Chicken and Fremont’s Rye Dumplings

Trevor is reading a delightful book at present that is reminding us (as if we needed reminding) why we love to be in the kitchen. We not only love experimenting with food, but we love creating meals with whatever we have in our pantry. It’s lovely to trust that with water, flour, sugar, salt and heat, we won’t go hungry. What is more, when we combine these cornerstones with additives (such as fruits, veggies, acids, meats, nuts, etc) we can create glorious meals that remain in our thoughts well after our bodies have finished absorbing their nutrients. Humans have such a remarkable privilege in remembering the delightful tastes that we’ve encountered. Culinary experiences make us excellent tasters, an identity which prepares everyone (or so we believe) to be excellent cooks. The innate ability to determine what pleases one’s pallet should foster the confidence necessary to alter a recipe or develop your own.

When Trevor and I met, we quickly realized that we had very different cooking styles. Our differences complimented each other (most of the time), and encouraged us both to grow and learn a great deal.  Trevor is a student of many fields, and culinary technique and knowledge is one such field. He studies food from its appearance and texture to its nutritional value and taste. His books and scale are always at the ready in the kitchen. Despite the many hours I spent with her in the kitchen, I couldn’t  tell you where my mother kept measuring tools. Her habit of not measuring was either genetic or contagious, because I rarely measure. I change recipes and substitute ingredients like it is my job to do so. Deviating from recipes, or ditching them altogether, is how I identify with food best. Over time Trevor and my culinary habits have sort of homogenized. After countless happy accidents (and a few terrible ones), we have begun to develop recipes together that involve spontaneity and careful attention to detail. Basically, I highly recommend learning from the person that you love–it will make you a better person. In our case, it simultaneously taught us to be better cooks.

I would be lying if I told you that we knew precisely what went into this dish. All I can assure you of is that it was really yummy. I think I’ve listed all of the ingredients below. If you’re missing something or have additional vegetables, go ahead and use what you have. If you have a different kind of meat/acid/flour, use that! Trust yourself and trust your tastebuds. Taste frequently, use lots of salt (unless you have high blood pressure), and have fun!

Chicken and Fremont’s Rye Dumplings
1 Onion
2 Carrots
3 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
12-16 oz Tomato (chopped or crushed or diced)
Cilantro or Parsley
4 Chicken Legs
Salt, Pepper, Red Wine Vinegar (to taste)
1/4 c. Fed Fremont (Sourdough Starter)
1  1/2 c. Rye flour
1 c AP Flour
1/4 c. Yogurt
1/2 t. Baking Soda
Water

For dumplings: Feed Fremont (or your own sourdough starter) and add approximately 1/4 c to rye flour and yogurt. Add enough water to make a thick batter. Let this ferment covered for a few hours. Then add remaining dry ingredients and enough water  and flour until you’ve arrived at a dough thick enough to form balls that don’t stick to your hands when rolled. Form dumplings and let sit while you prepare the chicken.

For Chicken: Rub Chicken with salt and pepper. Chop onion and carrots. Fry onion and carrots in oil until soft. Add chopped garlic and spices (to taste). Remove veggies and set aside. Brown chicken in the same pan. Remove chicken and return veggies to heat. Add tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil. Boil chicken until cooked (about one hour). Drop dumplings into pan and cover. Let steam for a few minutes (until they’ve reached a consistency you’re delighted with). Remove all from heat and serve over rice.

Chilly Car Camping

Now that Winter has overtaken the Midwest (forcing me to wear a minimum of two pairs of wool socks at a time), we have lots of time to catch up on the many things we’ve been meaning to post. Our Pudgey Pie Maker (featured in every photo of this post) is such a delight, and makes car-camping fantastic. You should probably find one, and add it to your camping gear. I have fond memories of baking pies and sandies over the campfire as a child. On this particularly chilly November trip, this caste iron magician not only held our cranberry apple pies, but it also served as an egg skillet. Yummy.

Pie Crust
1.5 c. Flour (I used 100% WW)
8 T (unsalted) Butter
3-7 T Ice Water

Cut the butter into the flour and use a pastry cutter (aka pastry blender) to mix until you’ve come upon a mealy consistency. Think meal worm territory (or maybe that’s gross?…. think granules of sorts). Add ice water (a table spoon at a time) until the dough comes together. Press into two disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight). Roll prior to your trip and re wrap in plastic wrap). Freeze and put in your cooler prior to leaving (I often forget to bring the things I’ve prepared–its annoying).

