Tastes Like Vintage: Stroganoff Skillet Dinner 2

Vintage Sterno cook stove by Modred12

Comes the spring, comes again the fantasy about hitching a vintage Airstream trailer to the back of the car and heading out to explore parts unknown. Imagine stocking the tiny trailer pantry with tasty things that can be whipped up over a campfire in a quaint and friendly campground in the evening after a long day of seeing new places. It needs to be simple, things that you can cook in one pan. And it needs to be satisfying as you have to be strong and ready to go more miles in the morning.

Friendship Kitchen, a simple typed and mimeographed cookbook with a hand drawn cover, held together with two metal rings, is the perfect place to find all sorts of campground ready recipes. That’s because it was compiled by the Ladies and Friends of the Plymouth Rock Chapter No. III of the North American Family Campers Association. According to the editor, Gerri Rogers, proceeds from the sale of the cookbook was put into a fund for the annual children’s Christmas party. I can profess a certain weakness for these lovingly handmade cookbooks. Although it’s undated, based on the recipes, it seems likely it’s from the late 1960s.

Vintage steel camp pan by departmint

But let’s get back the the Airstream. We’re parked in a quiet grove of trees. The sounds of crickets mingles with the sounds of other travelers making their dinners. The light of other campfires flickers through the trees. If I’m not mistaken, someone is playing a guitar. We stopped at the small supermarket in the last town we passed through for a package of ground beef, and then at a farm stand to get salad ingredients. The fire is ready and so is the skillet; it’s time to make Stroganoff Skillet Dinner (contributed to Friendship Kitchen by Carole Orlando).

Stroganoff Skillet Dinner

Vintage Tranquil Ware by ByGoneDays

1 tbsp. fat
1 lb. ground meat
1 small chopped onion
3 cups uncooked medium noodles
3 cups canned tomato juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
dash pepper

Brown the meat and onion in the melted fat, stirring occasionally. Over the browned meat and onion, lay 3 cups uncooked noodles. Mix the seasonings and tomato juice and pour over the mixture. Simmer covered on top of the fire or stove for 25 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Stir in the sour cream and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4 big eaters.