Chefs & Artists Camp Week 1 projects, Recipes & Recap
We had so much fun cooking and creating art with your children this week! We read lots of books, played a bunch of art games, and completed lots of little projects (finger knitting was the surprise hit!). We spent time in the kitchen baking, making components of our lunch, and sampling lots of things.
Here is what we were up to around the art table and in the kitchen this week (recipes are linked or follow at the end) …
Monday
Book of the day: Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring.
We learned about sumi-e (black ink painting). Our campers took turns grinding the ink stick on the ink stone to make ink, which we used on a collaborative painting. Then we created still life paintings using flowers, plants and small objects I brought from home. We then created line paintings inspired by the work of Keith Haring.
Recipes: Blueberry Muffins, cashew green goddess, basic vinaigrette
Tuesday
Book of the day: Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey
We discussed the idea of using a grid in art- as a way to gather inspiration, play with color, and experiment with different materials and ideas. We looked at the art of design professor and artist Leslie Roberts, who started to make art in grid form while on her daily subway commute. The kids created their own grids with rulers and were encouraged to fill all their squares with color and to experiment with different color combinations.
Recipes: granola, Cuban Black Beans, pico de gallo and guacamole.
Wednesday
Book of the day: The Dot by Peter Reynolds
We created acrylic landscape paintings inspired by the vibrant art of painter and designer Carolyn Gavin. We discussed the different ways to represent objects and places, as well as how to use color and line to express feeling and emotion.
Recipes: handmade pasta, basil pesto, brown butter, simple marinara
Thursday
Book of the day: Ish by Peter Reynolds
We used the black ink backgrounds we painted on Monday as the background for our nature collages, inspired by UK artist Clover Robin. We used watercolor and tempera (as well as colored pencils) to create colored paper to cut up and combine into our beautiful collages.
Recipes: monster cookies, PB crunch wraps, pizza dough
Friday
Our book of the day: Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy
On Friday, we created dioramas inspired by the art of German children’s book author and illustrator Antje Damm. The campers used a variety of materials to create their own little worlds- they made everything from a soda shop, to a florist, to a waterfall!
Recipes: popcorn powders, pan pizzas
CASHEW RANCH DRESSING
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
big bunch of herbs (dill, basil, mint, chives, taragon, in any combo)
1/2 c water (or more, see note).
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in high speed blender. Blend until thick and creamy.
Note: Add enough water to get desired consistency. Want a dip? Keep it thick. Want to use it on a salad, slowly add water, 2 tablespoons at a time until it is “pourable”.
SIMPLE MARINARA SAUCE
1 can San Marzano tomatoes (or any type you have on hand)
2 cloves garlic
1 glug olive oil
heavy pinch (4-5 kid pinches = 1 adult pinch)
1 bunch basil
any extra veggies you have on hand (we used some extra chopped tomatoes & a bunch of spinach)
blend all ingredients in a blender or using an immersion blender
add mixture to sauté pan and cook just until heated though
add in drained pasta with a bit of reserved pasta cooking water and enjoy!
BASIL PESTO
1 large bunch basil leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup nuts (we used almonds, but pine nuts, walnuts or hazelnuts work well too. Toasting nuts brings out more flavor, but raw is fine too)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
juice from 1/2 lemon (add more to taste if desired)
1/2 cup olive oil
Place all ingredients EXCEPT oil in food processor. Turn on and machine and blend until smooth and everything looks uniform. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Turn back on and slowly pour in oil while machine is running. Turn off machine, taste to see if it needs more lemon or salt. Enjoy over pasta!
MONSTER COOKIES
(mix-ins included chocolate chips, M&Ms, marshmallows, white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, oats, & crushed pretzels)
8 oz butter
3/4 cup each: sugar and brown sugar
2 eggs
Flavorings: cinnamon, almond extract, or vanilla
2.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup total mix-ins
cream together sugars and butter
add eggs and flavorings
mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, add to egg mix. stir until combined (don’t over stir!)
Add in any additional mix-ins
scoop into balls, chill for 20+ minutes.
bake at 350 for about 10-12 min
PICKLE POPCORN POWDER
1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, salt
1/4 tsp citric acid
1 tsp dried dill
Mix all ingredients in mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder.
Sprinkle over popcorn!
