Camp cooking: preparing, cooking and serving


Posted BY Ian under camping-advice

This article follows on from Camp cooking: a short introduction . In it, we look at the organization of the food chain.

The Store Tent

"The first link in the chain is the the store tent, which should be close to the preparing place, but further removed from the kitchen."
You are unlikely to take along an Army bell tent as recommended. For a weekend away you may only need 3 or 4 meals at the camp site. This section of the book goes on to detail the best ways of storing different foods. The principles are the same. You need to be organized such that you can find things as you need them, and careful with perishables. Modern packaged foods offer many advantages to the camper. Where fresh milk spoils easily, you have the choice of taking cartons of UHT milk or powder. Many whole meals come in packets needing only the addition of water and a quick boil. Do not rule out taking fresh foods. Some of the best camp meals I have had have involved fresh, tasty vegetables. However, these do not like sitting under tins of other food, nor baking in the back window of the car. However you decide to organize things, make sure everyone is aware of the system. If you are going for a longer camp, it works best to have one 'cook' who keeps track of supplies. No one else should take from 'stores' without their permission. This avoids the worst situation of all; inability to cook the meal planned because some ingredient has been used up.

Preparation Place

"It is a good plan to have the preparing place and also the kitchen marked off with stones. Ropes should be avoided as they are likely to lead to accidents [...] Nobody should be allowed within these bounds except those actually engaged in the departments. In the preparing place there must be a table, and all the utensils for preparing food for the use of the actual cooks. There should be bowls for peeled and cut up vegetables ..."
This may all sound a bit fussy but if we look at the underlying features it will appear more like common sense. Keeping non-cooks out of the 'kitchen' is important. I've been on many camps where people focused on other issues (football, getting a beer) have wandered through the 'kitchen' and knocked over something important. A neat row of stones will probably get you lots of attention from other campers. The odd shout to mates to remind them to stay clear works well enough. The preparing place not need be far removed from the 'kitchen'. Indeed, it should close. It should be separate though, such that the traffic here does not interfere with the cooking. There's no need for a real table. Any large, flat rock or piece of grass will do. Just be careful with dirt and dust. It does help to have a chopping board (or two - best to have one for vegetables and another for meat) and some plates or bowls for storing intermediate steps. As far as utensils go, you only need as many as are required for the meals you plan to cook. If you have thought these through before your trip there should be no great list.

The Kitchen

I shall follow J.T. Gorman's lead and deal with "fires and ovens " in another place. I love his comment that, "all that is needed, besides the fire itself, is a large stone, or tree stump, placed near the fire, on which the cooks may sit ...". Personally, I prefer my kitchen to be equipped with a moderate amount of alcoholic refreshment (except at breakfast, of course).

The Dining Place

"The dining place should be as near to the kitchen as possible, as it is of the first importance to have the food served hot."
Indeed it is. Food cools quickly in the outdoors and you do need to be organized such that everyone gets fed before the meal goes cold. For a small number of campers it is best to divide up the whole amount quickly and tuck in rather than worrying about a serving system. For larger groups you will need to nominate some servers. They have an incentive to get things done quickly as they will eat last.
"... Sitting on the ground for meals is not particularly healthy as an attitude for digestion, and is apt to lead to untidiness and bad manners."
Your style of camping will probably dictate whether or not you can do anything about this, and whether or not you care. More relevant to all camps is the following rule:
"On no account should the cooks or the preparing place staff have anything to do with the serving of food. They have already done their part of the work."
I would add to that. Nor should the cooks etc be involved in washing/tidying up after the meal - and I usually include the driver(s) if there has been a long journey that day. All quotes from: Camp Cooking and Catering by J.T. Gorman, Late Commandant Army School of Cookery for India - Second Edition 1933