Be the envy of the campsite these holidays with filling, tasty and impressive meals that are easy to throw together with the minimum of prep.
Easter and camping are made for each other. Public holidays and school breaks coincide with mild weather: not too hot but not too chilly either. The days are shorter, meaning plenty of cosy campfire time in long evenings.
Once you’ve found the tent, brushed cobwebs from the caravan, and grabbed the esky from storage, the chief conundrum is what to eat. Easy: definitely. But tasty: essential.
Our handy guide assumes you’re car camping: driving in, setting up, and staying put for a few days. If you’re a hiker lugging dehydrated meals uphill and down the trail – well – all respect! We’ll have the billy on for your return.
What to bring
Frozen bolognese
Make a big batch of bolognese, freeze it in an easily transportable container and you’ve got a meal waiting to happen. If bol doesn’t float your boat, you could do the same thing with a curry or casserole.
Oysters
Unopened rock oysters can be wrapped in a damp cloth and kept in a cool place (such as in a hessian sack under a trailer in the shade) for up to a week. Check the cloth daily and ensure it stays damp. Unopened Pacific oysters can be stored at the bottom of a cold esky. Half an hour before you plan to shuck them, bury the oysters in ice: this makes them easier to open, and means you have nice cold oysters. Use a shucking knife, not an old screwdriver, and nestle oysters in a clean tea towel to protect your hand. Cut up a lemon, open the sparkling wine, and aperitivo is on.
Pulses
Lentils and quinoa are excellent camping food: easy to transport and quick to cook. Rice – especially in large batches – can be tricky on camp stoves. My ‘emergency lentil soup’ means a wholesome meal is ready in less than half an hour. Place 1 cup red lentils, 1 tin crushed tomatoes, 3 tins water, 2 tsp curry powder and half a stock cube (or 1 tsp salt) in a saucepan. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils are soft. You can batch up the lentils and curry powder before you leave home.
Wraps
Bread goes stale and gets squished. Wraps are easy to pack and keep pretty well. They’re good for easy cheesy lunches and great for brekkie burritos with fried or scrambled eggs, refried beans (you can use a tin), shredded iceberg and a dollop of jarred salsa.
Oats
Porridge is a great way to start a camping day. If you love a sprinkle of cinnamon or a scattering of raisins, you can add this to your dry oats at home so they’re flavoured and ready to go. New season apples are crisp and firm: they’ll travel well and be delicious grated over Easter porridge.
Hard herbs
Fresh herbs lift a meal but not every herb loves camping. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano and lime leaves are the most durable.
Easter eggs
Chocolate is tricky but the joy of an Easter egg hunt is worth the trouble. Buy small, solid eggs rather than elaborate and easily crushable hollow ones and store at the top of the esky. Count eggs before hiding and make sure your tribe finds every single one: they absolutely cannot be left behind in the bush.
French press coffee maker
If you don’t have a Bodum coffee maker at the back of the cupboard, there are probably about five at the local op shop. They are coming back, baby, so get with the trend and have one on your camping table. They’re the easiest way to make quality coffee for a large group.
Not essential, but nice to have:
Nice ice
Thoroughly rinse plastic juice or milk containers, fill with water and freeze. These can be used as long-lasting ice blocks in your esky and you can drink the water once it’s melted.
Herb hack
If you know you’re making something (burrito beans, maybe, or a curry) that uses a number of different spices, measure them out at home into a ready-to-use jar or press-seal bag.
Batch cocktails
Might you want a negroni or a martini to call in sunset? Pre-batch your tipple to make cocktail hour a simple pleasure. You can also batch salad dressings; give them a good shake before using.
What to leave behind:
Soft herbs
Coriander, dill and chervil are among the dainty herbs that will be slimy mush on day two. Same with butter lettuce and other soft leaves: camping is where many people fall back in love with the humble, durable iceberg.
Pre-made salads
Yesterday’s potato salad is not a good idea: bacteria can start multiplying after two hours out of the fridge and eskies may not keep food in the safe zone (below 5C).
Raw meat
Mince should be used the day it’s bought: maybe this isn’t the time to make your famous steak tartare or lamb kibbeh.
Avocados
They’re tricky beasts at the best of times but finding the balance between ripe and mushy is especially difficult under camping conditions.
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