Dining Creekside In Yellowstone Park
As we were camping in Yellowstone Park, no food or cooking items could be left unattended at the campsite. Our Toyota became our traveling dining car—packed with stove, utensils, knives, plates, bowls, wok with lid, and an ice chest filled with washed and partially prepped fresh veggies and already cooked soba noodles.
In spite of motion sickness from all the twists and turns since entering the Park at the East Gate, the fresh air, gorgeous scenery and just being in front of my stove did the trick—cleared my head and returned my enthusiasm for Yellowstone Park at our favorite picnic spot at Otter Creek.
Within minutes, Paul (my husband and champion) had chosen the perfect picnic table and
had carried everything there so I could set up my kitchen. In short order, a red onion was sliced, carrots and celery diced and garlic and fresh ginger minced. The bright lights chard had already had the gloriously colored stems removed and diced and the leaves cut into pieces. A little oil and the sautéing began. The smells were wonderful and so much appreciated. In a few minutes we had a colorful pot of Miso Soup with Vegetables and Soba Noodles. The flavor key to this soup is Trader Joe’s Miso Soup packets. Though at home, I use fresh miso, while camping, Trader Joe’s comes to the rescue.
Miso Soup with Vegetables and Soba Noodles–Camping Version
Yield: 2-4 servings as an entrée Printer-Friendly Recipe
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced pole-to-pole
2 large carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 large stalks of celery, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ inch piece fresh ginger, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 cups water
1 cup ½-inch diced stems from ½ bunch Swiss chard
½ bunch Swiss chard, cut into 3-inch squares
4 ounces dry soba noodles, pre-cooked and drained
2 individual packets Trader Joe’s Miso Soup
Preparation
Heat the oil in your pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the sliced onion. Place a lid on the pan and cook until the onion becomes transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the diced carrots and celery and the minced garlic and ginger. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and stir in the chard stems. Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are just beginning to become tender, another 4-5 minutes. Add the water, cover the pan and raise the heat to high to bring the water to a boil. After 5 minutes, stir in the chard. When the chard wilts, stir in the soba noodles. Sprinkle over the contents of Miso Soup packets and stir gently to dissolve.