Fresh Summer Food Ideas From the Camping Chef

The Camping Chef is more than ready to prepare for the picnics that are so essential to summer fun. Fresh mixed greens combine with just about every fruit you prefer. If fresh fruits are not available look for them in the frozen food section as the flash-freeze process retains the most flavor and nutrients. Remember the nuts you like, the vegetables that are fresh and tasty and consider cheese like feta.

For fun, the Camping Chef is offering some recipes for salad dressings because, well, not only can you tweak them here and there according to your taste, but they are also fresher. Remember also, the dressing will be absorbed by the other ingredients so unless you’re serving right away, store the dressing in a separate container.

Fresh summer fruits: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, bananas, mango, watermelon and apples.

Nuts that go well in salads: pecans, almonds, walnuts and peanuts.

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1 single-serve container of fruit-flavored yogurt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 small red onion

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

 Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender and add poppy seeds to the blended dressing.

Fresh Mint Dressing

½ Cup olive oil

½ Cup lemon juice (better yet, juice 2 of lemons)

¼ Cup packed fresh mint leaves

3 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1 Tablespoon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and season to taste if necessary.

Creamy Fruit Salad Dressing

2 Cups pineapple juice

½ Cup orange juice

1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix

Combine all ingredients in blender and chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Unlike baking, where strict adherence to ingredient quantities and sequence of food preparation is essential, these salads and dressings are “ripe” for your experimentation. The fresh taste and smell of summer makes all your meals uniquely flavorful. So have yourself a merry little – um – long lasting summer!... and

Remember the Great Outdoors!!