Meals for Nordic Ski Adventures

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Delicious meals for Nordic ski adventures

STORY & PHOTOS BY PRIYA HUTNER

LEFT: Nordic ski touring. RIGHT: Assorted bars and tea for Nordic outing. | Priya Hutner

Iclick into my Fisher S-Bound 98 cross-country touring skis and glide into the woods. It’s one of my happy places, out in nature, in fresh snow and sunshine. During the pandemic, I reached out to Jared Manninen, an avid cross-country skier, writer and artist, to help guide my decision about what skis to buy so that I could ski off-piste in the woods. Wider than traditional Nordic skis, these skis are excellent for breaking trail and are perfect for my outdoor adventures. Cross-country skiing burns a lot of calories, so it’s essential to stay hydrated and carry nutrient-dense foods. Warm lemon water is excellent to pack to help stay hydrated.

Packing light

For a short tour, I use a small pack, filled with a couple of bars and water; leave a little extra space in the bladder so the water doesn’t freeze. I like the RXBAR protein bars, which have only four ingredients and no additives. They pack an energy punch with 12 grams of protein. I also love the taste of SureLife Foods Paleo Bars, which are loaded with nuts and seeds and boast 6 grams of protein. If I am not skiing for a long time, I like to travel light. My friend Alison Bermant always brings hot tea in a thermos. When she skis, her favorite tea choices are lemon ginger tea, Tazo Passion, rosehip, peppermint tea or combinations thereof. She also packs energy balls, CLIF BLOKS Energy Chews or GU Energy Gel for extra energy.

Some days it’s fun to pack a picnic for a more extended sojourn. Kat Terrey loves a picnic on the trail. Her beverage of choice is either Mexican hot chocolate or mulled wine or soup in a thermos. She advocates finding a bench on which to enjoy lunch with friends. Organizing a picnic with ski friends ensures a variety of foods on the menu. Sliced apples and cheese are also nourishing and easy to pack. Terrey packs a bandana to lay out the food and a Swiss army knife to cut up the apples and cheese.

For a short tour, I use a small pack, filled with a couple of bars and water; leave a little extra space in the bladder so the water doesn’t freeze.

Pack for a moonlight ski

For an evening moonlight cross-country ski, consider a hearty stew, soup or chili in a thermos, along with crusty sourdough. A flask of whiskey or thermos of hot toddies is delightfully warming on an evening ski adventure. Skiing to a warming hut can make dinner cozier.

Pack the protein

Sandwiches are easy to prepare and travel with. Think gourmet sandwiches if you want to make the ski trip a more memorable foodie experience. While I love a good PBJ on toasted bread, a brie sandwich with thinly sliced apple or pears, prosciutto and fig jam on toasted sourdough or ciabatta is satisfying while skiing. Protein is queen when burning calories. Pack a gourmet steak sandwich with sauteed red peppers, onions and provolone cheese on an Italian sub roll or prepare a roast beef sandwich with horseradish, mayo, arugula and thinly sliced cheddar cheese. Hummus vegetable wraps are easy to prepare and lightweight. I had a friend who purchased instant chocolate pudding for an outdoor excursion. She had it made in minutes and it was a delicious way to top off a meal. For a more involved outing, bring a backpacking stove and fuel. Cook up dinner on the trail. Be green and pack cloth napkins and backpacking utensils. Packing a picnic is just one of the many ways in which to enjoy your time in the outdoors. Uplevel your ski experience and have a good time dining with friends on the trail. n

RAMEN BOWLS IN A THERMOS SERVES 2

FROM THE KITCHEN OF PRIYA HUTNER

4 C water ½ C miso paste (I like white miso) 1 small onion, diced 2 carrots, peeled & sliced about ¼-inch thick 1 T dried wakame seaweed 1 piece dried kombu 3 scallions, sliced 2 T soy sauce or tamari 1 t toasted sesame oil 1 brick tofu, cubed 2 t butter 2 packages of ramen noodles or vermicelli rice noodles

Add water, onion, carrots and wakame to a boil in a large stock pot. Add half of scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Put the miso paste in a bowl, add hot water, mix well and add back into the pot. Mix well. Simmer on low heat. Adjust to desired taste with rest of soy, sesame oil and more miso paste, if needed.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot and add 2 t butter and 1 T soy sauce and sear cubed tofu until browned on all sides. Set aside. Boil water for ramen noodles, cook according to the package and rinse with cold water. Put noodles and tofu in a thermos and add miso soup and the remaining scallions.