Recipes

This amount of sauce will generously serve about 40 hungry club members. If you make it for home or camp use, ladle it into meal-size containers, freeze and it’s ready to go when you are. But if you do serve it at a gathering of the clan, be prepared to be appointed Clubhouse Cook for Life!

Use caution in cooking the spaghetti. Many people overcook pasta to the consistency of something that might be found in a bait box — this is unforgivable!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds lean ground deer, caribou, elk, moose or other game meat
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 3 (24 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 3 (10 ounce) cans mushroom bits and pieces
• 2 tablespoons soft processed cheese spread
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 5 (16 ounce) packages uncooked spaghetti
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Brown meat in oil in 2-gallon stock pot, stirring to crumble into pieces no larger than a grouse egg.
2. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is transparent.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, mushrooms, cheese, wine, ketchup, salt, black pepper, oregano, marjoram, cayenne pepper, monosodium glutamate and paprika.
4. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust accordingly.
5. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions in lightly salted water with 1 teaspoon cooking oil added to prevent boiling over. Cook al dente — firm but not hard, soft but not mushy.

From Ron Miller, in the OWAA Campsite to Kitchen Recipe Book.

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user gadgetgeek]

My wife, Kathy, and I tossed together this recipe while on a family camping trip in northern Wisconsin. The walleyes were biting, and we soon longed for an alternative to fried fish. We prefer walleye because it has flaky meat with little fishy flavor. It’s an easy meal to cook over a campfire or barbecue grill and has become a favorite of guests in our home.

We make each packet of foil in a serving size for two, then place a packet between each couple. The husband-wife way to eat is right out of the steaming packet where you can scoop up a fresh round of flavor with each bite. If feeding children, you may want to omit the mushrooms from their packet. We learned that right away.

The recipe will work with different cheese, but be aware that some cheeses add a thicker consistency to the sauce and some cheeses don’t melt well.

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 boneless, skinless walleye fillets (preferably 15-to-18 inch fish)
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• salt-less herb blend seasoning
• 5 slices American cheese or cheese spread
• 1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
• 2 tablespoons onion flakes

Directions

1. Place fillets, former skin side down, in center of heavy-duty aluminum foil sheet, arranging lengthwise, alternating head and tail sections. Sheet should extend 4 to 6 inches beyond fillets at ends and about 3 inches at sides.
2. Dot butter on fillets. Sprinkle generously with herb seasoning.
3. Place cheese on fillets, alternating American and Swiss slices and covering all of the fillets, overlapping or adding extra cheese if needed.
4. Chop mushrooms and scatter on cheese and top with onion.
5. Bring sides of foil together and fold lengthwise twice to seal; then fold ends twice.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or longer for large fillets; mixture will start to appear at edges of foil near end of baking time. Remove, handling by lifting ends.
7. Slide on serving plate, leaving fish in foil while serving.

From Jim Lee, Outdoor Editor for the Wausau Daily Herald, Wausau, Wisconsin, in the OWAA Campsite to Kitchen Recipe Book.

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user **Ms Judi**♥]

What snack might you take with you when you go rock hunting? Rock candy, of course!

Did you know that you could make your own rock candy (or candy crystals, as they are sometimes known)?

Directions

Pour half a cup of water into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil.

Add about a cup of sugar to the water, spoonful by spoonful, stirring so that the sugar completely dissolves.

Keep adding the sugar until it is a clear syrup.

Take care that the syrup doesn’t boil over (have your parents help you, in any case, at the stove).

Let the syrup cool for about ten minutes before carefully pouring it into a glass that has a weighted string hanging in it. (Tie a paper clip to the string for a weight).

This part was easy. Waiting for the crystals to form might be harder.

It will take about a week before there are crystals forming along the string.

Check the glass every day, and carefully break the crust that forms on the top of the syrup, to allow evaporation to continue. The less the solution is disturbed the better the crystal formation will be.

Yum!

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user cursedthing]

This crunchy, salty, addictive snack will wow you, your friends and family far out of proportion to how much time and effort it takes to prepare it.

Directions

Place a flat-bottomed strainer in a small cast-iron pan and heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil.

