Customer Reviews

Fork in the Trail: Mouthwatering Meals and Tempting Treats for the Backcountry

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A Fork in the Trail: mouthwatering meals and tempting treats for the backcountry

By Laurie Ann March

I have really enjoyed A Fork in the Trail even though I am not a hiker and am rarely in the backcountry. I do, however, have a boat, and the recipes in this book fit my needs as a boater to a T. There is not much space on our boat to store consumables, and in the moist environment at the marina or on the river does not lend itself to longevity for prepared dishes, so the use of dehydrated items and those that are easy to carry and take up little space in storage is perfect for me. I am very grateful to Laurie Ann March for doing the thinking part of meal planning for those long boat trips.

Even though it is winter, and boating season is a few months off, I did try a few recipes from this book. It is my policy to cook from every book I review, and A Ford in the Trail was no exception. I even rehydrated dehydrated items to achieve authenticity. I first prepared March's Salmon Cakes, and found the addition of mozzarella cheese brilliant. We enjoyed them immensely on a Lenten evening with sides of buttered noodles, and green beans. (I had to resort to a fast food restaurant to get the packets of mayonnaise, but the recipe was worth the effort) Of course, people who hike and people who boat collect additional packets of sauces and seasonings whenever possible anyway. March's Breakfast Bread Pudding was an ingenious use of powdered egg mix, and quite good. Prepared in my kitchen it was quite easy. I cannot attest to the outback oven method, but it does seem quite doable.

I do recommend this cookbook to anyone preparing to hit the trails or water this summer. You may want to experiment, as I have, before the season starts so you will have an idea of how the dishes come out.

I just got this book a few days ago, and have already read it cover to cover. I am going on a month-long hike in Turkey soon, and am really looking forward to trying out some of these recipes. This book is a must-have for anyone tired of cheeseburger in a can. Laurie is creative and informative, and her recipes seem more like things you'd find on a gourmet menu than what you would find in the back country. If you enjoy cooking or just want to have great food on the trail, GET THIS BOOK!

Delicious, easy to prepare recipes presented in a clear, logical format prefaced by very informative, helpful backcountry cooking instruction. I love that the recipes start with a personalized introduction and are divided into 'At Home' and 'At Camp' instructions.
Far more than just a compilation of recipes, it is a good read from cover to cover.

Laurie Ann March writes in her excellent website:

"When I first started getting involved in backpacking and canoeing adventures I never expected that I would become a wilderness cooking instructor and author. I remember those first trips and thinking to myself, 'there has to be a better way to deal with food in the backcountry'. So I set out to learn everything I could about wilderness cooking."

She writes that she consulted a number of outdoor types, and experimented with all of the recipes in this fine book, as well as many others.

The dishes range from simple to complex, and highlights good nutrition and excellent flavor. You'll enjoy the recipes and the book most if you enjoy the challenge of preparing those sorts of foods in the field.

Most recipes are made in two steps, basic prep in the kitchen, and then reconstituting and cooking in the field. Most involve dehydration at home and rehydration in the field; March uses the Nesco American Harvest FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator. One of the most thoughtful of many thoughtful touches in this fine book: March provides printable "at camp" instructions so that you can print what you need easily and include it with the food in your pack. (Google aforkinthetrail .)

I've made the following recipe, both for consumption at home and on the trail, and found it a great success both ways. Other recipes have been equally successful. Not all of March's recipes are complex, but they generally are best for at least intermediate cooks like myself.

One of the nicest aspects of preparing food for the trail in this way is that it gives two new levels of pleasure. I find myself anticipating my hike while preparing the food, and reliving the fun of the first step of preparation while preparing and eating on the trail.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Citrus Lentil Salad recipe taken from March's website:

My family loves to have salads on the trail and this is one of our favorites. It appeared in Joy of Backpacking: Your Complete Guide to Attaining Pure Happiness in the Outdoors by Brian Beffort.

Dehydration Time: 5 to 7 hours
Serves 2

Salad
1/3 cup roasted red peppers
1 cup of canned green lentils, well drained and rinsed
1 small carrot, coarsely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
1/8 cup fresh chives or scallions, chopped
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried sweet basil

At Home
Roast the red peppers according to the instructions below. Once they've cooled, peel them and chop them into ¼-inch pieces. Combine all the salad ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and toss. Spread out the salad mixture on lined dehydrator trays. If your unit has a temperature control, set it for 135°F. Dry the mixture for 5 to 7 hours.

