Uncategorized
The art of cooking on the river
Published
10 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Kate Wollney Explore Big Sky Contributor
My first introduction to my colleague Adam’s cooking skills was during an O.A.R.S. guide-training trip on California’s Lower Klamath River. He prepared a lunch platter that included mangled apple chunks of all sizes, many still containing seeds or stems. Months later, after he learned the importance of presentation, I told him about my first impressions of his river-kitchen skills.
“It looked like you just threw the apple through a whirling fan blade,” I said.
Cooking is a big part of river guiding and every guide starts at a different place. Adam, still a college student in the dorms, had never cooked – not even for himself. But by the end of the season, he knew two ways to slice apples “correctly,” as well has how to grill salmon and asparagus, make buttery garlic and basil mashed potatoes, and brown French toast to perfection.
Training guides is the most important step to creating fabulous meals on the river. Yet the part the client sees – guides cooking on the river and making sure timing and flavors are just right – is a comparatively small step in a complex process. Before that comes meal planning, choosing and buying the food, packing the coolers and dry boxes, and ensuring all the correct cookware made it on the trip.
Meal planning for group wilderness trips continues to get more complicated. An average roster of 20 clients includes at least three dietary restrictions: vegetarian, kosher, lactose intolerant, nut allergies, gluten free, allergic to the nightshade family. The list goes on.
The first step is sorting out what these things really mean. On many trips, the “vegetarians” eat all the bacon when none was actually packed for them.
Once we’ve decided what and how much to pack, we must carefully select our products. The best ingredients are what make the best meals, but a budget must be considered. So we sort out cost-effective sources for local, organic, fresh products as best we can, sometimes in extremely rural locations.
“How do you keep so much fresh produce for the whole trip?” clients often ask.
“[With] 24 blocks of ice,” I often say. But in reality, packing coolers and boxes is an art. Safe handling of more temperature sensitive items like meat; the order in which we eat the food; and the Tetris-like puzzle of making it all fit on the boats are some key factors.
Finally, kitchen equipment must be organized. Again, we try to fit as much as we can into compact spaces. We avoid breakables, but strive to use containers that will share the quality of the food we are serving. Although it’s heavy, cast-iron cookware continues to be a favorite on the river.
On post-trip evaluations, clients often highlight how great the food was. Perhaps this is because we have taken all the correct steps. Or, perhaps, it’s because “hunger is the best chef,” and nothing works up an appetite like a day on the river.
Kate Wollney works primarily on the Rogue River and is the Oregon Area Manager for California-based adventure outfitter O.A.R.S. She started guiding in 1993 and has worked in Oregon, Alaska, the Grand Canyon, Utah, Idaho and California.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
You may like
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm