Juicy burgers and fresh fish taste great cooked over an open campfire, but the same old thing gets tiresome after awhile. In case you need some inspiration, here are some ideas that make great use of the garden vegetables that are abundant right now:
Onion Bombs! Not the ‘bursting in air’ kind, hopefully; more like a tiny round package bursting with flavor. The simplest way to make these for camping is to bring frozen meatballs – store-bought or homemade – then thaw them in the RV fridge or camp cooler before assembly. Slice off the top and bottom of the large round onion (weep a bit when you remove that root end), remove the paper thin outer layers, then slice the onion in half stem to stern. Separate into sections of descending size. Your onion bombs will range in size from a baseball to a golf ball depending on the onion. Fill one curved onion section with enough meatball mixture to form a ball when its corresponding onion hemisphere is squished over the other side. Hey, you’re cooking, you might as well have some fun.
Wrap each onion bomb in heavy duty foil – spray the inside with cooking spray if you like – and twist closed at the top, careful not to puncture the foil. Place them into the hot coals for ten minutes, turn them and cook another ten minutes or so. The smaller ones will cook faster so you might want to place them in the coals accordingly. Carefully open the bomb (beware of steam) and season the contents, add ketchup or marinara, or eat them plain. The sweetness of the roasted onions keeps the meatballs moist and flavorful.
Now, for dessert – how about Glazed Peaches! Wash and quarter four peaches, place in the center of a large sheet of heavy duty foil – curve the sides up a bit if things seem apt to escape. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter, and cinnamon to taste; gently mix. Form a packet (pull two shorts sides of the foil together and gently fold them down twice until a package forms. Fold the remaining two sides inward to seal the packet, leaving a little extra space inside for steam). Grill over medium-high heat 10-12 minutes. You can also do these in individual serving sizes – just divide the ingredients four ways (or eyeball it and add to taste; it’s camp food, not a final exam). Check individual packets a bit sooner, since smaller items cook faster and may need to be removed from the coals earlier.
Finally, here’s a beautiful and tasty breakfast idea – anytime idea, really – from ‘Gimme Some Oven” – bacon and eggs cooked in a potato jacket. Read all about the Idaho Sunrise directions athttp://www.gimmesomeoven.com/idaho-sunrise-baked-eggs-and-bacon-in-potato-bowls.
We hope this lends some new flavor to your next cookout, and we hope you choose to have it here at Mountain Lakes Resort & RV Park!