Safari On Super Suppers And Snacks

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that spring in my step.

A new shop opened in town: Nibbly Bits. As the name suggests, they stock many delicious nibbly bits. I went all out and got us some treats. After my spree, I met up with friends en route to Prince Albert in the Karoo, and we all succumbed to the delicious Almond Croissant- flaky, crisp, light and smothered in golden almonds at our local dog-friendly deli, Daly Bread, a small, intimate bakery in Q Square.

As I write this, I can taste the sweet buttery richness! All this sparked the blog: food, glorious food. We’re always on the right side of good food; I refuse to serve even a bowl of mediocre soup in my kitchen. If you’re using beautiful, fresh, in-season, or lovingly cultivated produce, it deserves to be handled with utmost respect. With a sprig of parsley, a crispy swipe of grilled grated cheese or a dollop of cream and a golden crouton, I lift my la soupe aux pois (Pea soup) to heavenly heights! Sometimes it just takes a good grinding of black pepper to do the trick.

Which brings me to sharing some recipes from our recent trip to Mabuasahube in the Kalahari, where every meal was a gourmet delight, to inspire your own camping culinary adventures.

I include recipes for WALKING TACOS, GINGER DUMPLING PUDDING, PUMPKIN FRITTERS IN A SAUCE, CHICKPEA AND DATE SALAD, and other ideas, encouraging you to explore and enjoy creative camping meals.

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit," and these recipes, like our Pumpkin Fritters and Chickpea Salad, are perfect for embracing that spirit during camping trips.

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PUMPKIN FRITTERS IN A SAUCE (pampoen poffertjies)

A South African favourite. Served with any meal (except Italian). I served these pumpkin fritters with my Curried Tripe, also a traditional dish.

Mash the pumpkin until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, salt and egg. Mix well. Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan. The fritters don’t need to fry in deep oil; just a half-inch of oil in the pan is sufficient. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into the hot oil. Press down slightly and fry on both sides until golden and cooked through. Scoop out of the oil and place on a layer of kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

To make the sauce: add 30ml of the milk to the cornflour, mix well.  In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to the boil. Just before boiling, add the cornflour mixture.  Keep stirring to prevent lumps.  Turn down the heat.  Bring back up to boiling point. Remove from the heat.  Cool down for freezing.  Or drizzle over the dumplings and serve immediately.  For camping, store the sauce in a separate small container.

TO FREEZE FOR CAMPING: Cool the fritters down, place carefully into a rectangular container with an airtight lid, and store the sauce separately. This makes it easy to reheat and enjoy outdoors, and it encourages you to try these recipes on your next camping adventure.

TIP: 1. I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar over my fritters before the sauce was drizzled.
2. Sue made fritters on another occasion using commercial fritter mix (from a packet). They were delicious and very easy to make. Just remember to include the added ingredients, e.g. egg (if it’s required)

"A bad day camping is still better than a good day working."

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CHICKPEA, ROASTED PEPPER AND DATE SALAD

I blackened and roasted a huge packet of red and yellow peppers before we left, which is easy: remove the skins, slice the flesh into ribbons, place them in an airtight container, and add salt and pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. I kept this for salads and Tapas platters served with cheese.

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

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Before we left, I found this recipe in a magazine and thought it would be delicious, especially when you crave vegetarian inspiration.

SWEET POTATO AND LENTIL COCONUT CURRY

Serves 4

Sweet potatoes are a good camping ingredient, but they don’t last long, so use them within a few days of buying them. Buy them en route. Sometimes you need a vegetarian meal. This is it.

Fry the onions in olive oil, add cumin, curry powder, chili, and turmeric, and stir-fry for a few minutes until the flavours marry. Add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Simmer for a few seconds. Add the sweet potatoes and lentils. Season to taste.

Simmer for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft (do not overcook, and do check now and again, as the cooking time depends on the thickness of the sweet potatoes. I prefer thicker and chunkier portions)

Serve with a good drizzle of lemon juice, the Poppadams and basmati rice. Garnish with a good dollop of coriander pesto.

HINT: I bought ready-made coriander and chili pesto, froze it, and removed it just before I needed it.

You can also serve a good chutney with the curry.

I always have a ready-made pack of chili, garlic, ginger and fresh turmeric in the freezer (for camping). I believe adding it to our food keeps the cold and flu ninnies away.

A black cast iron skillet is a wonderful serving dish; it looks cool, and the blackness enhances the colours of the dishes. I love mine; it's ancient and goes everywhere with us. Perfect for camping, as it has a multitude of uses. Look for one in a vintage store, clean it and give it a good coating of Vaseline to stop it rusting.

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CHILLI BITES

Follow directions on the packet.

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MY OUMA’S GINGER DUMPLING PUDDING

It was only when I served this lovely winter dessert that I discovered that my brother isn’t very keen on Ginger; he’d been drinking his hot toddy laced with ginger while he had a cold, and he was clearly better and not as submissive. He did have some of my pudding and even had seconds. He loved it.

