Growing Chefs - London Ontario

Welcome to the official Culinary Camp summer blog!  

For this week we are lucky enough to host our summer camp at the Centre Branch YMCA. Hurray! Here, every day, our eager young chefs will be sharing their reflections on the day’s cooking experience. You will also see their photography of some of the tantalizing meals they’ve made, and the menus that left us smacking our lips and licking our plates.

Not only will we highlight the creations of these new famous young chefs, but we also hope this can be a treat for those of you who can remember how we used to relish those balmy summer days free of chalkboards and homework.

 The blogs will give you that peek into the world of our summer camps.

 Can you hear the snap of the fresh asparagus? Or imagine yourself rounding up those rascally peas as they try for a quick dash off your cutting board? Can you smell the garlic sizzle in the pan? And can you see a heaping fork of the food you made, feeling the anticipation, and sometimes just a tinge of nervousness, as you take your first bite of something you’ve never tried before?

Come join us in the kitchen!

 

DAY ONE

The intrepid adventurers embark on a journey filled with mountains of fruit, to a far off land of the mythical orange ginger and yakisoba stir fries.

THE MENU

Snack

Yougurt dip with fresh fruit, like watermelon, apples, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries and banana.

Yogurt dip: 3% yogurt mixed with strawberries, bananas and bluberries to taste.

Lunch

Lemon ginger rice

• 1 cup rice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• peel of one lemon
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of peeled ginger
• 1 tsp salt

Orange ginger sweet n' sour stir fry with vegetables

We like to add fresh vegetables like peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, peas, garlic and ginger.

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• splash cider vinegar
• splash sherry vinegar
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• salt & pepper to taste

Yakisoba stir fry with vegetables & rice

• 6 tbsp soy sauce 
• 6 tbsp yakisoba sauce
• 6 tbsp mirin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/3 cup water

Yakisoba sauce:

• 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp hoisin sauce
• 3 tsp ketchup
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar