An ode to banana boxes

And a life changing granola recipe

Having just flown into a new lodge for a 6 week cooking stint, I have spent the last week cooking for 12 people while simultaneously getting my kitchen set up just the way I like it. Landing in a new place with a new to me kitchen is always a bit chaotic, with fridges and pantries full of food that I have to find ways to cook before my next food order arrives. The first few days are always spent getting my bearings: I organize the existing food inventory, use up all of last weeks produce, sort through freezers, and bake big batches of things like granola.

All of this made me think it’s time to share a short piece I wrote about transporting food to backcountry destinations, and I threw in my lodge granola recipe too.

---

An Ode to Banana Boxes

There is one item universally used by bush cooks that distinguishes them from other cooks. It is a tool so insanely useful, so synonymous with backcountry kitchens and the journey it takes to get there, that it is often out of stock in communities seasonally invaded by BC’s toughest cooks. It is the humble banana box. 

Sturdy cardboard, with a bottom, top, and handles that fuse the two together, these boxes serve as the ultimate food transportation tool. Cartons of eggs and heads of delicate lettuce are safe inside the robust banana box. You can fill them up entirely, knowing that even when stacked upon each other they will withstand the weight and keep your groceries fresh and un-smushed. 

They are unrivalled in their ability to fill a tree planting truck like a Tetris game. Five, six, seven boxes high, they remain composed under the weight of each other. They are easy to lift because of their handles, making them the ideal box for passing out of a whirring helicopter into the snow. They are reliable and dependable, ready to be ferried to far away islands, driven down logging roads, stashed in float planes, or tucked into the chopper.

Banana boxes are there for me, even in the most remote grocery stores, prepared to be filled with thousands of dollars worth of trail mix, canned goods and baking supplies. They are primed to be burned once I reach my backcountry destination, disappearing into the air, their carbon already being sequestered by a tree nearby, one that will probably be logged in the near future, awaiting its turn to be transformed into more beautiful banana boxes.

My upper body strength is almost entirely owed to packing, hauling, lifting, stacking, loading and unloading banana boxes. Sometimes they’re light, filled with bread and crackers, but most of the time they’re heavy, crammed full of oil and honey. All I know is, I’m getting jacked at work and I’m okay with it.

The produce clerk sees me coming, with my muddy Blundstones and 4 page grocery list. I’ve just come from the bush, or I’m heading there soon. I’ve got 5 shopping carts filled with groceries and I need what they have. They know that if they don’t give up the goods, I’ll take the boxes from the banana display itself. Suddenly someone appears from the back, they are rolling out a cart just for me; banana boxes ready for their second life.

At first glance it may seem like your backcountry cook has only packed bananas for your week long adventure or shift in the bush, but rest assured it is avocados, fresh herbs and bags of chips that are safely secured by the quintessential backcountry grocery bag.

---

Lodge Granola

I have filled and lugged around countless banana boxes full of oats, nuts, oil and honey to make this. It’s a granola recipe that yields huge clusters thanks to the honey, which is has a lot of. This is lodge granola, so that means it’s decadent, but its a fantastic energy source for a long day outside. At Ice Creek, I often catch guests sneaking it off the breakfast table and packing it into baggies for a snack on the skin track.

The type of nuts, seeds and dried fruit I use are mere suggestions, because this recipe is more like a formula. A friend of mine shared it with me a few years back in a tree planting camp, and I’ve spent time tweaking it to make my ideal ratio of nuts vs seeds vs dried fruit. I use cinnamon and a bit of vanilla, but sometimes I add cardamom or turmeric for a golden granola. I like to use dried strawberries here, because I think raisins are better in bread, but use what you like.

Ingredients

Makes enough to fill 1 large ziplock bag

• 7.5 cups oats

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup pecans

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds

• 1 cup canola oil

• 1.5 cups honey

• pinch of salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup dried strawberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Line a baking sheet with parchment so it over hangs slightly on all sides. Combine all ingredients except strawberries in a big bowl. Mix everything together thoroughly before spreading evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until it’s golden brown and toasted all over. The overhanging parchment will prevent anything sticking to the pan and allow you to easily remove the granola once it cools.

2. Once toasted all over, remove the sheet tray from the oven and immediately add the dried strawberries. Mix everything together before spreading evenly and pressing it down so the hot granola compacts together. Allow it to cool fully. It’s important to add the strawberries at the end so they don’t burn, and it’s also important to mix them in while the granola is still hot. The warm honey will stick to the strawberries and they will become part of the clusters that form.

3. After the granola is thoroughly cooled, break in to big, crunchy clusters. Store in an air tight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months. I like to have it with yogurt and fruit, on top of pancakes for some extra crunch, or by the handful when I’m working on my feet and I need a quick snack.

---

If you’ve received this in your inbox, thank you for subscribing! It is scary and weird putting thoughts into writing so thanks for reading. And if you’re new here, consider subscribing below to receive stories and recipes 1-3 times a month.