Veggie packs....

[CALVINIST]

Veggie packs are easy to make, and very tasty. Excellent for camping...just make ahead of time and keep in your cooler until ready to cook. You can put anything you want in there really, even meat, but I'll give you a basic recipe. This should be enough for 2 single serving veggie packs. Adjust amounts of vegetables to your liking.

3-4 carrots. Peeled, cut lengthwise and then cut each lengtwise piece into 2-3 pieces so you have some 1-2" pieces

1 large potato cut into pieces roughly the same size as the carrots. You can also use 3-4 b-size potatoes quartered

1 large onion quartered

2 medium portabella mushrooms sliced into large pieces

2-3 cloves garlic cut in half lengthwise

2 cups of whole green beans (estimated)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

(This is the part I try not to let the herbs overpower the vegetables, so I use very small amounts. I use dried, but fresh would be even better, just use a bit more than the amounts given if you use fresh herbs)

1/4 teaspoon (tsp.) whole rosemary leaves, crushed with fingers

1/8 tsp basil

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp thyme

pinch of tarragon

1 stick of butter

O.K. now to put it all together

Get a BIG bowl or container, big enough you can mix all these ingredients together

Put vegetables in bowl as you cut and prepared them

Add the salt, pepper, herbs, and the olive oil

Thoroughly mix everything together with your hands (this works best). Taste your fingers. Does it taste ok to you? Adjust seasonings as necessary. Don't forget that the heat will bring the flavor out of the herbs, so don't overdo it. Does the mixture seem "dry" to you? Add a bit more olive oil.

Now get some tinfoil, the really long stuff, and cut two pieces about two feet long. Don't underestimate!

I like to group the vegetables together in groups. So look into your bowl, grab half the potatoes, lay them onto the foil, grab the other half of the potatoes and lay on the other piece of foil. Do the same with the carrots, mushrooms, onions, and green beans; divide garlic up evenly too.

So now you got two piles of vegetables on two pieces of foil. take the butter, cut into pieces, and distribute evenly onto the tops of the veggies.

Now seal up the veggies in the foil. You will want two layers of foil, so rip off some more foil and wrap the veggie packs again. Your veggie packs should have two layers of foil. Keep all seams up. Never fold seams under the veggies. This will keep all the juices from leaking out. Just make sure your seams are tightly closed; this will keep the juices in during cooking, the steam that builds up during cooking will help cook the veggies.

Now to cook 'em. If you have a campfire, just make a bed of hot coals, (avoid direct flame) lay 'em on there, and cook for 20-40 minutes. You can also cook 'em on charcoal briquets. Either way is good. Let 'em cool a bit before opening up, and enjoy . These even taste good if they are a little burnt!

Here's a list of other items you could add if you wanted to. There's no right or wrong way, if it appeals to you, add it to your veggie pack.

Cabbage

Jalapeno peppers, or any peppers for that matter

Zucchini

Parsnips

Eggplant

Corn

Peas

Raw hamburger (don't forget to season first)

Cooked pot roast (MUST be cooked tender first)

Wild game

Enjoy!