recipes & techniques from the Pacific Coast to inspire adventure and good eating wherever you pedal

by Nick Hormuth and Lindy Patterson

Bicycle Camping Cookbook

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by Nick Hormuth and Lindy Patterson

Bicycle Camping Cookbookrecipes & techniques from the Pacific Coast

to inspire adventure and good eating wherever you pedal

On days like this I am permeated with a profound gratitude for my bicycle. Paul de Vivie (1853-1930) patron saint of bicycle touring

The Pacific Northwest Loop

Beginning an early summer bike tour in the Pacific Northwest means two unavoidable realities: water-filled skies and salmon-filled waters. We kind of came to think of it as the challenge and the reward.

First, the challenge: Here, water reigns. And rains and mists and trickles and laps and flows all around you. The water tells you where you are, which way to go, what to wear. This is true for all who live along and around the Salish Seabut especially true for those on bikes.

Seattle Bellingham Vancouver Victoria

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And this watery realm is full of such people: bikers of every breed, braving every form of moisture, going to work or school, hauling groceries or children ordid we just see someone moving a couch by bike? Yes, we did.

Rain or shine or more rain, we were rarely alone and rarely dry on two wheels. The Cascadian folk, who pretty much universally wear outdoor gear as everyday fashion, zip and bundle themselves expertly against the elements. Are they on their way to a weekday hike or a to business meeting? Possibly either. Maybe both.

This being the case, it may be the only place on Earth where you can blend right in with fully loaded bikes and touring duds. (Maybe New Zealand, but we havent been there yet.) We thought we were blending pretty well until the rain set in, and we learned that our English-style rain capes were a pathetic mistake, nowhere near up to the task of a Pacific Northwestern June. Twenty minutes into any rainy ride, we were soaked through and swimming under an unweildy layer of waxed cotton. Take it from the outdoorsy northwestern folk, make function your fashion.

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They say to expect this kind of rain in June. They are right. They also say to expect a rather cold reception from the locals. In this, we found they to be very wrong indeed. We were greeted with warmth and kindness equal to every rainy ride.

In a Washington State park campground, a ranger shepherded us under a group shelter with a wood-burning stove. He brought us extra and dry firewood. In Vancouver, we were taken under-wing by a cycling angel waving a huge Canadian flag high up on a bike-mounted pole. He whisked us off the congested four-lane road suggested by our map route and onto unmarked scenic biways along canals and through urban forests all the way to our downtown destination. There, another local took us in and fed us spaghetti and meatballs and beer until we passed out from happy, full-bellied exhaustion. A Victoria woman gave us the keys to her cottage and an invitation to harvest anything that looked good from her backyard garden. The kale and peas are out of control. Eat as much you can manage!

Standing in our own puddles one day inside a cozy little market in Sequim, Washington, drinking hot coffee that the owner made fresh when he saw us come in from the rain, our basket loaded up with fresh duck eggs, blueberries, mushrooms and chocolates, the woman in line ahead of us apologized for her Cascadian kin: Were not known for being good to strangers up here. This, as she thought-fully made room for us and our dripping, capes and our overflowing panniers at the counter. Here, you two go ahead of me. You better get out there before it starts up again. It did, of course, start up again as soon as we started rolling.

We biked wet along sounds and lakes, ship canals, portage bays, rivers, creeks, endless streams and bodies of water. The water here is really just endless. And its constantly moving, complex, shape

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shifting. We misidentified lakes as rivers, bays as lakes, the Sound as the open sea. In a place so full of water, every-thing appears paradoxically desaturated. All the lushness of the landscape sighs under a gray shroud of wetness. That is until the sun comes out. And thenclouds evaporate and the world is transformed. Front yard gardens seem to explode all at once with exuberant sun-drunk flora. Bodies shed their gear and lay on the grass next to their bicycles, making a picnic out of whatevers close at hand. Sails glitter on suddenly blue water. In a moment, the gray sogginess evaporates and everyone and everything seems to smile and blink together up at the sun.