Heat the oil until a kernel of wild rice, dropped in the strainer, sizzles and expands to about double its length and width in less than 5 seconds. (It will look a bit like a plump, brown-speckled worm).

Cook 1 tablespoon of wild rice at a time in the strainer, draining each batch on paper towels.

Season with popcorn salt or herbs.

Hmmmmm!

History of Wild Rice

The great French explorers were probably the first white men to enjoy the delicacy that is wild rice. In their writings and other historical documents, the great Indian wars were described: Ojibway and Sioux battling for over 250 years for the stands of “manomin”, as they called wild rice.

Today, Indians harvest wild rice much the same as they have for over 500 years. One poles a canoe through the rice beds, the other strikes the heads of the rice with a stick, knocking the ripe grain into the canoe.

The Indians of old then parched the grain in a kettle (similar to roasting coffee) and thrashed it by stamping on it with their feet. It was then cleaned by shaking it in a birchbark basket on a windy day.

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user snehroy]

The delicious flavor of this grand dish goes well with duck, goose or any wild game entree. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice, washed, soaked and drained
• 2 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1 (10 ounce) can mushroom bits and pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion flakes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine rice and broth in saucepan.
2. Simmer, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
3. Saute mushrooms and onion in butter in separate pan over low heat until lightly browned.
4. Combine cooked rice, vegetables and butter.
5. Season with salt and black pepper.

From Ron Miller, in the OWAA Campsite to Kitchen Recipe Book.

About Wild Rice

Wild rice is an organic food, free from all artificial growing aids. It is a rich, pure cereal grain that is very digestible. It is low in fat content, high in protein, and rich in Vitamin B. It contains niacin, calcium and phosphorous, as well as carbohydrates. It counts calories at 105 per serving based on one ounce (28 grams) of uncooked wild rice.

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user starsprinkles]

Stovetop Method

Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Add to 3 cups boiling water, salted to taste, in heavy saucepan. Return water to boil; stir. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30-45 minutes or just until kernels puff open. Uncover. Fluff with table fork. Simmer 5 additional minutes. Drain any excess liquid. For chewier texture cook for less time.
Yield: 3-4 cups cooked wild rice.

Oven Method

Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Combine with 3 cups water in a covered 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Check wild rice. Add more water if needed and fluff with a fork. Continue baking for another 1/2 hour. Wild rice should be moist, not dry.

Yield: 3-4 cups cooked wild rice.

Wild Rice Serving Suggestions

Wild rice brings distinctive flavor and a delightful texture to appetizers, soups, meat and seafood casseroles, salads, vegetables and breads. Consider the following:

• Add butter and serve hot as a side dish.
• Brown filberts or almonds in butter; toss into wild rice.
• Blend in chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley, or mint.
• Add one cup cooked wild rice to pancake batter, scrambled eggs, or your favorite omelet filling.
• Mound wild rice and mushrooms in the center of a garden vegetable platter.
• Bake cooked wild rice in a ring mold and serve with a seafood sauce.
• Garnish a soup or salad with popped wild rice.

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user shutter-click]

If you can’t find one of these ingredients, substitute what you can find. You can add dandelion blossoms if you use only the yellow part and strip off the green petals. In some locations, you will have morels or puffballs available.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped wild onion bulbs and tops
• 2 cups torn sheep sorrel leaves
• 2 cups plantain leaves, shredded
• 1 gallon chickweed, shredded
• 1 cup tender greenbrier shoots
• 2 cups violet leaves, chopped
• 1 cup violet or redbud flowers or combination
• 1 cup chopped daylily tubers
• 1 cup diced Jerusalem artichokes
• 1 tablespoon minced green wild mustard seed pods
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)
• Light wine vinaigrette, oil and vinegar with herb salad dressing or other salad dressing

Directions

1. Combine onion, sorrel, plantain, chickweed, greenbrier, violet leaves and flowers, tubers, artichokes, mustard seed, pine nuts and bacon bits, mixing thoroughly.
2. Serve with salad dressing.

Serves 22 to 24

From Tom Squier, in the OWAA Campsite to Kitchen Recipe Book.

