Campfire Cooking at the Beach:)

Campfire Cooking Goes Gourmet
Reinvent your understanding of eating in the great outdoors with these five sure-fire recipes.

CLEANSE THE PALATE: Introducing your personal outdoor oven (courtesy, Redwood Creek) Entrée: Twig-Smoked, Bacon-Wrapped Brook Trout Ingredients 2 handfuls of dried aromatic twigs (such as apple, cherry, maple or hickory), or substitute wood chips or 2 large bunches fresh thyme 2 (10-ounce) trout fillets, head and tail on 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 large sprigs fresh sage, or 8 sprigs Italian parsley or thyme 1 lemon, halved from top to bottom and sliced 1/2 pound sliced bacon Salt and pepper to taste Other Materials Fishing pole and bait Natural fiber string Toothpicks Cooking grate Frying pan Preparation 1. Using your best fly, catch a trout. Clean and gut it. 2. Soak twigs in a brook (or a bowl of water) for 30 minutes. If using thyme, bind it at the stems with a natural fiber string. Drizzle cavity of trout with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with four lemon slices and one or two sprigs of the herbs. 3. Gather dried wood and build a fire. Let the fire burn down until the wood is red hot, but covered in a grey-white ash. While the wood is burning down, wrap trout with bacon like a mummy, using toothpicks to hold bacon in place. Each trout will require about four strips of bacon. Reserve. 4. Set a cooking grate over the fire at such a height that you can only hold your hand directly above the grate for a slow count of three seconds. Just before grilling, top the fire with water-soaked twigs (or can substitute twigs with chips or thyme). 5. Immediately set fish on grate and cover with a large upside-down frying pan. Cook directly over medium heat for approximately five minutes per side, or until bacon is crispy and trout is cooked throughout. Trout can also be seared in a cast-iron pan over a medium-high flame for approximately five minutes per side. Garnish with extra herb springs and serve immediately. Bob's Campfire Tip: Save any leftover bits of bacon and trout (cooked or uncooked) to transform your next morning's scrambled eggs into a campfire delicacy. Yield: 2 servings Suggested Wine Pairing Redwood Creek's light-bodied 2005 Pinot Grigio pairs well with the fresh catch of the day, including salmon, whitefish or lake trout. Grilled freshwater fish bring out the wine's lively floral aromas and refreshingly crisp finish. Side Dish: Fire-Baked Mashed Chipotle Yams Ingredients 1 7-ounce can chipotles in adobo sauce 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon goat cheese 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 medium yams, ideally the Garnett variety Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Other Materials Coals Aluminum foil Resealable plastic bag Preparation 1. Before leaving home, transfer contents of can of chipotles into a blender or small food processor and purée. Reserve. In a medium bowl, add one tablespoon of chipotle purée, butter, goat cheese, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend thoroughly with a fork and refrigerate in a small resealable plastic bag. 2. Once on the trail, build your campfire and wrap each yam individually in three layers of aluminum foil. Crinkle foil so that there is some space between each layer. This will create a buffer between the yam and the fire. 3. At the campsite, place yams directly over the coals of a hot fire and cook for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until yams are fully cooked. Remove yams from foil, set on their sides and slice 1/4-inch slits into the top of each yam. Add about 1 tablespoon of chipotle mixture to each yam and use a fork to mash it in its own skin. Serve as is. Bob's Campfire Tip: Leftover chipotle purée is a perfect addition to a campfire chili! Because the recipe includes goat cheese and butter, it's best to enjoy this side dish on the first day of your trip. Yield: 2 servings Suggested Wine Pairing These super-easy yams have a candied, buttery sweetness and a smoky hot finish. They'll be the jewel of any campfire meal when complemented with the round, soft tannins of the Redwood Creek 2005 Merlot. This versatile red accentuates the savory flavors of the chipotle and maple syrup in this recipe. Side Dish: Indian Summer Succotash Ingredients 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or skip butter and double olive oil) 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices 2 medium potatoes, diced into 1/4-inch cubes 10 garlic cloves, peeled 2 large shallots, quartered 2 ears of corn, husked (or 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed) 1 cup fresh or frozen fava beans (or lima beans) 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon (or rosemary), stemmed and minced Salt and pepper to taste Other Materials Cast-iron skillet Pocket knife Preparation 1. In a large cast-iron pan over a medium fire, add oil, butter, carrots, potatoes, garlic and shallots. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Remove the lid, and stand corn on its end in the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut downward between the kernels and cob so the kernels fall directly into the pan. Cook uncovered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Add beans and cook for about ten additional minutes, or until veggies are caramelized on the outside. 4. Add herbs, salt and pepper during the last few minutes of cooking. Yield: 2 servings Suggested Wine Pairing This vegetable side dish is based on a traditional Native American staple and is best enjoyed when sweet summer corn is in season. The medium-bodied Redwood Creek 2005 Chardonnay offers flavorful notes of nectarine and dried pineapple intertwined with a touch of floral citrus and subtle spiciness. Entrée: Rosemary Rock Chicken Ingredients 4 chicken halves, with all bones removed except for the wing bone, if possible (ask your butcher to do this for you) 1 handful fresh rosemary, stemmed 1 handful fresh thyme, stemmed 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil Other Materials Aluminum foil Resealable plastic bag Cooking grate Frozen ice pack Rocks about the size of each chicken piece Preparation 1. Place chicken halves in a resealable plastic bag. Add herbs, salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Squeeze out air before sealing. Massage marinade around chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for two to four hours. 2. Pack chicken with ice pack and hike to your desired destination. Build a fire and set a cooking grate over the coals. Find four rocks that are approximately the same size as each chicken half. Wrap with aluminum foil. 3. Remove chicken from marinade and discard garlic slices. Place chicken on the grate, skin side down and place a foil-covered rock on top of each chicken half (the weight helps ensure uniformly crispy skin). Cook for approximately ten minutes, or until skin is golden brown and crispy. Remove rocks, turn chicken, place rocks back on top, and cook for approximately ten more minutes, or until chicken is cooked throughout. Let chicken rest for five minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings Suggested Wine Pairing The food-friendly Redwood Creek 2005 Pinot Noir complements the crispy texture of this chicken dish, while the wine's ripe flavors of blackberry and black cherry enhance the flavors of fresh fragrant herbs. Dessert: Poached Trailside Fruit Ingredients 12 dried figs (the Middle Eastern kind that are often packaged in the form of a ring) 1 cup mixture of dried apricots, prunes, dried cherries, golden raisins or whatever dried fruit you may have on hand 3 cups Redwood Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 3 ounces Cognac (bring along a couple of airplane-size bottles) 1 cup brown sugar 1 lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 4 ounces mascarpone cheese (optional) Other Materials Pocket knife Medium pot or pan Preparation 1. Stem the figs and cut in half. Use a sharp knife (a Swiss army knife will do just fine) to cut a thin layer of peel off the lemon. 2. Place fig halves and additional dried fruit in a medium pot or pan. Add Redwood Creek wine, Cognac, brown sugar, lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. 3. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until liquids have reduced by half. Let cool, then serve with a dollop of mascarpone cheese. Drizzle with liquid reduction. Watch for bears! Yield: 4 servings Suggested Wine Pairing The Redwood Creek 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon—with its dark, rich flavors of a medley of raspberries, blueberries and boysenberries—pairs nicely with the dried fruit. This Cabernet Sauvignon offers notes of vanilla oak, complemented by a smooth, velvety finish—a perfect ending to a satisfying campfire meal.