Summer Grillin’ Campout: BBQ Feasts, Swimming Holes & Starry Nights
Basecamp Brooklyn’s Summer Grillin’ is our annual food-filled camping weekend in the Catskills—where smoky flavors, refreshing swims, wide-open skies, and long nights around the fire bring our community together.
Every year looks a little different. There may be a motorcycle ride, a river swim, a morning spent picking apples, or an afternoon lounging beside a Catskills swimming hole. But the heart of the weekend remains the same: delicious food, outdoor adventure, plenty of time to relax, and the kind of community that forms naturally around a shared table and a glowing campfire.
Summer Grillin’ 2026: Apples, Swimming Holes and Shooting Stars
This year’s campers arrived at Basecamp Brooklyn Estates ready for a break from the city—and the weekend gave us exactly that.
Once everyone had settled into camp, we headed out onto our own land to pick some of the early apples growing around the property. The apples would eventually make their way into Chef Allan’s recipes, but the picking itself became a sweet and simple way to begin the weekend together.
Friday Night’s Welcome Feast
After apple picking, everyone gathered for our first meal of the weekend.
Friday Menu Highlights
Brie, Tomato and Basil on Baguette — creamy brie, ripe heirloom tomatoes and fresh-from-garden basil served on slices of grilled baguette
Chili-Lime Sticky Wings — sweet, tangy and just spicy enough, with plenty of napkins required
Garden-Fresh Grilled Zucchini — picked from the garden and cooked over the grill
Classic Potato Salad — a cookout favorite, seasoned with garden herbs
Peach Tea and Bourbon Cocktails — peach nectar ice cubes melting slowly into sweet tea and bourbon
After dinner, we moved to the campfire with homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh off the grill. The Perseid meteor shower was beginning to brighten the late July sky, and we managed to catch a few shooting stars while we talked, listened to the fire crackle and settled into the slower rhythm of the weekend.
Saturday at Peekamoose Blue Hole
Saturday morning began with homemade raisin bread, cream cheese and apple butter before we packed up for a day at Peekamoose Blue Hole.
We jumped into the clear, cold water, waded through the shallows and stretched out on the rocks to take in the beautiful views. Our picnic lunch included tarragon chicken salad, fennel and chickpea salad, and another round of homemade chocolate chip cookies.
It was exactly the kind of summer afternoon we had hoped for: A little adventurous, yet wonderfully lazy.
Back at Basecamp Brooklyn Estates, everyone had time to settle into their own version of relaxation. Some campers napped. Some read books. Some freshened up beneath the outdoor shower. Others simply lounged outside and watched the birds, bunnies, and butterflies enjoying the meadow.
Saturday Night’s BBQ Feast
By evening, the outdoor kitchen was busy again and the smell of barbecue began drifting across camp.
Saturday Dinner Menu
BBQ Roast Pork Sandwiches — piled high and finished with Chef Allan’s apple butter BBQ sauce
Pork Belly Burnt Ends — smoky, caramelized and the perfect blend of crunch and meltiness
Brisket — tender, deeply seasoned and worth waiting for
Mango Slaw — fresh and bright to balance out all that meaty BBQ
Apple Atchara — a crisp, vinegary Filipino-inspired recipe to highlight the early season apples
Pickled Radish Pods — Sweet and tangy, made with radish pods harvested from our garden
The evening ended where Summer Grillin’ evenings should: around the campfire.
For dessert, we served a homemade rhubarb and blueberry crumble topped with local vanilla ice cream. It was warm, tart, sweet and just right after a full day of swimming, eating and relaxing outside.
A Slow Sunday Morning
There was no rush on Sunday.
We lingered over coffee and conversation while campers slowly packed their tents and gear. Breakfast included poffertjes—tiny Dutch pancakes—along with sausage patties and farm-fresh eggs.
Before everyone headed home, we kept hearing versions of the same thing: they had needed this weekend more than they realized.
After a few days of fresh air, cold water, nourishing food, sleep, laughter and community, campers said they felt better not only mentally, but physically too. That may have been the best review of the weekend we could have received.
Looking Back at Summer Grillin’ 2025
The previous summer brought its own memorable adventures.
Summer Grillin’ 2025 began with a last-minute sprint to complete our outdoor shower with on-demand hot water. It was finished just three hours before campers arrived—and by Sunday, it had become one of the most appreciated comforts at camp.
We welcomed riders from The Litas NYC and Long Island alongside overlanders, car campers and guests who traveled up from the city by bus.
Friday’s feast included savory s’mores with combinations like brie, prosciutto and fig jam; summer bean salad; garden herb dip; birria on baguette with mango salsa; and fire-warmed chocolate chip cookies.
Saturday brought motorcycle rides through the Catskills, swimming in the Delaware River and a cookout featuring ribs, wings, steak, potato salad, grilled vegetables, mixed greens and bright pink dragonfruit lemonade.
As the stars appeared, we toasted with champagne, roasted s’mores and stayed beside the fire until it was finally time to call it a night.
What Makes Summer Grillin’ Special
Food worth planning a weekend around. Chef Allan creates generous, playful menus that combine open-fire cooking, barbecue favorites, garden ingredients and unexpected flavors.
A real Catskills escape. Swimming holes, scenic drives, motorcycle rides, quiet mornings and starry nights make the weekend feel much farther from the city than it really is.
Time to do less. Summer Grillin’ includes adventure, but it also leaves room for naps, books, outdoor showers and simply sitting beneath the trees.
Community without pressure. Guests arrive by motorcycle, car, overland rig or bus—and always make new friends around the table and campfire.
A welcoming experience for newer campers. Rental gear and comfort touches at Basecamp Brooklyn Estates make it possible to enjoy the weekend without owning a closet full of camping equipment.
Until Next Summer
Summer Grillin’ 2026 may be over, but we are already thinking about future menus, swimming adventures and warm nights around the fire.
Because sometimes what you need most is a weekend away from the noise: a tent beneath the stars, a plate filled with something delicious, and a group of good people reminding you how restorative life outside can be.
