TASTY TIPS FOR COOKING ON YOUR WOODBURNING STOVE

Image Gallery Eggplant wrapped in foil is wonderful when you add basil and tomato slices.

WOODSTOVE SPECIAL

By Fred and Helen Brassel

M OST PEOPLE ONLY CONSIDER their woodstove useful for heating a room. And when we purchased our Woodstocker to cut oil costs, we never gave a thought to using it as a cooking stove.

But one day, bolstered by the surprising amount of heat dispensed by our stove, we tentatively approached it with tea kettle in hand. Once we were successful (with a little patience), we quickly graduated to soups and stews. Though ours doesn't have the versatility of a wood cookstove designed for kitchen duty, it does have some workable similarities.

The surface of our woodstove isn't usually hot enough for frying foods but it is perfect for simmering and slow cooking. We've even managed to use our "oven" (firebox) in much the same way as we use our charcoal grill in the summertime.

GRILLING. The hot coals will cook foil-wrapped vegetables or individual packets of meat. For baked potatoes, wrap them in heavy duty foil and place in the hot ashes of the fire. These will take from 45 minutes to one hour to cook.

Corn can be cooked in foil, too. Strip husks down to the end of the ear but don't tear off. Remove silk, butter generously, and bring husks up around corn, making sure all the kernels are covered. Wrap in double thickness of heavy-duty foil, twist ends, and nestle in hot ashes.

Sliced zucchini can be seasoned with oregano and mixed with chopped tomato and butter. Double wrap and cook in ashes. Small beets can be cooked directly on the hot coals: Just sprinkle them with water, dot with chunks of butter, and double wrap in heavy-duty foil.

For grilled chicken, marinate 2-inch pieces of chicken breast in soy sauce, some powdered ginger, a little sugar, and garlic powder to taste for two hours. Place a few pieces and some marinade in a double wrapping of heavy-duty foil. Repeat until all the chicken is wrapped tightly, then place the packets on the coals until done.

ALL-IN-ONES. Individual meals, such as the Hobo Dinner, can be cooked in pound-size coffee cans nestled in hot coals. Shape one-half pound of ground beef into a large patty the size of the bottom of the coffee can. Top with sliced onions, a sliced potato, and one-half ear of corn; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover can tightly with double-wrapped aluminum foil. Nestle can among hot coals, but do not set directly on top of them. This will take at least an hour to cook.