Archive for July, 2009
Diversify Your Camp Cooking Repertoire
Every family has its own camping traditions, but some habits are universal. One of them, roasting hotdogs over an open fire, is practically as old as time. Few experiences put us in touch with nature in a more profound way. After a day or two in the woods, it’s best to add a little variety to camp cooking – and that doesn’t mean throwing a marshmallow or two into the mix.
Camping grills might be simple in their design, but they make up for it by facilitating a complex array of dishes. It’s even possible to cook main dishes and sides simultaneously on the expansive grilling surface. As dawn breaks through the pine trees, grills become useful for heating up water for coffee or tea. Wake up the children with the savory smell of biscuits and gravy simmering in a frying pan. All of a sudden, hotdogs seem a little plain by comparison.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
As a kid growing up near Lake Michigan, I went for camping excursions at least once every summer. We would pile into the family sedan – I’m still convinced that car came without suspension – and bounced down the highway to a beachside campground. My father prepared a number of delicious dishes that seem deceptively simple now that I think back on them. The pork and beans stands out as my all-time favorite.
Even though I’ve had a family of my own for some time now, it’s only recently occurred to me that camping makes for a great bonding opportunity. I’ve been continuing the tradition ever since that realization struck. My wife loved the idea, but she raised a single camping caveat: We have to provide healthy, nutritious food for the kids during our time out in the woods. A portable two burner propane stove allowed me to meet that goal with ease. I’ve boned up on my cooking skills, and the rest of the family is cherishing our time together.
An Old Fashioned Way to Cook
We used to cook over a fire with hot coals. The first fire was general purpose to warm ourselves, provide coals, and cook coffee. The necessity to spend time with certain foods, that is to ensure they don’t burn, or stick made the second fire a priority. Some foods need a lower heat range while cooking. Needless to say bending over a roaring camp fire is not practical, unless you are looking for a red face when done. We would cook on average for 20 to 40 people during the weekends, all over a open fire. Of course we used small pits lined on the outer rim with stones to ensure no embers could fly off and start a fire elsewhere.
Along the way we acquired many different pots and pans for open fire use. Mostly the cast iron type to more closely resemble the old world style in the 1800’s. Stews are very easy to fix under primitive conditions, but the biscuits and pineapple upside down cake take a little practice. Timing is important, along with how many coals to put on top of the dutch oven.
One nice item acquired was a grill/griddle combo made to cook breakfast on, or meat if preferred for supper. It had a griddle on one side for bacon or pancakes. Of course the frying pan was a obviously large 15 incher which could cook 2-3 dozen eggs easily. Needless to say our cook box was very heavy.
Just remember to put out the campfire when leaving, and we always recovered the pits to ensure no one knew we were there. The likelihood of a fire restarting, or spreading was reduced to almost none. We revisited the same spots for many years.