Wow, four days of Bug Camp are over already! We have had a wonderful time learning with your campers, and we look forward to another great day tomorrow!
We did the animal chores this morning, just like we do every day. Feeding the baby goats has been a favorite for most of the campers!
In Garden Kitchen, we made Cream of Broccoli Soup. It was a huge hit with many campers! You can find the recipe below.
Yellow Peppers tasting their Cream of Broccoli Soup.
We went out to the garden and planted marigolds to help attract beneficial insects and deter damaging insects. Marigolds contain a chemical in their roots that repels aphids, cabbage maggots, and other pests. We transplanted new marigolds to areas near our learning garden.
Green Peppers checking out some snails in the garden.
Green Peppers overtook the garden to find worms and pull weeds.
A beekeeper visited the farm today and showed us all of his equipment. He taught us about the life cycle of a bee, the structure of a hive, and the history of beekeeping.
Red Peppers talking about bees with Mr. Tim.
Orange Peppers examine some beekeeping equipment.
This afternoon, we went for a walk in the Children’s Garden and talked about the differences between moths and butterflies. There is a section of the garden devoted to flowering plants that attract butterflies, and we learned about what butterflies look for when they are ready to lay eggs. Did you know that when a butterfly lands on a flower, it can taste the flower through its feet? Before it ever sticks out its tongue, a butterfly knows whether a flower is good to eat or not.
Orange Peppers in the Children’s Garden.
We picked some kale leaves in the garden and baked them into kale chips during Garden Kitchen. Ms. Pam made some chips with brown sugar and some with salt so that the campers could taste the differences and decide which flavor they liked better. We also recommend trying kale chips with garlic salt or paprika if you’re making them at home. The recipe is listed below.
Green Peppers taste test the kale chips with Ms. Pam.
Goofy Green Peppers munching on their kale chips!
We took another hike today to spot as many bugs as possible. Campers took their bug nets along to help them catch and examine the insects they saw. The Red Peppers found a couple of blue spotted salamanders during their time in the woods!
Red Peppers with a snail that they found during their hike around the pond.
The Red Peppers found blue spotted salamanders in the woods!
Double-decker snails!
We continued logging the ladybugs we found and tallying them on our charts. The campers really enjoy spending time outside looking for cool bugs, and we love helping them identify what they find.
A Yellow Pepper examines some flowers.
A Yellow Pepper with his sweep net on the hunt for more bugs.
We sent home a survey with each camper yesterday, and we would greatly appreciate if you could bring it back tomorrow (Friday). You feedback means a lot to us, so please take a few moments to let us know how we’re doing!
Each camper also received their tie-dyed T-shirt to take home today. We encourage them to wear their shirts tomorrow for their group photos. We’re looking forward to finishing out the week with a bang!
Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
Directions
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.
- Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Allow soup to heat through, then serve.
Kale Chips
Ingredients
PER BAKING SHEET:
Approx. 1/2 bunch kale leaves
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear it up into large pieces. Compost the stems (or freeze for smoothies). Wash and spin the leaves until thoroughly dry.
- Add kale leaves into a large bowl. Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine.
- Spread out the kale onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the kale.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15 minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but this is normal. I bake for 25 minutes total in my oven.
- Cool the kale on the sheet for 3 minutes before digging in! This really makes all the difference! Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time.
- Repeat this process for the other half of the bunch.