The Camp Cooking Trials Continue.....
Matthew Paulus
A few weeks ago, as some of you may remember, I made an inquiry about
Dutch Oven cooking. Well, I'm happy to report that none of my group
starved, and I've actually gotten quite good at making the ol' staples
of apple crisp and Grands biscuits(bless those little cardboard tubes of
dough). The Chicken Cordon Bleu' got a bit over done, but was delicious
just the same.
I am now taking the experiment a step further for work. A I mentioned,
I work for a gift shop that sets up a booth at local Renaissance Faires.
Sometimes these faires are in the middle of a park in the city, other
times they are held out in the middle of verdant green wilds(or the
verdant brown wilds if yer here in california). In any case, we always
have to camp out in the pavillion to watch our merchandise. And we
usually cook our own meals at the site, over a wood fire when we can,
but more often than not on a single-burner propane camp stove.
Usually we're restricted to macaroni and cheese or oatmeal, or any
other "Just add water" meal we can find. Buying my dutch ovens (yes, I
know have 3. The 12-inch Wenzel I started with, and now a 2- and 4-quart
TexSport I got cheap from The Sportsman's Guide) has definetly opened up
a great menu selection for us, but I've decided I want more.
I'm now researching medieval and rennaissance recipes to prepare while
we are out at the Faire. There are also Mountain Men Rendezvous and the
more or less well known Society for Creative Anachronisms(SCA for sort)
"Wars", aka battle re-enactments, and quite alot of Civil War and wild
west groups that are in the area, almost all of whom end up camping out
at site, cooking period foods using peiod methods, namely big cast iron
cauldrons, pots, and dutch ovens.
So if you've ever done one of these events, or if you think you have a
camping recipe that would work well, please lemme know. I'll be posting
this in a variety of NG's since it over laps into different areas.
Kidd
Lee
GarbMonger
>Sometimes these faires are in the middle of a park in the city, other
>times they are held out in the middle of verdant green wilds(or the
>verdant brown wilds if yer here in california).
Technically, we can't have VERDANT brown wilds. 8^) Anyway There is a
group called the Primitive Skills Discussion Group, which maintains an
archive of various low tech skills or experimental acheaology
how-to's. INcluded is camp cooking. The idea of the group is to
duplicate or recreate the methods of older cultures. They try to
consider more than just survival skills, but issues like outdoor
cooking ,a few fave recipes. and even fire starting. The archived
messages have links to sites of interest in this area. You might want
to supplement the fine suggestions here with what you can from there.
http://www.uqac.uquebec.ca/PleinAir/priskar2.htm
> Kidd
GarbMonger
Audentes Fortuna Juvat
Rengeek
Favoured of the Meadwench, Keeper of the Recipes
www.pe.net/~wwweaver/index.html
Matthew Witherspoon
"Matthew Paulus" <kidd...@dreamsoft.com> wrote in message
news:393AC7AA...@dreamsoft.com...
> Hello All,
> A few weeks ago, as some of you may remember, I made an inquiry about
> Dutch Oven cooking. Well, I'm happy to report that none of my group
Matthew, just try anything at all that cooks up over nice, slow heat.
My old Scoutmaster, Morris Smiley, was a master of the Dutch oven. We would
always promise to do each and every dish and utensil for every meal if Mr.
Smiley would do the cooking. One thing that comes to mind immediately is
Pot Roast with the usual suspects of cut potatoes, carrots, and onions,
spiced to taste. That was usually an amazing meal, especially when we were
having a hard time frying the peanut butter sandwiches.
Good camp cooking is *good* cooking.
The Pot Roast is easy, it's just a toss-it-all-in recipe. Just get some
wire or other standoff that won't add flavor to hold the meat up off the
bottom of the oven, and add about an inch of water to the oven, then place
the meat and fill in around it with potatoes, etc, until the pot won't hold
anymore. Set it up on your coal bed as per usual, and leave it alone for
2-3 hours. Check to make sure that you don't run completely dry once or
twice.
