Whew! Seattle had its first sunny day in ages today. All this sunshine is getting me excited for the summer months–camping, hiking, Dutch oven cooking, s’mores, and lots of good casual food around the campfire. My husband and I have been crafting our own version of campground cookery for some time now. Over the years, we’ve cooked everything from frozen pizzas in the camper oven to rib eye steaks over a campfire. Homemade cookies, grilled oysters, and local salmon have formed the backbone for many of our meals.
Of course, we have an array of cookware in our camper, but without a doubt our cast iron pans and Dutch ovens are our favorite tools. We have five or six Dutch ovens and on any given camping trip, we load at least one of them with fruit and pastry in order to make a Dutch oven cobbler for dessert. If you’ve ever cooked over an open campfire using cast iron Dutch ovens, then you know what it’s like to truly make a labor of love for your family and friends. Dutch oven cookery is a fine art and these portable ovens get hot and heavy. Hence, it is important to be careful and STRONG, as well as skilled in the art of managing a natural heat source!
With that in mind, I’d like to recommend one of our most critical Dutch oven accessories–the Lodge Red Leather Gloves. These gloves are great! I gave my husband a pair about six years ago. I can assure you that they have been put to the test time and again. And, indeed, they pass every time. So, if you are thinking of adding Dutch oven cookery to your campground cuisine this summer, be armed with a set of these awesome gloves!
Photo of Dutch Oven pie taken at 100 Years of Scouting, July 2010, by Chris Trainer
–Melissa A. Trainer