Column from July 8, 2010

We spent most of last week in Madras, Ore., at the annual All Rockhounds Pow Wow. It was a great time … other than the cold windy weather made the camping part a little uncomfortable at night.

But, all in all, the trip was definitely worth it. The annual event is a nice opportunity to catch up with friends we don’t often get the chance to see, plus we got some unique rocks to add to our collection.

As an added bonus, there were more than 80 vendors selling rock-related items, evening entertainment and Saturday morning, 11 hot air balloons took off from the front field of the fairgrounds we were at.

I spent most of Thursday going through the old scrapbooks from past Pow Wow get-togethers. Eric’s father was one of the founding members of the club, so it was fun reading about some of the things he did.

Although we didn’t have to do any of our own cooking this time, camping is always a fun opportunity to do that. Just about any food tastes better over an open fire.

When I was a kid, we used to have great corn roasts. Dozens of ears of corn would be brought in, soaked in water overnight and then, thrown on the grill – husk and all – until they were plump and juicy. Delicious!

As many of you know, one of my favorite cookbooks is “The All-American Cowboy Grill,” which features recipes from some of the most famous cowboys of all time. These folks are from the big screen, rodeo circuit, singers and songwriters, radio DJs and more.

Here’s a recipe from singing cowboy and guitar player Monte Hale. He starred in 30 westerns in the 1940s and 1950s.

This chili sounds like it would go great with roasted corn on the cob!

Hale and Hearty Chili

3 pounds coarsely ground beef

1 pound ground lean pork

Oil for browning

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups chopped onion

3 to 4 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce (or more)

In a skillet, brown the meat in any oil of your choice. Drain off excess fat and juice.

Stir in garlic, onions (reserving a few for topping), chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Serve with the reserved chopped onion.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.