I’m used to boiling or steaming my vegetables, so learning to cook them over a flame or coals took a little doing, but it’s easy and delicious. If you’re camping or grilling this summer, don’t forget the veggies!

CAMPFIRE SWEET POTATOES

At home:

Place 1 Tb butter, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a plastic bag. Pack 1 large sweet potato (or 2 small to medium), aluminum foil, a peeler, a knife, and a cutting board.

At camp: Peel then slice the sweet potato into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread the sweet potato slices in the middle of the foil and cover with the butter mixture. Lift opposite edges of the foil and bring them together; roll them together a bit. You should be looking at an aluminum tube with potatoes in the middle. Flatten the tube into a rectangle and roll the open edges a bit so that they close. Yes, this is exactly what we did with the regular potatoes last week; you should be a pro at making foil potato packets by now; or you’re pretty good at cooking lopsided wads of foil. Either way, place the packet on the grill or hot coals and cook until you can pierce the packet with a fork.

An alternate sweet potato recipe which involves even less prep is to throw a few marshmallows onto the potato slices in the packet.

CAMPFIRE ZUCCHINI

At home:

Place 2 Tb oil (olive, vegetable, coconut, etc), 1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper into large ziploc bag. Pack 2 medium sized zucchini, a knife, and, if your campfire doesn’t have a grill, some sort of pan or grate to cook on.

At camp:

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and then into thirds lengthwise so that you end up with giant zucchini fries. Drop them into the bag of salted oil and shake to coat. Spread them out on the grill or pan or a piece of scavenged foil and cook until tender.

“Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.” Proverbs 15:17