As autumn beckons and summer draws closer to an end, we wanted to make sure you get one last chance to really SAVOR the flavors of summer at the campground before the pumpkin spice and apple pie takes over the shelves at your grocery store. That’s why we asked some of FMCA’s full-time staff members to share their favorite summer recipes for camping, pool parties, or backyard BBQ’s. Some of them are more complicated or require a bit more equipment, while others require only a campfire and a stick.

We hope you enjoy some of OUR favorite summer recipes. Give them a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

Barb Feiler – FMCA Events Manager

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: overnight
Yield: Serves 5

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
• 2 green onions sliced
• 2 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients

• 1 ½  pounds flank steak

Instructions

• Marinate the steak: For camping, combine the marinade ingredients in a freezer bag. Lightly score the meat on both sides and place the steak in the marinade; place the bag in a bowl or another freezer bag. Chill and marinate for 24 hours, turning once. For camping, I froze it at this point and thawed overnight when ready to serve this.
• Prepare your grill: prep the grill or campfire for high, direct heat with one part of the grill for lower, indirect heat.
• Grill the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and gently shake off the excess marinade from the steak (but make sure there is still a coating of it, you’ll want the oil on it to help keep the steak from sticking to the grill).
  • If you want, sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak.
  • Place steak on the hot side of the grill. Grill for a minute or two on each side to get a good sear, then move the steak to the cooler side of the grill, cover and cook a few minutes more until done to your liking.
  • Otherwise, use a good meat thermometer Pull the steak off the grill at 120 to 125°F for rare, 130-140°F for medium-rare, and 145°F for medium.
• Rest the steak: When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat while the steak rests for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Slice across the grain: Flank steak is a very lean cut that will be tough and chewy unless you cut it in a way that breaks up the muscle fibers. Cut the steak across the grain of the meat, at a steep diagonal, so that the slices are wide. A serrated knife or any long sharp knife will do.
  • Take the excess marinade and bring it to a boil, simmer for several minutes, and serve with the flank steak.
  • Or sauté a pound sliced fresh mushrooms, thin strips of one green and one yellow or red peppers, and julienne cut three carrots in a ¼ cup of the marinade. Also great also with horseradish sauce.

 

Garlic Corn on the Cob

Alex Murphy – Commercial Records Coordinator

Ingredients:

Corn on the cob
Garlic salt
Pepper to taste
Butter – 1 pat per corn cob
Tin foil

Instructions:

Make a tin foil packet for each corn cob, include your butter, pepper, garlic salt in the packet – I typically sprinkle the garlic salt over the corn, and just give the pepper grinder a crack or two into the packet.

Grill for about 20-25 minutes

Or in the Oven 350 for 25-30 minutes

 

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Ranita Jones – Sales

Ingredients: 

1 can Swanson Chicken  
1 can Mexican Corn 
1 large jar Salsa (the hotter the better) 
1 can Black Beans 
1 can Chicken Broth 
1 can Navy Beans 

Directions:   

Take a fork to the chicken to separate it and add all ingredients including liquids into a crock pot and cook for about two hours.  Or add to a Dutch Oven over the campfire in low heat coals.  Serve with tortilla chips or Jalapeño Cornbread.   

 

Jalapeño Cornbread 

Ranita Jones – Sales

Ingredients: 

1 box Jiffy Mix cornbread  
1 cup drained and chopped jalapeños 
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Directions:

Follow ingredients on box for cornbread but add in the jalapenos and cheddar cheese.  Bake following Jiffy Mix directions.  Can be made over the campfire in a good cast iron skillet.  Keep in low coals.  

 

Deluxe S’mores

Aaron White –  Membership Manager

Ingredients:

Marshmallows (big ones)
Keebler Fudge Stripes cookies
Campfire
A stick

Directions:

Roast your marshmallow to your desired texture and sandwich between two cookies!  

 

Tinfoil Salmon

Steve Tsai – Front End Web Developer

Ingredients for 1 serving:

1 Salmon fillet. (5 inch width cuts, 1/3 pounds.)
Handful of vegetables such as green beans, asparagus, zucchini, or peas. (No root vegetables like potatoes.) 
Pinch of salt.
Pinch of black pepper. 
2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
3 tablespoon of soy sauce.
1 tablespoon of honey. (Can be replaced with Pinch of sugar.)
¼ Sliced or Diced Onion. 
11 x 15 inch tinfoil sheet. (About a little over the standard size of US paper.)
2 tablespoon of sesame oil. (Can be replaced with vegetable oil, olive oil , or butter.)
2 Cloves of diced garlic.
Optional pinch of spices such as cilantro, leek, or parsley. 

 

Preparation:

1. Lay tinfoil sheet on flat surface. Match the length and width of the salmon to the sheet. 
2.  Spread 1 tablespoon of sesame oil on the sheet.
3. Place Salmon fillet on the center with the skin facing downward into the tinfoil.
4. Place vegetables next to the salmon.
5. Spread honey on top of the salmon.
6. Salt and pepper the salmon and vegetables.
7. Spread diced garlic on top of the salmon.
8. Place onion on top of the salmon.
9. Spread optional spices.
10. Pour 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 3 tablespoon of soy sauce on top of the salmon.
11. Fold the tinfoil to cover the salmon and vegetables into a packet.
12. Grill next to the campfire for 30 minute. Or grill on a grill rack for 20 to 30 minute. If oven is available, bake at 425 degree for 20 to 30 minutes. (excluding the preheating timer.)

    *The order of the ingredient is important. The honey allow the spices and aromatics to stick onto the salmon during the cooking process. Salt allow the onion to sweat, creating the enzyme needed to tenderize the salmon beneath it. Vegetables are optional for a balanced meal. Certain vegetable secrete sugar content to help further flavor the steam. The vegetable can also absorb excess juices of the spice and salmon. This salmon tinfoil should be paired with rice, allowing the rice to absorb the juice within the packet. 

 

Camp Chili and Cornbread

Bridget Lynn – Classifieds/Production Coordinator

Ingredients: 

• 3 pounds of ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 6-oz tomato paste
• 1 16-oz can of kidney beans or black beans
• 5 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of ground chipotle powder
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 1 can of beer (or water)
• 2 8.5-oz boxes of Jiffy cornbread (or any other corn bread mix you like)
• (eggs and milk for the Jiffy cornbread mix)
• Salt and black pepper

 

Directions:

• Make a layer of hot coals on the ground.
• Place the Dutch oven over the coals and allow the Dutch oven to get hot.
• Cook the ground beef until it starts to brown, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
• Add the onions, garlic, and bell pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables are softened
• Add the chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
• Add the can of beer and beans and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Make the cornbread mix in a bowl and pour over the top of the chili.
• Place the lid on top of the Dutch  oven and place about 20 hot coals over the top of the lid.
• Cook for about 10 minutes and check to see if the cornbread is done cooking by lifting the lid and poking a skewer through the cornbread. If it comes out clean the chili is done.