SYRUP:

Combine all syrup ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has melted. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes while you prepare the dumplings. Keep the sauce at a boil.

NB: Have all the dumpling ingredients ready before you start.

Melt the butter and apricot jam in a medium-sized saucepan; do not bring to the boil. Add the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will fizz and become foamy. Add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon. Do not let the mixture stand.

Working rapidly, add tablespoons of batter to the boiling syrup. Cover with a good lid. Reduce the heat to medium/low. Cook the dumplings in the syrup for 18 minutes. Do not remove the lid.

Serve the dumplings at room temperature. Serve with custard, ice cream or cream. Delicious.

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ANNE’S CAMPING ICE CREAM:

This is a childhood favourite, and it's very simple to make with the most basic ingredients. Remember, it’s a camping ice cream and will freeze quite solidly; remove from the freezer an hour before serving so it can soften slightly. I put mine in the refrigerator a few hours before supper, and it’s perfect when I need it. Makes approximately 1 L

500ml cream, whipped to soft peaks (I use Woolies long life cream and it whips perfectly; it

does take a little while with a ball whisk!)

1 tin caramel (condensed milk that’s been boiled), opened; stir the caramel until smooth

Fold the caramel into the whipped cream.

Pour into a 1-liter lidded container.

Freeze overnight, at least.

It’s easy to make a chocolate sauce even while camping, or use one of the excellent ready-to-use options.

Optional:
Add chopped nuts, glace fruit, ginger in syrup, some frozen berries or grated chocolate to ring the changes.

I had frozen blueberries (they work so well and can be used in drinks, fruit salads, ice cream) while camping.

LONG LIFE CUSTARDS are very good and keep well. Add a few squirts of vanilla pod (Nomu) or a scraping of vanilla pod. You can add cream to stretch the custard or make it creamier.

JELLY – always a winner, follow the instructions on the packet. Diabetic jelly is also very good. Some jellies also set without being left in the refrigerator.
Serve with custard. Lovely, brings back so many childhood memories.

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MOM’S PINEAPPLE FRIDGE TART

Pour the melted butter over the crushed biscuits and mix well.

Press the biscuits into the base of a buttered tart dish, covering the sides too.

Leave in the fridge for 20 minutes to set.

FILLING:

Stir the lemon jelly into the crushed pineapple, then heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until the jelly melts completely and the mixture boils. Remove from the heat. Cool.

Once the jelly mixture is cool, whip the evaporated milk until thick and frothy.
Gently fold in the pineapple.

Pour into the biscuit crust.

Refrigerate overnight or until the gelatin has set.

Serve with a berry coulis.

"Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a camper, which is kind of the same thing.”

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THAI GREEN CURRY (Sue's recipe)

Prepare the dish as instructed on the Thai Green Curry Paste packaging.

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SUE’S WALKING TACOS

Cut the Dorito packets open lengthwise, crush them, and layer the other ingredients on top. Mix with a fork and enjoy.

OR serve the ingredients in little bowls, and let guests make their own Dorito tacos, either on a plate or in the packet.

This is a lovely picnic idea, served with a cold beer. Also, an excellent party dish for teenagers.

TIPS:
Cake mixes, bread mixes, scone mixes, etc., are an excellent substitute to pack for camping. They’re easy to use, need only a few extras, and minimise waste. Herbs, cheeses and other condiments can be added to change flavours and make it more authentic.

I made little savoury “Vetkoek” using my favourite recipe but added a bottle of bolognaise sauce. They were delicious.

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SAVOURY DROP SCONES Vetkoek

We call these Vetkoek; I’m not sure what the English equivalent would be, so I’ll call them drop scones. They are delicious served with scrambled eggs, soup or as a snack with cream cheese and chives.

Lightly beat the eggs with a fork, add the bolognaise sauce, and mix.

Add the dry ingredients. Mix to a stiff dough.

Heat 2cm of oil (I use Olive Oil) in a pan. Drop tablespoons of dough into the hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Turn down the heat so they don't burn before cooking through.
Drain on a kitchen towel. Serve hot with butter.

"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."

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POLENTA MY WAY

I jazzed up my Polenta by reducing the water by half and making it with milk and butter (e.g. 250ml Polenta, 250ml water, 200ml full-cream milk, 50ml butter, 125ml grated cheddar cheese).

It was rich, smooth, buttery and delicious.  I served the polenta with my Oxtail Casserole.

Because we were spending the holiday with my brother, I found myself subconsciously making meals and dishes reminiscent of our childhood. In almost every dish, I could recall my mother, grandmother, and Ouma.  Our picnics and trips to Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, where we often went, especially in winter, as my dad played rugby there. 

We never skimped on candles, linen table napkins, pretty tablecloths, and now and then a flower or twig from the trees.

THERE ARE TWO BOOKS I ALWAYS USE FOR INSPIRATION:  JUSTIN BONELLO'S COOKED WEEKENDS AWAY AND VOETSPORE KOOKBOEK - JOHAN BADENHORST.

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Thank you, Sue, for sharing your recipes with us.  You are the sister I never had.