Solar Cook Off

Being a newbie to the State of Oregon I attend as many social events as possible to get an opportunity to meet new people. I couldn't believe when informed that the small city of Elkton is having a solar cook-off.

The event is promoted as the first annual Solar Cook-off. Although one can't have an annual without a first I took it in stride. I always welcome the opportunity to meet and converse with other solar enthusiasts.

The weather “fear cast” previous to the scheduled event is not conducive to utilizing the sun's radiance. The morning of the event is cloudy but the sun soon evaporated the cloud cover. I'm sure Greg Flick the event's organizer is feeling the goodness of nature at that point.

The ten participants brought their solar ovens to show the skills they acquired. The participants' enthusiasms increased as the day's cloudy atmosphere changed clear and warm.

The participants all had different foods to demonstrate the versatility of their solar cookers. From breads, corn on the cob, cake, and casseroles the variety is sure to make a point.

My employer and I wanted to try something unusual but tasty. We opted for lasagna. With my limited cooking experience with my solar cooker, produced by the Solar Oven Society (S.O.S.), there are questions that even rereading the manual that came with the solar cooker are creating anxiety.

I am uncertain if the lasagna noodles need to be precooked before layering the vegetables and cheese in the blackened cake pan. Not wanting to be solar cooker failures we opted to precook the made from scratch noodles. Fear the unknown; it is part of human nature.

During the cook-off the spectators looked with aw at the various ovens. Much talk and excitement of cooking by sun rays are shared by all. Through-out the Elkton Community Education Centre's large land mass aside the Umpqua River the wait for dinner arrives.

As the afternoon sun lost power the solar oven participants emptied their ovens. The solar cooked foods plus other cold foods bought through support of the Douglas Electric Co-op are enjoyed by all.

For millions of years before the industrial revolution people used the sun to warm themselves as well as their food. To watch people react with so much amazement at the solar cookers makes me wonder if our education system is working at all.

Whether a solar cooker is built from materials common to all or bought from a manufacture the accomplished feeling of success accompanies the taste of solar cooked foods.

R.L. Philippi