Campfire cooking can be a blast and during a nice fresh winter on the East Coast of Tasmania it's a great idea to get creative when you're focusing on filling and warming those happy camper tummies!
Damper
Making damper around the campfire is a long held Australian tradition. It’s simple and fun to make and is a filling, warm accompaniment to any meal. More dense and floury than oven baked bread but just as tasty in its own way when cracked open with some butter, damper was a staple of early Australian jumbucks looking after their land and stock.
Here's a simple camping damper recipe to try
The great Tasmanian BBQ
When camping in Tasmania there is usually a free or coin operated BBQ not too far away. “Throwing another shrimp on the barbie” became a saying synonymous with Australian holidaying thanks to Paul Hogan and Tourism Australia in the early-mid 1980s. And although shrimp is rarely seen on the Australian BBQ big juicy prawns certainly are. There isn’t much that can’t be barbequed in the eyes of an Australian. Steak, lamb chops, sausages, hamburgers, vegie burgers, chicken and seafood are all fantastic, especially with a well thought out marinade. Sweet corn, haloumi, capsicum, zucchini and eggplant are all fantastic grilled on the BBQ with some salt and pepper (and butter with corn!).
Winter soups
A warm soups and it can be just the thing in winter to warm tummies when camping. You can make a great broth and let it simmer while you tell stories over the campfire. Minestrone, potato and leek and pumpkin are all traditional family camping favourites. If you want something that packs a punch with flavour a great curry soup or laksa.
Warm winter salads
Salads are no longer just some green leaves and a bit of chopped up tomato and cucumber. Over the last decade or so the cuisines from around the world have influenced cooking in Australia and now we have a fusion of flavours to experiment with. And a warm salad can be highly satisfying as a winter meal when camping! When considering a base think about warm potatoes, rice or pasta. Some fantastic ways to add some flavour are by adding things like pesto, stock or your favourite sauces or by marinating some meat or tofu before cooking it. You can get really creative these days and throw in whatever you want! Grilled zucchini, haloumi, cooked greens, pomegranate, olives, the sky’s the limit.
S’mores
A meal simply isn’t complete without a sweet ending for some and s’mores are a fun treat to make together. This camping tradition holds its history in America. Sweet biscuits, chocolate and melted marshmallow. What’s not to love?!
Here’s an Australian twist on the S’mores recipe for you to try
This post is care of the Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park on the stunning East Coast of Tasmania. The caravan park and cabins are in the perfect location to explore the Bay of Fires, St Helens and Bicheno. A caravan park and camping ground in Scamander, Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park offers family friendly camping and in a beautiful natural setting right next to the beach and a nature reserve. Camp or park your caravan or campervan in an unpowered or powered campsite or book a cabin style safari tent if you prefer to camp in style with all the conveniences of home. Call (03) 6372 5311 to book.
