Campfire cooking

I generally split camping and picnicking into two distinct categories: hardcore minimalism and efficient packing, or an extravagant venture reminiscent of a

Victorian expedition into uncharted territory.

When it comes to the food, I lean towards a fishing rod and a penknife over perhaps more relevant camp utensils, plus a knowledge of the hedgerow, which dictates what’s going on my menu. Well, that and a few tins of something fishy, some bacon and a couple of chops. So, with a mixture of the preprepared and the in-situ, here are three campside dishes I hope you’ll find outstanding in their field.

Mountain beans

Prep Cook Serves Cost 15 min 30 min 2

About £2.80 a head

2 tbsp good olive oil 4 garlic sausages, skinned and broken into chunks

1 medium onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 green pepper, stalk, pith and seeds discarded, flesh diced

1 big pinch dried oregano 1 pinch ground cinnamon ¼ tsp smoked paprika 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 x 400g tin cannellini beans

100ml cider

1 medium tomato, halved 1 big handful swiss chard leaves, chopped, or wild garlic, nettles or sorrel

A squeeze of lemon

Salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the sausagemeat for about seven minutes, until well browned, then scoop out on to a plate.

Fry the onion and green pepper in the fat in the pan for 15 minutes, until they’re undeniably soft, then stir in the oregano, cinnamon and paprika. Add the garlic, return the sausagemeat to the pan and cook gently for a minute or so. Tip in the beans and their tin juices and the cider (or water), bring to a simmer, then lay in the tomato halves cut side down and leave to bubble gently for 10 minutes, until they are soft and the skins can be easily pinched off. By this stage, the bean mix should creamy but not too thick – it should be able to slide slowly off a plate. Stir in the chard, cook for a minute or two until wilted, then season with just enough lemon juice to give it an edge. Add salt to taste, and less pepper, and serve with a cold cider.

Picnic loaf with herb mayonnaise

Prep 20 min Assembly 15 min Serves 2

Cost About £3

a head

1 crusty white bloomer 2 hard-boiled eggs 1 handful cooked new potatoes

6 large hot radishes, cleaned

6 baby carrots, washed 4 cherry tomatoes 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered

For the mayonnaise 2 medium egg yolks

2 big dssp dijon mustard 1 tbsp white-wine vinegar ½ tbsp lemon juice 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated

100ml sunflower oil 100ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp finely chopped dill 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

A little finely chopped mint

Salt

For the mayo, put the egg yolks in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic, and combine the two oils in a jug. Using a stick blender (preferably with a whisk attachment), slowly beat the egg mix, then whisk in the oils in a thin, steady stream. When it’s all emulsified and thick, stir in the chopped herbs and season with salt to taste. Decant the mayo into a small clean jar and seal.

Saw off the top 5cm of the loaf, so creating a lid. Pull out the internal fluffy crumb, leaving a nice, thick border – you need to make enough space for all the other ingredients. (Make breadcrumbs with the scooped-out bread.) Pack the mayo jar, eggs and vegetables inside the bread, top with the lid and secure with an elastic band or string. You’re now ready to go.

Nettle (or spinach) tortilla

Prep Cook Serves Cost 10 min 40 min 3-4

About 60p a head

50g butter

1 large onion, peeled and diced

80g nettle tops, leaves and tender stalks only, washed in salty water (wear gloves), or spinach 5 medium eggs

A dash of cream (optional)

Flaked sea salt and black pepper

1 good glug of olive oil

Melt the butter in small frying pan, then gently saute the onion until it’s pathetically soft but not coloured – this will take 15-18 minutes. Scoop the onion on to a plate and leave to cool; keep the pan for later.

Bring a pan of water to a boil, drop in the nettles and blanch for two minutes. Drain and refresh, then gather the leaves into a ball. Squeeze hard to expel as much water as possible, then chop very finely.

In a bowl, vigorously beat the eggs, then mix in the cream, if using.

Stir the cooled onions and chopped nettles into the egg, then season.

Put the olive oil in the onion pan on a medium heat, then tip in the tortilla mixture and stir to help the heat move through it. When the sides start to brown a little, put a few hot coals in a pan that’s wider than the frying pan, lay a sheet of greaseproof paper over the egg pan and top with the pan of hot coals; alternatively, cover the egg pan with foil and pop a layer of hot coals directly on top. Check after five or so minutes: when there is just the faintest wobble in the centre of the tortilla, take it off the heat and leave to cool in the pan. Place a plate on top, flip to invert, then cut into wedges and eat with crusty bread. Valentine Warner is a cook, food writer and coowner of Hepple Spirits