Pepper, Tomato and Cheese Pie Iron

Camping Pie Irons | Photo: Kelly Hunt This summer has been the summer of camping. We scored an awesome, slightly used pop-up camper and we have been camping (good or bad weather) almost every weekend this summer. All of this camping has ruined my weekly trips to the Saturday markets, and I have whined about that a quite a bit, but camping is fun, so it makes up for it. One thing I find while camping, is that eating local can be a challenge. Did you camp when you were a kid? Do you camp now? Well, think back to the last time you were camping and try and remember what you ate. I bet it was from a box or from a can, which is not always bad and it definately is not always good! In truth, some canned goods are actually local, but I will say that it is much harder to know where it comes from, it takes some serious Crusoe work. I don”t know how you do, but we end up eating all kinds of things I never eat at home. I give in to the camping foods that are the staples, but I try and bring some fresh local fruits along,potatoes and other veggies that keep pretty well and try not to feel too guilty about all the other stuff – hello pop tarts and smores! I know, not really food, but nostalgic happiness. I wanted to share with you this basic campfire staple that we have become kind of addicted to this summer, that can be made with almost all local food. It is a little quesadilla type thing, that is so good, so simple and just must be tried by any campers out there. Pie Iron Reveal Camp Kelly Style – Pepper, Tomato and Cheese Pie Iron two tortillas little pile of chopped local onion (1/4 cup) little pile of local chopped sweet pepper (green, red or black) (1/4 cup) little pile of chopped local tomatoes (1/4 cup) little pile of grated, local cheese (cheddar is best) (1/4 cup) 1/2 a jalapeno pepper, diced small (you should grow these every summer in a pot – super fun!) salt and pepper For side: local sour cream home made salsa Take all these ingredients and split them into two piles. Stack your ingredients, in the centre of your tortillas – starting with the onions, until each tortilla is a little mountain of ingredients. You should have made your fire a while ago, if you did not – you can maybe go make friends with the people at the site beside you because surely they have a fire! Take your pie irons and grease them up with some local butter (GayLea is Foodland Ontario certified). Fold your circle torillas into a square shape. They will be the perfect size to pop into your pie iron. Toast over hot fire until golden and bubbly, making sure to check and flip, check and flip. Serve with some Ontario sour cream and some of that salsa someone gave you for Christmas or you made yourself last year this time. This is the best camping food ever, except for smores… maybe… I don”t know, it”s a close call. FYI – if you absolutely do not want to buy the plastic bagged, superstore tortilla brand – there is a farmer at the Covent Garden Farmers Market that makes tortillas and I am pretty sure they sell at the Western Fair Ground Market as well. Happy Camping! k  Read More