cabin food

I'm lucky in so many ways, but one of the biggies is that I married into a fantastic family. And we get to see most of them regularly, since Doug and I planted our flag here.  Doug's parents live in Chicago's west suburbs and since the 1960's his family has vacationed in northern Wisconsin in a tiny little town called Phelps on a lake called North Twin Lake (Otherwise known as big twin.  It's connected to little twin).  Doug's parents always had a ski boat, which they would tow up to Phelps for a weeks' vacation every summer.  It's a long haul (350 miles), but many Chicago area families do the same thing every summer and long standing friendships began and have thrived in that environment of minimal traffic, gorgeous pine forests, clear water and loooong summer days on the lake.  Why Phelps, you ask?  Well, I'm glad you did, because it's a great story.

Phelps wayyy back in the day.  photo c/o Linda Holt Bender

Grandpa (Ed) Holt had a brother Stanley and a sister, Edna. Stanley and Ed both had long and successful careers at Western Electric, where young Stanley met Lydia.  Lydia, as it turned out, grew up in Phelps, but as a young woman headed to Chicago looking for work.  Wasn't that ballsy of her?  I love that.  Now Phelps for us is a 6 hour drive on highways and two lane roads.  In the 20's, when Lydia and Stanley first got married and when Grandpa and Grandma started going up there, this was a three day drive on gravel roads. Grandpa once told us that the first time he drove it he telegrammed home to say he'd made it to Milwaukee!

Stanley & Lydia and the cottage up north

 Eventually, Stanley bought a place of his own up there, where his son, Stanley Jr (aka Uncle Bud) and his family now live year-round.  And Doug's family, after decades of renting and limited time up there, bought a place of their own in 1993, just a year after Doug and I were married.  So now this amazing place is an integral part of our kids' lives and of their childhood memory bank. Doug celebrated his first birthday in Phelps.  So did Corey. 

Uncle Stanley, me and Grandpa (Ed) Holt, 1993

It's hard to get big families together, but with amazing consistency, the Holt clan assembles in Phelps every 4th of July.  Our max number has been 24,  I think, but it's usually somewhere around 20.

And unlike those who use their vacation as an excuse to go out or to feast mostly on burgers and brats (which a friend once referred to as cabin food), we eat tremendously well up there.   Menu planning starts about two weeks before the 4th of July.  My sister-in-law, Sue Vasko, and I start conferring about menus.  She starts to nail down who will arrive and leave when, then she sketches out the menus.   This is a ritual, and it's part of the magic of Phelps.

See how early we get going?

My mother-in-law and Sue do a monster Costco run to bring up the meat and staples, then we supplement the rest up north.  We grill a lot and, as everyone knows, with grilling it's all about the marinade.  So each day, when we get up, over many cups of coffee, Sue and/or I will get that night's main course prepped and marinating.

Sometimes we have helpers.  Thanks Adam!

Our work done for the morning, we then run or bike or swim or ski or tube or play games or read on the dock all afternoon.   Sounds grueling, doesn't it?

Cousin time rules supreme at the lake

Movies and board games abound

big cousins and little cousins

man, dog and kayak

Sue and John

Doug skiing on his feet!

Dylan and me after annual flips off the pontoon boat

Shirley & Dick,  matriarch & patriarch

Summer days are super long way up north, so dinner prep doesn't usually start until about 6 or 7pm. But then it's all hands on deck.   We'll pour a glass or wine or whip up a batch of this season's favorite cocktail, and we chop and sautee and drink and laugh, and the kids set the table and John or Doug or Eric work the grill.   And each night, we all gather in that lovely room with a view of the lake, and we enjoy a veritable feast.

All week, last week, I reminded myself to get my camera out and document the morning prep, the evening prep and the finished product.  And every night, just as dinner was ending, I'd remember.  And sigh. 

But here are a few of the delicious feasts we conjured up last week that I did manage to capture before they were gone:

 

 

Grilled Steak Kabobs with Rice Pilaf 

(thank you Lisa Levy)

Chicken with Chimichurri sauce, 

Herbed Basmati Rice & 

Arugula and Watermelon Salad

Pulled Pork Sandwiches (not shown) with 

Spicy Red Cabbage Cole Slaw (recipe below)

So now, a couple decades later, in addition to these indispensables:

We have this -

which contains each year's menus and all the supporting recipes.  Here are a few samples  for you to use and enjoy!

