Kids, I need ideas.

[troubleinwinter]

In a coupla weeks I will take a four-day trip with five other (older) adults as invited guests of a Navajo family to a somewhat remote part of the reservation.

The family has made arrangements for us to stay at a mission (like a hostel, I think). There will be cots for sleeping and some sort of cooking facilities, but I am unsure what.

I need some ideas for making a dinner for six that will not need fancy utensils or refrigeration.... ingredients maybe canned & dried?... something that can be easily assembled and simply cooked on a stove.

I rather hesitate to have it include beans, because I have been to the reservation before, and we will have plenty of that, and I hope to give the folks who are unused to it a break (!).

There will unlikely be any opportunity to stop off at a store to pick up lettuce for a salad. Bread won't keep.

I sorta thought of a soup with canned broth, canned tomatoes, dried tortellini & basil. Boy, does that ever sound dull.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Honey -

spaghetti with homemade meatballs, sausage, pepperoni, even.

Marinate lots of vegetables and take them along - cauliflower, broccoli, string beans, onions, garlic - that's part of the antipasto. Your salad.

Even if you fix some garlic bread and freeze it, that would be nice, too.

It's food that's universal, really, and so easy to prepare once you're there. Good group food. Easy clean-up. Great leftovers.

You can transport the sauce frozen - that's easy enough.

Take along a chunk of good cheese for grating - that's always a nice touch.

[troubleinwinter]

2. But see,

I leave Thursday morning, and must be able to keep it til Saturday evening. I really don't know what the facilities (if any) are available for refrigerating anything.... but I do know that we will be driving through the desert all day first day.

I think dried parmasan might be a good clue, though? If I marinate veggies, do they keep without refrige? Sounds good. I can't take sausage, etc. w/o knowing I can fridge it.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Cook everything first,

and freeze it in big freezer bags. Pack it in coolers. Even a little thawing out won't hurt it. Cook the meat(s) first, and then throw them in with the sauce to simmer, so everything's cooked and the meats will have absorbed the sauce's flavor and vice versa.

Pack it all in lots of ice, and do the best you can. I don't know much about how you'll transport it, but I do know that some coolers work really, really well. And it's ALL FROZEN! SOLID!

The marinated vegetables (I do loathe the word "veggies," but that's just me) can be put in sealed bags, along with the vinaigrette (that's all you'll use to marinate them, anyway), and they're cooked, too, so they're safely tucked in with the frozen sauce.

Buy a chunk of cheese if you can - not the preshredded stuff. Take along a grater. The ritual is very nice. And, I think, significant, at least in the culture of my forebearers.

Get the best bread you can afford, and some good olive oil, and invite everyone to break bread - literally - before the start of the meal. You could take along some heads of garlic - no refrigeration required there - and chunk them up in the olive oil before the meal starts. A small plate of salt alongside is always nice, too.

Elegant doesn't have to be fussy or expensive.

[eleny]

14. A hunk of dry ice from the grocery would keep it all good

That stuff is amazing and cheap.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

16. Exactly......

I forgot about dry ice.

Nice catch.

[troubleinwinter]

18. ??? For like three days in the high desert?

It would sure simplify things... I could make any casserole. But I don't think it lasts that long.

[eleny]

19. You could make something that will keep as long as your ice will last

Just another idea to make the situation work for you. Hope it helps.

I noticed that you said there would be some elderly people there. If they have special dietary needs, this is a good time to find out.

I hope it all works out as this sounds like a terrific opportunity.

[Warpy]

7. Well, the mission is likely to have electricity, so that means the

possibility of refrigeration.

A styrofoam box with dry ice will get you there. Dry ice is sold at a lot of area supermarkets for that reason.

In any case, living on canned string beans and corn for three days won't kill you. The suggestion of spaghetti with (again) canned sauce is a good one. If you get there and there's no refrigeration, you can eat the fresh veggies and drink the milk within the first couple of days, eat the canned and dry stuff the rest of the week.

