Tastes of Texas
Explore these park-inspired cuisines on your next campout.
By Pam LeBlanc
Whenever I head to the Rio Grande Valley, I swing by a fruit stand to stock up on citrus. You'll never convince me that Florida oranges and grapefruit taste better than what's grown here in the Lone Star State.
I spent seven years in the Valley and lived a mile from an orchard, where I'd buy fresh fruit and juice about once a week. So during a recent trip to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park to spy on chachalacas, Altamira orioles and green jays, I detoured to that same orchard to pick up some fruit.
That got me to thinking about pairings. We hear all the time about what foods go together — chips and salsa, bacon and eggs, chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes, for example. We're also told what drinks pair well with certain foods — margaritas with fajitas, Dr Pepper with peanuts, and coffee with biscotti. I'd like to suggest a different version of that game by recommending foods to pair with parks around our state.
Take Devils River State Natural Area, that prickly expanse of land between Del Rio and Sonora that hugs the most pristine river in Texas. It's a scrappy place, and one of my favorite state parks. The river runs cool and clear through it, and it's so remote that you're more likely to bump into a bevy of marauding raccoons than crowds of humans.
I propose pairing that park with a plate of deviled eggs and a home-baked devil's food cake. That would take away the sting of the scrapes you'll get while hiking the ridgeline to look down on that meandering ribbon of turquoise. My second pairing? Let's talk about Lost Maples State Natural Area, where Texans flock every November to take in the fall foliage. I drove my camper van, Vincent VanGo, to the park for the “ring of fire” eclipse last October and got a kick out of a woman I met there who used a Moon Pie and a bag of Sun Chips to demonstrate the science behind the event.
Next time I go, under my new policy, I'll pack a bottle of maple syrup to pour over the pancakes my husband Chris will (hopefully) cook up on the griddle. I'll also toss in some maple sandwich cookies for a picnic lunch.
Continuing the train of thought, I'll tote a honey and peanut butter sandwich into Honey Creek State Natural Area, and maybe one day I'll roast a holiday bird to consume at Goose Island State Park on Christmas, and grill some all-beef burgers at Longhorn Cavern State Park (don't tell Bevo!).
Regionally inspired cuisines are another way to go. Next time I go to Enchanted Rock, I'll pick up some bratwurst in German-influenced Fredericksburg. At Galveston Island, fresh-caught seafood on the grill sounds tasty.
But no matter what I do, I draw the line at a food pairing for Possum Kingdom State Park. The only thing that comes to mind probably wouldn't go down so well.
