Campfire Feasts

Creating delicious meals under the open sky transforms dining into an adventure, especially when the fire is in the heart of a tipi (or just out the front of one if you don’t fancy one inside your tipi!)

The ambiance of a tipi, combined with the crackle of a campfire, invites the return to simpler culinary experience but with a deeper level of enjoyment that one can expect when eating inside a house.

We thought we would share our top three recipes that are easy to whip up on a campfire.

Twisty Campfire Bread

Nothing says outdoor cooking quite like bread toasted over an open fire.

Before you head off into the great outdoors, prepare a simple dough

3 cups of flour

A generous pinch of salt

Teaspoon of baking powder

Handful of brown sugar

Add a bit of oil and 6 oz of water and knead until you've got a pliable dough.

When the fire is glowing, tear the dough into strips and wrap them around long sticks. Hold them over the flames and turn slowly. The bread will puff up and take on a deliciously smoky flavor, perfect for pairing with your stew or simply enjoyed with a bit of butter melted over its warm surface.

Forest Floor Stew

This stew is a celebration of whatever the forest floor (or your cool box / back of the fridge) has to offer.

Start with a base of chopped tomatoes in a dutch oven over the fire, add diced carrots, mushrooms, and any other vegetables you fancy.

Let it simmer until everything melds together in a comforting concoction.

For a heartier version, add in chunks of pre-cooked meat or keep it vegetarian with beans or lentils. Season with herbs you've picked or brought along, and serve with a side of your freshly made campfire bread for dipping.

Ember-Baked Chocolate Oranges

Desserts in the wild don't get more magical than chocolate cake baked inside an orange! This is one of the favourites for our boys to make!

Prepare a simple cake or brownie batter before you leave (literally any cake batter will do!).

At your campsite, slice the tops off oranges and hollow them out.

Fill each orange with the batter, then replace the top. Wrap the oranges in foil and nestle them in the embers of your campfire, slurp on the scooped out orange while you impatiently wait for the cakes to bake!

The oranges infuse the cake with a subtle citrus flavour while the fire does the baking - you will not need to leave them for very long, 10 -15 minutes usually is enough - Open up the foil, and insert a small knife into the centre of the batter. If it comes out clean then your campfire cakes are done! If not, then continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so, and then check again.

Enjoy!