Dried milk, instant mashed potatoes, even some of those dried camping foods are all good ideas. Instant coffee (that stuff on the Rez will take the enamel off your teeth) and tea bags are also good. Think about those plastic/foil packs of tuna, combine with a can of mushroom soup and a some flat noodles. They even make entire dinners that don't need refrigeration, the supermarket equivalent of MREs.

Baking mix for breakfast: yes, you can make pancakes without eggs, or you can take powdered egg whites along. Nothing much eats imitation glop that calls itself pancake syrup, sugar acts as a natural preservative. Bananas can be kept unrefrigerated.

[troubleinwinter]

3. Dumb ol' me....

Yeah, fresh veggies (of the un-wilty type) will keep.

Now for a recipe!?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

6. Marinated ones are easier

And travel better, too.

And go well with any meal you might decide to serve.

Good luck!

[japple]

23. Cole Slaw might work

The kind I make has grated cabbage and carrots, sliced bell pepper, minced onion, salt, lots of pepper, vinegar and some (homemade) zucchini relish. All of that stuff will last for several days without refrigeration, although after it's made, it would taste a lot better if refrigerated.

Rye bread and corn muffins would last a few days.

Some other possibilities:

Baked potatoes with green onions, cheese, butter.
Macaroni & cheese made with dry milk, butter, cheese
Something Alfredo or other kind of pasta using sauce from a jar

Zucchini sauteed with onion, then add canned tomatoes and a little corn. I usually use italian seasonings with this, but mexican would be good too.

We used to get canned bacon when we went camping. We also took canned ham, I think.

[wildeyed]

4. Try looking at some websites for camping food.

Sounds a lot like that.

When we used to camp a lot, I remember eating pasta with sauce from a jar, that french processed cheese that has the cow on the label, certain sausages that keep without refrigeration, sweet potatoes were good. Apples and pears. Carrots. Course we also ate out a lot.

Parmalat makes milk in a box that doesn't require refrigeration until after it is open. I used to bring those in single serves for coffee in the AM.

I wish I could think of more ideas for you. Cooking without refrigeration is a hassle. I dunno, that tortellini idea doesn't sound half bad to me. Maybe with a nice cream sauce? You could use evaporated milk for that. Let us know what you come up with.

[SoCalDem]

8. I would contact them first and just ask them what you should bring.

It would be a hassle to pack all that stuff and get there only to find out that they had prepared in advance for your visit.

Most of us overfed types (myself included), we could probably get by nicely with some beef jerky, trail mix and party-mix type stuff for a few days.. Bottled water of course:)

edited to add


crackers & squeeze tube peanut butter..tuna in the pouches...dried fruit...pudding & fruit cups

[Lorax]

9. My favorite pantry meals

I make tuna cakes from that tuna in a foil packet. Mix it with chopped green onion or whatever onion you have available. You can bring a yellow onion, it will obviously keep for a few days. Add bread crumbs and chopped pimentos that come in a jar. The recipe does call for an egg to bind it all, but I have used either a little water or milk in a pinch. Salt and pepper. The original recipe calls for a light sauce made with a small amount of butter, lemon juice, and chicken broth (could use boullion and water). Honestly I never make that sauce because I like the tuna cakes plain. After mixing it all up, form patties and fry them on a skillet with a little butter.

We serve that with canned green beans and whole wheat couscous. Couscous is the ultimate pantry food because it takes five minutes to make.

Another thing I like to make it a couscous salad. Make the couscous and add bunches of whatever you have around. We like canned three bean salad, chopped sun dried tomatoes, some olive oil, and greek seasoning. You could add that canned chicken meat to it for more protein.

One more of our favorite pantry meals - pasta with pesto & sundried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and parmesean cheese. I usually add some ground sausage to it but you could try that canned chicken in it. I know that both pesto sauce and sundried tomatoes come in jars and I believe parmesean cheese will keep without refrigeration (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

I'm a full-time student, wife, mom, and I work - so pantry meals have become somewhat of a specialty of mine.

