What is the big deal with plant identification?

Gee, it seems as if all the early ranks require you to identify plants. Why is this a skill that is important?

1.  It improves your observational skills which can be used in many settings (including understanding people)

2. It improves your ability to discriminate between slight differences.  This can be important training for problem solving, art, technical pursuits, and logic.

3. It could keep you from suffering from Poison Ivy--and your friends from hearing you complain.

4. It could help you figure out where you are or locate water.

4. It could keep you from going hungry if you didn't pack enough.

5. It could keep you from picking up wood that would not burn well, or not provide heat.

6. In the case of cattail, it could allow you to keep warmer on a winter hike.


Although the requirements do not specify when to identify the plants, take the challenge and see if you can identify plants when they are dormant during winter.  You never know when you might need the various properties the plants can offer year round.

Some useful winter plants:
Willows- grow near water - twigs and inner bark are edible but bitter - makes poor firewood
Cattails - grows near water - fluff can be used for insulation, roots and shoots are edible (supposedly they are calorie dense which is good if you have no food during the winter)
Queen's Anne Lace - roots are edible
Yew - great firewood, burns slowly but with great heat
Ash - great firewood, burns when green
Holly - good firewood, burns when green.

A Dutch Oven for Backpacking

Going backpacking or canoeing and are disappointed you can't make some of your favorite meals because the Dutch Oven is just too heavy and cumbersome to take with you?   Despair no longer!

John G. Ragsdale in Dutch Oven Cooking  describes an oven he made out of aluminum pie pans.

These three are just to show the configuration.
You would want more sturdy pans & painted. 

He took 3 heavy gage aluminum pie pans, painted the outsides black plus one inside, and then assembled two pie pans together  with heat resistant screws so that the concave parts are facing out.

When he uses them, the  bottom pan is placed a bit above the fire on rocks or steel tent pegs and the assembled pie pans become the cover and coal holder.  Make sure the black inside surface is the coal holder, not the side next to the food.

When it is time to pack up, the screws can be undone, the pans nested and the screws reattached so that they don't get lost.

Now, that is one resourceful camper!

Chicken Provolone Scaloppine for 6

This might be one to try if you anticipate needing to release some frustrations

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts --pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 1/2 teaspoon crushed sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 slices provolone
4 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Romano cheese, grated
2 Tablespoons parsley

Sprinkle chicken with sage and pepper.  Place Provolone on chicken and role up, jellyroll style.  Secure with toothpick.  Dip chicken in butter.  Coat with bread crumb, Romano cheese, parsley.  Bake 45 minutes at 350.

Chicken Fricassee with Dumplings for 8

5-6 pounds of fryer chicken cut up
4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoon  shortening
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3 cup milk
4 Tablespoon butter
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
Water

Mix salt, paprika and pepper in plastic bag. (Could use Shake and Bake or other premixed seasonings) Shake 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time in bag to coat.  Melt shortening and butter in large skillet or Dutch oven.  brown chicken on all sides.  Remove chicken and stir in soup and milk and replace chicken.  Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until thickest pieces are tender.  Twenty minutes before the end of cooking, prepare dumpling dough.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot chicken.  Cook uncovered 10 minutes, cover and cook 10 minutes longer.  Yield 8 servings

Dumpling:  Add poultry seasoning, parsley and Bisquick with enough water to make a soft dough.


Recipe courtesy of Cathy Laskowski from Feeding the Flock, pg 57

Chocolate pudding pie for 8

This sounds really interesting and does not require fresh milk.

Graham cracker crust
Chocolate chips     1 cup
Sweetened condensed milk    14 oz can

Put the chocolate chips in the bottom of the crust.  Pour the milk over it. Bake for 25 min or until pudding is browning on edge.  Cool and cut into 8 servings.

If you decide to make the crust:
2 cups cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons  sugar
3/4 cup butter
Melt butter in pan.  Add crumb and sugar mixture to pan and mix to coat crumbs.  Press the buttery crumbs onto the sides and bottom of the pan.


Inspired by:
Dutch Oven Cooking 4th edition, John G. Ragsdale pg 72

Easy Donuts

approx 50 donuts
Dutch oven or pan on stove
Deep Frying

3 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t butter
3/4 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
cooking oil

Sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling over completed donuts

1. Beat sugar and butter, add eggs and mix, gradually add milk while stirring.
2. Mix rest of the dry ingredients, gradually add liquid to dry ingredients while stirring.
3. On floured surface roll or pat dough to 3/8 inches thick.
4. Use round cutter (cup rim) or just cut into squares approx 2 inches
5. Heat enough oil in pan to allow dough to float when cooked.
6. Place a few pieces of dough in the oil at a time so that they are not overlapping.  Allow to cook (it should float when it is done) on one side, flip over and finish cooking.  Second side will not take as long.
7. Take dough out of oil and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.


I saw some recipes that use Bisquick in place of the flour, salt, butter and baking powder, but those recipes call for baking the donuts instead of frying.  These recipes also add 1 t vanilla and other stir-ins like 1/3 c bannas or mini chocolate chips.  If you are feeling adventurous, give it a try.  Maybe you will get funnel cake or maybe you will get donuts. Or you could try baking them in the Dutch oven instead of frying but it will take longer.

Vegetarian cheese casserole

I was reading the book Dutch Oven Cooking 4th edition by John G. Ragsdale and I came to the realization that the recipes were not adapted to Dutch oven cooking.  These were recipies that could be made on the stove or in the oven at home.  The only difference might be the use of easy to store ingredients or putting the dough into a pan that fits into the circular oven instead of a cookie sheet.

With that thought, many cooking experiences open up to us.

Enjoy this vegetarian casserole.

2 med eggplants peeled and cubed
1 egg
1 cup cottage cheese
1 10.75 oz can mushroom or tomato soup
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
4 oz Mozzarella cheese
1 cup bread or cracker crumbs

1. Boil eggplant until tender (approx 5 min). Drain.
2. Beat egg and stir in with cottage cheese, soup, and seasoning. Stir in the eggplant and put into oiled pan or Dutch oven.
3. Place sliced cheese over mixture and sprinkle with crumbs.
4. Bake for 30 min.

You could use zucchini but don't boil.  This will be more watery than when using eggplant.