Everything we encountered seems to flow from and to these bodies of water with a kind of reverence. Not just the food, but also the art and poetry and industry. The Seattle Art Museum holds a few lyrical examples, including a gargantuan, undulating, acid-washed steel sculpture by Richard Serra. It sits on the shore of Puget Sound and gives you the feeling of walking through a gentle but powerful current. The museums description reads:

Like coming to know a landscape by bike, discovering its beauty and bounty one mile, one meal, at a time.

Which brings us to the reward, that other constant, albeit more comfortable reality of early summer in the Pacific Northwest: salmon. And alongside this cuisine-defining fish, other summer staples of the region: apricots, asparagus, mushrooms, chards, cabbages, cherries, leafy greens, juice-swollen berries. Feasting on all the well-watered goodness, we found ourselves a little forgiving of all that rain.

The whole cannot be known at once, only experienced with physical movement and progressively over time.

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hazelnuts

salmon

apricot

blueberry

cabbage

Hazelnut Cheese Spread (first bite)

Cabbage-Wrapped Salmon with Oranges & Ginger (dinner)

Apricot-Blueberry Sticky Rice (dessert)

Creamy Oatmeal with Fruits & Nuts (breakfast)

Purple Slaw with Oranges & Hazelnuts (lunch)

MENU INSPIRATION

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from the Pacific Northwest loop

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1/8 c dried fruit, chopped 1/8 c toasted hazelnuts, chopped1 tbsp mint, finely chopped4 oz cream cheese 1 package rice crackers optional: candied ginger, minced

Fatty, full of protein, shot with sugary dried fruit (we like it with figs), and rich with different textures and flavors, this satisfying first bite tastes fancy and couldnt be easier to throw together.

Hazelnut Cheese Spread

Combine all ingredients except the crackers together in a bowl and mix until evenly dispersed.

Smear your spread onto the crackers and start munching or dress it up with a little candied ginger and mint sprinkled on top of each.

FIRSTBITE

The light zing of orange and ginger combine with the rich depth of salmon on a vibrant bed of purple cabbage. Grand and simple, this dish may be the closest thing to an ocean sunset you can eat.

Cabbage-Wrapped Salmon with Oranges & Ginger

4 red cabbage leaves2 rectangles of foil8 oz salmon (2 4-oz fillets) 2 tbsp ginger, minced2 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp brown sugarpepper to taste1 orange, sliced thinly

Remove any soggy or bruised outer layers from the cabbage and carefully pull away four of the larger outer leaves for wrapping the fish. Set 2 aside and place one each on its own 12 x 24 sheet of foil, just to one side of center.

Rinse salmon fillets thoroughly in water and pat dry. Place one on each cabbage leaf, skin-side down, and rub the meaty side evenly with minced ginger and brown sugar. Douse with soy sauce, sprinkle with pepper, and top with orange slices. Cover each dressed fillet with the remaining cabbage leaves.

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DINNER

A) Always go wild. Its sustainable and more delicious, so theres really no reason to go for the farmed stuff. Wild salmon season runs from May through November.

B) Look for locally caught Sockeye in Washington. While the fatty Chinook (aka King Salmon) has attracted more culinary glory, we like the richer texture and more salmony flavor of the darker red, hyper- local Sockeye.

C) Look for thick belly fillets (rather than the thinner tails) for the richest flavor.

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Seal foil packets en papillote (method described on page 17).

Place foil packs on the grill for about 7 minutes. They should puff up with steam. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes then carefully unfold the edges of each pouch and check for doneness.

Cooking time will vary based on thickness of the fillets and the heat of your fire. You should find just a little translucent, almost raw-looking fish at the very center of the thickest part. The fish is most delicious when you leave this slightly rare.

Remove from heat and serve over coconut rice.

