Planning for an elaborate camping trip can get stressful, so I often take a quick weekend trip close to home for an ultimate recharge. In Austin, we have many campgrounds within a one hour radius of the city. For me, Pace Bend Park is one of those go to campgrounds. Easily accessed, the park is a peninsula tucked into one of the turns of Lake Travis. One side of the park slopes gently to the water while the other is a series of coves with cliffs. I prefer the cliff side because of the beautiful vistas, private feeling coves, and campsites with tree cover right near the water. I don't mind walking in my gear for a secluded spot and a view like the one below.
Creamy Smoked Provelone Polenta
Fire Roasted Cauliflower
I took this trip with two girlfriends and our combined total of five dogs. We met in Austin for an early brunch, discussed menus, divided and conquered the shopping, packed our gear, and headed to the park. After discovering that one of our favorite campsites hadn't been claimed, we high fived and got down to the business of setting up camp. It didn't take long and soon we were floating on our tubes in the water. For the next 48 hours, our biggest worry was whose turn it was playing Rummikub and getting the burrs out of our dogs' fur.
Hi! I'm Nedra! Food tastes better when it's enjoyed in the great outdoors. Life's an adventure, so travel, explore, and get cooking!!
Pace Bend Park - A Quick Get Away
Here's a couple recipes for easy to prepare side dishes and how to put together a fancy brunch that rivals any restaurant:
Creamy Smoked Provolone Polenta
This dish is so fast and easy to prepare; all you need to do is bring along a few simple ingredients. A good quality Polenta can be found at most Whole Foods Markets, Italian Specialty Groceries, or a regular grocery store with a good International foods selection. If Smoked Provolone is difficult to find in your area, try using a Smoked Cheddar for a slightly different, but equally delicious flavor. Cut up some fresh fruit as a healthy appetizer to snack on while preparing the breakfast.
Serves 4 Prep time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min
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2 cups water
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1 tbsp butter
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1 med clove garlic minced, about 1 tablespoon
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a good pinch of salt and a couple grinds of pepper
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½ c polenta
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½ c Smoked Provolone, grated
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2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, salt and pepper. When the butter is melted, whisk in the polenta pouring it in a steady stream, so that it does not clump. Bring back to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook, whisking often until thickened and creamy textured. Add the Provolone and Parmesan and whisk until melted into the polenta, about 10 min. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve as a side dish for brunch with eggs and smoked salmon or for dinner with with grilled meats or shrimp.
Don't forget the mimosas!!
Fire Roasted Cauliflower
Make a foil packet, add some cauliflower florets, throw in a few key ingredients, wrap it up tight, throw it in the fire, and “wham”, you have an amazing side dish. I like the smoky taste of roasted cauliflower and how the slivered garlic turns sweet when it caramelizes. It pairs well with everything from grilled salmon to pork tenderloin.
Serves 4 Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 30 min
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2 pieces Aluminum foil torn into 1 foot lengths
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1 small head of cauliflower broken down into florets
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1 large garlic clove, sliced very thin
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
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1 sprig fresh rosemary or sage
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salt and pepper
Put the foil on a flat surface, double up the layers, and bring up the edges to form a shallow bowl. Add the cauliflower to the center of the bowl, sprinkle with the slivered garlic, then olive oil, and finally lemon. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary or sage then dust with salt and pepper.
Bring up the sides of the foil and seal by twisting so that you have a nicely sealed packet.
Build a fire in the fire pit and allow to burn long enough so that there are some nice hot coals in the center of the fire. Move the burning logs aside and place the cauliflower packet in between the hot coals and burning logs. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes and then use tongs or a stick to move the foil packet upside down and rotate 180 °. Cook for another 15 minutes.
Remove from fire and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Open the packet and check that the cauliflower is done. If a fork pierces the cauliflower easily and it has some caramelized brown areas, it’s done.
Serve with your favorite entrée. On this occasion I grilled up a fillet of salmon and made a Quinoa Pilaf on the Colman stove. These recipes will be featured in another entry.
After dinner and clean up, it was back to playing Rummikub and watching the sun set from our campsite. Truly a relaxing no stress get away.
