Camping Creature Comforts
by the St. Supéry Creative Campers

Like many of us here at St. Supery, you might have a family camping trip planned this summer. Although we enjoy a good camping weekend, “roughing it” includes a few indulgences we’d like to share with you – our staff idea-contributors include both men and women…

Wine Club Manager, Bryan Gray: Most of the friends I camp with bring wine, as do I. That’s a start. Simple recipes like roasted whole stuffed chicken and/or grilled steak paired with the wine make it fun and easy. Marinate a pork loin ahead of time.  Forget salads and focus on hearty vegetables that don’t need to be refrigerated but are easy to grill/saute. Bring a nice selection of spices and never forget salt and pepper. Any recipe that requires simple basting works well in a big pot on the camp fire or camp stove and is great for cool/cold nights—think a hearty delicious beef or short-rib stew.  Bring a big net tent to prepare food/eat in and lots, and lots of Tupperware. Unless you have a camper or a motor home, or are going to a site that has no dust and/or bugs, it’s hard, no matter what you are eating, to call it luxurious.  But the gourmet part is easy; it just requires a little imagination.

Other staff tips for sprucing up the camp trip:

• Use a premium milk chocolate for your S’mores
• If the campground has showers, bring your favorite shampoo, conditioner and body wash (your local beauty store likely has travel sizes, or sample packs)
• Bring your favorite pillow from home for sleep-time
• Pre-mix a liter (or so) of your favorite bloody mary recipe for one morning – you may want to share with campground neighbors you met last night.
• Bring duraflame (or similar brand) fire-starters
• Don’t forget Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon and a corkscrew! We like to drink wine out of glass, whether it’s a Riedel O or a sturdy tumbler with a Packers logo on the outside…
• The food strategy is to buy sturdy vegetables, fruits, and meats that can hold up with uneven refrigeration. For those items that need to go in the cooler, try to put them in resealable food containers. I try to marinate a tri-tip ahead of time, preferably marinating for a couple days. Find basic ones online, or if you want a quicker solution, I've found using one of those gourmet red pepper salad dressings has been a hit. You might want to experiment with others, I'd just stay away from any dressings with any dairy or high acid. You want to marinate it, not cook it in the bag! I also make a big batch of couscous, as it holds up well and can be served at almost any temperature.
• Good coffee! Camping is no time to squander on one's lifeblood. French roast + French press is the sum for my tentbound mornings.
• If going to a campsite, bring the grilling surface from your home BBQ with you. You can usually put this on top of the BBQ pit grill and cook on it. Better than bringing the whole BBQ, and you know it's clean.
• Stilton, rye crackers, and St. Supery Cabernet.

Cheers to happy campers!