Pie Filling
Approximately 3-5 pieces of Fruit, sliced
Approximately 1/2 c. dried fruit or fresh cranberries
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger (all ground/grated) to taste
Sugar to taste (I recommended no more than 1/4 c.)
1-3T flour (or corn starch)

Mix all together and store in the fridge. Pack in your cooler and assemble when the fire is hot. No need to butter your Pudgey Pie Maker (there is a lot of butter in the crust). Set in high heat in the fire, and check/rotate regularly to avoid burned edges.

EEEP! I almost forgot! We also added spicey sausage to our Fremont-Fermented Bean Dip. SO yummy! This provided the bulk of our protein. One day, Trevor will expand upon this recipe. Until then, play around with cooked beans, onions, peppers, salt and a sourdough starter. Basically, you can’t go wrong.

On this trip, we lost light and heat quickly, but [thanks to near-perfect company  and delicious food (along with a great lantern and lots of spare gear and wine)] had an unforgettable and fantastic trip with the dearest of friends. We often reflect on how fortunate we have been to enjoy the outdoors with so many lovely people. It seems like so many of the conversations that evoke change in our lives have occurred beneath the cover of trees and sky—this trip was no exception.

Nature Rulez

Our dear friends were recently married in the beautiful mountains of Aspen, CO. We had the privelege of backpacking, hiking and camping during our stay. Yes, we were the only wedding guests to do so. No, we don’t regret even a second of it. To the contrary actually, we wouldn’t dream of spending time in the mountains any other way. Despite the chilly nights, we slept well alongside Maroon Creek and woke early to the breathtaking sun as it peeked over the misty mountains. And despite the daily rains that impeded our attempts at creating hot meals, we ate well-quite well.

Eating on the trail can be an adventure in itself. We’ve found that planning/packing foods high in calories, protein and healthy fats that are lightweight is an essential part of trip preparation. In our opinions, the prepacked spice packs from outdoor adventure stores are not only overpriced, but they lack freshness and variety. This is why we pack our own emergency spice kit. It typically includes any of the following: salt, ground pepper, tumeric, cumin, piquin/cayenne/aleppo pepper,dried parsley/basil/thyme/oregano. Additionally, a small bottle of oil is of great use when preparing just about any meal on the trail.

A few of our favorite foods concocted to last include: homemade granola and nut bars, canned beans/corn/tomatoes (theyre heavy, but worth it for a quick salsa), Fremont’s fermented bean dip,Trevor’s doggy bisquits, peanut butter, tortilla chips and GORP (Good Old Raisins (read “dried fruit”) and Peanuts (read “nuts”)]. This trip, we were fortunate to discover the free bus system of Aspen that allowed us multiple visits to the grocery to enjoy supplements that we would not normally dream of taking on the trail (delicious loaves of bread, fresh berries and bananas, fresh veggies, full fat yogurt, etc).

After returning from Aspen, we promptly purchased a Jetboil camp stove, which stores all components into the 1L reservoir and can boil liquids in rain or shine! With a stove (or access to boiling water), one’s culinary opportunities in the wildnerness are endless. We can now hike up a few hearty (and relatively longevitous) veggies like potatoes, carrots, corn and onions to make stews/soups, hashes, and other heart-warming meals for our weary bones. Also, we can throw dried legumes in our packs: lentils are high in protein as are beans of all kinds! Furthermore, simple grains and hot water allow for an abundance of dishes that meet our carbohydrate needs. An added bonus is, of course, the decreased volume and weight of fresh/dried items as compared to their soaked/canned counterparts. Here’s to fire, heat and hot water!

Other items that one may find useful at a campsite include tin foil, sharp knifes, a can opener, lightweight cookware, handsanitizer, dish soap, reservoirs of varying sizes, etc.

We’ll plan a future post to discuss our favorite foods and beverages during car camping: “Pudgey pies;” Popcorn; Stirfry; Sausage; Stuffed Peppers. (Apparently, we like lots of  “S” and “P” words). Ice and insulation are a couples’ 10th best friend when car camping. Dogs, sourdough starters, fire, sunshine, photosynthesis, and many many other things sneak a bit higher on the ranking.