This summer, June in fact, sees the campsite reopen with new tents and a new approach. One of the things that is new for this year is a new stove in each tent.
We know how important being able to cook food quickly and easily so we have spent the winter researching the best way to do this in a tent.
And the result is our new wood-burning stove which comes complete with an oven. While a hob is great for frying off sausages and boiling a kettle we think our new stoves open up a whole new culinary camping world.
While the oven temperature is not as easily to regulate as the electric oven in my kitchen I've been enjoying working with the vagaries this new mini oven is throwing up. I've promised that each tent will have a book of easy and delicious recipes by the time we open.
This week I've been concentrating on pizza. Here's the recipe for dough from scratch and I'm just finishing off a cheat's version.
PAN PIZZA
1 and 2/3 cups of warm water (all our recipes use cups and measuring spoons as measurements as there are no scales in the tents)
2 and 1/2 tsp fast acting dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of olive oil (just regular, not your best extra virgin)
4 cups strong bread flour
In large bowl mix together the water, yeast, and salt. Stir until dissolved and then stir in the olive oil, then the flour. It should start sticky but then all start to come together.
Sprinkle a little flour onto the wooden worksurface of the kitchen and turn the dough out. You can cut the dough into three or four pieces at this point to give children the chance to knead their own dough. Knead, or let them knead the dough for five minutes.
Wash your mixing bowl (or a number of smaller bowls if you have little helpers), then dry and rub a few drops of oil on the inside to grease slightly. Put the dough in the bowl, or bowls, and turn it so it is oiled and then drape a clean tea towel over. If your stove is not lit, now would be a good time to light it. Place your dough in a warm place (on the table in the sun, or to the side of the stove) until around doubled in size.
Take the dough and punch it down with your fist and turn out onto a board.
If you haven’t already, now cut it into three of four pieces. Roll out slightly and then press it into the oven skillet (greased) or an oiled or baking sheet lined with parchment. Press it down into the pan and then add your chosen topping. Pop into the oven and don’t go anywhere! If the oven is hot it will cook in just a few minutes.
That’s it!
Our favourite toppings:
· Garden tomatoes; simply gather up the freshest garden tomatoes in a mix of colours and shapes and slice thinly. Drizzle a little oil over the dough, rub over a garlic clove then add a thin layer of tomatoes, add salt and pepper then whack in the oven. When out of the oven grate over parmesan and add some basil leaves.
· Cheese and tomatoes; as above but add on dollops of mozzarella and a few shavings of cheddar and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
· Olives and anchovies, Smear the dough with tomato paste (just regular readymade pasta sauce from a jar is just fine) then sprinkle chopped olives, sliced spring onions and a few anchovies.
· Cheese and chilli, grate a strong cheddar cheese over the door and a sprinkling of chopped chillies. Add cubed chorizo for a meaty punch
