the proof is in...: Camp Ivanhoe, Vol. 135

Hey strangers! We apologize for our ‘little break’ in weekly recipes. Things have been crazy. We hope to get back to business starting with the August Long weekend. We recently partied (and camped) with a fun group of creative foodie types. Here is a recap of the weekend and perhaps a few ideas and recipes for your own camp experience. For more information on proof brands visit www.proofbrands.com

the campfire caesar 1 oz proof whisky • 1 tsp smoky bbq sauce • 2 dashes hot sauce • 3 dashes Worcestershire •
3 dashes fresh cracked salt and pepper • 4 oz. Mott’s Clamato 

Fill mason jars with ice. Add ingredients in order. Stir. Garnish with bacon or any other salty smoky treat.
For a little more smoky flavour, add a dash of liquid smoke.

We had an amazing time backyard ‘camping’, if that’s what you want to call it. The theme of the night was ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, Wes Anderson’s quirky little movie set in the mid 60s. Everyone dressed up in their best scout gear and we were put into teams to play several fun games.

We went on a scavenger hunt, created weiner sculptures, had a blind beer-tasting contest, played ping-pong (later beer pong) matches, badminton, dodge ball, volleyball and more. It was a hoot!

The food kept coming out. We started the evening off with this amazing bbq pizza, followed by corn fritters and spicy gazpacho.

We found this recipe from ABC’s ‘The Chew’ bbq pizza

After trying them all, here were our favourite three:

basic ingredients 1 ball of pizza dough (we bought it) • 1/2 cup olive oil • flour • tomato sauce (not on tapenade pizza)

option one tomato sauce • caramelized onions • goat cheese • rosemary • olive oil

option two Olive tapenade • fresh mozzarella • red pepper jelly (my personal favourite)

option three tomato sauce • grilled salami • fresh mozzarella • basil • crushed red pepper

All three follow the same Instructions: Heat your grill to high heat.

Using your hands, or a rolling pin, stretch pizza dough into a round about a 1/4 inch thick, making sure there is no lip, and the dough is evenly flat.

Oil your grill pan, and brush the top of your pizza liberally with oil. Place the dough--oil side down – on the grill pan, and let it cook until it begins to crisp and char, 6-7 minutes. Flip the dough, and begin topping the char side.

Reduce heat to medium-high, or move off the flame while topping with desired toppings and tomato sauce. Cover with large lid or metal bowl until toppings are warm and cheese has melted, rotating the crust to prevent over-charring.

corn fritters 4 ears of corns, kernels removed • 1/4 cup of all purpose flour • 1 1/2 tsp corn starch • 1 egg, beaten • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated 1/4 tsp salt, and more for sprinkling • 1/4 tsp Black pepper • 1/4 cup of canola oil for frying • basil leaves, torn up

Mix all ingredients together until combined in a bowl. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan set on a medium to high heat. Using 1/4-cup of measuring cup, spoon the mixture into the frying pan in batches. Fry each fritter on each side for around 2 minutes or until they turn a nice dark brown, do not flip before the patty is browned or it will fall apart. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Drain the fritters on paper towel and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remainder of the mixture.