Summer Menus 2011

Thursday: July 30 (17 people)

•    Entrée:  Spaghetti w/ red pasta sauce

•    Sides:    Green Salad, Garlic Bread

•    Dessert: Cookie Assortment/Rice Krispies

Friday: July 1 (18 people)

•    Entrée:  Tuscan Lemon Chicken

•    Sides:    Brocollini & Rice Pilaf

•    Dessert: Brownie Pudding

Saturday: July 2 (19 people)

•    Entrée:  Flank Steak

•    Sides:    Arugula Watermelon Salad

•    Dessert: Stewed Berries w/ Ice Cream

Sunday: July 3 (19 people)

**Cook’s Night Off**

Alexander’s Pizza

Monday: July 4 (19 people)

•    Entrée:  Brats and Burgers

•    Sides:    Corn Salad

•    Dessert: Flag Cake

Tuesday: July 5 (19 people)

•    Entrée:  BBQ Chicken

•    Sides:    Roasted Summer Vegetables & Potato Salad

•    Dessert: Strawberry/Rhubarb Crisp

Wednesday: July 6 (19 people)

•    Entrée:  Herb-marinated Pork Tenderloin

•    Sides:    Oven-Roasted Vegetables

•    Dessert: Honey Vanilla Pound Cake w/ fruit

Thursday: July 7 (20 people)

**Cook’s Night Off**

Friday: July 8 (20 people)

•    Entrée:  Baked Ziti

•    Sides:    Green Salad & French Bread

•    Dessert: Cranberry Apple Pie

Saturday: July 9 (20 people)

**Birthdays Celebration for Doug, John, Dan**

•    Entrée:  Surf & Turf

•    Sides:    Roasted Asparagus & Baked Potato

•    Dessert: Lemon Cake

Sunday: July 10 (16 people)

•    Entrée:  Turkey Vegetable Chili

•    Sides:    Julie’s Salad & Crusty Bread

•    Dessert: Carrot Cup Cakes

2012 Summer Menus

Wednesday: 7/11 (12 peeps)   

Molasses Pork

Roasted summer veggies & potatoes

  Grapefruit  pound  cake

Thurs.  7/12:  most  at  camp  for  dinner...

Friday 7/13:       (15 peeps) ( Jane,Dylan, Andrew in)                            

 Tuscan chicken   

 Couscous & Broccolini   Brownie  torte

Saturday 7/14 (15 peeps) ( Carrie gone Doug in)                              

Slow  cooked BBQ  ribs   

Potato  salad   & Pear/walnut  green  salad   

Chocolate  peanut  butter ice  cream  cake

Sunday 7/15 (15 peeps) (Doug out Noah in) ( happy golden bday Dan!!) Baked  ziti   

French  bread Green  salad   

Stewed  berries  with  ice  cream  

Monday 7/16 (13 peeps) (John and sue out)        

Soy  lime  chicken   

Rice pilaf & Green beans  Cookies

Tuesday 7/17 (15 peeps) (Corey in sue hopefully in)           Alexander's Pizza!!!!!!  

Wednesday 7/18 (15 peeps)   Lebanese  feast!   

Lava  cakes

Thursday 7/19 (16 peeps) (Doug in)         

Shrimp  orzo   

Greek  salad   

Blueberry cake  or  brown  butter  cupcakes

Friday 7/20 (17-­‐18 peeps) (John in) (johno?)            

Cabin  food: burgers/brats

Corn  avocado  salad  

Beattys  chocolate  cake

Saturday 7/21     (18-­‐19) (happy bday Doug!)  (johno?) Flank steak

Roasted potatoes/fennel/  asparagus

Rhubarb strawberry crisp

Sunday 7/22 (18-­‐19 peeps)

Brunch... Sausage/rosemary  strata Fruit  Coffee

2014 Phelps Menus

7/3:  Thursday (9): OUT

7/4:  Friday (15):

Ribs 

Potato salad, Tomato and feta salad

Flag cake

7/5:  Saturday (15)

Brats and Burgers (4 lbs beef 2 boxes brats)

Roasted potatoes

Corn salad

Ice cream! (out)

7/6:  Sunday (18)

Chicken Chimichuri (16 chicken breasts)

Argula and watermelon salad

Herbed rice

Lemon cake or blueberry lemon cake

7/7:  Monday (16)

Kabobs (steak and chicken) (6 chicken breasts, 6 steaks)

Rice pilaf

Zucchini Salad

Strawberries with balsamic and ice cream

7/8:  Tuesday (16)

pulled pork (10 lbs pork shoulder)

red slaw & corn bread watermelon 

brownie torte

7/9:  Wednesday (14) 
Baked Mostacolli - Garlic bread

Salad

Rhubarb cake or crumble

7/10:  Thursday (14) Alexanders

7/11:  Friday (13 or 15 or 16)

BBQ chicken (15 chicken breasts)

 Lemon fusilli with arugula (home p 120) 

Roasted asparagus

Pistachio rose blondies

7/12:  Saturday (15 or 16)

Grilled steak and arugula (easy p 143) (6-8 lbs steak) 

Baked potato

Corn or roasted summer veggies

Grapefruit cake

7/13:  Sunday (10)

sloppy joes (2-3lbs burger)

salad

ice cream!

 



RED CABBAGE-JALAPEÑO SLAW

½ small red cabbage, halved and sliced crosswise into thin strips (about 3 cups sliced cabbage)
¼ red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 small jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
½ cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt 
Place the cabbage, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Slice the lime in half lengthwise and then cut one half into 4 wedges; set aside for serving.Juice the remaining lime half into a small bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar and salt and whisk to dissolve, then pour the vinegar mixture over the cabbage mixture. Toss and squeeze with your hand to combine and set aside. Stir and squeeze the slaw every 5 to 10 minutes.