[troubleinwinter]

11. EXCELLENT clues!

... tuna in packs and jarred sun dried tomatoes.

The company I will be with are five old folks, so I don't hafta get 'cuisine nouveau'.

Three bean salad sounds good too. As does jarred pesto.

[Duer 157099]

10. Will you be able to take a large ice chest with you in the car?

If so, freeze several bottles of water (1-1.5 liter, like Crystal Geyser), and while I've heard that it't not good to drink the water after you've frozen the bottles, well, I've been doing it for years before I heard you weren't supposed to. And if you don't want to do that, freeze as much of the food as possible, to serve as ice for the trip. 2-3 days isn't too long for a well-iced ice chest.

When I go camping, I freeze the meat (chicken, steaks, ribs, bacon, hot dogs, whatever).

Beef jerky can be used to season a rice dish (rehydrate it).

Also, Trader Joes has a bunch of ready to eat meals (room temp), mostly Indian if I recall, that are also good for this sort of trip.

Also, pre-cooked bacon is room temp.

You can even freeze a small carton of "egg beaters" type egg.

Just thinking of various things I've done for camping trips over the years...

[The empressof all]

12. Tortellini Salad

Cook and cool the pasta, add chopped green and red pepper, celery, onion, olives, (what ever veggies you like). Add a couple of cans of tuna and dress with Paul Newman's bottled dressing.

This is a summer staple in our house. It's easy and it can be made with stuff requiring no refrigeration. (Though the fresh tortellini does taste better IMO)

I also think you should call ahead and find out what the facilities are.

[troubleinwinter]

20. That sounds very good!

No, I cannot call about facilities. There is no one to call.

[Gormy Cuss]

13. Not a recipe, but a suggestion.

Pack a larder with what-if ingredients that don't require refrigeration, like carrots, onions, and other root vegetables and maybe some apples,pears, bananas, and a lemon. The fruit is handy for a simple dessert course like poached or sauteed fruit served over pound cake (and buy one of those too!) If you have a favorite vinegar or olive oil, pack that too. Raid your spice cabinet for commonly used herbs like dried parsley, basil, oregano, thyme and some cinnamon. Pack canned tomatoes in every form that you normally use -- tomato sauce, puree, chopped tomatoes, etc. It's better to take that stuff home than find yourself missing something basic. If you have a favorite knife, pack it too.

[Lorax]

15. I just had another idea.

How about risotto? It's not overly fancy but it is definitely satisfying. You could add peas and/or mushrooms. And of course if you are able to pick up any foodstuffs along the way, that could easily be added. Some white wine, some chicken broth, that's really all you need.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

17. Good one, Lorax,

and a bit belated welcome to DU.

Somewhere I have a recipe for a rice con queso recipe with four kinds of cheese and jalapenos and all kinds of vegetables and sour cream, and BOY, IS IT GOOD!

Served with black beans on the side, and I have Reuben Valdes' recipe for black beans somewhere, which is just about the best I've ever had.

I gotta look those things up someday.

I'm hungry. It's almost bedtime here, and I'm hungry.

Thanks a lot, folks. ;)

[Warpy]

21. Skip the wine

Alcohol is banned on the rez, and while their own members sneak it in, they may not be thrilled if visitors bring it in.

[grasswire]

22. am I to understand......

...that you just need one dinner? Or do you need more meals than that?

My first thought was some kind of a country ham or smoked meat that doesn't require refrigeration and could be sliced thinly. With that, any number of items could fill out the menu. The pasta salad idea sounds great. Some roasted sweet potatoes would be good. Accompaniments could be a sliced citrus plate, a cornbread made from a mix and jazzed up with some diced red peppers,

Other random thougts:

If you want to start with a soup, those shelf-stable cartons of organic soups should work well. The carrot or squash soup could be kicked up with a splash of sherry and some toasted nuts or chopped herbs.

Sounds like a marvelous adventure. Be sure to report back!

