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Deep inside Denali National Park is an institution. I’ve not had the privilege of visiting Camp Denali but it is definitely on the list of 1,000 places to see before I journey onward. Twice I drove the road lottery as far as you can go, so I have been in the neighborhood and seen the incredible countryside where it is situated.

Started in 1952 by Celia Hunter, Ginny Wood and Morton Wood, the camp has grown from its humble beginnings of tent-frame cabins, but has maintained the same philosophy of stewardship of the natural world and commitment to quality, states author Laura Cole in her cookbook, “A Cache of Recipes.”

This classy cookbook tells the story of Camp Denali and North Face Lodge from Cole’s perspective and contains recipes for interesting, wholesome foods that are fairly easy to prepare. After all, the camp crew prepares these same foods for their guests far, far away from civilization (and supermarkets).

The facilities, housed on 67 acres in the Kantishna region north of Wonder Lake, boasts its own greenhouses, bakeries, generators and underground refrigeration system. The greenhouses crank out lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, herbs and edible flowers all summer and the bakeries produce breads, cookies, pastries and desserts. The staff prepares three meals a day for guests, and dinner is the highlight. The evening meal might include soup, salad, marinated pork tenderloin with fresh apricot chutney or herb crusted halibut with a crab and bourbon reduction. Vegetarians are not overlooked; they get such tempting dishes as barley eggplant torte or red lentil tofu spring rolls.

Writer Cole got her start at Camp Denali and North Face Lodge as so many culinary experts do: Washing dishes. In her first experience with professional food service, Cole wrote that she was “enthralled with these warm, welcoming places of creative energy, humor and satisfying hard work. With extraordinary effort these places produced amazing cuisine in an exceedingly remote location.”

Smitten with food, Cole went on to earn a degree from the New England Culinary Institute and a master certificate for confections from the Ritz Escoffier L’Ecole de Gastronome in Paris. She and her family eventually became owners of Camp Denali and North Face Lodge.

The camp is committed to using as much organic and locally farm-raised food as possible, despite the logistical challenges of getting supplies delivered. Apparently more than just a place to lay one’s head, the camp offers hiking and nature viewing, along with a cadre of guest speakers throughout the summer. Experts in birding, renewable energy, reindeer, art, photography, climate change and the aurora borealis share their knowledge with guests.

After perusing the recipes, I am guessing the guests probably like the accommodations for the food as much as anything. Tantalizing soups, salads, breads, entrees and desserts are on tap at the camp and lodge. With this cookbook you can pretend you too are a gracious lodge owner. Come on, invite friends over and impress them with a down-to-earth, hearty, good-for-you meal, made possible by “A Cache of Recipes.”

Green Bean, Arugula & Tomato Salad

1 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tbs. orange juice concentrate

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. five-spice powder

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. honey

1/3 cup olive oil

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 lb. green beans

1 1/2 lbs. vine-ripe tomatoes

1 bunch arugula

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, juice concentrate, soy sauce, five-spice powder (usually found in the grocery store’s Asian foods section), ginger and honey. Whisk together. Slowly incorporate the oil. Season with the red pepper flakes and set aside. Trim the ends from the beans. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook the beans until crisp-tender. Drain the beans and rinse under cold running water until cool to the touch; set aside. Slice the tomatoes in half and cut each half into six chunks; set aside. Clean the arugula well, removing all stems. In a large bowl, mix together the arugula, tomatoes, beans and cilantro. Add the dressing, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Sauce

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, minced

1/4 cup chopped celery leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups prepared tomato sauce

2 large tomatoes, diced

6-oz. can tomato paste

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried basil

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Lasagna

1 8-oz. pkg. lasagna noodles

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 lb. spinach, cooked and well drained

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To make the sauce (best to make a day ahead): In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Saute until aromatic. Stir in the celery leaves and parsley. Saute until aromatic. Reduce the heat and stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, pepper, salt, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until very thick, up to four hours. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove the bay leaf before using.

To assemble and bake the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a deep-sided 9 x 13-inch baking dish, or extend the sides of a shallower pan with a double thickness of greased aluminum foil.

Spoon 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the dish, and top with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the noodles, and top with the spinach, mushrooms and zucchini. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the top, and layer with the remaining noodles. Cover the noodles with the grated Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses. Top with the carrots and olives. Spoon the remaining sauce on top.

Cover loosely with greased aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow lasagna to set for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2 tsp. butter, melted

1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

6 oz. semisweet chocolate

7 oz. unsweetened chocolate

10 Tbs. water

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. white sugar, divided

2 sticks butter, cubed

6 eggs

2 Tbs. powdered sugar

1 pint fresh raspberries

2 cups sweetened whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with the melted butter. Dust the buttered pan with the cocoa powder. Set aside. Coarsely chop the semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate into small pieces. In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, bring the water and 3/4 cup sugar to a rapid boil, and remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Stir in the butter until melted and completely incorporated. Set aside at room temperature. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs with the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Very gently fold the chocolate mixture in the egg mixture until completely incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. The top should feel firm to the touch, not tacky. Remove from the oven, and allow the cake to cool to room temperature in the pan on a cooling rack. Then refrigerate the cake, still in the pan, for 2 hours before unmolding. Run a thin blade around the edge of the cake before releasing the spring. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the cake, and serve with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.

Cover and recipes reprinted with permission of Alaska Northwest Books, P.O. Box 10306, Portland, Ore. 97296, www.gacpc.com.

Contact writer Nancy Tarnai at ntarnai@alaska.net.