Written by April Moore Skelton
Recipes by Conrad Skelton
Photography by Justin Evans

The weather has cooled off and it’s a wonderful time to be outdoors. Pick up the latest issue of Lake Oconee Living for recipes you can cook fireside.

Surrounded by the complexities of our modern kitchens, it’s easy to forget that cooking is a simple formula: Food plus fire– no more, no less. Our kitchens may make it more convenient, give us more options, allow us to make more at once, or ease the tasks of preparing food, but in their utility, some of the essential and ancient pleasures of cooking are lost.
Kitchens are natural gathering places for family and friends, but the predecessor for the kitchen– the campfire– has that same universal lure, not to mention hypnotizing natural beauty. Say what you will for your granite countertops, but a dancing fire captivates the eye, while beckoning with comfort and warmth. As the weather cools and the trees flare into oranges and golds before giving way to ashy winter brown, it’s a wonderful time to experience the outdoors with your nearest and dearest– whether snuggled in a blanket beside a backyard chiminea, or in the woods around a carefully constructed pyramid of crackling logs.
The recipes included here take advantage of the simplicity, fun, and flavor that cooking over open fire imparts. Whether you’re taking your supplies along in your pack or just carrying them into the backyard, you can prepare any of these over a campfire or an outdoor grill. Paring down to the basics brings out the best in the food and the fellowship, as you’ll only find around the fire.

To enjoy campfire recipes from breakfast skillets to Dutch oven cobblers, pick up the latest issue of Lake Oconee Living magazine. The Autumn issue can be found on newsstands throughout the lake area and locally at the Morgan County Citizen office, Ingles, Madison Drug Store, Olde South Wine and Spirits, and Thrifty Mac. 

Want a taste of the outdoors?
Chef Conrad Skelton will host a demonstration of the recipes featured in the magazine on Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. at Earthfare. Earthfare is located in Athens, 1689 S. Lumpkin St., Athens.

Black and Blue Dutch Oven Cobbler   1 box of white cake mix
1 can of lemon-lime soda
1 can of blueberry pie filling
1 can of blackberry pie filling

1. Pour pie filling into cast iron pot. In a separate bowl, combine soda and cake mix. Batter will be lumpy. Pour over pie filling and cover with lid.
2. Bake with hot coals piled on top and beneath Dutch oven until crust is golden brown. Serves 6.