Bite Me! Food With Attitude: Camping Rations

Every year since I was four, my dad and his high school friend Brian have lugged me and Brian's daughter, Michelle, catfishing for a weekend in Wisconsin. Through pouring rain, through softball tournament summers, through college and now a job, we have truly made it every year. What a great tradition!

While technically this is a food blog, I couldn't possibly skip out on the other fun parts of the camp trip. This is certainly not "glamping." We sleep in tents. We pee in a bucket. We are eaten alive by flies during the day and mosquitoes at night. Here are the trip basics.

We mostly fish using bank poles, or PVC pipes with string and a hook. Bait consists of salted minnows. It's a different approach, but somehow works. We also use some throw-in lines. (Side note: For anyone who knows me, you are likely wondering how I surround myself with death all weekend. It's rough. There have been breakdowns.)
The fishing grounds are a cow pasture on Brian's uncle's farm. We have to shoo the cows away from the tents every year. One year, one ate the antenna off my car. Cow pies are land mines on our walking paths.
The nice part about bank poles is you just check them every couple hours. That leaves time for activities! Some of our favorites are donkey balls (or redneck golf), bocce ball, cribbage, double solitaire, and canoeing or kayaking. Once when we were little, rain drove Michelle and I to the confines of the tent to play cards. I was teaching her poker and dealt her a royal flush!

Perfect weather for kayaking on the river.

This year's trip included some fun variations. There were some new faces, as Adam brought his girlfriend Meg, I brought Shane, and Brian had his nephew for the weekend. Saturday was also the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, and the country sky was a perfect backdrop for the celestial show.

We also found this little dude. He's cute now--but watch out once he's a big snapper!

Onto the grub!

As I said, this is hardcore camping. We basically have to forage, as can be seen in this photo.

Yeahhh. Almost a cooler per person. It's a wonder that we make it.

The weekend has some culinary staples. Peaches from Brennan's market. Chocolate chip cookies from Michelle's mom. Sweet corn. Campfire pies. Of course catfish! I also picked up some Spotted Cow from the New Glarus Brewing Company to enjoy.

Out of all the epicurean delights, the one I must share is called Buckaroo Potatoes. We enjoy this fatty feast on Sunday morning. It's one of those meals that you have just once a year. Buckaroo Potatoes are made in the hot coals of last night's fire in a cast iron pot. Take five pounds of potatoes (red or russet) and chop into quarters or so. Throw those in with two pounds of bacon (yes, you read that right) and a diced onion. Make sure to stir pretty often, as those coals are hot! Once the bacon is crispy and potatoes are tender, throw in a dozen eggs to scramble, and finish with 2 cups (one bag of pre-shredded) cheese.