Pour the olive oil and lemon juice into a leakproof container such as a small Nalgene bottle. Pack the cayenne, cumin, and basil in plastic wrap or a small ziplock bag. Put the salad, bottle of dressing, and spice packet inside a medium ziplock bag and seal, making sure to remove as much air as possible

At Camp
Rehydrate the salad in the plastic bag using a formula of 1½ parts dried mix to 1 part water. Wait 5 to 10 minutes and then add a little more water if needed. If you accidentally use too much water, be sure to drain the salad well before adding the dressing.

While the salad is rehydrating, put the contents of the spice packet into the bottle containing the olive oil and lemon juice mixture. Shake vigorously. Pour the dressing on the rehydrated salad and stir gently to combine. Serve the salad with lightly toasted Greek pitas or stuff it into pitas.

Tip
If you plan to prepare this salad well ahead of your trip, wait to make the oil and lemon mixture until closer to your departure date. The dried ingredients will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Write the recipe name and date you made it on the outside of the freezer bag, using an indelible marker; be sure to write yourself a reminder on the bag about adding the dressing.

Roasted Red Peppers
To roast peppers place them on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool before peeling off the skin. You can also grill them until the skin starts to blacken and peel. You can buy roasted red peppers, packed in oil, at the supermarket. Just give them a little rinse first.

Of all the backpacking/dehydrating books I've used, this one is my favorite! The author's experience in camp cooking is evident. (Anyone who celebrates Thanksgiving every year by going camping and cooking a turkey in her a cardboard box oven has my respect.) The book is very well organized with a helpful section in the beginning covering everything from dehydration tips to sample meal plans for a week-long trip.

The recipes cover an amazing variety of tastes and styles. Forget beef stew and gorp--try having African Chicken and Groundnut Stew or Blueberry-Orange Tea Cake. The ingredient lists on the side of the page, the symbols indicating whether the recipe is ultra-light, and the stats on serving size and dehydration time helped me quickly pick the recipes I wanted for our most recent trip. My favorite recipe so far is the Thai Chili Salad (page 72). It was easy to make, dehydrate, and rehydrate, but the combination of tangy lime and spicy cillantro was absolutely amazing on trail. The book splits it's space between light-weight backpacking/paddling recipes and more elaborate car-camping dishes.

This book has changed the way I think about lightweight backpacking cooking! And the recipes are tasty enough that I may start using them for regular meals at home, too. Want to impress your friends with orange cupcakes baked inside hollowed-out oranges? This book is for you.

Mary Ann Miller Bates
(Author of "CH is for Chocolate: Individually Wrapped Tastes of Switzerland")

WOW is what best describes the food ideas offered in this book. This is a must have for the outdoor eats enthusiast. Easy to follow and prepare recipes make this my go to guide for Good eats off the beaten trail.
There is no limits with this. There is somrthing for evertone offered here

I am in charge of packing the food for my sister and I each Spring and Fall for ten days in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I started drying our own food after the first trip (up to 15 now).

I own quite a few books about back-country cooking and I am happy to add this one to the shelf. There are recipes I hadn't seen in other books and I did try the Harvest Oatmeal Bars to take in lieu of Day 1 commercial granola bars. Too sweet for me, but that's easily fixed and I'm making room in my pack for two of these bars made with just dried apples and craisins.

Everyone has different needs when they go camping and we are so limited that it's more a matter of tweaking what we know works. But this book is one that I can read, think about, and consider some small additions or deletions to the tried and true. Color photos help immensely in increasing the appeal of this book.

Laurie's book is full of good things with great flavors. That's what makes her cookbook so exciting. On reviewer claimed of too much work... well, good cooking IS an effort. Either you like to cook or you don't.

This book caters to all kinds of people and styles. The best backcountry cooking comes from things you have made at home. If you can or are willing to utilize a dehydrator, you can create any number of your own delicacy dishes to take on your backcountry trips. Using "A Fork in the Trail" as a guide will expand your horizons and your taste buds!

Easy! Fulfilling! Tasty! These three words describe the food found in A Fork in the Trail. Not only are the recipes delicious but your backpack will belighter with the techniques described in this book. I enjoyed the author's way of cooking whole meals and dehydrating them only to have to add water and reheat on the trail. With this book, I have learned how to convert my own recipes for camping, a task that was simpler than I could have imagined.

Awesome book. Fantastic, easy backpacking meals that don't take up a lot of space. We never knew we could eat so well!