Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Cast iron is a durable metal with an outstanding capacity to hold and transfer heat. No wonder Dutch ovens are made from it.

A Dutch oven is a cast iron pot that pioneers used to cook their meals in over an open fire.

Tim Spice work for Parks and Wildlife in education and outreach. He’s also an accomplished Dutch oven cook.

I’ve done some stuffed Cornish game hens and quiche. Whatever you can bake in your oven you can bake in a Dutch oven.

For the new Dutch oven enthusiast, Spice recommends starting with a foolproof recipe.

Stews are easy. Liquid recipes are forgiving in a Dutch oven. So, I just tell people to start with that. Pick a great beef stew or a chicken stew and go after it. Vegetables, stock and the meat of your choice – and just let it cook away. And you’ll have a great meal in a short period of time.

If you’re worried about using your Dutch oven for the first time in the wide open spaces, Spice recommends, doing a test run indoors.

If I want to try something on a fire, I’ll get my Dutch oven out and I’ll cook it in my oven so I don’t have to worry about temperature control. I can focus on recipe adjustment. Let’s face it, when you’re out in the woods, camping – you’re trying to have a good time –you don’t have a full kitchen behind you. So, that’s what I do. I use it a lot.

Find Dutch oven recipes at http://www.lodgemfg.com/recipe.asp.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Whether the Dutch invented the Dutch oven isn’t exactly clear. What is clear…says Tim Spice…is using one of these cast iron pots simplifies outdoor cooking.

And you can cook anything that you would at home, on a fire, outdoors, while you’re camping with your family or friends.

Spice is in education and outreach at Texas Parks and Wildlife. Dutch ovens are cast iron pots that have been in use since the 1700s.

Today the Dutch oven has legs on the bottom and a rim on the lid sop that you can put coals under it and on top of it and cook as you would in your oven at home.

The key to Dutch oven cooking success is temperature control. Without the luxury of a thermostat when cooking al fresco, you have to get creative – and daring.

You hold your hand six inches above the coals…thousand one…thousand two….thousand three…if you have to pull your hand away sooner because it’s uncomfortable from the heat – it’s hotter than three-fifty. If you can hold your hand longer than three seconds, it’s colder than three-fifty. And, since most food is cooked at three hundred and fifty degrees in the oven, that’s where you’ll want to start gaging your heat.

As always, you’ll find more information about this and other topics at passporttotexas.org.

Don’t be intimidated by that Dutch oven. Grab one and take it home and practice. And then, take your folks out to the state park and spend the day and have a great meal at the end of a great day outdoors.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

September 1, October 6 & November 3, 2007 — Mission Tejas SP — Dutch Oven Cooking — See what’s cooking as the Tejas Chapter of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society meets in the picnic area of the park, or the Pavilion in case of rain. 9 a.m.-noon (936) 687-2394.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Most Texans who live in “gator country” do so without incident. Yet, when the large reptiles get too close for comfort, they’re called nuisance alligators – although, to gators, we are the pests.

Human habitat is expanding- we’re encroaching on their home. We’re building our home in the alligator’s normal territory. So, we’re displacing them and sometimes pushing them into areas where we’re in conflict with them.

Jennifer Owen, Natural Resource Specialist Estero Llano Grande State Park, offers tips on gator etiquette.

If you find yourself a little too close to an alligator, what you should do is stop immediately, locate the alligator, and then slowly take steps backwards-don’t run. And then just turn around and walk away. If it is in a public area, you want to make sure to inform some authorities- either park rangers or you might want to call the game warden and let them know so that they can safely move the animal out of the way.

How can humans safely coexist with alligators?

Well, I think having a healthy respect for them and learning about them is number one. Realizing that they are amazing creatures and then realizing that they need their land. We need to save some area for them to have as their own so that they can continue their lives.

Find a link to information about nuisance gators at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

A modern day contemporary of dinosaurs, alligators have survived their prehistoric ancestors into the 21st century. One species of alligator is native to Texas.

The alligators that we have in Texas are the American alligator and it’s the largest reptile in North America. They can be about 6 to 16 feet long and they’re usually pretty dark green- sometimes they can appear black.

Jennifer Owen is the Natural Resource Specialist at the World Birding Center’s Estero Llano Grande State Park in the Valley.

You’ll find alligators in Texas basically all along the coast. They’re magnificent animals and amazing to see in the wild.

Once on the endangered species list, alligators were de-listed in 1980s; however, they remain protected in Texas, as well as the other ten states where they occur.

There used to be a big problem with alligator populations because they were hunted, not quite to extinction, but they were hunted to the point where they’re populations were severely dwindling. Then, Texas Parks and Wildlife here in our state developed programs to deal with hunting of alligators and protecting their habitat. They’ve really been on the rebound and have become a healthier population now.

Find a link to more information about alligators at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

It’s summer camp season. But instead of sending the kids off to make potholders and Popsicle stick picture frames, send them to fish camp in East Texas where they’ll learn a lifelong skill.
Fish Camp is a four day camp and it will be in the mornings only from nine to one PM. It’s a camp where the kids can learn about fish, fishing, and water in general. They’ll not only learn the basics, but a few extra techniques and things about the tackle and bait, and different kinds of things to use for different kinds of fish.

ZoeAnn Stinchcomb is with the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, the site of the camp.

We really want to get the kids outside and doing things outdoors, because a lot of kids nowadays don’t go outdoors as much as we want them to. Families have kids that are out of school. You can have a little more extra time to spend, and what better time to experience the Texas outdoors.

Fish camp is for kids 9 to 15 years old, and fifty dollars per child. The deadline to register is Friday, June 22.

It’s a fun thing to do and plus we’ll be getting wet, and that’s always a good thing to do during the summer I think.

Fish Camp is July 3rd through 6th at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

Visit passporttotexas.org to find out how to register.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

July 3–6, 2007 — Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center — Camp Fish — Boys and girls ages 9-15 can learn fishing techniques and skills and practice them in our stocked casting pond. They will also study aquatic ecology and learn how important water quality is to fish and people. Call for times; fee $50 per person includes daily admission and all equipment; preregistration required, deadline June 22, 2007. To register, e-mail terry.bedford@tpwd.state.tx.us or call (903) 670-2211. (903) 676-BASS.

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