Kieran Creevy lures us out into the Alpine countryside with the smells of plums being roasted on the skillet and a light pork stew perfect for this Spring weather…

The rain that’s been thundering through the night and early morning stops as though shut off by a tap. The silence is eerie after so many hours, pulling be from a fitful sleep. Padding downstairs and onto the balcony, the sight that greets me is glorious.

From edge to edge, the sky is an unbroken pale blue. After two days of almost constant thunderstorms, we have the perfect weather for a mountain hike and wild dinner in the Swiss Alps. Our meals are already planned, the fridge packed with local produce; marinated pork and wild mushrooms, wine and cheese, and some tiny plums from an orchard a few kilometres down the valley.

It’s time to load our packs with food and a camping stove, additional layers, and some minimal camping gear; in case we decide to bivi above the tree line for one night. It’s just after 11am when we emerge onto the first plateau, the milky blue glacial lake below us ringed with granite cliffs and thickly forested hillsides.

Unfortunately, the lakeshore is a bit too crowded for our tastes, so it’s time to shoulder our packs once more and head up the steep switchbacks. Higher still, we pause to refill our bottles and dip our heads in a glacial spring. The icy cold sends shivers down our backs even in this heat. Finding a tiny patch of open meadow with wildflowers, it’s time to get serious and start cooking

Pork, white wine and root vegetable stew.

Equipment:
Serves 2

MSR Windburner remote burner + 1L pot
NB: MSR Windburner 1L burner can also be used.
Bamboo spatula and spoons
Small chopping board
Sharp knife Insulated food flask – for the pork.
Optional: Vegetable peeler for the carrots.
Ingredients
120g wild pork, boar or farmed pork, chopped into big cubes
2 carrots
2 large or 4 medium potatoes
2 spring onions
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 large porcini mushroom
1 glass white wine
1 tbsp olive oil – decant into a small leakproof bottle
Water Salt, pepper and 1 cube vegetable stock – transport in a small leakproof container

Method:

Before heading out the door:

Season the pork, and store in a well chilled food flask (Depending on the flask, it should keep the food cold between 4 and 8 hours). Pack the mushroom in a durable container so it doesn’t squash inside your pack. Transport the root vegetables in a silicone dry bag.

At lunch/in camp: Peel the carrots and slice into thin rings and chop the potatoes into thumb sized cubes. Slice the onion into rings and peel and chop the garlic. Light the Windburner and add the olive oil. Cook the diced onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes at a simmer. Add the white wine. When simmering, add the stock cube, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

Add the chopped potatoes and carrots, 1 cube of pork and top with clean water so that they’re all covered. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots and potatoes are barely cooked through. Add the rest of the pork, slice the mushroom, add to the pot and cook until the pork is white all the way through but still juicy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Turn off the stove and cover. Finely dice the spring onion. Spoon one serving into Windburner bowl, leave one in the Windburner pot, top both with diced spring onion and any edible wild herbs or flowers.

NB: the flowers in the photo are for decoration only and please be certain you know what you are picking and that you have confirmed that they are edible with someone knowledgeable.

Plum, oatmeal, lemon zest, olive oil and blackberry crumble

Serves 2
Equipment:
MSR Windburner remote burner + Windburner ceramic skillet
Small chopping board
Sharp knife
Stainless steel, titanium or bamboo plates.
Spoons or forks
Ingredients:
10 small ripe plums
1 cup porridge oats
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp olive oil – decant into a small leakproof bottle
6-8 ripe blackberries
Optional: Sweet raspberry or strawberry balsamic, wild alpine strawberries, bilberries or raspberries.

Method:

Before heading out: Mix the oatmeal, lemon zest and sugar together and store in a leakproof container. Pack the plums and lemon (zested but leave whole) in a silicone dry bag.

In camp: Halve and stove the plums. Light the Windburner stove, turn to medium and place the skillet on top. When warm, place the plums on the skillet – flesh side down. Char lightly for 1-2 minutes, then flip over. Cook for another minute then add the olive oil and lemon juice.

Cook for another 30 seconds, then add the oatmeal mix. Mix well, ensuring the oats are well toasted. Serve on plates, topped with blackberries or other wild edible berries