Yes, this is an adventure recipe blog.  Aren’t all the senses involved in exploration and delight?  If you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ve probably noticed that we enjoy finding interesting places to enchant our sense of taste.  Sometimes we seem to eat our way through new places (like Key West, Florida).  

Today’s blog, however, is meant to bring a little culinary comfort state-of-mind whether you are camping out or needing some easy satisfaction at home. The whole “Chicken Soup for the Soul” metaphor definitely applies when someone talks about their favorite food to cook while camping.  

For me, this Campfire Stew recipe brings to mind camping along a cold river as a 9- or 10-year-old boy with my family. After a day of paddling on chilly spring-fed water, we would light a fire and cook this super simple, one-pot meal that was warm and filling at the end of the day.  Since then, I have shared this meal with others and they, in turn, have shared their campfire stew recipes with me. What we find to be most consistent is this: the ingredients are less important than the warm feeling served at the day’s end while camping under the stars. Felt both as a reward and comfort, when we are young it is these small things that create those good memories.

For my Campfire Stew, it has lasted a lifetime and will outlast me because my son also delights in cooking it. The ingredients are purposely simple: a can of cut green beans (not French cut), a can of diced new potatoes, a smoked sausage (sliced), and little Cavender’s Greed Seasoning.  Once in the pot, just add water and bring it to a boil. Boiling causes the sausage to release its oils and gives the stew most of its flavor.  

Just like any food cooked outdoors, I think it always tastes better when it is cooked over a campfire.  However, this has become a favorite cold weather recipe for our family so that we get that little taste of the outdoors, even when we are feeling trapped inside.   We usually have the canned items in the pantry anyway and keep some sausage in the freezer, too.

Campfire Stew

1 can of cut green beans

1 can of diced new potatoes

1  smoked sausage 

+/-2 cups of water

Season to taste (I like 3 tsp of Cavender’s Greek Seasoning)

Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then serve it up!  Add your favorite crusty bread or crescent rolls to round it out.

Classic campfire comfort food might even include those Americana favorites - s’mores and hot cocoa!

Would you believe that I keep packets of hot cocoa in my kayaking gear?  I’ve done this as a day-saver or in the case of a really cold swim for myself or anyone with me.  This can help warm-up the body’s core, the chocolate helps release endorphins, while the sugar helps give the body a little extra carb kick to recover from the cold.  With the advent of the Jet Boil or other micro-cooking systems, this is an easy and packable part of my emergency kit.  

It’s just another example of how having the good food at the right time can make a difference. It helps on three fronts.  First, warmth. In the outdoors this is one of the hardest things for your body to regulate and in the case of an unexpected cold water swim it can literally be a lifesaver. Second, the chocolate releases endorphins that give you that “feel good” feeling, helping to raise your spirits while getting that body temperature back up out of the blue. Third, it provides your body with some sugar to burn, giving you a much-needed energy burst to finish the recovery process. 

The great thing is that you don’t have to have a cold swim or be near hypothermia to get that boost. This can help recover a kid’s day, too, if they are feeling cold/tired or irritable after a lot of sledding or hiking. Sometimes children can act down or feisty if they have burned through their energy reserves and are getting “hangry” (hungry+angry).  I won’t say adults get this way, too, but we all know the truth.  Lift the vibe quickly and look like a seasoned superhero by whipping up a little hot cocoa!  Not only does it create another good memory, you might just start a new tradition, too.