The Kitchen
We are so fortunate to have a direct source of summer bounty in our dining hall. All of our meals are scratch made and prepared with produce from Hawthorne Valley or other ethical, sustainable and organic sources, often from within Columbia County. We eat our meals family-style, around tables set with table cloths and flower vases. We are a mostly vegetarian kitchen, providing essential proteins through eggs, legumes, grains, vegetables, tofu, and other sources. Often, campers will have some kind of direct connection to the food- either harvesting it and delivering to our kitchen staff, or working in the kitchen itself to help prepare the meals for the whole camp.
Purchase our Summer Camp Cookbook HERE!
CLICK TO VIEW A SAMPLE OVERNIGHT CAMP MENU*
*please note, menus are subject to change.
HOW DO WE CONNECT THE FARM TO THE TABLE?
HANDS-ON APPROACH
Here at Hawthorne Valley we work with children of all ages, sharing hands-on lessons to connect them with the natural world. Our pragmatic approach builds a deeper understanding about how food is grown, animals cared for and how it all makes it’s way to the table. Garden & farm care, cooking and food preservation, animal husbandry and specialty projects make up many of the foundations to create these long lasting and impactful connections.
our dining environment
We make it our goal to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to experiment with new foods. When they have worked in the garden harvesting foods and cooking meals in the kitchen we see a direct impact on the way they approach the food in front of them. This connection creates an eager excitement and a sense of pride surrounding their nourishment. Our staff encourages campers to try new foods and allow for the space for the child to make their own choices.
how we approach dietary restrictions
Our staff is incredibly conscientious in regards to the dietary needs of children. With enough notice, many dietary accommodations can be made. We require a health form from all campers and we will connect with parents if we see any requests that need further communication. We have worked with children who have life threatening allergies, non-life threatening allergies, intolerances, celiac etc...
vegetarian kitchen
The majority of our meals are vegetarian. We do get to enjoy the eggs from our laying hens, as well as yogurt and cheese made from our own dairy herd, and processed in the creamery just across the way from the dining hall. Some sessions will have a cook-out during which we serve beef hamburgers and pork hotdogs, again, sourced from our neighbors or from our own animals. Vegetarian alternatives are also prepared during our cookouts.