Local chefs

Local chefs

Let yourself be guided in leading a cooking workshop at the camp!

Target: Counselors
Time frame: Any
Members: Everyone
Type of tool: Activities, Planification
Ages: 5-6 years, 7-8 years, 9-12 years, 13 and Over
Group size: One group
Healthy eating

Description

Interested in hosting a cooking workshop at camp, but the planning seems complicated? Want to introduce local foods to your group? Here’s your go-to reference for organizing a culinary workshop from A to Z.

This guide begins with an introduction to local food, explaining its benefits and offering tips for eating locally at camp.

  • You’ll find three recipes with local ingredients, depending on the age of your campers.
  • Depending on the equipment available at your camp (microwave, refrigerator), choose one recipe.
  • If the kids show interest in doing the activity again, you can try the other two recipes.
  • If some campers have allergies, don’t worry – substitutions are provided.

Download

The guide also includes a shopping and equipment list based on the number of campers in your group, as well as a list of what to do before and on the day of your workshop and many tips for leading it.

Take the time to discuss with your group the cooking techniques they know. This will help you identify the techniques they might be less familiar with. Check out the tool “My culinary skills” on the Portal and make it available to the campers so they can learn the right techniques. You can also show them the videos that accompany the tool.

By following all the steps in the guide, your cooking workshop will run smoothly!

Special thanks to “Aliments du Québec”, “La Tablée des chefs” and St-Blaise-de-Richelieu city for proofreading the content of this document.

Goal(s)

This tool helps counselors plan and lead a cooking workshop with their group while introducing them to local food and its benefits. Cooking workshops enable children to develop their culinary skills, connect healthy eating with the joy of cooking, and discover a variety of nutritious foods.

Tips and Tricks

Before starting the workshop, set the mood by adding some music or asking your group to come up with a team chant.

Depending on their abilities, involve them in preparing the ingredients-some can measure, others can wash or chop. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; adjust the workshop based on the time you have and keep it simple if it’s your first time leading a cooking activity. Have fun with the campers!

Required material

Variable depending on the recipe. Basic cooking tools:

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Large bowl
  • Wooden spoon

Let’s have a chat!

Take time to talk about local food with your kids before, during, and after the activity.

  • What are the benefits of eating local? For health? For the local economy? For society? For the environment?
  • Do you know any tips for eating local? (e.g., visiting local farms, gardening)
  • Do you cook regularly? What do you enjoy about cooking?
  • What ingredients do you need to cook your favorite recipe?
  • What cooking skills do you have? Are there any that you find more difficult?

Suggested variant(s)

To go further with the local food theme and to help your group better understand local food, take the campers to a local market and buy ingredients there, organize a pick-your-own activity, or invite a local producer to the camp before your workshop.

You can also organize the “Market at camp” activity to introduce the cooking workshop and recreate the experience of a market. Tremplin Santé Market at Camp- Tremplin Santé (tremplinsante.ca)

Do you have a garden at the camp? Incorporate garden produce into your recipes.

For tasting, use the Tasting expert tool to help your kids explore their recipe with all five senses.

 
Grating and Peeling
 
Cutting Fruits and Vegetables
 
Transferring and Portioning
 
Mixing and Whipping
 
Washing Fruits and Vegetables
 
Cutting and Mincing
 
Measuring Ingredients
 
Cracking and Egg and Juicing Citrus



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