So on our trip to San Simeon a few weekends ago, I hadn’t really planned an elaborate dinner on Sunday night, but that’s what it turned out to be. I had made mung dal at home and also some naan dough that I planned to cook in a cast iron skillet over the campfire. As I was leaving the house, I remembered some overgrown zucchini that a friend gave us and on a whim decided to grab those too. At camp we ended up putting together an amazing Indian spread that included dal, Indian Spiced Fire Roasted Zucchini, naan, and raita. To top it off, the all the food was hot at the same time, something I often can’t even achieve at home!

The amazing part about it was that it was completely doable. I gave each person a specific job, and everyone happily went along with it. Together we produced a meal that I’d have been happy to eat at a restaurant.

Here’s a recipe for the Indian Spiced Fire Roasted Zucchini. The recipe was made up on the spot, but it was a hit!

I didn’t branch out from the Food Network until last year when I got rid of cable and the TV to save the last of my money. Also, I was starting Dirty Gourmet, so I figured it was time to start browsing other inspirational food blogs. This is really when the experimentation began! These bloggers were making basic things like lasagna and stir-fry, but everything with a twist. Instead of your typical tomato sauce, there would be pumpkin and sage sauce. Instead of always throwing in garlic, peppers and onions, they’d focus on one flavor, like orange. I realized it was possible to experiment, because you could still look up recipes. You just add the twist yourself.

So, here’s my twist on Spiced Tomato Gratin that was recently posted on 101 Cookbooks. Its an interesting spice combination that adds a lot of depth to the gratin, and I thought it would do the same for a potato salad. Plus, I like to refer to it as “Tater/Mater Salad.” My version has no mayo or cream so you can take it outside for your Labor Day camping trip or barbecue.

I’m still working my way through the Internet to find more favorite blogs to follow, if you have any suggestions. By the way, I learned to sew last year too. That’s not as hard as I thought either.

This is a great recipe to make if you’re swimming in tomatoes right now like I am. I used both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes that I made in my car, since I couldn’t decide which would be better. I still haven’t decided. Also, I caramelized my onions because I loved that part of the original recipe, but fresh onions would probably make it feel cool and crunchy. This salad is a great addition to a picnic, or an interesting side dish at camp.

As we rode through the tiny towns of coastal Oregon, Kismat and I often found ourselves talking about how much we missed Indian food. One day, I decided I would make some for dinner. I had one of my favorite Indian restaurant dishes in mind, Kadhai Paneer, which is fresh Indian cheese (paneer) and bell peppers stir fried in a spicy sauce. The thick, heavy pan it’s cooked in is called a kadhai—it’s sort of like a wok. You can find paneer at Indian grocery stores or make it from milk at home, but I knew I couldn’t find any paneer at a regular supermarket, and I didn’t want to make it on a camp stove. I figured I could try using tofu in place of the paneer, and call it Tofu and Bell Pepper Curry.

Our neighbors at the campground that evening were some backpackers who were travelling to San Francisco from Idaho for a music festival. Kismat and Nick spent the evening chatting with them about music, while Mai-Yan and I put together our dinner. Our meal came together beautifully. It wasn’t the familiar restaurant meal I had in mind, but it was certainly delicious. We ate the Tofu and Bell Pepper Curry with rice and flatbread, and had enough to share with our new friends.