Camp Without Coolers, Gluten and Dairy Free

“Gluten & Dairy-Free Camp Without Coolers”  By Lacey Anderson

Davida Books, 2024, 115p.

a Carolina Paddler Book Report

by Alton Chewning

-Lacey Anderson is up to it again, removing our reliance on coolers, ice and perishable food.  Lacey has written earlier versions of “Camp Without Coolers” based on vegetarian cooking and “no-cook” meal plans.  She’s working on a “No Borders” version featuring dishes from South America. We covered some of Anderson’s basic approach in a previous report.

We’ll discuss some of the “Camp Without Coolers” approach here, touching on her ten-day meal plan, her camp-kitchen set-up and some of the ice-free alternatives.

Commissary Kit

Lacey describes the commissary kit as, “Your gastronomic stronghold in the wilderness.”  Put all your leakable staples into robust screw-top plastic bottles. LABEL them. Put these bottles in a small metal or plastic ammo can. Or Vittles Vaults, air-tight, impact resistant containers for dry dog food, available in various sizes.

For a kitchen tool kit, here are several items that Lacey recommends.  Keep in mind, she’s considering a group of four or more, so the kitchen set-up is a little bigger than just a mess kit. (Perhaps there is a “Going Solo – Camping Without Coolers” in the future.)

–Cutting Board  This can be a flexible plastic cutting sheet or a small board. The sheet is more compact, the board can also be used for serving.

–Cheesecloth  Suitable for straining, cleaning up or protecting foods from dirt or flies.

–A marked Nalgene bottle  With marks indexed for various measurements, e.g. ¼ cup, ½ cup.

–Potato peeler  Sure makes peeling a lot faster.

–Scissors  For cutting evenly or getting into vacuum-sealed pouches.

A Gluten and Dairy-Free Meal Plan

Basic ingredients for each meal are packaged together in separate bags and labeled for the time of use, such as “Day 2, Lunch.” If this sounds too regimented to you, it may be because you prefer to eat your good stuff first, indiscriminately, with no concern for portions.  That’s one way to do it, although the final days of a trip might be called Grim Gourmet.

Her book incorporates a ten-day plan (the Vegetarian CWC book  has a 18 day version.)  Foods can be interchanged somewhat during a week but fresh produce and other perishable items must be used first.  The freeze-dried, canned or dehydrated items used last. Canned items can be chicken, ham, shrimp, crema, dolmas and sauces.

A Side of Fun: Napoleon is considered responsible for the innovation of canning food as a means of preservation. The French Emperor-General wanted a method of transporting food for his hungry troops as they marched across Europe. Napoleon sponsored a competition with a substantial reward.  The winning idea involved using thin sheets of steel –later tin– rolled and seamed into cylinders and capped with leaded tops and bottoms, as airproof containers. Some slight variations have occurred, like plastic liners and pop tops, but the design is much the same as the ravenous French armies used.

Powdered coconut milk is a dairy-free dream.  It’s easily mixed with water to provide a rich, creamy milk substitute. Shelf-stable fully cooked bacon is a modern miracle.  (And a personal recommendation: Broadbent’s air-cured smoked bacon, no refrigeration needed for up to three months.)

Many gluten free bread and cereal choices are mentioned, like soba buckwheat noodles and the Southern delicacy, grits (try her coconut-almond grits.) Durable vegetables can make the trip, at least in the first days:  jicama, carrots, napa or savoy cabbage.

Freeze Dried versus Dehydrated

Are you a little confused about the differences in these two preparations?  Join the club.  Read Anderson to get the complete picture. In short, freeze-drying essentially removes more of the water, up to 97%, making the foods lighter.  The cooking times and techniques vary significantly to use the processes to their full advantages.

Anderson gives many more suggestions for ingredients that are lightweight, portable and hunger-inducing but it’s her mouth-watering recipes that really shine. Let’s say this right off, some of her recipes are a bit more complicated, particularly for the kitchen-adverse types. However, Lacey has many “Lighting-Fast” recipes, blitzkrieg dishes ready in a flash. Even the more complicated dinners are ready in twenty to thirty minutes.  Recipes are included for main courses and also for breakfast, lunch and appetizers.

Here’s a recipe from “Gluten and Dairy-Free – Camping Without Coolers” that uses some prepared food for to shorten cooking time.

Barbocoa Hash Bowl  (lightly abridged)

The star of the show is Isadora brand Mexican Style Barbacoa, fully cooked.  Canned corn, a few sliced potatoes, onion and a quick sizzle in oil. Served with chips and salsa for high-end bar food on the riverbank.

4 Servings

1-15-ounce package beef, fully cooked Isadora-Barbacoa Mexican Style BeeF              4 Large potatoes, peeled and diced                                                                         1 ½ cups corn, freeze-dried or canned                                                                1 onion, chopped                                                                                                   2 cloves garlic, minced                                                                                     3 ½ tablespoons oil                                                                                            Tortilla chips [or soft tacos]                                                                             Salsa

*The Isidora Barbacoa Mexican Style Seasoned Beef package contains a lot of juice so for this recipe, start by draining most of the sauce and setting it aside. Reserve the rest for later use.  [There are other brands of a similar product, like Herdez, also available in pouch packages.]

Peel and dice the potatoes, chop the onions, mince the garlic.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until aromatic. Add diced potatoes, tossing them with oil and 3 tablespoons of reserved Barbacoa sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes begin to soften.

Stir in Barbacoa beef and corn cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are finished. Cook a bit more for crispier potatoes.

Serve the Barbacoa Hash with tortilla chips [or soft tortillas] and sauce on the side.  Every meal deserves a zing and crunch.

A Camp Chef’s Life

Anderson describes a big break she got in her camp cookery career.  She wanted to do a Middle Salmon trip, but her group didn’t win a lottery permit.  Anderson approached another group, offering to be the cook for ten other paddlers.  She won the job, and her meals were a highlight of the trip.  The idea for a series of cookbooks was born, delicious, varied meals, prepared from lightweight ingredients easily stowed in kayaks.

Since then, Anderson has been a part of many expeditions around the world. A Grand Canyon cookbook is in the works.  She’s currently preparing for a winter trip to Lunahuaná, Peru, where she’s been going for years. No doubt, she’ll be scouting for new recipes for the upcoming “No Borders – Camping Without Coolers.”