Something’s in the air: woodsmoke on the breeze. The best new restaurants are fern-lined and fire-lit, their tables set with moss and seaweed sculptures — centerpiece or salad course? Cooking magazines read like gardening journals; cooking shows like survivalist documentaries. We forage, we flame grill, we hang up our aprons and lace up hiking boots instead. Food has gone feral. And for good reason: Everything tastes better outdoors. Remember summer camp? Mosquitoes in your mac-and-cheese, bark in your s’mores, grit in your grits — we dug in anyway. Summer’s delights are best seasoned with dirt. Times change but tastes don’t. We’ve traded grass-stained t-shirts for polos, friendship bracelets for fancy watches, but come the dinner bell we still dream of gathering ‘round the campfire. So pull up a stump and whittle a fork. This season’s crate is the best in refined but rustic joys, the campsite cuisine of your dreams — tacos, jerky and dogs — dirty still, but all grown up.
Boat Sauce Shrimp Tacos With Mean Bean & Cabbage Slaw
Bobbie's Boat Sauce // Portland, OR
Hailing from the city that consistently gives us some of the best cooks and food makers in the country, Bobbie's Boat sauce is yet another Portland gem. Good food takes time and it took 3 years of tweaking and perfecting and balancing for Bobbie's founder to bottle this PDX flavor potion. Check out the breakdown from the maker:
"Onions, garlic, and ginger are slowly sautéed with fresh jalapeños, then simmered with spices, tomatoes, Thai chilis, lime, and vinegar. Maple syrup balances out the spice and tang, and a touch of Vietnamese fish sauce adds depth and umami."
One taste and it's very apparent this stuff was worth the wait, we are obsessed with it doused on fresh seafood, these spicy satay dogs or crowd-pleasing Boat Sauce Tacos.
5 Fast Uses
1. Bobbie's Boat Sauce on Fresh Seafood
2. Bobbie's Boat Sauce in a Grilled Cheese
3. Toss Wings in Bobbie's Boat Sauce
4. Bobbie's Boat Sauce on Eggs
5. Squeeze Bobbies Boat Sauce into Chowders / Soups / Stews
Recipes:
More Bobbie's Recipes Right Here
Bobbie's Funky Kumquat Chicken
Cinnamon Vanilla Pecan-Peanut Butter // Georgia Grinders // Chamblee, GA
Campers pack it alongside the essentials: map, compass, dry socks, peanut butter. For outdoorsy types, it’s the alpha and omega, the ur-spread, slathered on rain-soggy tortillas in a desperate bivouac, or snuck straight from the jar on late night pantry raids. It’s so good, campers don’t mind the extra weight and prowling bears don’t mind the hassle of a hoisted food bag or, hell, even a well-locked car, known to bust down trees for a clawful. So don’t tell Yogi: Peanut butter has gotten even better. With Georgia pecans and real sea salt, Grinders makes a southern-style Elvis special good enough to dethrone the King: swap peach slices for banana, pecans for peanuts, and grill to perfection. Just be sure to hide your jar, or better, scrape it clean.
Grilled Pecan Butter & Peach Sandwich Recipe
Biltong Baron // Cowboys ‘n Campfires: Smoky Chili // Greenwich, CT
A staple of Indigenous South African peoples such as the Khoikhoi, Biltong was developed to preserve meat without refrigeration. Long active days, meant a lean protein source was imperative and if this snack can fuel a wild game hunt in Sub-Saharan Africa our guess is it’s not a bad 3pm hunger suppressor at the office or during a leisurely camp out in the woods. Until recently, it was reasonably difficult to attain stateside. Eat it out of the bag or treat Biltong like prosciutto in a salad or on a cheese platter.
From the Maker:
"Get your boots and saddles ready because this recipe will make you feel like you’re kickin’ back on a ranch in the Southwest with the BBQ pit all fired up, ice cold brew in hand. Featuring mild Smoked Spanish Paprika, imported from Spain, sweet peppers have been slow-smoked over oakwood and finely ground to add a seductive depth that no other spice can replicate. If you want to show off, call it Pimenton Dulce Ahumado and watch the others swoon at your culinary language skills."
Unlike our Fire in the Hole recipe, this is a non-spicy blend that packs flavor without the heat that some chilis bring to the table. By using premium air-dried steak seasoned naturally with sea salt, black pepper and Mother Nature’s spices, we’re keeping it simple while still delivering a delectable protein-rich snack that’s entirely void of junk. All of our products are Keto and Paleo diet friendly and each bag packs 32G of protein with <1g carbs and ZERO sugar."
