It’s that time of year when people roll up their sleeping bags, pack up their tents and backpacks, and head out into the wilderness for some quality time communing with nature and sleeping under the stars. For a backpacking trip deep in Desolation Wilderness or down to the Eastern Sierra, you don’t want to be weighed down with heavy food supplies, yet you don’t want to be munching on Clif Bars all day and night either. We asked local outdoor suppliers and camping aficionados Tahoe Mountain Sports and Alpenglow Sports for their favorite backpacking recipes. ~ Melissa Siig/Moonshine Ink
TOP-SHELF HOBO PIE
Tahoe Mountain Sports asked their Facebook fans to post their favorite backpacking or camping recipe. The store’s web content manager, Adam Broderick, said he picked this recipe by Brittany Lynch with the help of some in-store customers. “I chose this as the winner because it was creative, included multiple ingredients that are easy to find/pack, and was versatile enough to also be a nutritious dessert (with cinnamon/sugar),” he wrote in an email.
Ingredients:
Green and red peppers
Onions
Zucchini
Squash
Broccoli
Sweet potato
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans
Spices and garlic
Olive oil
Cinnamon and sugar (optional)
Directions:
Chop up vegetables. Store in aluminum foil with some spices and a garlic clove; drizzle olive oil all over. Add a diced sweet potato and chickpeas or garbanzo beans. For a little variety, the chickpeas are great when roasted with masala or curry powder. Or, for a protein-packed dessert, try with some cinnamon and sugar. Roast with the foil open until it’s a little crunchy.
PEANUT BUTTER NOODLES
Tahoe Mountain Sports sales associate Walter Blum has backpacked more than 1,000 miles, including hiking the John Muir Trail. This is one of his favorite meals when out in the wilderness.
“It’s a really good dinner, easy to make, delicious, and lightweight,” Blum said. “It’s one of the backcountry meals I thrive on.”
Ingredients:
One package of Knorr Asian Sides Teriyaki Noodles
1 tsp peanut butter
(carried in a squeeze tube)
Fresh garlic
Salt and pepper
Soy sauce to taste
Spices of your choosing
Directions:
Cook the noodles for seven minutes and drain. Then add in the rest of the ingredients. The peanut butter serves to thicken up the dish and “make it gourmet,” Blum said.
DEHYDRATED DELIGHTS
Alpenglow Sports owner Brendan Madigan recommends dehydrated food for extended backcountry journeys. “On longer trips dehydrated food is paramount; it lets you eat healthy while still attaining requisite calories,” he said. His suggestions:
• Dehydrated quinoa mixed with fresh veggies and hot sauce
• Fruit, jerky, and even syrup can be dehydrated (and then rehydrated)