[NMDemDist2]

24. a good cooler will hold for 2-3 days easily if you keep it sealed

and if everything starts out frozen it will take at least a couple days to thaw out if the cooler is undisturbed. it's the opening and closing that hurts. so have one sealed cooler and one for the water and snacks you will use on the trip


as for the rez, it's damned cool up there. the standard rule of thumb was a 25 degree difference from Phoenix to Grand Canyon in temperature.

I can't tell you how many sweatshirts the Canyon gift shops sell to tourists who think Arizona is one big oven :rofl:

while technically northern Arizona is a desert (less than 8" of rain a year) it's HIGH desert. Think cold nights and bright days but it won't get scorching hot up there until high summer

start reading Flagstaff's weather for an idea of the temps up there. It may be easier than you think to keep the food, but use tape to close off the cooler so no one "peeks" and keep it in the shade

you can get coolers designed for 7 days of cooling that will easily hold for 4-5 days when starting with frozen goods if kept closed

have fun! and remember that on the rez it is considered very bad form to point or look someone in the eyes while talking to them

also any time frames you may have, you can just throw them out the window. the clocks don't work in N AZ IME :)

[Onlooker]

25. Here's a recipe that would work

Ingredients: 1 lb pasta (spaghetti), 2 cans of anchovies in oil, water.

Cook pasta

Saute anchovies in their oil until they dissolve. (You might have to mash them a little.)

Add anchovy sauce plus a little bit of the spaghetti water and serve.

(Even anchovy haters generally like this sauce.)

(If you make it at home you can add pepper, garlic, onions, stewed tomatoes, etc.)

[troubleinwinter]

26. GADDDDDS!!!!

What great ideas! My lil' mind has been spinning!

I am going to try the sauce with anchovies for meeeeee! So many things sound so good and smart!

I think, with all this advice, I have more or less decided what to do. I don't know my traveling companions except my dad (he knows em). They are all older folks, retirees. I don't know the cooking facilities except that they are "simple".

>I'll take my pasta pot packed with colander, dried fettuccine, bottled Alfredo sauce and foil packets of salmon. Fresh basil in the cooler as a 'sprinkle'?

>In the cooler, marinated roasted vegetables: red, green, yellow peppers, onions, artichoke hearts. (other ideas?)

>Some of those terrible dried bread sticks. I don't like em... but maybe someone will.

>Some homemade cookies.

I want to keep it REALLLLY simple.

We are to take our host family to restaurant lunch two days. No way am I offering to make breakfast for our traveling company! "Here's some cornflakes" is my idea. I OFFERED to provide a dinner. There's a tiny town around there. We won't starve, we'll find a crappy cafe somewhere.

AZDem... dontcha worry 'bout me and the weather! I know very well that nights and mornings in the high desert can be very cold... and afternoons toasty. But it IS kinda funny... I usually am all comfy at home with my heater, but I have scheduled the purchase of some sweats as a result of your post!

We will be in the area of Monument Valley, but based just over the Utah border in Oljito.

As we are visiting and being hosted by a Navajo family (friends of one of our party), we will bring 'gifts'. They need many things. A list of requested gifts includes coffee, cooking oil and towels.

One thing that excites me is that an elder of the family is an 84 year old woman rug weaver. She speaks no English. I am a wool rug maker, so especially look forward to this. The family keeps sheep, and they expect to be shearing while we visit.

We will go to the Hopi mesas on the last day, also. I have visited the Navajo reservation and Hopi several times before. I think the Hopi are absolutely correct, their land IS the center of the world. I will ruin my budget buying a few art pieces, but it is nice to buy directly from the artist, rather than the middle-man.

And, AZDem, as for being sensitive to cultural practices, I have traveled many places in the world, and always try to be modest, respectful and quiet when visiting. However, my dad had "a little talk" with one of our more enthusiastic traveling companions (my dad has been there many times), and gave him some clues on matters!

I think it is a special privilege to be invited to visit this rural family. Part of our nation's cultural treasure.