Spices are a personal thing. We liked to load ours up with cracked black
pepper, and nowadays, I'd toss in some garlic cloves and let them roast with
the rest of the veggies.
Matt Witherspoon
Kidd Video
> Technically, we can't have VERDANT brown wilds. 8^) Anyway There is a
> group called the Primitive Skills Discussion Group, which maintains an
> archive of various low tech skills or experimental acheaology
> how-to's. INcluded is camp cooking. The idea of the group is to
> duplicate or recreate the methods of older cultures. They try to
> consider more than just survival skills, but issues like outdoor
> cooking ,a few fave recipes. and even fire starting. The archived
> messages have links to sites of interest in this area. You might want
> to supplement the fine suggestions here with what you can from there.
>
> http://www.uqac.uquebec.ca/PleinAir/priskar2.htm
Thanks 'Monger,
I'll check it out and see if they have anything I can use.
Kidd
Kidd Video
>
> Are you going to have a period pack animal hauling those things around? : )
If I could get away with it, I'd love to! Unfortunetly I think the rest
of my group(aka Eric) would object to the team of oxen and a brightly
painted gypsy-style wagon to haul it all around it. For now, my walking
stick slung over my shoulder with the dutch oven hanging off it
hobo-style suffices....and the car helps quite a bit too.
Matt
Kidd Video
> Matthew, just try anything at all that cooks up over nice, slow heat.
>
> My old Scoutmaster, Morris Smiley, was a master of the Dutch oven. We would
> always promise to do each and every dish and utensil for every meal if Mr.
> Smiley would do the cooking. One thing that comes to mind immediately is
> Pot Roast with the usual suspects of cut potatoes, carrots, and onions,
> spiced to taste. That was usually an amazing meal, especially when we were
> having a hard time frying the peanut butter sandwiches.
>
> Good camp cooking is *good* cooking.
>
> The Pot Roast is easy, it's just a toss-it-all-in recipe. Just get some
> wire or other standoff that won't add flavor to hold the meat up off the
> bottom of the oven, and add about an inch of water to the oven, then place
> the meat and fill in around it with potatoes, etc, until the pot won't hold
> anymore. Set it up on your coal bed as per usual, and leave it alone for
> 2-3 hours. Check to make sure that you don't run completely dry once or
> twice.
>
> Spices are a personal thing. We liked to load ours up with cracked black
> pepper, and nowadays, I'd toss in some garlic cloves and let them roast with
> the rest of the veggies.
>
> Matt Witherspoon
Sounds easy enough to do and we always end up buying slices of Roast
Beast for sandwiches anyway. I wonder if I could wrangle a venison roast
outta someone one of these years.......
Kidd
Joyce Cummings
>Are you going to have a period pack animal hauling those things around? : )
Yeah, weren't they called "serfs"?
>
>Matthew Paulus wrote:
>
>> Hello All,
>> A few weeks ago, as some of you may remember, I made an inquiry about
>> Dutch Oven cooking. Well, I'm happy to report that none of my group
>> starved, and I've actually gotten quite good at making the ol' staples
>> of apple crisp and Grands biscuits(bless those little cardboard tubes of
>> dough). The Chicken Cordon Bleu' got a bit over done, but was delicious
>> just the same.
>> I am now taking the experiment a step further for work. A I mentioned,
>> I work for a gift shop that sets up a booth at local Renaissance Faires.
>> Sometimes these faires are in the middle of a park in the city, other
>> times they are held out in the middle of verdant green wilds(or the
Lynn Dimick
<kidd...@dreamsoft.com> wrote:
>> The Pot Roast is easy, it's just a toss-it-all-in recipe. Just get some
>> wire or other standoff that won't add flavor to hold the meat up off the
>> bottom of the oven, and add about an inch of water to the oven, then place
>> the meat and fill in around it with potatoes, etc, until the pot won't hold
>> anymore. Set it up on your coal bed as per usual, and leave it alone for
>> 2-3 hours. Check to make sure that you don't run completely dry once or
>> twice.
