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Camping is one of my all-time favorite summer activities. For a week, the din of the city living is replaced by the haunting call of loons, the whispering breeze off the lake, and the chattering of birds, chipmunks and squirrels; it's heavenly. And the best part? Eating outside around a campfire.
I covet campfire cooking even though it often results in charring, which is like willingly downing carcinogens (not so coveted). When I'm camping, I can't resist a hotdog cooked over the fire, but I try to space those charred meals out a bit to give my body a break.
The propane stove is the obvious stand-in, but there's another option for dinner: Rocks. Hard and cold as they may seem, rocks can be heated in a campfire and then used to provide heat for an outdoor oven.
When you start a campfire, throw some rocks in at the edges, allowing them to heat up for about an hour. While you're waiting, build an oven.
If you have a cardboard box and aluminum foil, you have an oven. Just cover all inside surfaces of the box with foil, including the flaps on the open side. The shiny side should be facing up to maximize convection heating. The foil should stay in place with a little pinching along the edges, but if you want to use tape, use it only on the exterior of the box.
Place the hot rocks in the bottom of the box and sit a metal wrack or grill on the rocks. Pop your food in your new oven (fresh-caught fish is lovely), close the flaps and place a metal cooking utensil or some damp wood on top to hold the flaps shut. It's really that easy.
If you're looking for something a little more permanent, convert an old tabletop propane or charcoal barbecue into a hot stone barbecue. Simply pull out the guts (the gas line and elements), place the hot rocks in the bottom, replace the grill, and you're in business. Be sure to place one of the rocks directly on the old vent in order to minimize heat loss.
The cooking time is about double compared to normal cooking time in a gas or electric oven at home, but you can cook just about anything, from steaks to cakes.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of Naturally Savvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
More on solar cooking from Planet Green:
Quiz: Are You An Eco-Friendly Eater?
Make a Solar-Powered Stove Out of an Umbrella and Tin Foil
Make Your Own Solar Box Cooker
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
