Three Square

Blueberry and Banana Pancakes

Though they seem simple, pancakes can go wrong in a surprising variety of ways, especially in camp. Thick, unevenly cooked, scorched onto the pan—we’ve seen (and done) it all. Don’t let that stop you. Anyone can make soft, fluffy camp pancakes with perfectly crispy edges. This recipe will show you how to succeed every time.

A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet can work, but a nonstick skillet is the ideal choice for pancakes. The conductive metal (usually aluminum) offers better heat distribution, counteracting the hot spots caused by undersized camp stove burners.

Our recipe produces soft and fluffy pancakes, but the secret to crispy edges comes from using oil. That’s right, oil. Pancakes should be cooked at medium heat, and while we love the taste of butter, its smoking point is too low. We recommend coconut oil, which tolerates more heat and imparts a nice, subtle flavor. The key is to use plenty of it. We aim for around one tablespoon per batch of pancakes. You want to be able to roll the oil around in the pan so it coats the edges of your batter.

While some cooks serve fruit fresh on top, we prefer to cook the blueberries and bananas with the pancakes. This produces a slight caramelization on the banana and gives the blueberries a saucy, jam-like quality.

The trick is how you add the fruit. If you just dump everything into the bowl of batter, it will sink to the bottom. A proper blueberry-banana pancake must be assembled by hand. We place a few banana rounds on the skillet, pour the batter on top of them, then sprinkle the blueberries on top of the batter. This allows for even distribution of fruit and a bit of artistic expression if you’re so inclined.

BBQ Jackfruit “Pulled Pork” Sandwiches

This vegan alternative to a pulled pork sandwich makes a great one-skillet lunch, and while pulled pork takes hours of slow-roasting, this jackfruit version can be ready in 20 minutes.

Your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce will work fine, but we think homemade is worth the extra effort. Ours is made with standard pantry ingredients and can be prepared in camp or at home. Just pour the tangy-sweet elixir into a sealable container and bring it in your cooler.

Canned green jackfruit can be found at Trader Joe’s and many natural grocers. Drain the brine and blot the fruit dry using a paper towel. The drier you get it, the better it will crisp. There will be some tough fibrous bits, which you should discard.

We like to add a simple slaw to give the sandwiches a crunchy texture. Store-bought slaw or thinly sliced cabbage mixed with mayo will do.

While largely a matter of personal preference, the bun is also critical. We find sliders too small and larger hamburger buns too bready, so we opt for Hawaiian rolls. Medium-sized, soft, chewy, and slightly sweet, they pair perfectly with the tangy BBQ sauce.

Camp Stove Paella

This plant-based version of the classic Spanish rice dish uses an assortment of salty and briny ingredients to imitate the seafood-forward flavor profile of the original. The result is a vegan meal that’s ideal for camping.

While paella is something of a freewheeling art form, we insist on two things: saffron and socarrat. For us, the aroma of saffron is intrinsically linked to paella, while the crispy bottom crust of rice—the socarrat—is an essential element of the dish. Otherwise it’s just rice with stuff in it.

Preparing this meal starts with a burst of activity followed by a long, slow simmer, so prep your mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, and olives and have your water premeasured. (We like to add our saffron to the water, so it carries the flavor throughout the dish.)