Suggestions for Food, activities, etc for Camp KV 2009 are now welcome to be posted here.
Based on the majority consensus, we will arrive at a few decisions.
As a reminder Camp KV 2009 is June 19-21. We will populate kutchvalley-event mailing list with all the folks that have confirmed attendance.
Some of the decisions to be made include:
– Sat Dinner
– Sun Lunch (should there be one?)
– Any special Activities
I am assuming breakfast (Sat and Sun) will remain the standard usual stuff.
Also for those staying 2 nights, just like last year we will make Fri night dinner and Sat Lunch to be “Bring Your Own”. (Any objections?)
Thepalas for Sun Lunch are hard to beat with respect to storage space :-).
Taco Bhel for Sat Dinner?
Mercury News recently covered this campground in an article and they said the campstore makes “milkshakes to die for”. π
The people on the mini-camp had some requests/suggestions for the major camp and some for these are as follows:
1. Puran Poli
2. Malai kofta
3. Ras Puri
4. Monghe jee dar jo siro
5. Pav Bhaji
6. Bajro jo rotla with gwaar jo shaakh + gud
7. Batate jee sokee bhaji or batate jo ras jo shaak
8. Any Chaat
You forgot Sandwiches !! Now Vandana will be mad!! π
Oops, that was me.
Thats was my first option and then everyone suggested that it was too simple…so my second choice was Malai. π π
With so many 2 nighters, I am guessing that we will need to cater the Sat dinner (and one of the one-nighter can pick it up on the way).
Saturday Dinner – Sandwiches and/or burgers or pav bhaji
Sunday Lunch – thepala is a good idea
For activities, can you tell which campsite are we at Prashant. I hear there are some guided ranger tours.
Sandwiches have the advantage that there will be nothing to warm up during evening which will save a lot of time. π
Kaushal, I have created an event page for camping with venue and address.
IMHO, catered food didn’t work that well last year.
Taco’s and not Taco bhel/Veggie burgers (Trader joe’s masala pattie or similar)/Sandwiches would be my suggestions.
Out of the option’s presnted by Nilesh & minicampers –
How come you forgot onsite Annapurna’s idli/dosa?
Anyways Shiro isn’t that bad an option :), take roasted flour/rava and make shiro onsite π
Yup.. AnnapurnaΓ’β¬β’s onsite dosa is in my thought from the day this camp site got booked. But was holding for other suggestions to come. π
For Sat. dinner could be either catered or pretty much preprared on site. Our typical partially home cooked dinner will have to be prepared by one nighter. Looking at ratio of one nighter v/s two nighter, that may not work out.
For catered food, could go with tried/tested place and food item. Like subzi/paratha/rice. Place with Sat. morning pick option on the way to camp site.
Additional option for Taco could be Tostada. I think Tostada puri are available in S&F.
Last time sat. lunch was mostly their own lunch plus extra to share. Decent quantity got left out & wasted due to lack of storage. Should we plan for common sat. lunch & skip Sunday lunch instead? May be cater sat. lunch & prepare dinner on site.
Onsite catering for Camping – that would be a first in the history of Camping π π
What is the ratio betweeen one-nighers/two-nighters?
Me thinks – Sunday Lunch cannot be skipped since it would most probably be beach-thepla partyyyyyyyyyy assuming we may go to the beach on sunday while returning back.
Yup. Sunday Lunch should not be skipped. KV on Beach is a standard feature of Camp KV (if a beach is nearby). In this case the Pescadero State beach is nearby (10 miles).
I for one think Annapoorna on site will dampen “the camping experience”. Plus there are other logistics involved like permission from park officials, etc.
My choices for Sat Dinner would be one of the two:
1) Cater food from restaurant in Mountain View, Sunnyvale which can be picked up on the way by one-nighters on Sat.
2) Something like Sandwiches or Tacos which can be handled by a mix of one nighters and two nighters.
Few options or combination of 2 for Sat dinner,
1. Bhel — take the ready mix and cater chutney or distribute among one nighters
2. Pav Bhaji and Pulav– Bhaji and Pulav can be catered. ( Jain and Non Jain)
3. Vada Pav — Vada can be catered.( Jain and Non Jain)
Saturday Lunch
I will suggest to go for common as we being a big crowd
Menu
1. Mango Ras — We can buy tins and one nighter can bring it.
2. Puri and Sabji,Rice Dal can be catered…..
3. We can distribute salad…
4. One thing I will add and can be optional is making Chaas on a summer day. One nighters can bring yogurt
Sunday Lunch, Thepla might be the best bet.
Sawyer camp is pretty scenic trail for hiking/biking.
So far wide range of choices. Can others who have not responded please respond so that a consensus can be reached as to what the preference is towards?
Also what time are one nighters planning to leave south bay? That would be the leading factor in deciding the catering options if any is my guess.
Also vote for group Sat lunch.
My preference
Fri dinner – bring your own
Sat Lunch (common for all) – taco or sandwich
Sat dinner – Pav Bhaji (bhaji to be catered)
Sun lunch – thepla
We typically have thepla with Dahi and twice had mango ras with it. Is there any item similar to aloo subzi, which could go with thepla to make meal filling? or could there be side item to go with thepla?