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user space oddities]

Who can resist eating some new fallen snow? You can concoct a tasty treat from snow called, logically enough, snow ice cream! Two recipes follow, the first using snow as the main ingredient, the other using it as the freezing agent.

Snow Ice Cream Recipe #1

Into a bowl of clean snow, sprinkle some granulated sugar and some vanilla extract and a bit of milk or cream to make a slushy treat. Eat it with a spoon or sip it through a straw as it melts.

Snow Ice Cream Recipe #2

Into an aluminum can or bowl, mix together 1/2 cup milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon condensed milk. Flavor it with a little vanilla extract or cocoa powder. Place the can inside a larger container that has a layer of salt in it. Add snow (or crushed ice), alternating with layers of more salt, until the inner can is completely nestled in snow up to its side. With a wooden popsicle stick or spoon, continually scrape the freezing snow cream away from the sides of the can, allowing more of the mixture to freeze on contact with the cold metal . In ten minutes of so you should have a thick slush. Enjoy!

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user Back to the Cutting Board]

Bread, in one form or another, has been a staple of human diet for more than 10,000 years. This fact was documented when charred bits of loaves — baked in the Stone Age — were unearthed in the ruins of the Swiss Lake Dwellers. The 1936 expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art discovered the remains of loaves, which, through laboratory analysis, proved to be 35 centuries old. They were found in Egypt’s Asasif Valley on the site of the Raameses temples.

Today, we enjoy nearly a zillion varieties of bread, yet the vast majority do not travel well. The prerequisite for a trail bread demands it be lightweight, nourishing and impervious to mold or being sat upon. There is one bread that meets these demands and, when properly baked, you’ll swear it is some of the leftovers from the Stone Age.

Many times, that interval between breakfast and lunch is punctuated by an ominous rumble — and it’s no thunder from an approaching storm. It’s usually coming from right behind your belt buckle. But you can silence that grumbling with a satisfying handful of hardtack.

How to Make Hardtack

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Combine flours, cornmeal, wheat, sugar and salt. Add buttermilk, mix well, and knead briefly. Shape dough into golf-ball-sized portions. Dust with flour and roll very thin. Place on greased and floured baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees, turning several times, until lightly browned on both sides. Cool; then store in waterproof container.

Kept from moisture, these crackers are guaranteed to keep for at least 10,000 years!

From Ron Miller in the OWAA Campsite to Kitchen Recipe Book

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user NW Nature Nut]

Did you know that Wisconsin is the nation’s top cranberry-producing state?

Here is a Prize-Winning Recipe From Eagle River, Wisconsin’s, Annual Cranberry Fest.

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs
1 envelope regular onion soup mix

Mix together the above, and shape into meatballs. Brown in a skillet, then mix together:

One – 16 oz. can sauerkraut, drained and snipped
2 cups of water
One – 8 oz. can cranberry sauce – whole or strained
l/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chili sauce or catsup

Pour half of the sauce into a 9″ by 13″ baking dish. Arrange meatballs on sauce. Pour remaining sauce over meatballs. Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Remove foil. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot over noodles or rice.

The Eagle River, Wisconsin, Chamber of Commerce is offering a cookbook of prize- winning — and just plain favorite — cranberry recipes from the Cranberry Bake-Off held during its annual Cranberry Fest. The 54-page cookbook includes previous years’ winning recipes for Cranberry Chili Casserole, Layered Cranberry Lime Salad, Magic Cranberry Candy, and Orange-Cranberry Muffins, plus the most-requested recipes at the Cranberry Fest, such as Hot Spiced Cranberry-Apple Drink and Cranberry- Sauerkraut Meatballs.

Eagle River Cranberry Fest

The Annual Cranberry Fest in Eagle River is held in early October each year.”There are cranberry bog and winery tours, cranberry fitness walk-run-or-bike, weaving exhibit, petting zoo, entertainment, and, of course, a wide array of cranberry-related foods, says Chamber Executive Marlene Mathison, “including
fresh cranberries, creamy cranberry cheese-cake, hot spiced cranapple drink, gourmet cranberry meatballs, cranberry chili, cranberry mustard, and lots of fresh baked cranberry goodies.”

[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user Kyle/thebookpolice]