Campsite cooking #2: Tartiflettish

As we have to carry all our stove fuel with us, food which cooks quickly is very important when we are choosing what to eat in the evening.  We often use a peeler to prepare vegetables, as we can use it to slice them very thinly so they cook faster (this was a great idea from Laura`s mum).  We also prefer food which cooks in one pan.

When we were cycling across France, we invented this dish, which meets both those criteria.  It is not so good for people who are on a diet, but if you are doing a lot of exercise and need the calories it is perfect!  The quantities specified below are not exact, as it depends on how much you want to eat and how rich you want it to be.

Potatoes with bacon and cream (or, Tartiflettish)
For two hungry people:
3-4 large potatoes, sliced very thinly
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
100g bacon (we use lardons or pancetta)
150ml cream
Handful of grated cheese, whatever is available but preferably French and smelly
Black pepper

Fry the bacon and garlic together over a low heat.  Put the lid on after a minute or two.  The bacon will release its fat so you shouldn`t need to add extra oil unless it looks like it is sticking.

Add the sliced potato and stir.  Put the lid on, and then after a minute or two add some water to the pan - maybe 200ml.  You will need to keep watching it and trying the potatoes until they are cooked, add more water if it looks like they are sticking to the pan.  If you add too much water, the potatoes will go gloopy as the starch comes out, so be cautious.

Once the potatoes are cooked (it took about 10 minutes for us), add the cream and cheese.  Stir together until the cheese is melted and season with black pepper.  You may not need salt, as the bacon will be salty - taste it and see.

Eat with green salad and bread, in front of a lake.

You could also add a finely sliced onion when you are frying the bacon and garlic, or add a stock cube for extra flavour (although this would also make it saltier).  You could also cut the potatoes into small cubes instead of slicing them.

Campsite cooking #1: Bacon Pasta

As we spend around five hours per day cycling, eating well is very important to us. The food we choose needs to be high energy, cook quickly and will be prepared on a single camp stove. This means we sometimes have to think creatively so we don't end up eating the same thing every night.

We promised to include a couple of our favourite recipes on this blog, and first up is something we eat at least twice a week, bacon pasta. Pasta is great as it supplies lots of energy and it's cheap. Bacon provides salt and fat, both of which we crave with the high levels of exercise we're doing. We add whatever vegetables are available and eat, preferably in front of our tent with a view of the mountains.

Bacon Pasta (for two people)

250g pasta - whatever type cooks the most quickly
Approx 50g bacon/pancetta
1 medium courgette / other vegetables as available (onion and garlic would be good)
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
Salt, pepper, pinch of sugar, chilli powder

Fry the bacon over a medium heat with the lid on, so the fat melts. Chop the vegetables small so they cook more quickly - we're always keen to reduce the amount of stove fuel we need to use. Add the vegetables to the pan. Fry until soft, then add the tomatoes. Cook for five minutes or so on a low heat, then season to taste with salt, pepper, chilli and sugar (sugar helps reduce the acidity in the tomatoes). Put to one side while you boil the pasta. Once the pasta is drained, add the sauce back to the pan, heat if needed, then eat and enjoy. Add cheese on top if you're really craving the fat!

Campsite cooking

Light My Fire kindly gave us some equipment for our trip, including a very good 'Fire Knife', which we use every single day. It has a striker in the handle for lighting the stove, and the knife itself is a sturdy one, ideal for outdoor living.

Food is very important to cycle tourists, and occupies most of our thoughts during each day. We will provide a couple of our favourite camp recipes on this blog over the next few weeks, which we prepare using our Light My Fire equipment.