Just looking for alternative to keep reasonable count.
Last year we ordered 250 theplas splited in two order. If we keep same thepla & dahi, This year we will have to order more then that. Vendors we typially order from are individual ladies doing catering from home. To have single person go thro labor of preparing 125+ theplas doesn’t feel right.
Hence exploring some additional suggestions around thepla.
Could sprouts bhel and not regular Bhel be an option for Sat dinner? Making sprouts and chutney’s can be divided amongst 1/2 nighters. Would be filling than regular bhel + also fulfil’s the chaat khwaish from people :).
– Sprout bhel is good idea & also new menu item for our camping
– Falafel. Drive in Falafel in SJ give one Falafel ball for 25 cent.
– Subzi/Paratha from Rajjot. Can somebody find out price & possible pick up morning time.
– No takers for Annapooran ?? π I was thinking it will get overwhelming response.
I called park, and caterer can come in with $5 parking charge for his van. No additional permit required. So any 2nd thoughts
– Can someone find out current thepla price with Milan/Kokila kitchen for approx. 100 thepla. I think Komalben(Sunnyvale) is 50cent/thepla. Anybody tried KokilaΓ’β¬β’s kitchen thepla lately? Any new place you tried & liked?
– Any Recommendation/pricing to order Bhaji (Pav Bhaji). Place, you had Pav Bhaji from and liked it.
It will be good to get menu finalize or atleast narrowed down by this weekend to start working on next step. We just have 2 more weekends
Like the option of Annapoorna for Sat lunch/dinner.
Rajjot food is very spicy not sure all KV’s will enjoy this but price is reasonable.
Above all options seem good. My suggestions are as follows.
1)Sunday lunch instead of theplas, we could have Dahi Vada. Vada and sweet & sour chutney can be catered. Nothing needs to be warmed.
2)Saturday dinner can be Falafel. Falafel balls and hummus can be bought from Costco.
3)Sprout Bhel for Saturday lunch. or vice versa with option 2.
My preferences –
1) Annapoorna for sat lunch.
2) Thepla for sun lunch
3) No pref for sat dinner (atleast not yet)
If we go for sprouts, we might need to keep an alternate option (Bhel mix) as sprouts are also big no no per Jainism. Just saying it loud. Some people might not eat sprouts…..
Annapoorna dosa for Saturday dinner.
Friday-bring your own dinner.
Saturday lunch-cater pavbhaji
Sunday lunch-agree with Vandana. NO THEPLA. Dahi vada is a good option.
While we are still working on the menu, I am requesting few of you to get the details so that further actions can be taken.
Mita, Vandana
Would you be able to please recommend/find out for PAV Bhaji catering with details about pricing and saturday morning pickup time? Also check for Jain Bhaji ? 40 adults for normal + 10 adults for jain bhaji.
Also suggest which place are you talking for dahi vada – also price + sat morning pickup. Not sure if this will be a suitable option yet, but no harm in enquiring.
Rashmi,
Would you be able to find out about Annapoorna’s availability for sat? Check for both lunch/dinner.
Annapoorna or Rajjot for Saturday Dinner
If vadas need to be picked up on Sat morning, it will probably be made on Fri. I think it will get too hard to be eaten on Sunday. Remember what happen to patties last year. Also, how do you whisk and dilute dahi on a beach?
I am with Prashant about having Annapoorna on site. Don’t prefer it unless we want to make history as Bhavesh mentioned:)
Annapoorna is booked for Sat for lunch and dinner :(.
By the way, they are available for Sun Lunch.
I can see a long line forming in front of Annapurna stall. Not ideal. let’s just stick to simple thepla, sandwich kind of food so that there is more time for activities.
Bhavini, I was thinking about Shirley for ordering Vada.
Diluting the curd shouldn’t be a problem at the beach. Don’t we have chaas on beach whenever there is left over curd from sunday lunch??
I agree with Rohit….lets keep it simple.
I vote for-
Fri dinner- bring your own
Sat lunch – falafal sandwich ( get everything from costco)
Sat dinner – Pav Bhaji (catered & delivered onsite if possible)
Sun lunch – Thepla (catered )+ dahi + pickle
IMO,consistency in quality & taste of thepla is maintained if catered from one place.
Thepla on Sunday sound good,
Note: for mini camping we had ordered thepla which were thick and very dry… whoever is ordering thepla we need to make sure its prepared properly.
Friday – Get your own
Saturday Lunch – Raas, Puri, Thikaa Aathanu (yummy)
Saturday Dinner – Normal Bhel or Kathod Bhel(w/o sprout) / Chaat
Sunday Lunch – Thepla
After going over various suggestions and talking with a few people here are narrowed options.
Dahi wada from Shirley will not work since there are not many one nighters from Fremont. Also space becomes an issue in the car when carrying food. 1 nighters from Fremont dont have a big van. Sprout bhel is out too since it requires doing many things at home.
SAT LUNCH: Catered food (Pav Bhaji or Sabji/Paratha or Vada-Pav) to be picked up by one nighters.
