camping trip. High-powered commercial driers get more of the moisture out than our Model T, so we dry late and eat early.

CHICKEN/TURKEY JERKY
Follow directions for Beef Jerky. Use the breast of the chicken or turkey for tenderest meat. Have the butcher slice it thin for you, or do same at home, partially frozen--it, not you. Try other marinades. Here are two that are great with poultry.

MARINADE 1
1/2 c. olive oil
1 1/2 c. corn oil
7 cloves garlic
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
ground pepper to taste

Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk. Spread on chicken/turkey slices. Refrigerate overnight.

MARINADE 2
2/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. tarragon vinegar
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. dry tarragon
ground pepper to taste

Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk. Spread on chicken/turkey slices. Marinate overnight in fridge.

Soups

The single requirement for any backcountry soup is that it fill you up. It is the meal, not a foretaste of things to come. It must be hearty, thick, tasty and even nourishing. If successful, it evokes images of great cauldrons bubbling over fires in open hearths: Breughel and barons, late autumn chill and a hint of snow. There's no room at the campfire for a delicate clarified consommé, a thin, consumptive chicken soup. Make a big soup or no soup at all. The following recipes are some of our favorites. The point is that you can make any of yours, too.

BLACK BEAN SOUP
This is a great Brazilian recipe that delivers on its promise of being a meal within a meal. No known life form has ever eaten a second course after this one, not even the legendary John Israel, a gourmand in gourmet's clothing.

1 lb. black turtle beans
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 lb. raw cured ham (Smithfield/country) cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 lb. salt pork cut into 1/2" cubes
4 c. finely chopped onions
1/3 c. finely minced garlic
14 c. fresh or canned beef broth plus salt (optional) & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper to taste
2 Tbs. wine vinegar
1/4 c. dry sherry

Soak beans in cold water overnight. Render salt pork of its fat; discard fat. Cook the onions in oil in a deep kettle until translucent. Add the cubed ham, salt pork, garlic and continue cooking, about five minutes. Drain beans, add to kettle. Add broth, bring to boil. Add salt, pepper and cayenne. Partly cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about four hours. Put half the soup with beans through a sieve or use a blender. Return to the kettle, stir to blend with remaining soup and beans. Add vinegar and dry sherry.

Ladle onto lined "Pammed" drying trays. Each tray should be just covered with soup. Dry for 12 hours or until thoroughly dry. The texture, when done, will be crumbly, resembling a thin, loosely structured peanut brittle. Store in Ziploc bags. Figure three trays for four adults. Reconstitute by adding water to cover and bringing to boil. Serve very thick over cooked rice, with flaked dried onions and a dash of lemon or lime juice. Expire with pleasure.

Vegetarian version
In place of salt pork and ham, substitute two cakes of tofu, cubed and sautéed in oil until lightly browned. Add to kettle with onions and garlic. May need more salt to replace that in the salt pork.

DUTCH SPLIT PEA SOUP
Don't plan any strenuous paddling or cycling after this one. Dutch burghers have infarcted just reaching for their pipes after two helpings.

1 lb. split peas
21/2 qts. water
1/4 c. diced salt pork
1/2 c. chopped leeks
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. celery root
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 pig's knuckle
1 smoked Dutch ring sausage sliced, or 1 c. sliced Polish sausage
chopped parsley

Soak the peas overnight in a large kettle. Do not drain. Sauté the salt pork in a large pan for about seven minutes or until rendered of fat. Add the vegetables and cook until tender. Add the salt pork and veggies to the peas with a bay leaf, salt (optional), and the pig's knuckle. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about two hours or until meat on the pig's knuckle falls from the bone. (If foam forms on the top of the soup during cooking, remove with a slotted spoon.) Take the pig's knuckle from the pot, dice the meat and reserve. Discard bone and bay leaf. Purée veggies in a blender. Return them and the meat to the soup, add the sliced sausages and simmer five minutes longer.

Ladle onto "Pammed" lined trays. Dry 7 to 12 hours or until dry and flaky. Store in airtight bags.

Vegetarian version
Omit salt pork, pig's knuckle, sausage. Flavor with 1/4 cup sherry, three tablespoons hot sauce, lots of black pepper to taste.

