Easy Dutch Oven Cobblers

This camper doesn't rough it when it comes to meals

Knob Noster, Missouri |. The days of having to roast hot dogs on a stick over a campfire or package concoction with foil and cook on a grill are Dave Lako </ p> When he goes to camp today ' Today, it looks more like a master chef as someone who is just looking for a quick and easy meal. </ P> It often provides three sizes of Dutch oven, cutting board, an assortment of meats, fruits and vegetables, various mixes and canned preserves, and abundant charcoal. </ P> This is his way of proving you do not have the hard way when you go camping.</ P> "When I was younger, we eat hot dogs, food, dehydrated, casseroles in foil - easy," said Lako, who is the operations section chief of the State of Missouri Parks. "It was not gourmet cuisine at the campsite. </ P>" Flavor was not a priority back in those great days. But I finally learned that I have not had to sacrifice anything when I went camping. </ P> "With the Dutch oven, about all I can cook at home I can do outside.And it tastes much better when you're in the fresh air and sitting on the edge of a lake. "</ P> Lako discovered the value of Dutch oven cooking when he helped a naturalist on a camping trip back sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources of Missouri, who oversees the park system of the state. </ p> He helped prepare a meal that consisted of bison roast, baked potatoes, baked beans, biscuits and dessert. He opened his eyes to the versatility of the Dutch oven.</ P> "It's more than just a large frying pan that you use on a fire," said Lako. "The naturalist and his family celebrate Thanksgiving on the outside and fix a traditional meal - turkey, pumpkin pie, potato puree, dressing, everything - with a pot. It's really a fun way to cook at the campsite. "</ P> The concept is not new. In the late 1600s, the Dutch invented a way to make cast iron cooking pots to prepare their meals.An Englishman went to the Netherlands to see how they were made and led the process of returning to England. In four years, he has made some revisions and was granted a patent on his invention </ p> They have become very popular in the American colonies -. So popular that notables such as the mother of George Washington specified in his will that would receive his "kitchen furniture made of iron." </ P> The great explorers Lewis and Clark even included Dutch ovens as part of their needs as they traveled in the desert.</ P> Today, Dutch ovens are often used outdoors for campers such as Lako. They have legs and a tight fitting lid that is circled so that the charcoal briquettes can be placed on top and the bottom. </ P> By controlling the number of briquettes used, camp cooks can control the heat. Lako shoots often an average temperature of 325 degrees. </ P> So, how does he know how many briquettes to use to reach that temperature?To calculate the number of briquettes needed to reach 325 degrees, double the diameter of the oven and place the coals in a circle and under the lid of the casserole. It is one third of the coals under the pot and two-thirds of the lid. </ P> The briquettes last about half an hour. In some recipes, they may have to be replaced by a couple of times during cooking. </ P> Lako was occupied by a recent cold morning at Knob Noster State Park, demonstrating the process. </ P> <p> First, he pulled the charcoal, then went to work on his cutting board.He began by cutting the sausage and dice the onions, celery and green peppers. He skipped this mixture, add Cajun spices and Ro-Tel. He added the chicken broth and rice, and finally some shrimp. </ P> Here <p>. The main stem of the sausage jambalaya was ready to slow cook. </ P> But it was only the beginning. In another pot, he prepared the cornbread. And in yet another, he made a dessert - a strawberry-rhubarb mixture </ p> He took the proceeds from the kitchen of Missouri State Parks, "More Than S'mores: A Taste of. Missouri State Parks.&#x201D;</p><p>He staggered the times he put each course on, and three hours later, he and state park workers sat down to a feast.</p><p>But such meals aren&#x2019;t unusual for Lako. He enjoys cooking and playing with new ideas for recipes. He has prepared everything from pot roast to pork shoulder to various stews to bread and cobblers in his set of Dutch ovens.</p><p> An avid camper, he is in the process of renovating a 1954 &#x201C;Canned Ham&#x201D; camper he discovered in a field near the Katy Trail and purchased.His dream is to camp in this vintage RV and bring his game along Dutch oven set close to fine dining. </ P> "I look at the pot than the original slow cooker", he said. "The possibilities are endless when cooking with them."</ P> <hr /> <div class="infobox-hr-separator" class="infobox"> 1 T olive oil </ p> 1/2- pound Cajun sausage, cut into pieces currency </ p> 1 chopped onion </ p> 1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped </ p> 1 stalk celery, seeded and chopped </ p> <p> 1 c. Tea. Creole or Cajun seasoning </ p> 1 bay leaf </ p> 1 14-ounce Cajun Ro-tel. </ P> 2 C chicken broth </ p> 1 1 / 2 C long grain rice </ p> <p> Heat Dutch oven over medium heat.Add olive oil and the sausage, onion, green pepper and celery. Cook and stir 5 minutes until onion is tender. </ P> Add seasonings and bay leaf and cook for 1 more minute. Add Ro-Tel, broth, 1 1 / 2 cups water and rice. Then cover and simmer for about an hour.

And Now for Something Completely Delicious: Baking Outside the ...

Here in Utah we're pretty serious about our dutch oven cooking. It's all over the place, from camp grounds to carnivals. It's even the "state cooking pot" of Utah (thank you Wikipedia ), probably because of our rich pioneer heritage. If you don't have a camp dutch oven or aren't very familiar with them, I encourage you to look into getting one. They're a lot of fun and you can cook just about anything with it. Place 15 hot charcoal briquettes together and set dutch oven over them. Using tongs, place the remaining 30 briquettes on the dutch oven lid. After about 10 minutes, rotate the dutch oven over the coals clockwise and the lid over the dutch oven counter clockwise to promote even cooking. Check after 20 minutes, cobbler is done with the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling.

This looks great! Growing up, my dad used to make something similar to this while we were camping. He called it "dump cake" because you essentially just dumped everything in the dutch oven and put the lid on it! He always did it with canned pie filling and never even bothered to mix the cake mix... he just literally put the pie filling on the bottom, sprinkled the cake mix on top, and poured the sprite all over the whole thing. Somehow it always turned out delicious! But this looks just as good, especially with fresh berries.

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