This is the second post from our weekend trip to Big Sur. Check out Part 1 (Weekend in Big Sur)!
There are a ton of places to camp in Big Sur, but many of them fill up far in advance, especially during the summer. Pat and I avoid this by camping on national forest land in Los Padres National Forest, south of Big Sur. Did you know that it’s legal to camp almost anywhere on national forest land, even it’s unmarked? The rules are
that you must camp at least one mile from designated campgrounds, at least 100 feet from streams, and at least 150 feet from roads.
We love this option because it’s much quieter and more removed than your typical campsite rental. The caveat is that you may have to hike a bit to find a spot. You also don’t have typical amenities like toilets or trash removal.
I always joke with Pat that I only have two activity levels – go, go, go – and asleep! I usually zoom right past relaxation and end up fast asleep as soon as I let myself slow down. Night shifts are always hard because they are 14 hours, and my sleep schedule gets totally flipped upside down. Needless to say, when given the chance to slow down in Big Sur it meant for a lot of catch-up sleep for me! I slept 26 hours in 2.5 days. I slept in the car on the way down, 13 hours the first night, an afternoon catnap and then another 12 hours our second night! It felt incredible, although I do think I may have gone into that place where you sleep so much you just feel more tired. Luckily, Pat and Maddie had many options to entertain themselves while I filled my sleep tank back up!
Thanks to Pat, we ate like kings on this adventure. Since I was on nights, I was absolutely worthless in the preparation. We had our favorite camping oatmeal for breakfast and feasted on a special curry with quinoa for dinner our first night. It was so slick the way Pat had it figured out – he mixed together spices and dried onions before we left home and packed a can of coconut milk and a can of garbanzo beans for the trip. He has the teeniest travel can opener that I’m more impressed by than I should be.
I was absolutely blow away by how flavorful and filling Pat’s camping curry recipe was. He didn’t sacrifice taste or looks and I have already asked him to make it for us now that we’re back at home!
We also had wine with our meal that I briefly chilled in our private wine cooler (see below). The teeny bottles are actually a tasting assortment that I got on the cheap. It’s meant to introduce you to different types of wine, but I definitely have just been using them for picnics and camping. #sorrynotsorry
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PrintCamping Curry with Quinoa
- Yield: 2-3 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. ground salt
- 3 tsp. mild curry powder
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 T. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 c. chopped dried mangoes
- 2 T dried onions
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- 3/4 t cayenne pepper
- 1 1?2 c quinoa
- 3 3/4 c water, divided
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- Special Equipment
- Camp Stove (ours)
- Camp Pans (ours)
- Travel Can Opener (ours)
Instructions
- Before you leave on your trip, combine the spices, dried mango and dried onions in a ziplock bag.
- Once ready to eat, combine the quinoa and 3 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until water is fully absorbed. Set pan aside. You can wrap it in a towel or sweatshirt to keep it warm.
- In a separate pan, combine the spice mixture, coconut milk, and 3/4 c. water. Bring it slowly to a boil on low heat and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how hungry you are! It’s important to stir continuously, especially if you have a little portable stove like us or the center will burn.
- Pour the curry over the quinoa and enjoy.
P.S. – Look how big Maddie is! For our last Big Sur Adventure she was just a pup!
Like this post on Big Sur? Here are a few more:
A Weekend in Big Sur
Recipe for Camping Oatmeal
Big Sur & The Trust for Public Land
Camping in Big Sur
1. CAMPING. CURRY. *Yum*
2. YOUR PUPPY.
1. Love you girl!
I’ve eaten Pat’s curry and it’s delish! This camping version is brilliant.
Dare I say it’s even better than the version you tried?
Yay, so glad you got to catch up on some sleep 🙂 This camping curry looks amazing! Love the sound of the flavors!
Thanks! Yay indeed! Nothing like a 12 hour sleep to feel refreshed! 🙂
These photos are fantastic! Now I want to plan a trip to Big Sur! Also I just looked at your wedding photos and how amazing and adorable! LOVE!
Thank you so much Chelsea! Big Sur is the best and fall is a great time to visit!
I love Big Sur! Next time we’ll have to try camping in Los Padres National Forest. Great tip! We prefer hike-in camping to campsites anyway, because they’re more secluded. 🙂 Looks like a great trip!
Thanks! It’s definitely one of my things outside of San Francisco!
Hey what would be a swap for the mangoes and the coconut milk for camping?? (Allergy!)
Hi Eliza – You could just leave the mango out really. As far as the coconut milk, it’s one of the main ingredients so that’s a little tricker. You could try cashew cream (just don’t let it boil), but I haven’t done this personally.