Camp Serenbe Cooking Class, Part 1: Kids, Knives and Simple Souffles
Written by Marie, Posted in Miscellaneous
When my daughter Kara approached me about doing a farm-to-table cooking class for Camp Serenbe, I agreed. But not without some trepidation.
How was I going to occupy 14 hungry children, ages 8-13, for four days? And was I really going to give them knives?
I needn’t have worried. We had an absolute blast. They were all so well behaved and every time they cracked an egg or stirred a roux it was a new, exciting adventure. Plus, I can’t deny how good it felt to have all those adoring eyes looking at me like I was the most amazing chef ever.
By the end of the week, I wanted them to understand how to make a complete meal. The first day was about knife skills, so they picked basil and tomatoes at The Inn at Serenbe, then came back and chopped. We added some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and made them into a beautiful uncooked tomato sauce.
On the second day, they went to Many Fold Farm, a nearby family-owned farm that produces organic eggs and fresh sheep cheeses. When they returned, we sat down with 15 dozen eggs and learned how to separate them. Once they mastered that, we whipped them up and added them to a cheese soufflé. People are mystified by soufflés, but nothing could be simpler. It’s much harder to get everyone to pronounce “croissant” correctly.
Stayed tuned for next week’s post about homemade blueberry cobbler and what we did with five quarts of fresh whipped cream.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
from Joy of Cooking
Makes enough for 1 pound of pasta
- 5 large, ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Drain the tomatoes in a colander for 20 minutes. Remove them to a large bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Serve the sauce at room temperature. If serving over hot pasta, sprinkle each portion with 1 to 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
Fannie Farmer’s Cheese Soufflé
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup scalded milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Few grains cayenne
- ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 3 eggs, separated
Melt the butter, add the flour, and when well mixed gradually add the scalded milk. Then add the salt, cayenne and cheese. Remove from the heat.
Beat the egg yolks until lemon-colored and add them to the mixture.
Beat the egg whites stiff, but not dry. Cool the mixture and fold in the egg whites.
Pour into a buttered 1 ½ quart mold and bake 30 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees