etee's Blog

As we approach the holiday season, with the extra loads of stress combined with plentiful coatings of hoar frost and snow on the ground and tree branches (or, in some places, just lots and lots of cold rain), many of us long for "those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer", along with some of the staples of the season, like summer camp. Of course, along with summer camp comes... camp cuisine, the subject of this 'review'. While my most recent experience with this food genre was last summer, the memories of camp food are long, going waaaaaaay back.

Follow up:

The photos which accompany this narrative were taken during last summer's outing at Mo Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. So, let us start our review the way many campers start their day: with breakfast.

E D Truitt

Breakfast ala Camp

Ahhhh, yes, breakfast. A meal which, when talking about Camp Cuisine, has one central feature: eggs. Soft, runny, scrambled eggs. Normally accompanied by potatoes (or some sort of starch) and sausage (which has the taste of... I'm not sure it actually has any taste, come to think of it!) Some mornings (as is shown here) the morning staple is camouflaged, masquerading as something higher-end (such as "scrambled Eggs Benedict", shown below. Soft-scrambled eggs, ham, strips of taco, and some sort of off-white cream sauce.)

Another staple of camp cuisine is the morning cup of Java. Mud. Joe. Battery Acid. Coffee, for those of you who never served in the military (or watched WWII moves on Saturday afternoon TV.)

E D Truitt

Scrambled Eggs "Benedict" + biscuit

For those who don't like (or can't tolerate) eggs for breakfast, there are a variety of fruits and breadstuffs available (not shown here, though I did have some yogurt while I was there.)

Once breakfast is over, it is off to a morning full of activities. Hiking, crafts, or just lazing around the cabin (guess which one I did?) These activities will tend to make one somewhat hungry, which means: back to the chow hall! So, let's move on to lunch: the midday meal.

E D Truitt

Lunchtime! Complete with Mystery Pasta!

For lunch, as was the case with breakfast, there is a central element. Normally, some form of sandwich. With neither mustard nor mayo (both are normally available on a side table, along with such delectables as TABASCO^® hot sauce. Also, there is a pasta dish (or two), along with a salad bar (not shown), and some sort of fruit punch. Along with coffee.

E D Truitt

Mac & Cheese, Peas, and a Turkey and Cheese sandwich

One last thing that is available on the lunch menu, but is missing from breakfast, is what every kid lives for: dessert. In addition to the Ice Cream bin, there are pies, cobblers, and the occasional mousse.

E D Truitt

Chocolate Mousse

After lunch, it's back to the room for a nap, then an afternoon of outdoor activities (or, in my case, an afternoon spent at the PC in the only place on the site with Internet access.) As the sun starts to go down, so does the energy level of the campers, so it is time to eat again! To end the day, let's take a look at dinner.

E D Truitt

Dinner (or Supper, take your pick)

Dinner (or supper, take your pick) consists of a protein, a starch, and a vegetable (or medley thereof.) Along with the ever-present salad bar (more veg, along with things like cottage cheese), and of course desserts (ice cream! yea!) On this evening, we had ham steak with pineapple, a stuffed pasta shell, and a vegetable medley. Washed down with a cup of coffee and a glass of fruit punch.

E D Truitt

Ham steak, stuffed pasta shell, and veg medley

Now that we have seen what is consumed on an average day at summer camp, what about the taste? What taste?, you might ask. Camp cuisine tends to be distinguished by its blandness. While there is plenty of salt, pepper, and other things to spice up your food, precious little of it is actually cooked into the food. Though some folks might say this is a Good Thing, I do not count myself among them. That being said, I do understand that the palates of young campers are sometimes less tolerant of the spicy stuff than is mine, and it is far easier to add seasoning to food than to remove it once it is on. Thank goodness for that elixer of swampy yumminess, it makes all food (even camp cuisine) taste good (or at least bearable.)

Photographs copyright © 2009 E D Truitt.