Over Memorial Day Weekend we went camping. I took 2 tri-tip out of the
freezer and cut each in half. Put in a bunch of veggies, etc and about
3/4" of water. 3 hours later we had the best roast ever. With a good
lid you shouldn't need to worry about the water. The water kept the
meat from scorching too.
Cadbo
DO cooking. There are two recipe books that are small and very inexpensive
(paperbacks), and have some excellent, if modern recipes, as well as ways to
get the most of your DO. They are available from your local Boy Scouts
distributor. I don't have the titles off-hand, but they are essentially
camp cooking for small groups and Dutch Oven cooking.
Cadbo
Melina Stapfer
I wanted to inform you of a great product that might come in handy on your
up-coming trip. Lasso Bag Locks, located at http://www.lassobaglocks.com,
home of the world's best bag closers. It’s great for keeping food fresh and
critter free! Have a safe and fun trip.
All the best,
Melina
ye Knotte Master
http://www.judgesguild.com/funstuff/ratonastick.htm
I'm gonna try this one, sounds intriguing!
Tim
Tim Rightbender/Moray MacDóbhran/Knotty MacFingers MacDude, ye Knotte Master (AKA Tim Russell); Master of knotty roses & ropes, St. Cuthbert's Guilde RPFS; @}---}---
Bud, QM of the Glorious Peasant Militia, Bearer of Camaraderie, Cider & Bravado; KnotteMaster for the Wylde Guilde; DNRC SrVPo/Abrv&ct.; CAPASPWMULD of F.A.I.R.I.E.;
Bard #36; Renderer of Rugosas of Rope, Ornamenter of Arachne, One Who Knows Lace Can Be Knaughty or Knice, Sometimes Both; Wizard #29;
Grand Prior, Ordo Dogbertus Sanctus - "Exite! Vos diaboli stupiditatis!" International Guilde of Knotte Tyers; email:bb...@removeme.lafn.org after deleting "removeme."
Carter-Briggs
Lynn Dimick <ldi...@socal.rr.com> wrote in message
news:v5qrjso6rbn3ic3h4...@4ax.com...
....Lamb and barley----take 2 handfuls of barley (about a cup), toss in the
dutch oven, cover in water, add a chunk o' lamb (technical term for a boned
shoulder roast or leg of lamb, with as much fat as possible removed),
carrots and leeks and garlic. Cook in dutch oven until it begins to be
fragrant, check periodically after that. In about an and hour and a half,
it should be falling apart tender. Early period dining at it's best.
BTW, for folks who don't like lamb, the strong "sheepy" taste comes mostly
from the lamb fat. Try it after most of the fat and the "fell" has been
removed. The "fell" is the membrane that covers the fat.
Baroness Kate O'Guinn
Trask
>dutch oven, cover in water, add a chunk o' lamb (technical term for a boned
>shoulder roast or leg of lamb, with as much fat as possible removed),
Barley... hummm.... I wonder how this dish would be with "malted barley" that
homebrewers use to make beer... Malted barley has been partially germinated
which causes a enzyme process that starts to convert the starches in the grain
to sugar.
Has anybody cooked with malted barley ????
Wassail,
Trask
---
Head brewer/bottle-washer at Hummingbird Cellars (1 sip will leave 'ya humming)
Rogue #331 / Barley McArgh
What's Brewing? Cherry mead, Strawberry mead, Bavarian Wheat Beer, Braggot
What's Aging? Apricot, Blackberry, Blueberry, Citrus-Ginger, Cyser, Methaglin,
Peach, Plum, Pyment, Raspberry, Traditional, Vanilla, Framboise, Oatmeal Cream
Stout
oldbear
of time (1 hr or more) to convert the starch to sugar. Personally I prefer my Cream
Wheat Double Bock after a nice Roast Beef dinner. Desert beer. One is all it takes.
Good brewing is fun but so is Camping. Never enough time for both. ;<)
But a little crystal malt ground in a brewers mill and soaked for 15 mins in a
little water is nice in a white bread recipe.
J. Oldbear