The Smiths aren't alone in their love of al fresco sleeping and dining. Despite the down economy, or maybe because of it, the popularity of outdoor camping as a family activity is growing, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. The group estimated that in 2009 there were 34.3 million campers in the country, an increase of 9.4 percent since 2007. Add in the growing appreciation for eating well, a trend fueled in part by the popular Food Network and its new hipster Cooking Channel, and it's no wonder that campers are cooking up a storm in the great outdoors.
A 2007 camping trip transformed the way Belmont Hills artist Charles Burrus and his partner, Sander Schlichter, anesthesiologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, eat.
"It actually changed our lives," Burrus said of the two-week adventure the couple had in northern New Zealand in 2007. They put 1,000 miles on their rented pop-up-camper van, zigzagging around the Kiwi countryside from farmer's markets to boutique wineries to organic groceries.
"Everything there is fresh, local, seasonal and mostly organic," said Burrus, who grew up camping and cooking over the fire on family trips. "Sander and I had never consciously eaten that way for an extended period of time."
In New Zealand, using a trusty cast-iron skillet, Burrus stuck to a menu of one-pot suppers started from a seared piece of meat like lamb or ostrich, then embellished with fresh veggies and a hefty dose of local wine.
"Sander cooks like it's a science experiment, pulling out every single pot and pan in the kitchen," Burrus said. "So I'd hand him a drink, say, 'Honey, go get your shower,' and then I'd make dinner. We always ate by candlelight - it was amazing."
The pair brought the emphasis on local ingredients and clean food home with them, a focus that helped Schlichter shed 80 unwanted pounds.
