My sous chef’s scout troop went camping this weekend, and the adult leaders formed our own patrol for meals. We went this route for a two main reasons: 1. We didn’t want to get scurvy over the weekend, and 2. We wanted to demonstrate some dishes beyond Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Chili (not that there’s anything wrong with those foods) to help the kids broaden their thinking and add some variety into their menus for future trips. Well, let me tell you, we ate like royalty, and throughout the weekend, the boys kept coming up to us to see what we were eating.
This post is how we kicked off the weekend. Given that three of us in the adult patrol have a particular affinity for Switzerland, I couldn’t resist starting off the culinary adventure with some Swiss flavours! We had a large griddle on which to cook, so we figured Hibachi Style Swiss food was the way to go (minus the onion volcano, as setting a “good” example was one of our key goals). We started with Rösti before frying up some onions, garlic, mushrooms, ground pork, and spinach on the other side of the griddle. We then topped the meaty/veggie goodness with cheese until it melted, and we served that over our Rösti. Lastly, we garnished our dinner with a skewer of cornichon, olive, pimento, and pickled onion!
We then woke up Saturday morning to French Toast and fresh blueberries to fuel us on a nice little “hike.” When we got back to the site, we enjoyed Spinach, Kale, and Lettuce Salads with cucumber, tomato, cheese, and crunchies for lunch (and there’s no amount of money you could pay me to get me to trade that for PB and Fluff sandwiches). Then, the main event of the weekend happened…Another leader made a Spicy Chickpea and Kale Stew that was bursting at the seams with flavours and aromas, inspiring a lot of youth jealousy.
Time: 30 Minutes (although we did veggie prep beforehand, so if working from scratch, it may be 40 minutes)
Ingredients:
- Frozen Shredded Potatoes. You can also use Fresh Potato for your Rösti, but on a camp-out, this is much easier.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mushroom
- Ground Pork, Chicken, or Beef
- Spinach
- Swiss Cheese of your Choice. We wanted to use Raclette, but we went with Emmentaler instead because it’s what was available.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Butter (a stick and a half or so)
- Optional: Raclette Seasoning
Method:
- Heat your griddle, and melt a few tablespoons of butter on half of your surface.
- When your butter is hot, scoop your shredded potatoes on, and form them into patties with a spatula. Sprinkle a little salt on top of each.
- Cut your onions and garlic. Then, melt a little more butter on the other side of your griddle, and add them. Cook until they become opaque. Add more butter to your potato side as necessary.
- As your onions and garlic cook, slice your mushrooms. When your onions and garlic are ready, add your mushrooms, and cook until they begin to soften.
- By this time, your potatoes should be ready to flip (golden brown on the bottom), so flip them, and add more butter to that area.
- Move your onions and mushrooms aside to make a spot to plop your ground pork. Then, plop your ground pork, sprinkle some salt and pepper on it, and break it up with your spatula as it cooks.
- When your pork starts to brown, mix it together with your veggies. Add more butter to your potato side as necessary.
- When your pork is nearly fully cooked, add your spinach, and mix to combine and allow to wilt.
- Layer your cheese over your meat/veggies, and sprinkle on (optional) raclette seasoning.
- Pull your Rosti off the griddle, and plate it. Then, top it with your pork, veggie, and cheese component.
- Devour, and enjoy…or more appropriately, “En Guete”
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