So, what was the food like? One would think, out in the wilderness we'd be eating simply or even "fishing for our supper." Well, it was neither. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is a "catch and release" river; whatever you catch, you must release. In fact, we marveled at Guy's ability to dehook the fish in the water with the least amount of tauma to the fish. And as for eating simply, that wasn't what the guides had planned for us.
When you rise at 6:00, you find hot coffee, fresh fruit and granola (on my way to Cosco to get me some) to tide you over until the 8:00 breakfast, in the case of day 3 frittata and cinnamon rolls.
Pre breakfast table.....great granola (photo by Julie)
What Bobby and the others can conjure up on the little propane stove, campfire and Dutch ovens is amazing.
Bobby working his magic with just the right number of briquets top and bottom.
Serving a breakfast (photo by Heather)
Here are the breakfasts we enjoyed that week:
pancakes w/ chokecherry or maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon
Frittata, sausages, cinnamon buns
trout, potatoes, eggs
French toast stuffed w/ cream cheese
breakfast burritos
Like any good vacation where the food is good, you sometimes start thinking about what's for lunch right after breakfast! Luckily for us, our guides had thought about it also, preparing our lunch while they were also preparing breakfast. That way, after a morning on the river, we would all pull over, tables with tableclothes would come out, food quickly appeared, and in 15 minutes, voila...another wonderful meal.
Our luscious lunches:
make you own sandwiches, those big cookies
Greek salad, pita bread w/ hummus, those big cookies
cheeses, French bread, salmon spread, fruit, those big cookies
taco salad, fruit, those big cookies
curried chicken salad, fruit, those big cookies
pasta salad, fruit, those big cookies
(photo by Julie)
Don't forget the cookies (photo by Julie)
There are always those who can't help but play with their food. (photo by Julie)
Dinners in the great outdoors were fantastic. When the gear boats arrive at camp during the day, tents are set up but so is the dinner table. When we arrive after an afternoon of rafting, we grab our sleeping bags, night bags, pick out our tents and wait for the "Hors d'oeuvres" call from the guides. Then we descend upon the table for those little bits that will keep us happy until dinner. My favorite hors d'oeuvres? The chicken sate on the last night.....or was it the portobello mushrooms in sauce on french bread slices?
The long table (photo by Heather)
Cocktails
Dinners for the week were:
chicken and vegetable medley with rice, strawberry shortcake
salmon
pork loin with Guy's spicy sauce
chicken breasts, pineapple upside down cake
prime rib, smores cake
(If you can fill in some of the desserts or meals, send me a comment.)
Each meal we are called to the table by the guides shouting out "Breakfast," Lunch" or "Dinner!" On our last night, they seranaded us in three-art harmony...lead by conductor Guy.
Dinner on the river day 4
Day 5 Prime rib? Cooked perfectly and however you want it. Awesome!
And for dessert....a smores cake.
Then it's back to breakfast again
the leftover prime rib ended up in a breakfast burrito the next morning.
Ahhh...take me back to the river.