Dutch Oven Cooking
I’m cooking for eight guys in Joshua Tree National Park for three days. I’m assuming you are one of the many that sets an alarm every day to read each new post that I put up… Oops, I just realized that last bit I wrote after accidentally taking a second recreational gummy. I suppose demential has benefits. I’ll give myself a bit of time before continuing this entry.
Now that the gummy is beginning to wear off I can continue my rambling on Dutch Oven cooking. If you want good food in a campground, I don’t think you can do much better than to haul an assortment of cast iron ovens around in the back of your truck. There’s also the steel cook stand and all the accessories that go along with this sort of cooking. The benefit is you have available a wide range of menu choices from which to choose. Main dishes, side dishes, deserts, and everything in-between. You can do some of that with a stove, but not all. That’s what makes Dutch Ovens such a great choice, You can also use them at home in the back yard when you’re not in the campground.
For this trip, I tested all the recipes at home and fed my neighbors with leftovers for a week prior to heading out to Joshua Tree. The good news is I got good reviews from all the neighbors. The bad news is they are going to be expecting more of the same.
All of the recipes for this upcoming trip I found more or less at random. Some from the internet, some from the Lodge Dutch Oven Cookbook. Here’s the menu for the trip.
| Day | Main | Side | Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polly’s Baked Beans | Corn Bread | Peach USD Cake |
| 2 | Beef Stroganoff | Crispy Red Potatoes | Pumpkin Pie |
| 3 | Sloppy Joes | Apple Slaw(1) | Chocolate Brownies |
(1) Not in a Dutch Oven
I’m going to throw in a few surprises in addition to what’s above. I plan on a hot Queso dip with chips one afternoon, and maybe a baked hot dog lunch as well. I’m also going to be preparing breakfast on my bad-ass Camp Chef 3-burner stove top.
After I put this menu together I found the ultimate Dutch Oven cooking website. I can’t believe the recipes there. It’s going to be a blast making all of these!
Cheers!