MINESTRONE
An Italian regiment in the Val d'Aosta on the Swiss alpine frontier mutinied when they couldn't get their promised rations of this great vegetable soup. We don't blame them; it's cold up there. Don't worry about the long list of ingredients. It's easy to assemble, inexpensive and worth the effort.

1/2 lb. dry white beans soaked overnight in water
3 qts. water
1 tsp. olive oil
1/8 lb. salt pork, diced (vegetarians omit)
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped
1 leek, diced & washed
1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp. fresh chopped basil
1 Tbs. tomato paste
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
1 small turnip, peeled, diced
1/4 small cabbage, shredded
2 zucchini, diced
1 1/2 qts. water or soup stock
salt (optional)
ground black pepper to taste
1 c. elbow macaroni

Drain the beans then boil about 1 hour or until tender. Drain. In a large kettle, render the salt pork for about 10 minutes, then add olive oil and brown the following: salt pork, garlic, onion, leek, parsley, basil. Add tomato paste and a little water to thin it. Cook five minutes. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, potatoes, turnip, cabbage, zucchini, water, salt (optional) and pepper. Simmer slowly about 45 minutes to one hour. Add the beans. Add the elbow macaroni and cook 10 minutes more or until tender.

Ladle onto lightly "Pammed" lined trays. Dehydrate 7 to 12 hours or until thoroughly dry. Seal in airtight plastic bags. Three trays serves four adults. Four trays serves four adults in the Val d'Aosta. Reconstitute by covering with water and boiling. Serve topped with lots of grated (or finely sliced) parmesan cheese, a great backpacking cheese: it's hard, good on its own or in dishes, and it won't spoil.

LEEK AND MUSHROOM SOUP
Make this soup as thick as a vegetable purée. Eat it with fresh bread baked at the campsite (see recipes, Chapter 10.)

2+ lbs. leeks, sliced, washed, drained
3 large celery stalks with leaves, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
1 small summer squash or zucchini
4 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 qts. vegetable stock
6 fresh basil leaves in season or 4 sprigs parsley
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped
3 Tbs. margarine or butter
lemon juice
salt (optional) plus ground pepper to taste

Sauté the celery, carrots, squash and leeks in the olive oil until just tender (five to seven minutes). Sprinkle with flour and cook for three minutes more. Add chopped basil or parsley, pepper and salt. Barely cover with some of the vegetable stock, lower to simmer, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes until soft.

In the meantime, sauté the mushrooms in the butter or margarine until barely soft, about three minutes. Drain on paper towels. Place the leek and vegetable mixture in a blender. Add the mushrooms. Add a ladle of vegetable stock and blend until puréed. Return to clean pot and add just enough of the vegetable stock to make a thick soup to serve four. Add lemon juice and pepper to taste. The thicker the soup, the better it will dehydrate. Ladle onto prepared, lined trays. Dehydrate 7 to 12 hours or until thoroughly dry. Reconstitute by covering with water and bringing to a boil.

Variation with tofu
Cut a half-cake of tofu into small cubes. It can be either hard or soft, Chinese or Japanese. Brown on all sides in peanut oil with a dash of sesame oil. Add ground black pepper to taste. When ready to purée other ingredients in blender, add the cooked tofu. Run the blender at high speed for at least two minutes. Otherwise the tofu will give the soup a grainy texture. Blended properly, the tofu adds a rich, creamy taste and texture to the soup.

Vegetable Purées

We used to think purées were baby food for adults. Were we wrong! They're the perfect camping fare, easy to make, easy to dry and pack, easy on the eye, nose and throat, easy on the wallet, nutritious as hell, light as a fare-thee-well, and, if you didn't quite catch the point, terrific. The concept is too simple to belabor: a mix of veggies is lightly cooked, bound with butter, cheese, sour cream, potatoes or the veggies themselves, puréed in a blender, spread on drying trays, reconstituted on the trail, and celebrated in legend and lore. Almost any combination will do. Try one.

LEEK AND POTATO PURÉE
1 bunch of leeks, washed, drained, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 small potato, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 Tbs. margarine or butter
2 c. vegetable or chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried mint leaves, crushed, or 1 Tbs. fresh mint.

