Hungry Campers
Cooking Outdoors for 1 to 100
Written and Photographed by Zac Williams
Hungry Campers
Cooking Outdoors for 1 to 100
Digital Edition 1.0
Text 2012 Zac Williams
Photographs 2012 Zac Williams
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.
Gibbs Smith
P.O. Box 667
Layton, Utah 84041
Orders: 1.800.835.4993
www.gibbs-smith.com
ISBN: 978-1-4236-3029-6
For Jennifer, who always first inspires.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank everyone at Gibbs Smith for the opportunity to have so much fun writing and photographing with special thanks to Hollie Keith for expert editing and Suzanne Taylor for making it all possible. Thanks to Rita Sowins for the terrific design of the book. Continued thanks to my wife, Aimee, and kids, Ethan, Rya and Piper, for putting up with a crazy cooking dad and always waiting to taste until after I get the shot.
Introduction: Savor Simplicity
Camping is all about taking a detour from day-to-day life. Spending time sleeping outdoors tends to remind us of whats important. It takes us back to the basics of comfort. A dry bed, good company and of course delicious food are all you need to enjoy yourself in the wild. Delicious food is where this cookbook comes in. By focusing on simple, easy-to-prepare meals, I hope to help campers make the most of their time outdoors.
Recipes are arranged in chapters beginning with ideas for meals that are easy to prepare and teach basic cooking skills, and progress to more advanced gourmet preparations for those camp chefs who are looking for inspiration. Special attention is given to making the job of planning dining operations for scout troops, youth groups and families easier. Along the way, helpful tips are suggested to make your cooking experience even better. For campers and scouts looking for high adventure, an introduction to backpack cooking with recipes and menus is provided in the last chapter.
Hopefully, this cookbook can serve as a primer for new cooks as well as a resource that makes planning easier for experienced campers. Fine dining should be at the center of any great camping adventure. My favorite childhood memories of camping include watching as my dad cooked on the old green double-burner Coleman stove. Now I share my own sons excitement as he cooks the trout he just caught. Outdoor cooking properly done is one of the many joys experienced by those that trade a roof at home for the starry sky overhead.
Campfire Cooking Basics
For those new to camp cooking, a great place to start is with the basics. Cooking over a fire is perfect because all campers can participate in preparing, cooking and eating! Perfect for overnight camping trips, these basic recipes also require minimal equipment to prepare and clean up easily. Each recipe serves one.
Stadium Brats
Serves 1
1 bratwurst sausage |
1/2 small onion, sliced |
1 teaspoon butter |
1 large roll or hot dog bun, slit |
Deli mustard or other condiments |
Equipment
Campfire coals |
Heavy-duty aluminum foil |
Place bratwurst, sliced onion and butter on a sheet of aluminum foil, shiny side facing up. Wrap securely, taking care to fold edges tightly. Place on the coals and cook 1520 minutes, turning frequently.
Serve cooked sausage on the bun and smother with cooked onions. Season with deli mustard or other condiments.
Brown Bag Campfire Breakfast
Serves 1
3 strips bacon |
2 eggs |
1/2 cup frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed |
Salt |
Black pepper |
Hot pepper sauce (optional) |
Equipment
Campfire coals |
Brown paper bag (lunch size) |
Stick or marshmallow roasting fork |
Place bacon in the bottom of the bag. Crack eggs into the bag over the bacon. Add hash brown potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Fold and roll down the top of the bag until about 3 inches above the potatoes. Insert a stick through folded portion and cook 5 to 6 inches over low coals for about 10 minutes. It helps to prop up the stick with rocks.
Carefully tear off the top of the bag to serve. Season with hot pepper sauce.
Sunnyside Sandwich
Serves 1
2 eggs |
2 slices bread, thick Texas toast |
1 slice cheddar cheese |
1 to 2 single-serve mayonnaise packets |
Salt |
Black pepper |
Equipment
2 large waxed paper cups filled with water |
Barbecue tongs with a long handle |
Heavy leather gloves |
Campfire coals |
Sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil |
Place each egg into one of the cups filled with water. Using the tongs and gloves, carefully place each cup on the hot coals. Allow water to boil for 6 minutes, until eggs are soft-boiled.
While eggs are boiling, place slices of bread on the sheet of aluminum foil, shiny side facing up, and toast at the edge of the fire for 5 minutes.
Carefully remove eggs from the fire with the tongs. Crack and serve between the slices of toasted bread with the cheese and mayonnaise. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Box Turnovers
Serves 24
1 can refrigerated biscuits |
1 (10.25-ounce) jar jam (strawberry, raspberry or peach works well) |
Decorating sugar |
Equipment
Open-top cardboard box (copy paper size) |
Heavy-duty aluminum foil |
Campfire coals |
3 rocks or bricks about 5 inches tall |
Small baking sheet or pie tin |
Fire-resistant mitt or tongs |
Cover box completely on all sides, inside and out, with 2 layers of aluminum foil, shiny side facing out, making sure no cardboard is visible.
Open refrigerated biscuits, separate and flatten each one slightly. Spoon jam into the center of each round of biscuit dough. Fold over and pinch edges to seal. Sprinkle generously with decorating sugar. Place the turnovers on the baking sheet or in the pie tin.
Over low coals (no flames), place 3 rocks or bricks into a tripod shape to support the cookie sheet or pie tin. Lower cardboard box over turnovers and bake 812 minutes, checking every few minutes.