Cooking in the Field
By:  Tara Myzie - 142d Co.G / Liberty Rifles

These are a few field recipes that I use often at events.  They don't require too many ingredients and they don't require any prep work before an event.  Please feel free to email me any field recipes that you have and I'll post them here!

Coffee - Skill Level = Easy
Boil water in your dipper or boiler
While you are waiting your water to boil...Take your whole roasted coffee beans and place them in a poke sack on a rock.  Then begin to gently smash (grind) them with the butt of your musket.
Once you have a rolling boil add your grounds
Allow the grounds to boil for a few minutes then remove from direct heat.  Place your dipper on the side of the fire just to keep warm.  I find that it's best to let the coffee sit for a while warming before drinking as it allows the coffee to strengthen. 
Before drinking there are a couple of methods for settling or draining the grounds...One is to pour a little cool water into your dipper.  The cool water shocks the grounds to the bottom (This is the method I use and it works pretty well) Another method is to drink the coffee through a rag which acts as a strainer.  Of course, if you don't wish to bother with shocking or draining the grounds you could always dot he tea bag method of making your coffee (Place grounds into a small poke bag, tie with a string and place it into the boiling water).  I have tried this method and it works except that the resulting coffee is much weaker than when the grounds are placed directly into the water.

Hoe Cakes  -  Skill Level = Difficult
Boil Water in your dipper or boiler
Once you have a rolling boil add some cornmeal and mix.  The cornmeal will thicken as it warms.  You want to end up with a stiff dough.
Once you have a stiff dough, remove the boiler from the fire and allow to cool
Warm your canteen half or fry pan with bacon grease.  Make sure that your pan is thoroughly covered.
Once your pan is hot form small, half dollar sized, cakes from the dough and place in the pan.  Fry on both sides until the cakes are golden brown then sprinkle sugar on top to taste.

Apple Delight - Skill Level = Easy
When you have just one apple, sugar and some hardtack you can make a warm tasty applesauce dessert!  Put some water into your dipper or boiler and place it over the fire.  Once you have a rolling boil, add some broken up pieces of hardtack (the hardtack will add more substance to this recipe since you only have one apple.  If you have more apples, you may decide to not add the hardtack).  While your hardtack is softening peel and cut your apples into wedges.  Once your hardtack starts to soften add the apples and cover the boiler with your canteen half.  The apples will begin to cook down and the canteen half cover will keep the apple juices from evaporating.  Pretty soon you will have a apple sauce, hardtack mush.  Just add sugar to taste and enjoy!