A "Gambit" is defined as the strategic opening move in a chess game. The move should be caclulated, and so should the opening meal you serve on your family camping trip:
So, I am going to call the first dinner in a family camping trip the Gambit Meal, or just The Gambit, for short.
---- Arriving Later
Now, my father, God rest his soul, was the kind of guy who could have us out the door at 5:00 AM for vacations, so for me the smell of diesel fuel and sweet rolls at the crack of dawn means "Vacation"--
Now that I am the Dad trying with my wonderful wife to get four kids packed and on the road, I can never manage to get on the road before 2 PM, and, consequently, we usually arrive at our new campsite at about 6 PM.
Getting the tent up, unpacking bundles, keeping kids out of poison ivy, finding the closest playground/bathroom, reminding kids no scooter riding in the neighbor's car pad (crap, they're newlyweds--oh well, we'll frighten them into never having kids), setting up chairs, finding Mr. Stuffed Alligator (who may or may not have been tossed out the window on I-57) -- all these things pretty much must be done BEFORE one can even think about dinner, and top it off, we are already worn out from a late night, early morning, and long drive. So, no wonder one needs to plan on a quick and easy Gambit.
Traditionally, quick and easy for us has meant hot dogs, chips, and carrots.
Big surprise there?
But, for several reasons lately we have steered away from the Oscar Myer Gambit:
One, to cook hot dogs you have to buy wood, and all of the places we camp require purchasing local wood because of the emerald ash tree borer. Next you have to find some twigs for kindling--not an easy task with four kids and dusk approaching. When you finally make it to the camp store, step "A" becomes nullified because the camp store closed at 8:00 PM and it's 8:01. (Make that
Two, hot dogs are the Twinkies of the meat world, and for me they form a sort of Hot Dog Hoover Dam in my bowels, so if I am going to have a chance to keep--ahem--the logjam flowing the whole trip, I need a more slippery Gambit. Sorry, TMI?
Three, Sarah and I have come to want something more special than PBJ or weenies the first night--I mean, after packing, driving, putting up the tent with four children hopping around inside, we need a good reason NOT to keep asking oursleves, "Why do we torture ourselves by camping each year???" and an adultish meal in the gentle early evening might just convince us to stick around for day two!
Sooooooo:
Out New Gambit Meal (Used this past summer)!
Good white bread.
Olive Oil. (dipping grade, from an international food store--initially expensive, but one bottle lasted us THREE trips)
Grated hard cheese like Parmesan. (We grate it at home ahead of time). ( Again, a trip to the local international food store can score you some delicious new cheese).
Fresh sliced tomatoes.
Proscuitto (Italian ham -- Really thin, tasty. A little special, and a little packs a huge flavor punch)
Chef salad (made ahead of time--ahem--for me).
Bottle of chilled sparkling grape juice (to toast the new trip).
Have you ever been to a restaurant where they give you white bread, and then mix olive oil and grated cheese (probably Parmesan), and you fill up on it 'cause it's so good? That's what we're making here. Basically, it's bruschetta: We spread the oil, add some cheese, some Prosciutto, a fresh tomato and a side of salad. Hmmmm. A fresh basil leaf might just be nice, too. (Oh yeah, THIS is why we go camping!)
The Benefits of the New Gambit
Basically, this meal is quicker than hot dogs, but also gives the adults--Sarah and me--a little Food Network instead of Nickelodeon our first meal together. In addition, it gets some foods that more easily spoiled out of the way. Hotdogs last forever, fresh salad does not.
One downside: All kids it seems like hot dogs. Not all kids may like prosciutto. But, we have found even our fussier kids find something to eat to go with their five cups of sparkling grape juice.
A Last Note about the Gambit Meal: Raccoons are nocturnal, of course. If, like us, you have to eat your first meal by the light of the ol' lantern because you got to the site late, try to have something quick to lay out and and then clean up--before the ringed bandits figure out there is a new grocery store opening at Site 141. Like to keep those guys guessing.
Tips from this post:
(1) If you are like us, and, despite all good intentions, tend to arrive at your site too late the first night to make a full meal, make your Gambit meal simple.
(2) But add a few touches like sparkling grape juice or a good cheese you hand picked from that hip international food store.
(3) Avoid fire if you can. Too much time. Store is closed anyway, dang.
(4) If you think you will want something warm, have warm water in a thermos and serve hot cocoa or tea rather than breaking out the stove.
(5) Prep everything at home, throw it in some Tupperware, so you can just pop things out. And, by the way, prepping any and all food for the entire camping trip increases the joy of eating while decreasing the work.
(6) Think fresh for the first meal. Your hot dogs will stay fine in the cooler for a day or two. Heck, they'll probably survive in your bowels in some form for, like, decades. So save them for later. Prep a good chef salad, some cut up cantaloupe, gazpacho, chocolate covered strawberries--cool and fresh foods that you just won't be able to keep fresh past the first night anyway.
Unless you have a fifth wheel. In which case, you are no longer camping!
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