Melt butter in a saucepan, sauté the celery, potato and leeks for about 10 minutes. Add mint leaves, salt and pepper, and the stock. Cover and simmer slowly for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks are tender. Remove to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Check seasonings.

Spread on lightly "Pammed" foil- or plastic-lined trays, dry for 12 to 15 hours or until hard and crumbly. Store in freezer until ready for the trail. To rehydrate, pour the dried mix into a pot, add small increments of water while reheating, stirring constantly. This can easily serve as a meal in itself, or as an accompaniment to a fresh trout.

For a variation, leave out the potato.

CARROT AND SQUASH PURÉE
Two of our favorite cooks, Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, are apparently no longer talking to each other, but in their great The New Basics Cookbook, they put a lock on veggie purées, and in exchange for this improv combination of three of their recipes, we'll take 'em to Lac Gastronome anytime.

5 carrots, sliced 1/4" thick
2 yellow summer squash, sliced 1/2" thick
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 Tbs. butter or margarine
2 Tbs. orange juice
1 tsp. cinnamon and sugar mix
salt & pepper to taste

Boil the carrots in water until just soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot, run under cold water and reserve. Meanwhile, sauté the squash and onion in the butter until the squash is just soft (but not mushy), about 10 minutes. Now toss in the carrots, orange juice, cinnamon and sugar. Glaze the veggies with this mix and continue until things begin to thicken a bit, say four to five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss in the blender or food processor, purée until smooth. Dry and reconstitute as above.

Variations:

4 lbs. chicken, cut up as for frying
1/4 c. seasoned flour (flour mixed with finely sifted breadcrumbs and mixed herbs: savory, chervil, chives, basil, tarragon, pepper, salt, paprika)
1/4 c. olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 1/2 c. hot chicken broth
1 c. sliced, sautéed mushrooms
12 stuffed olives, sliced

Dust the chicken parts with the seasoned flour, then brown chicken in olive oil in a large Dutch oven or fireproof casserole. Remove. Brown the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the oil. Return chicken to pot with vegetables, pour the broth over all, barely to cover. Bake covered in 350°F oven 11/2 hours or until tender. Five minutes before it is done, add the sautéed mushrooms and olives. Allow to cool.

When cool remove and debone the chicken parts, discard bones and return chicken to pot. Mix with vegetables. Spoon onto lightly "Pammed" plastic sheets covering the dehydrator trays. Dry for 12 to 20 hours. The texture will be crumbly, with chicken pieces dried like jerky. Pack in Ziploc bags as air-free as possible. Reconstitute by adding water barely to cover and bringing to boil. Serve over boiled rice.

BURGUNDY BEEF
This famous dish (Boeuf Bourguignon) started as a peasant stew and graduated to the high table by the kind of culinary magic only known to the French. The first thing you're going to say is, "Why go to all the trouble?" The second thing, "Oh man, am I glad I went to all the trouble." It's one of the best stews you'll ever eat, which is more than you can say for Ranger Ron's freeze-dried Mulligatawny.

1/2 lb. bacon, diced
3 lbs. lean beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes
1 c. chopped onion
salt (optional) & pepper to taste
3 Tbs. flour
3 c. dry red wine, burgundy if possible
3 c. beef broth
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 carrots, sliced
2 c. small pearl onions
1 Tbs. butter/margarine
1 c. mushrooms, sautéed
1 Tbs. red currant jelly

In a big flameproof pot, sauté bacon until crisp, then remove and drain on paper towels. Brown the cubed beef on all sides in the bacon fat, then remove. Brown the chopped onion and carrots in the fat, then return the bacon and beef to the pot. Add the flour, stirring to coat all ingredients and continue browning for about five minutes. Add wine, broth, tomato paste, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and place in a 325°F oven. Bake until meat is tender, about two-and-one-half hours. Boil the pearl onions until just tender, and when cool, peel and reserve. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter or margarine. Reserve. When meat is done, transfer casserole to stove top, add the onions, mushrooms and currant jelly. Mix in very gently. Cook until hot, about five minutes.

Spread on dryer trays lined with plastic wrap and lightly "Pammed." Dehydrate 12 to 24 hours, until thoroughly dry. Pack tightly against air. Rehydrate by barely covering with water and bringing to boil. Serve over rice.