Rationale: This food will already be warm and hence better to eat this food at lunch time which will require less time to setup and allow us to enjoy other activities.
SAT DINNER: Tacos or Falafel
Rationale: Tacos can be obtained by 2 nighters as well. Falafel will need to be catered from Falafel-Drivein in San Jose. However falafel balls can go dry. So the preference is towards Tacos. We can have variety of salsas here as incentive. π
SUN LUNCH: Sandwiches
Rationale: Mini Campers already had thepala at their event plus we have been having thepalas at beach for past 2 years. Lets go with sandwiches this time. Will save on cooler space for Dahi. We can have variety of spreads here as incentive. π
Comments on above are most welcome.
Needless to say we need recommendations for places which cater good pav bhaji or sabji/paratha or vada-pav. So feel free to post ur recos here.
Rajjot Γ’β¬β
Big Tray of subzi for $70. Should serve upto 60 ppl.
Plain Paratha -$1, stuffed Paratha $1.50
We could pick any subzi from list. They could give us 8/8.30 pick up.
They can either make whole subzi tray Jain, or will have to order separate smaller Jain subzi tray.
They wont make part of one tray jain & part non-jain.
Madra CafΓΒ© Γ’β¬β
This is not in our narrowed list. Since I had inquired, entering for future.
Restaurant opens at 8.30 Hence can give us 8/8.30 pick up.
Basically they take order as per plate @ Menu price. Then give 10% discount on total order
2pc Idli/chutney/sambar – $4.10
Pongal/Lemon Rice/Curd rice – ~$4.99 Γ’β¬β One plate could serve ~3 ppl if ordered as side
Korma & Chappti/Puri – $4.99/plate. CanΓ’β¬β’t give early pick up for this one.
Their Chutney, Sambar is not Jain but can prepare small Jain batch.
Correction SAT Lunch option includes Ras/Puri/Sabji also.
SAT LUNCH: Catered food (Pav Bhaji or Sabji/Paratha or Vada-Pav or Mango-Ras with Puri/Sabji) to be picked up by one nighters.
Input for sabzi/roti – We like New India Chaat Cafe Paneer Subzi and rotis (they are very soft and fresh).
We are going to come for one night so I do not mind picking up food from anywhere in Bay Area on Saturday and I will be coming in a van so quantity should also not matter.
More Info from New India Chaat Cafe (it is a vegetarian restaurant)
Paneer Masala – they can do half jain and halk non-jain and it will $95 for 60 people. Price will change depending on which subzi is ordered (non-paneer will be lesser)
rotis – 3.25 for 10 rotis (order how many ever)
If Pav Bhaji is fixed for saturday and we dont have option to cater it, i can make jain bhaji for 8-10 people
I checked with Rajashri ben for Poori + dry potato subzi.
Poori is 50 cents each. And sabzi will be $5.00 a pound, roughly will be 15-18 pounds as per her for a full tray. She said she will make poori’s in the morning and even if she makes poori’s the previous night they don’t get dry until lunch. Food will be ready to picked up @ 9.00
Hmm…Mouth watering options..Long list of choices.
Sorry for entering late in the loop. Had no internet connection for few days.
Saturday Lunch : Chaat Paradise serves awesome Masala Puri & Bhaji & will go very well with mango Ras. In one order of masala puri they serve 2 Big bhatura style puris with Aloo subji.
Saturday Dinner: Falafel or PavBhaji or Taco
There is a Gujju lady in fremont, she makes very nice Bhaji. We had ordered it once duruing Jatin’s Office camping. Don’t remember her name, but will find out & post it.
Sunday Lunch: By default Thepla, Chundo & Dahi.
Kaushal, Paneer masala is a very nice subji at New India Chat Cafe , but i beleive the Subji’s served at NICC are little towards spicy side. I am not sure if Kids will be able to relish it.
Sejal,
Can you please find out the price from CP for puri/sabzi and also the pick up time? Please check if CP can do bulk order of puri’s and sabzi seperatly versus the per plate option. And i think the lady you ordered bhaji was Pratibha ben :), would be able to get the quote/pick up time from her as well ?
Sorry to chime in late on this thread. Falafel option – would obviously be to get the falafel balls from Falafel Drive through or the Falafel place off Dixon Landing (don’t know the name :().
Sunday lunch – Bajra rotla with gud and guvar sabzi would be a welcome change from Theplas (emergency, last resort option).
Saturday dinner – we can add the veggie burgers to the menu. Since it will be cold during the night, making burgers over the grill and eating hot would bring out the camping experience, too. I know, more work but guys can do the grilling :).
So far the whole thread has been food, food, food π What are the activites being planned? Sat morning hike? Also how about some bubble time for the infant/toddlers? Jaideep are you making bajra ja rotla as father\’s day treat for all π
I suggest Sat morning hike (~2 hours) for those staying on Fri night starting at 9.30 am post breakfast.
Lunch can be around 12.30pm/1pm. Wrapping up Lunch by 2 pm. After Lunch we can either have water time or general laze around time + game time.
It will be nice to have some Yoga session or similar session on Sunday morning by someone familiar with it. Or at the least a group exercise session. π Volunteers?