Bobbie's Bloody Mary Recipe With Mean Beans, Droewors & Biltong Rim
Rick’s Picks Mean Beans // Rick’s Picks // Brooklyn, NY
Legend of the preserved arts Rick has been at the forefront of the pickle frontier for nearly two decades. What's the secret? He hands down makes some of the best and most interesting pickles in the country. From Smokra to Phat Beets to Snacking Pickles, he's as much an innovator as a flavor technician. He's also a nice guy with some mean beans. A kick of cayenne and snappy green beans turn run-of-the-mill vinegar pickles into rich flavor missiles, and with none of the excess sugar. Stack 'em on your burger or hot dog or crush these beauties straight out of the jar. We can't stop dropping them into bloodies (just make sure to add some brine to the tomato juice).
From The Maker:
"Mean Beans are a spicy take on what Rick’s Mom in Vermont calls dilly beans. Our version comes with extra heat. These prize-winning crispy beans are pickled with cayenne and fresh dill and have an unusually fresh flavor. They make a great hors d’oeuvre wrapped up in salami. Garnish your Bloody Mary with Mean Beans and add the brine for an extra-potent kick. Use the leftover brine to pickle sliced carrots!"
Meet Rick. Pickle Master.
5 fast Uses:
1. Wrap some Mean Beans in thinly sliced salami for a festive hors d’oeuvre.
2. Add a couple of Mean Beans and a dash of brine to a Bloody Mary.
3. Marinate sliced carrots or daikon in leftover Mean Bean brine for more pickles!
4. Tuck Mean Beans into a sandwich.
5. Toss Mean Beans into a salad.
Grilled Bananas With Bourbon UnGranola & Cinnamon Vanilla Pecan Peanut Butter
Bubba’s Ungranola // // Bubba’s Snack Foods // Loveland, CO
The description from their website nails it.
“Are you sick of fake snacks full of artificial ingredients you can’t pronounce? Or, maybe you just can’t find a healthy snack that tastes more than seasoned cardboard. Bubba takes the frustration out of your snacking with mouthwatering, real-food snacks. With low-sugar, and real-food seasonings, Bubba finally combines healthy ingredients with big, bold flavor.”
Whether you're paleo, packing for your next camping trip or just looking to sneak a little bourbon into your morning routine, Bubba's has nailed it with this grain-free granola. Break out the ol' cast iron pan over the campfire and serve it up with caramelized bananas and Georgia Grinders Nut Butter or hammer it out of the bag on the hike in. Not sure if it’s because of the creamy bourbon vanilla extract, the coconut oil or the adorable top hat touting monkey as a mascot but we are all about Bubba’s.
PS: It’s a toss up on the most handsome primate on the planet but our finalists are:
- Bubba’s Monkey
2. The reigning chimp and worldwide sensation Shabani the Japanese Gorilla
Recipes:
Grilled Bananas With Bourbon UnGranola & Cinnamon Vanilla Pecan Peanut Butter
Chocolate Chia Pudding Parfait
Droewors // Ayoba // Springfield, VA
Introducing Ayoba Droewors, the perfect hand held protein rich flavor hit. Here's the step by step breakdown in the maker's own words.
From The Maker:
What is Droewors?
Droewors is a South African recipe beef stick crafted with premium grass-fed beef that is coarsely ground and seasoned with just a few natural spices, handstuffed into a casing and hung to dry for up to seven days! The result is a flavor and texture that is out of this world! Unlike other “meat sticks” on the market, our Droewors contains no weird fillers like beans or soy, no nitrates, and no sugar! The word “Droewors” translates from Afrikaans to “dry-sausage”.
100% Grass Fed Beef
The same premium cuts of Grass Fed Beef we use for our Biltong are coarsely ground and seasoned with just 4 spices for a naturally bold flavor.
Hung to Dry
The mix is then carefully hand stuffed into a casing and air dried for up to seven days! We use no fillers, no gluten, no soy, and no sugar!
Perfect On The Go
The result is a delicious, high protein beef stick that makes the ideal road trip or adventure snack. Find out for yourself why Droewors is the new standard for beef sticks.
What makes our Droëwors Different?
No Sugar & Zero Bad Stuff
Unlike most store bought meat sticks, we do not add ANY fillers, nitrates, MSG, soy, artificial ingredients, and most importantly, NO SUGAR!
Unique Texture!
Our exclusive drying process, using air flow instead of heat, leaves the beef naturally bold in flavor, and allows us to use coarsely ground beef, instead of a meat paste like other meat sticks, resulting in extra fat marbling for a buttery smooth taste!
Protein Packed
Our Unique drying process leaves more of the meat’s muscle fibers intact, resulting in 30% more protein than the leading meat snack! (16g per ounce, wow!)
Keto, Paleo & Whole30!
Ayoba’s Droewors remains highly distinguished as the only Droewors in the US that is Certified Quality!
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