SQUASH STEW WITH CHILIES AND ALMONDS
This is a vegetarian stew created by the famous Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. We simplify and corrupt it here for plainer, easier cooking, and no doubt they would disown the whole thing. That's okay, they're not going camping; we are.

3 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan until lightly browned
2 dozen whole almonds, toasted in a dry pan until browned, then coarsely chopped
2 Tbs. chili powder (less or more to taste)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped (1/2" squares)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 c. squash (winter/summer) cut into large chunks
1/2 lb. mushrooms, halved or quartered
salt (optional)
3-4 c. vegetable stock, heated
1/2 cauliflower, broken into florets
1 small can hominy, drained
2 lbs. tomatoes, fresh or canned, seeded, puréed
1 c. peas, fresh or frozen
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro leaves

Grind the toasted almonds and sesame to a fine meal in a coffee grinder. Heat oil in flameproof casserole. Cook onions until just soft, then cook another minute with the garlic, cumin, oregano and chili powder. Add squash, mushrooms, salt (optional) and stock. Bring to boil, lower heat, simmer until squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary. Add the ground almonds and sesame seeds, cauliflower, hominy, puréed tomatoes. Continue cooking until cauliflower is almost tender, then add peas and chopped cilantro. Let cook a few more minutes.

Spread on "Pammed" and lined dryer trays. Dry 7 to 12 hours. As this dissipates most of the liquid, the remaining ingredients will look pitifully few. Don't worry. Pack all five trays' worth. Reconstitute by adding water barely to cover, boil and serve over rice or with fresh baked camp bread (see recipes, Chapter 10).

Variation:
To cooked stew, add 2 to 3 large tablespoons sour cream or yogurt. Mix. Dehydrate and rehydrate as above. Remember that sour cream and yogurt are perishables, so make this variation no more than a week before leaving. Pack tightly and keep in shade.

PEPPER, SQUASH, CHARD & HOMINY STEW
We found this recipe in a newspaper, and like free software, share it with you. A great campsite dinner!

1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lb. banana squash, peeled, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 green pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 c. dry white wine
2 c. broth of choice (or half broth, half water)
3 tomatoes, seeded & diced
1/2 bunch chard, blanched and cut into ribbons. Discard the tough main stem.
1 can hominy (29 oz.), drained, rinsed
chopped cilantro
1/2-3/4 c. sour cream or yogurt (if camping with a cooler)

Sauté the onion, garlic and squash very lightly in an oven-proof pan. Add oregano, peppers, flour, chili powder, and cumin. Stir and cook several minutes. Add wine, broth to cover, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes. Add chard and hominy, and cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Stew should be reasonably thick. If too thin, pour off some of the liquid and boil down until reduced.

Spread on "Pammed" lined trays and dry until brittle, about 15 hours. Rehydrate at campsite by adding water to the stewpot, and heat while stirring. If camping with a cooler, serve with sour cream or yogurt and fresh cilantro as a garnish.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEGETARIAN CHILI
We put this recipe in Chapter 10 for the avid car and canoe campers, but it dehydrates perfectly and comes back saucy and strong with a little water at your wilderness retreat. See Chapter 10.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO CASSEROLE
This recipe is brought to you directly from a hippie commune, vintage 1972. The flower children did a lot of nice things, and this is one of them. It reconstitutes more as a stew than as a casserole, but who's going to quibble about niceties on a soft rainy evening deep in the Boundary Waters Wilderness?

1 large eggplant
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. melted margarine/butter
fresh ground pepper
2-3 Tbs. chopped onion (or more!)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 large tomatoes, sliced in thin rounds
2 oz. grated cheddar or Edam cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
paprika to taste

Peel and slice eggplant. Place in pot with salt and cover with about one inch of water. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Drain and mash with potato masher. Add the beaten eggs, melted butter, pepper, onion, oregano, breadcrumbs. Butter a 11/2-quart baking dish or casserole. Cover bottom with half the sliced tomatoes. Spread in all of the eggplant mixture. Put rest of tomato slices on top. Mix together the grated cheeses and sprinkle on top. Then sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 375 F oven about 45 minutes.

