DINKUM DINING
Cook up a storm
A camp oven may seem like a pretty basic piece of kit, but, as those at the inaugural Camp Oven Cook-off in the Flinders Ranges town of Blinman well know, in the right hands it can produce mouthwatering culinary wonders.
Story and photos Kristin Weidenbach
For anyone who thought that campfire cooking was limited to a few snags on a hot plate, potatoes buried in the coals and a damper baked in its own tough, charred shell, the Camp Oven Cook-off at Blinman in South Australia's Flinders Ranges was a lesson in culinary innovation. Osso Bucco; pumpkin and sultana scones with dark plum jam and freshly whipped cream; curry served with pureed potatoes and fresh carrot chutney; even pies and pasties looking just like they'd come from a bakery window, were retrieved from camp ovens with pride and served to the judges in a hopeful bid to win the inaugural Blinman Hotel Camp Oven Cup.
Competition judge Lisa Cutri,
chef at the Blinman Hotel, is delighted with the overall high standard
of the food produced. "I was amazed. Nothing was
burnt or anything. There was nothing that you couldn't eat. It was all
top quality. Everyone tried really hard." 
Full story Issue 33, Feb/Mar 2004
