When Jordan Boucher sets out on a hike, he takes his meals pretty seriously. He prepares for them well in advance.
It started out for him as a baby. Although he has little recollection of those trips, he feels they left a lasting impression. At the age of 14 he had his first overnight camping trip without adults through his Scout troop. They stayed on an island while the parents stayed nearby.
After leaving the Scouts the following year he continued to camp with some of the same friends. He and another Scout friend did their first multi-night hike on the Saulteaux - Sault Voyageur Trail at the age of 16. Valuable lessons were learned that trip with regard to packing what you could carry and making pre-trip condition inquiries.
"For filming, I've only been at it for three years or so. It wasn't until I started watching YouTube channels like Joe Robinet, Scrambled-O, and Doug Linker that I realized I wanted to start sharing my adventures with the world. I filmed and edited my first few videos on my cell phone and later upgraded to a proper camera," said Boucher.
"I love hiking and camping because they give me a sense of freedom and wonder. Nature is beautiful and unpredictable and quite often when I'm on an adventure I have to adapt to the constantly changing environment. Cooking on the trail allows me to bring a little piece of home with me, a little added comfort and familiarity while visiting an environment in which I have no control. Plus, everything tastes better when it's cooked over a fire," he added.
"I dehydrate some food at home and use a food dehydrator, but you can dehydrate food with an oven as well. Some foods that I like to dehydrate are ground beef, beans and various mixtures of veggies. I buy pre-dried foods too, like instant mashed potatoes, instant oatmeal, dried fruit and freeze dried rations."
"If you're looking for light-weight dehydrated cooking supplies, the Bulk Barn is a treasure trove of individual components. Everything from Veggie Flakes to complete bread mixes."
"If you want to get into dehydrating your own food, YouTube has a ton of information. I particularly like the instructional videos done by Kevin Outdoors from Thunder Bay."
"If I were to recommend one piece of camp cooking equipment, it would be a 2 L stainless steel pot that you're not afraid to blacken up with soot; preferably with a folding or removable handle. Mine is a Stanley cook pot that I picked up from Joe's Sports and Surplus."
"I initially prepared this soup recipe as an emergency ration. Because of that the leeks and olive oil are the only non-shelf-stable item in the recipe." said Boucher.
"You can typically find wild leeks in hardwood forests in the spring. They are one of the first plants to pop up and smell like a mixture of onion and garlic. When it comes to finding leeks in the Sault and area, I've had a lot of luck in maple forests. Areas like St. Joseph Island and the Goulais River are great for leeks, but you just have to make sure that you have permission from property owners." he recommends.
Back Country Leek Soup
- Ingredients
- 1 L Water
- 1/2 Cup Dehydrated Vegetables (found at bulk barn)
- 2 x Preferred flavor of boullion cube (I use chicken)
- 1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 Cup mini egg noodle bow ties (or any other quick cooking noodle)
- 8 x Mature leek bulbs diced (early-mid June)
- 1/3 Cup Dehydrated chicken (made at home)
- Bring water to boil in a soot covered 2 L Pot
- Add diced leeks, Bullion cubes, dehydrated veggies and dehydrated chicken
- Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add noodles and bring back to boil
- Boil until noodles have reached desired consistency
- Stir in Olive Oil and serve
- Best served with fresh bannock and cold beer.
You can view more of Jordans' video blogs by visiting his YouTube channel: Bushtrek Boosh.