Spread on drying trays lined with plastic wrap and lightly "Pammed." Dehydrate 7 to 12 hours. Texture will be dry, crumbly. Pack in Ziploc bags. Eggs and cheese are perishable, so store in cool, dry place; keep out of direct sunlight while in camp. Rehydrate by adding water to moisten. Reheat slowly to prevent burning. Serves two fressers or four courteous adults.

Risottos

In our tireless search for one-stop campsite fressing, we've stumbled upon the secret of Pavarotti's girth. Forget the pasta and pizza, the spuds and spoonbread. It's risotto first to the waistline! One of the glories of Italian cuisine, risotto is the camper's dream come true: a carbo-loaded, knockout delicious banquet in a pot. The principle is simple, the variations endless. Rice absorbs liquid. Italian risotto absorbs liquid almost infinitely. It's called "arborio," and having a rounder, fatter grain than our long-grained varieties, it retains more water (or stock or wine) than a Wagnerian soprano. Add veggies, seafood, cheese and meats in endless combinations and you've got a full dress dinner for the entire European Common Market.

Risotto is labor intensive. It takes constant stirring. And lots of care in adding the liquid, for the idea is not to stew the rice but to let it sop up the liquid instead. The end result can either be creamy in texture or thick and sticky. In Venice, they like it creamy, in Milan sticky. We've noticed that in rehydrating risotto, it often comes out sticky. Welcome to Milan.

For camping purposes, we follow two strategies: 1) Slightly undercook the risotto before dehydrating, thereby allowing a more generous addition of liquid at the campsite when rehydrating; 2) Store all dehydrated risottos in the freezer until ready to hit the trail. That's because they all include oil in the making, and oil can go off. We're going to give you a couple of basic recipes and then suggest how you can tinker and fiddle with them to add variety to your life.

BASIC WHITE RISOTTO
This is your risotto training wheels. Master this and you're ready for roller blades. Remember that like the other recipes here, this will produce two large adult servings. Attention vegetarians: Wherever chicken or beef broths are called for, you can substitute vegetable stocks at will. There will be no loss of flavor.

1 large, heavy (preferably enamel-lined) pot
wooden spoon or fork for stirring
2 Tbs. olive oil (or butter)
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 c. arborio rice (UNRINSED!!)
3-4 c. chicken bouillon (or water), simmering
salt & pepper to taste

Bring the bouillon or water to a simmer in a separate pot and keep it that way throughout the cooking. In the heavy pot, sauté the chopped onion in the oil or butter until just golden. (The oil/butter controversy divides Italy along North/South doctrinal lines. We have no intention of trying to resolve it.) Then add the rice and cook, stirring, for about three minutes, until the rice is well coated with the oil. Okay, now for the liquid. Start with a cup of the bouillon or water and slowly add. Stir it and let it simmer. The rice will absorb this dosage quickly. When just about fully absorbed, repeat with the next cup, adding it very slowly--maybe half a cup at a time--stirring. Remember, wait until the liquid is mostly absorbed before continuing. Keep this up until you've used all of the liquid. This may take 15 minutes or more. The texture should be slightly creamy, yet the rice should be sort of chewy, like al dente pasta. The important thing is that you like the taste and texture. That's when it's really done. And if you back off just before that point, leaving it slightly undercooked, then dehydrate it, you'll be able to add more water or other liquid at the campsite to bring it back to life. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the risotto on drying trays lined with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. No need to "Pam." The oil in the risotto will suffice. Dry overnight. The texture will be crumbly. It's edible as is, though somewhat hard. Store in Ziploc bags and place in freezer until ready to go. To rehydrate, bring a Sierra cup of water to a simmer in a camping pot, add the risotto, stir, and continue to add water (or soup, or wine) until soft. A filling meal on its own.

Variations:

• Just before the risotto is done, stir in a tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.
• Substitute 1/2 cup white wine for an equivalent of the bouillon or water. Add the wine first.
• Add your favorite spices: rosemary, thyme, Italian parsley, fresh chopped cilantro.
• At campsite, add rehydrated veggies or jerkys or other cheeses or all three in any combination.

RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE
Almost every cookbook has a recipe for this, yet you'd be surprised how many variations exist. Here's ours.

1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. olive oil (or butter)
1 c. arborio rice, unrinsed
1/2 c. white wine
3-4 c. chicken stock, simmering
pinch of saffron, crushed and steeped in 1/2 c. of stock
salt & pepper to taste
parmesan cheese, grated

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until just golden. Add the rice and cook for three minutes. Add wine, stir and let the rice absorb it. Then add in slow increments most of the stock, stirring, until absorbed. Reserve 1/2 cup stock, in which to steep the saffron. Add the saffron colored stock, salt and pepper to taste, and stir till the rice is crunchy to the taste. Stir in grated parmesan cheese, or reserve this step till you get to the campsite.

Dehydrate and reconstitute as above.

RISOTTO WITH FRESH VEGGIES
The possibilities are virtually endless, the colors glorious, the taste sublime. Here's merely one in a million, followed by enough variations on a theme to keep even Chopin or Thelonius happy.

1 small onion, chopped fine
2 small summer squash, one yellow, one green, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 handful snow peas, trimmed
1-2 ripe Italian tomatoes, seeded, diced
1 Tbs. chopped parsley (Italian or regular)
3 Tbs. olive oil (or butter)
1 c. arborio rice, unrinsed
3-4 c. chicken or vegetable stock, simmering
salt & pepper to taste

Sauté in the oil the onion, summer squash and red pepper. Add rice and cook, stirring to coat, for three minutes. Meanwhile, blanch the snow peas in water just until they become bright green, maybe 20 to 30 seconds. Remove and reserve. Add 1 cup of the stock, stir lightly till absorbed, then add the remaining stock in 1/2 cup increments. When the rice is almost done (about 15 minutes) add the snow peas, tomatoes and parsley. Continue stirring and if necessary add more liquid. (The blanching water from the snow peas will be perfect.) Cook about three minutes longer. Salt and pepper to taste.

Dry and reconstitute as above.

GREEN PARTY RISOTTO
Ever see a piece of Derby Sage cheese? It's got nothing to do with this recipe, but its marbled green and white coloring is a nice analogue to this beautiful risotto. Rad!

1 small onion, chopped fine
2 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, drained, chopped
5 Tbs. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tbs. fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 c. arborio rice, unrinsed
3-4 c. vegetable or chicken stock, simmering
grated parmesan cheese to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic, add rice and stir to coat for three minutes. Slowly add most of the stock till it is absorbed. Then add all the veggies: spinach, cilantro, chives, rosemary and basil, and the rest of the liquid slowly. Cook till slightly underdone, then add salt and pepper and parmesan.

Dry and rehydrate as above.

Indian cooking

For reasons we can't explain, almost all wilderness campers and canoeists we've met like their food highly spiced. Maybe it's a reaction to years of bland camp cooking, watery soups, peanut butter 'n jelly on Wonder Bread, K rations. Maybe it's a function of hard exercise, cold nights, and a need for a jolt and a kick from the menu. Whatever the reason, we've perfected the art of spicing over the years, though the only other person able to match Rick's tolerance for hot sauce is a Dravidian wise man we once met in southern India. He was impressed. Here are some of our favorites.

ZUCCHINI CURRY (Goodhi bhajji)
2 1/2 lbs. zucchini (or summer squash), sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/4 c. sesame oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. onion seeds (optional)
1 large onion, sliced into thin rounds
4+ oz. raw, unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Heat the sesame oil in a deep sauce pan or flameproof casserole. Add mustard seeds, which will sputter and pop. Add turmeric, chili powder, pepper and onion seeds. Stir over gentle heat for two minutes, then add sliced onions and sauté till just soft. Add zucchini, turning gently, cooking five minutes. Add coconut, garam masala, salt. Cover pan and simmer gently about 10 minutes or till zucchini is soft. Add a little water if zucchini is sticking to bottom of pan while simmering. That's it. Simple. Superb. Promise.

Spread on lightly "Pammed" and lined drying trays. Dehydrate 7 to 12 hours or till dry. Pack in Ziploc bags. Rehydrate by adding water to moisten. Heat and serve with rice (basmati rice is great here; so is brown rice). A great complement to this dish is a campground chutney (see recipe, Chapter 10).

