Joy of cooking while camping
(I use rocks to adjust the height.) The tortilla chips cook up even crispier than in the oven, and the shredded cheddar and other toppings take on a hint of smoky, woodsy flavor as they melt into a cheesy goo.
Mac ‘n cheese also is a snap to prepare over a campfire, especially if you cook the pasta beforehand. Canned evaporated milk eliminates the need for fresh milk, and the dish happily lends itself to any kind of shreddable cheese you might find in a camp store. It only takes as long as it takes for the cheese to melt to spoon it into bowls. If you top the macaroni with a 50-50 mix of crushed crackers and Parmesan cheese, you even get some crunch along with the creaminess.
Is there anything more delicious than the campfire kebab? All that’s required is a sturdy skewer to thread chunks of marinated steak alongside vegetables — everything from baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes and half-moon slices of zucchini to sweet or hot peppers and mushrooms.
Fish is easier still, and costs almost nothing if you hook it yourself. When my husband pulled a 13-inch rainbow trout out of the Clarion River on our last trip to
Cook Forest, it took all of 10 minutes to turn it into dinner. After cleaning it, we stuffed it with kale, basil, lemon slices and garlic, threw it in a hot pan coated in olive oil for a quick sear and poured an Italian dressing on top to keep it moist. Voila, it was a meal fit for a king.
However, camp cooking requires some forethought, especially if you’re setting up camp in a tent instead of a cabin and don’t have easy access to running water or the convenience of an oven, microwave or stove to get things started.
It helps to cook as much as you can at home before you head to the woods, storing it until use in plastic zip-top bags in a fridge or cooler designated for cold foods. Plan on a separate cooler for dry pantry items. And absolutely plan your menu beforehand right down to the marshmallows and Hershey chocolate bars needed for s’mores. Shop ahead for the ingredients because camp stores are pretty basic and notoriously expensive. Also, the less contact you have with strangers, the better.
When it comes to the actual cooking, recognize that cooking over a campfire can’t be done on the fly. It takes time to burn a fire down to cherry embers (it’s ready when the flames are only about an inch or two tall and the logs are glowing red).
Necessary equipment includes a grill grate to create a safe, stable surface for cooking food directly over the coals and to place a pan or Dutch oven; heavy-duty foil for cooking food in packets or making lids for pans; steel tongs to turn or remove grill items; grilling utensils; steel skewers; a pair of heavy gloves to protect your hands from the fire; and at least one (and preferably two) wellseasoned cast-iron or aluminum skillets.
If you plan on making soups or stews or boiling water for pasta, you’ll also need a Dutch oven, and maybe a camp tripod on which to hang it.
Metal baskets come in handy if you want roast vegetables in the hot embers, and a pie iron is a godsend for making mountain pies and melty sandwiches.
Even if you end up making only hot dogs and hamburgers in the woods, you won’t be sorry.
Cooking over a campfire makes the trip feel special, and is a time-honored tradition for a reason. The food tastes great and it gets you out in the great outdoors.