Cabbage-Wrapped Salmon with Oranges & Ginger (cont)

Good to know about

SALMON

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Transform your basic filler starch into a rich, mildly sweet flavor foundation for fish, curries, stir-fries, you-name-it. The quantities listed here should yield about 3 cups. Eat two with your salmon and save the rest for dessert.

Coconut Rice

DIN

NER

(c

ont)

Cook your parboiled rice according to package instructions (typically 1-to-1 parboiled rice-to-water), substituting half the water with coconut milk. Add salt to taste.

1 1/2 c instant rice3/4 c water3/4 c coconut milksalt to taste

DESSERT

This simple approximation of the classic Thai dessert transforms leftover coconut rice into an afterdinner treat. Instead of a globetrotting mango, we used northwestern apricots and blueberries, but you can really use any fleshy fruit, depending on whats fresh and available. The sticky, fruit-filled rice needs just a quick visit to the firepit to give it a caramelly finish.

Apricot-Blueberry Sticky Rice

Stir sugar into your leftover rice. Halve and spread out in a 1/2-inch thick layer on two squares of foil. Divide the fruit evenly between the two. Wrap the rice up and around the fruit center to form a ball, then raise and twist the corners of foil together to form a closed packet. Drop into the firepit, near hot coals for 3-5 min-utes. Twist open, top with mint, and enjoy.

1 c leftover coconut rice1 tbsp brown sugar 2 squares foil1 ripe apricot, diced1/4 c blueberriesoptional: fresh mint leaves

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Creamy Oatmeal with Fruits & NutsMany a big day of touring begins with an energy-packed oatmeal breakfast. This trusy fuel can, however, get a little humdrum and lifeless after more than a few days on the road. You can always bring it back to life with a variety of fresh fruits and nuts, or, every now and thenas we did in this recipea pleasantly plump dollop or two of cream cheese. This less expected dairy gives your oats a tangy flavor and a richer finish without feeling too heavy.

1 cup rolled oats2 cups water1 tbsp brown sugar2 tbsp cream cheese1 ripe apricot, chopped1/4 cup blueberries1/4 tsp cinnamona handful of hazelnutes, chopped

Combine oats and water in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When the rolled oats begin to soften and the water to thick-en, add the brown sugar and cream cheese, testing every couple minutes for desired texture. We like to keep ours a little firm. Serve topped with chopped fruit and hazelnuts. Add another little drop of cream cheese and a sprinkling of sugar, if you like.

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BREA

KFAS

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Perhaps no vegetable travels better or looks prettier on the plate than purple cabbage. It can hold up to the harsh con-ditions of the bike campers pannier for several days and in most any weather.

More important yet, this ver-satile vegetable is deliciousraw or cooked. And there are lots of ways to do either. Boil it. Braise it. Steam it. Throw it in a stir fry. Saut it with a splash of vinegar. Chop it up into a stew. Use a leaf as a taco shell.

Oh yeah, its also really really good for you.

Purple Slaw with Oranges & Hazelnuts in Coconut Milk Dressing

We love a big protein-rich salad like this for lunch. Just toss it all together after breakfast and let it marinate in the dressing while your ride. This works great with any wilt-resistant salad base: cabbage, broccoli, carrots, beets, or even beans. When you stop for lunch, grab a fresh loaf of crusty bread, crackers, or wraps to scoop and soak up all that decadent coconut milk dressing.

LUNCH

Good to know about

CABBAGE

salad1/2 a small head of purple cabbage, shredded2 navel oranges, peeled and cut into bite-size bits1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

dressing1/3 cup apple cider vinegar2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar3/4 cup coconut milk1 tsp minced ginger 1/2 tsp garlic powderpepper to taste

topping1 cup chopped hazelnuts (or substitute almonds)

Toss together the cabbage, oranges, and mint in a large container. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine salad and dressing and seal tightly to keep until you stop for lunch. Sprinkle with nuts and eat up.

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SPEAKING OF FISH

SPEAKING OF FISH[in progress]