From Kale to Quinoa, A True Farm to Table Experience

How many kids do you know can spell quinoa? Or know what quinoa is for that matter?

Well, after this week, there are at least five local 9- to 11-year-old budding chefs who are well versed in everything from quinoa to kale and cilantro, thanks to Newtown Township Park and Recreation’s “Cooking from the Farm” camp.

The five-day camp was an opportunity for the kids to learn to cook healthy recipes using local produce and fresh vegetables.

The camp began Monday with a trip to Milk House Farm, where owner Brenda Slack gave the campers and instructors a tour of the grounds. The campers also picked the fresh vegetables that would be their main ingredients for the remainder of the camp.

“They picked everything,” instructor Cheryl Gilmore said. The campers rattled off the crops they harvested: cucumbers, zucchini, squash, onions, peas and more.

Then on Tuesday, the campers gathered at the Holland Middle School kitchen to prepare a variety of healthy meals from the local produce. Each day, the campers prepared dishes and enjoyed their creations during lunchtime.

Dishes included thin crust veggie pizzetta, summer linguini with veggies, kale salad and -- how could we forget -- Mediterranean-style quinoa. (As a result of preparing that dish, all five campers now know how to spell quinoa, which is a grain-like crop.)

The goal of the camp was not only to teach healthy eating habits, but also to help the children understand exactly where their food comes from, explained instructor Linda Welles.

“They are so used to going to the grocery store and getting their food there,” Welles said. She said the camp was an opportunity for the kids to see their vegetables literally go from the farm to the table.

Welles said she researched kid-friendly, healthy recipes before plotting out the menu for the week. She sought recipes that used plenty of vegetables and fresh herbs, but at the same time would appeal to younger palates. “The focus was on healthy recipes,” Welles said.

Campers said they enjoyed the experience and especially liked the visit to the farm. For Megan Higgins, 9, the highlight of the week was seeing the animals at Milk House Farm.  “There were two pigs, Walter and Wanda,” Megan said, adding there were also alpacas and a llama.

When her plans for theater camp fell through, Alyssa Coates, 11, decided instead to attend the Cooking from the Farm camp.  Alyssa said she’s glad she came because she learned some things about farming and cooking that she didn’t know before. “I learned that there are actually blue and green eggs that chickens hatch,” she said.

While Newtown Township Parks and Recreation puts on a variety of cooking and baking camps, this was the first year for Cooking from the Farm.

Starting next week, Parks and Rec will offer Italian Feast cooking camp from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Holland Middle School. Kids 8 to 13 years old will learn to prepare authentic Italian dishes. The cost is $165 for residents and $206 for nonresidents, plus a $30 materials fee. Registration is still open.

For those who prefer dessert to the main course, Parks and Rec is offering two baking camps this summer. There is a Junior Baking Camp from Aug. 1 to 8 and Cupcake Wars camp from Aug. 8 to 12. The Cupcake Wars camp is a play on the popular television show. Campers can choose to attend the morning or afternoon session of Cupcake Wars.

For more information or to register, visit www.newtownfun.com and click on “Browse Activities.” From there, information about the cooking and baking camps is listed under the “culinary” category.