GARAM MASALA #1
Garam masala literally means "hot spice" and is your basic homemade curry powder. There are as many varieties as there are Indian dialects, so you can tinker according to your own tastes. It's so simple to make that we bet you never go back to store-bought curry powder. Here are two variants, the first "hotter" than the second.

4 oz. coriander seeds
5 bay leaves
4 oz. white cumin seeds
1 oz. cardamom seeds
1 oz. cloves
2" stick cinnamon
2 oz. chili powder
2 oz. black pepper
1 tsp. grated nutmeg

Mix and spread on a cookie tin or baking pan the coriander seeds, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. Roast in a hot, 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes. Remove and place in coffee or food grinder. Grind to a fine powder. Mix with the chili powder, pepper and nutmeg. Store in an airtight jar. Will keep for months. On camping trips, put a few teaspoons in a Ziploc bag, small plastic bottle or a plastic pill box.

GARAM MASALA #2
Follow same procedure for Garam Masala #1 but omit the chili powder and black pepper. This makes a lighter curry powder, more aromatic than spicy. In both cases, add the garam masala to recipes close to the end of the cooking. This brings out the flavors and kicks in the spicing just before it hits the back of your throat. It'll bring tears to your eyes, a delicate emotion as you scarf down a third helping the night before the ascent of that 13,000-foot pass you promised yourself.

SPICED CAULIFLOWER (Gobi Musallum)
Read this one and weep. Well, eat it and weep.

1 large cauliflower
1 Tbs. tamarind extract
1 c. boiling water
2 oz. cooking oil
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 tsp. salt (optional)

Break the cauliflower into florets, discarding the central stalk. Heat the oil, add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric and pepper. Stir two minutes, then add cauliflower, turning to coat with the spices. Add tamarind extract and the boiling water, then the vinegar and salt. Continue to cook over moderate-low heat about 15 minutes or until cauliflower is just tender.

Spread on prepared, lined trays, and dry for 7 to 12 hours. Pack in airtight bags. Rehydrate by adding water to moisten over moderate heat. Serve with cooked rice.

LENTILS WITH CAULIFLOWER (Gobi Dal)
If there is a vegetarian heaven, this dish is served there every other day. It's to die for.

1/2 lb. pink split lentils (masoor dal)
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
2 medium onions
4 oz. cooking oil
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 Tbs. ground cumin
1/2 Tbs. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 lemon
2 c. chicken stock
2+ oz. raw, unsweetened coconut
1/2 Tbs. flour
1/4 lb. cashew nuts

Wash and drain lentils; peel and finely chop onions. Heat oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole and sauté onions till translucent. Add chili powder, black pepper, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds. Add lentils. Stir vigorously. Add lemon juice, then cauliflower florets. Pour chicken stock over all, sprinkle on the coconut. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Mix flour with small amount of the cooking liquid to make a smooth paste. Add to pot. Now toss in the salt and cashews. Cook 5 to 10 minutes longer until lentils form a thick sauce and cauliflower is tender.

Spread on "Pammed" lined drying trays, and dry for 12 hours or until thoroughly dehydrated. Pack in airtight bags. Rehydrate by adding water barely to cover; heat to boiling. Serve with plain cooked rice and a campground chutney (see Chapter 10, page XXX).

STEAMED YAMS (Dum Arvi)
Once you eat this dish you may never go back to Granny's Thanksgiving candied yams. Tough luck, Granny. See ya down at Man Eatin' Lake. A great filler-upper.

2+ lbs. yams, peeled and cut into large (11/2") chunks
3/4 c. cooking oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced into rounds
3" piece fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin strips
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. salt (optional)
4 green chilies, topped and tailed

Heat oil in large ovenproof saucepan or fireproof casserole and brown the yams gently. Remove and set aside. Sauté the onion with the ginger; add, stir in well, and cook for two minutes the coriander, garam masala, chili powder, pepper, turmeric. Now add the yams and salt, and stir to coat. Cover casserole and place in 350 degree F oven. After 30 minutes add chilies. Bake another 30 minutes or until yams are tender.

Spread on "Pammed" lined trays. Dry 12 hours or till yams are thoroughly dehydrated. Pack in Ziplocs. To rehydrate, add water to moisten, and stir while heating. Serve with campsite chutney (see Chapter 10).

INDIAN LENTILS (Masoor Dal)
Take the lowly lentil, dress it up with aromatics and coconut, serve it with rice, and watch contentedly as the hikers in the next campsite fumble with the library paste they've made out of their Space Shuttle Beef Stroganoff.

1/2 lb. pink split lentils, washed, drained, boiled gently with water to cover, till soft
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/4 c. cooking oil
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. chili powder
4 cardamom seeds
4 cloves
2" stick cinnamon
1 tsp. salt (optional)
4 oz. raw, unsweetened coconut
1/2 c. water or coconut milk

Heat oil in pan, sauté onions and garlic, then add coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili powder, stirring well. Cook two minutes, then add cardamoms, cloves, and the cinnamon stick. Add to the cooked lentils (and their liquid), mix well, sprinkle with salt, cook for five more minutes, adding a little water if necessary. In a blender, mix the raw coconut with 1/2 cup water or coconut milk till smooth, then add to lentils and stir.

Ladle lentils onto "Pammed" plastic-lined drying trays and dehydrate 12 hours or until dry. To reconstitute, add water to cover, boil down till thick. Top with dried tomato bits, and serve with rice.

Spaghetti Sauces

1 qt. milk
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
2 Tbs. melted butter or margarine
1/2 c. molasses
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
2 eggs

Scald the milk and pour over cornmeal, stirring constantly. Cook over hot water in the top of a double boiler for 20 minutes. Combine butter, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and add to well-beaten eggs. Add all to the cornmeal mixture. Pour into greased baking dish. Place the baking dish in a larger pan of hot water. Bake in a 350 F oven for one hour.

Spread on "Pammed" plastic-lined trays. Dry 7 to 12 hours. Store in cool dry place in airtight containers till you're ready to hit the trail. Rehydrate by adding a spoon of dry, powdered milk to water to moisten. Heat slowly. Serve plain or with stewed-fruit compote (see Chapter 10.)

RICE PUDDING
You're going to want rice one way or another on a camping trip, so why not in its sweetest, most inviting form?

1 qt. milk
4 c. uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla or rum
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix the milk, rice, sugar and salt in a buttered casserole. Bake at 300 F uncovered for two hours, nice and slow. If you use raisins, soak then in water (or rum!) to soften; drain and add with the vanilla (or rum) and nutmeg to pudding after the two hours and bake another half-hour without stirring. The rice should be very tender. If not, bake on.

Spread on "Pammed" lined trays and dry thoroughly, about 7 to 12 hours. Pack tightly against air and keep in cool, dry place. Rehydrate by adding a spoon of dry milk powder to water to moisten. Heat slowly or eat cold.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING
When we're backpacking, we fake a chocolate pudding by doing this and that with a couple of leftover ingredients. Everybody (except Jessie, who's allergic to chocolate) loves it, so we decided, why not make it at home? As the Chinese would say, "Shuo shi chi, na shi kuai!" --no sooner said than done.

1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten till light
1 c. coffee
1 Tbs. melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 oz. melted semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Gradually stir sugar into the beaten egg; then stir in the coffee, butter and melted chocolate. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and add to egg mixture. Add the vanilla. At this point you're supposed to place the batter in greased custard cups, but since we're going to dehydrate the pudding, there's no need. Just pour it all in a well-greased baking dish. Cover with foil and steam for half an hour in a 350 degree F oven by setting the dish in a pan of hot water.

Spread over "Pammed" lined trays. Dry for 7 to 12 hours. Seal tightly in Ziploc bags, keep cool. (Keep the pudding cool, too.) To reconstitute, moisten with some hot coffee or milk from powdered milk. Reheat and slosh down. If necessary, grab your partner by the throat to prevent total consumption before you get a whack at it.

Variations:

• For vanilla pudding, omit the melted chocolate and substitute milk for the coffee. Use one teaspoon vanilla.
• For a fruit "flan," make the vanilla pudding and before dehydrating stir in four heaping tablespoons of stewed fruits or berries. Dry and rehydrate accordingly.