Gourmet Cooking on the Campfire

By: Cheri Browne | July 22 2011
Posted in Rogue Valley - Cook It - Rogue Valley

Steaks, mini bell peppers, corn, and foil wrapped cabbage with bacon fire-roasting on the camp grill. Photos by: Cheri Browne

If your summer months are filled with camping trips where an open flame is your stove-top and an ice-packed cooler is your refrigerator, you know what a chore it can be to plan healthy, creative meals that are easy to prepare, and in a world of hot dogs and hamburgers it’s hard to think outside the ketchup drenched buns. But don’t throw in the camp towel and pack the condiments just yet! From breakfast to dinner and snacks in between, there are many fun, low-to-no-preparation options that help you get the most out of packing very little. As long as you bring plenty of foil, and gather enough wood to keep the fire going, you can turn most any ingredient into a delicious, gourmet meal. 

Blossom-cut onion with butter and brown sugar ready to wrap up and put on the coals.

For an easy, savory side, try cutting vertical slices about ½ inch apart around a whole onion, stopping just above the bottom. Open up the spaces just wide enough to put plenty of butter and brown sugar inside, then wrap it in foil and place it directly on the coals for about 45 minutes. For another simple side, try cutting a head of cabbage into steaks or wedges. Drizzle with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper, or your favorite seasoning. Wrap in foil and place on the grill, or directly onto the coals for about 15 to 20 minutes. For a boost of flavor, try putting some bacon in the foil package too. While these are cooking on the coals, put some steak or chicken, whole bell or mini peppers, and corn (with the husk still on) directly on the grill. In no time, you’ll have a delightful, flavorful, fire-roasted meal that took barely any work at all!

For dessert, take a chance and stray from the traditional mess of smores and try a banana boat. Take a whole unpeeled banana and cut it lengthwise, but not all the way through. Put marshmallows and chocolate chips in the slit, sprinkle the top with brown sugar and seal it in foil. Place it on the coals, and in about 5 minutes this impressive treat will be enchanting the taste buds of young and old alike!

In the morning, grab your coffee and turn breakfast into an opportunity for a short nature hike by looking for wild berries to add to your dish. This is a great way to spend some time showing the kids how to find and identify food from their surroundings too! Huckleberries, blackberries, raspberries, salmonberries, and thimbleberries are all great with pancakes, or in a bowl of granola or yogurt. Wild currant or gooseberries and blue elderberries all make delicious snacks, or additions to any meal too—but beware, the red elderberries are not good to eat, as they can cause severe upset stomach. Wild plums and Oregon grapes are easy snacks to find as well. Look at pictures of some of these wild Oregon berries and fruits, all of which can be found in the Southern Oregon woodlands, particularly in the low mountain ranges near the coast.

What’s your favorite out-of-the-bun thing to cook or eat while camping?

Cheri Browne is a writer, photographer, reveler of Southern Oregon and enamored connoisseur of all things West Coast.