Gardens to Tables Culinary Camp
Saint Louis University's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in the Doisy College of Health Sciences
Today was another exciting day at culinary camp! In the morning, we had disability awareness day down in the garden. The campers got to try using wheelchairs and some adaptive equipment while they learned about disabilities.
After the garden, the campers had a full day of cooking. They prepared their own lunch today! They also made some recipes for the party on Friday!
Welcome to week 8 of Culinary Camp! This week, the campers get to explore different cuisines of the Caribbean! We are excited to prepare all of the recipes this week has in store! Today, the campers took a field trip to Braeutigam Orchards. We got to take a tour… some of which was on a tractor! Each camper got to pick some apples and peaches to take home. They got to sample apple cider and apple cider donuts also!
We came back to the kitchen and did a little bit of cooking this afternoon.
Today was herb day in the garden! The campers started off their morning with a quick guided tour of the herb garden. They tasted, smelled, and touched different herbs and learned about the growing variety of herbs in SLU’s very own garden. Then, the campers were able to use the herbs in making their very own Boo Boo salve, a healing ointment made from oil and beezwax, and herb lemonade! They were also able to plant their very own herbs in planters to take home and use!
How to make our herb lemonade at home:
4 cups water
1/2 cup simple syrup (1 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup boiling water)
5 fl. oz lemon juice
A large handful of fresh herbs (mint, basil, lavender, etc!)
Ice
-Smash the herbs, simple syrup, and lemon juice together to release the natural oils of the herbs using a fork or spoon. Add in the water and ice. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain the lemonade and enjoy!
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Our Boo Boo salve is made from heating oil and herbs on the stove until the natural oils are released into the oil. Today, we used comfrey and calendula, two herbs which are used for healing and soothing skin irritations! Beezwax is then added in to the oil to heat again. Once cool, use the salve on burns or for dry skin.
In the afternoon, the campers went up to the food lab to cook for Campus Kitchens. They prepared cherry lime bread, roasted carrots with a parsley-lemon gremolata, and personal pan cheese-sausage pizzas! It was great to cook for those who might not have access to food.
After a great morning, the campers traveled over to SLU’s recreational pool for some fun in the sun! The campers had a blast playing in the pool.
We started off our Tuesday by heading to an organic farm, EarthDance! We got a tour of the farm and learned more about organic farming and gardening. The campers even got to hold a chicken! After we finished the tour, we headed to the kale beds where we helped the farmers weed the bed and clear the kale of any pests that might be harming the crops.
We headed back to campus to learn to make fresh mozzarella cheese with Chef Steve!
Welcome to Week 7 of Culinary Camp! This week, our campers will be exploring Italian cuisine!
To start our week off, the campers got a tour of the garden that they will be working in for the rest of the week. They met with the master gardner, and she taught the campers about having an organic garden and what different tools they can use in the garden. We then got to plant four different types of potatoes!
After the garden, we all headed up to the food lab where the campers made their own lunch!
After lunch, we went outside for a little bit of physical activity and to learn a little bit about sun safety and skin cancer.
The campers then headed back into the kitchen to make a few more recipes to end their day!
Today was our final day of camp, Vegetarian week! The campers had a great morning harvesting produce and herbs in the garden. They harvested kohlrabi, herbs, radishes, tomatoes, and onions! All of the produce they harvested today went directly to the farm stand in SLU’s garden on Friday night!
After the garden, the campers headed up to the kitchen for their final cooking session. The campers explored the Vegetarian side of the Middle East by making homemade falafel with chickpeas. They also prepared a spinach salad with toasted almonds, dates, and toasted pita bread in ghee. Ghee is a traditional ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine which is just clarified butter.
After lunch, the campers prepared two final dishes for the appetizer party: Greek honey cookies also known as Melomakarona and Corn latkes served with a chipotle sour cream.
The cookies were glazed with a honey syrup and topped with chopped walnuts to serve. The latkes were gently fried on the stove until golden brown and crisp. They were great at the appetizer party! This was such a fun week exploring the vegetarian side of cooking!
THURSDAY: HERB DAY
On Thursday, the campers enjoyed a lovely morning in the garden learning about herbs. The campers made herb spray, minty lemonade, sugar herb scrub, and herbed butter with dill! The campers were given a tour of the herb garden at SLU and were then able to plant a couple of their favorite herbs in their very own planters to take home.
After the garden, the campers came back to the kitchen to learn about hunger awareness and Campus Kitchens! The campers discussed how they can make an impact on hunger in America and learned about SLU’s Campus Kitchen, a non profit organization which uses leftover food and ingredients from local grocery stores to make meals for those less fortunate. We were in charge of 30 meals for Campus Kitchens this week! The campers made roasted chicken with rosemary, an arugula and green bean salad, toasted bread with herb butter (from the morning!), and apple cinnamon bread! It felt awesome to cook delicious and nutritious food for others!
In the afternoon, the campers headed over to SLUruba, the campus pool! They had a blast swimming and relaxing in the sun after a hard days work.
