Potatoes on Lake Ste. Kathryn

Potatoes In Camp

Well, I'm back. For the last week and a half I've been camping and fishing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I was staying in the Ottawa National Forest campground, Lake Ste. Kathryn.

My son, a senior in college is working full time at an accounting firm and joined me for the three day weekend at camp. I stayed on for the rest of the week with my two dogs, Squeeky and Camper.

We had just about everything you can have for weather. From a frosty cold 25º morning to near 90º and humid, we had it all, including a couple of violent storms.

Lake Ste. Kathryn is a lot like I remember campgrounds being in the 1960's. It is very rustic with secluded campsites, spaced well apart from the rest. For amenities, all you get is a hand pump well and a couple of outhouses for necessities. I think it would be hard to find a more beautiful campground.

I pitch a 12x12 foot tent with a seven foot high ceiling for sleeping and an extra large kitchen tent for cooking and shelter from the elements. My kitchen consists of a propane stove and a charcoal grill.

One of my favorite side dishes to make when I'm camping is potatoes fried in olive oil. Here is all I do to make this:

6 medium sized potatoes,  washed and cut in half inch cubes
Olive oil
1 cayenne pepper, sliced razor thin
1 medium onion, chopped
Fresh ground white pepper
Smoked paprika
Cajun seasoning


Preparation

Heat a large cast iron fry pan until hot. Add about an eighth inch of olive oil to the pan. Add the potatoes and spread them out in a single layer. Let them cook this way until they start to brown on the bottom, about seven to ten minutes. 

Turn the potatoes over and spread them out in a single layer again. Add the sliced cayenne. Allow them to brown for another five minutes. Turn them over again and use a fork to turn any uncooked sides which are facing up, down. Sprinkle with white pepper and a little cajun seasoning.

After a few minutes, turn them over again. By now they should be starting to crisp up. When they are almost done, add the chopped onion. Let them cook for a minute and turn them over again. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika. Give them another minute and remove the potatoes and onions to a platter covered with a couple layers of paper towel. Sprinkle a generous amount of cajun seasoning over the potatoes.

Serving

When breakfast is ready to serve, remove the paper towel, by picking it up and letting the potatoes slide on to the platter underneath. Place a large pile of potatoes on a plate. Now add a couple of my UP Egg Sandwiches next to the potatoes. For the potatoes, have plenty of ketchup and Tabasco on the table.

In addition to the egg sandwiches and potatoes, you should probably have a bowl of cherries if they are in season, otherwise, a bowl of frozen blueberries with a little cream on them is good. Toasted homemade bread with butter, a large tumbler of orange juice and maybe even a little brute sparkling wine would go well with your breakfast. Of course you also need plenty of my egg coffee too.