Picnics, Camping, and Campfires

Memorial Day Signals the Start of
Picnics, Camping, and Campfires
Holiday Cooking and Fun
by Alice Osborne

May 28th is Memorial Day 2007! One of our FAVORITE holidays. A day off from work, the weather is generally good, flags fly, we gather and distribute flowers to gravesites of loved ones, and then we usually enjoy a delicious picnic to round out the day-with many more picnics to follow throughout the summer.

So to get everyone ready for this lovely holiday and the coming summer, we share some of our favorite picnic, camping/campfire recipes:

Top Ten Greatest Campfire Recipes

The key to great camping meals is simplicity - just a few ingredients, minimal tools and cookery, and a roaring campfire. The best campfire recipes maintain the rugged, naturalist spirit of camping, for delicious results that are easy for anyone to achieve. These ten great campfire recipes can be used to build an ideal menu for your next camping trip with friends and family - or use them as inspiration, and come up with your own unique and tasty ideas.

1. S'mores - No camping trip would be complete without this classic. They couldn't be simpler - place your marshmallow near (or, if you like them burnt, in) the campfire; once they're reached the perfect level of gooiness, place them between two graham crackers with a piece of milk chocolate.

2. Grill Potatoes in Foil - This super-simple recipe requires only three ingredients: 1 potato, 2 slices of onion and 2 teaspoons of butter. Slice up the ingredients, roll them up in foil, seal the ends, and place in the charcoal or on the grill top for about 45 minutes. Simple and delicious!

3. Campfire Baked Apples - Cored apples are filled with a tasty mixture of butter, sugar and cinnamon and baked to perfection in aluminum foil. Perfect for camping breakfasts!

4. Easy Campfire Pot Roast - All the comforts of Mom's classic pot roast can be found in this simple camping meal. An oven bag is used to contain the roast, veggies, seasonings and soup mix; let it sit in the campfire for an hour and a half, and you'll be all ready for a hearty meal in the great outdoors.

5. Biscuit on a Stick - Nothing could be simpler than this tried and true camping breakfast. All you need is a can of biscuits, some squeeze butter, and a stick. Wrap the biscuit around the stick, hold it over the fire, and watch as it puffs up and turns golden brown.

6. Easy Corn on the Cob - The old camping essential, aluminum foil, is the only tool needed to achieve the perfect ear of grilled corn. Simply pull the husks back to remove the silk, close the husks, dunk the corn in a bucket of water, wrap in foil and throw into the fire.

7. Campfire Steamed Vegetables - This recipe can be customized according to your veggie preferences; the potatoes make it hearty enough to eat as a main dish if desired.

8. Campfire Beans - All you need for this simple yet satisfying camping recipe is ground beef, onion, 2 cans of pork and beans, and a frying pan.

9. One Skillet Chili - This is the perfect camping recipe for those cool nights of autumn and spring, or in cooler climates. Ground beef, veggies, beans and seasonings combine in a skillet, simmered over the campfire. Vegetarians can omit the beef for a satisfying dinner.

10. BBQ Boneless Pork Loin (Ribs) - Marinated and grilled pork ribs will come out tender and juicy with this delicious camp recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pkg boneless pork tenderloin for BBQ (cut into pieces if not already sliced)

1 bottle terriyaki sauce or favorite marinade or BBQ sauce

1 clove chopped garlic + 1 tsp chopped ginger (optional)

1 heavy-duty plastic zippered bag or container to marinade in

Marinade meat for as long as you can in fridge or cooler - 24 hrs. is perfect. Cook on med/low BBQ grill; turning meat as it cooks, to desired doneness. This can also be prepared in the oven. Just line a baking pan with foil, bake at 425 about 20-25 min. or until meat is 160F with a meat thermometer.