DAIRY

The milk tasting included whole, 2% and skim milks as well as non-dairy alternatives.

Todays topic Dairy! Dairy foods are of special interest to our campers today, as they learn how many they need to consume to build strong bones to last them a lifetime.  Build that bone bank now!  and you can avoid having weak bones later in life.  Between the ages of 9 and 18 you need the most calcium that you will ever need in all your life--1300 mg or 3 cups a day. And don't forget the Vitamin D, which is often added to milk to guarantee that you are able to absorb the mineral calcium. Vitamin D comes from sunlight too--and there's plenty of that here in Louisiana! And if are lactose intolerant or just don't like to drink that much milk, remember that there are other ways to get your calcium--eat lots of greens and broccoli and choose soy, almond or rice milks that are fortified.  Even some orange juices are fortified with calcium and Vitamin D these days--it's that important to include in your diet.


First order of the day was to strain off the curds and the whey that Hannah had started to turn into cheese the day before when she added white vinegar to hot milk. After resting in a cheesecloth lined strainer a while, we had ricotta cheese for Manicotti! Next Chef Corr demonstarted how to make a Bechamel sauce, starting with a roux. But not a Louisiana roux! This one was light and the flour cooked just lightly in the hot butter before the milk was poured on.  We had Bechamel sauces in two of our recipes today--Tomato Soup had a thin white sauce and the Macaroni and Cheese had a medium white sauce. Other dairy recipes included Grilled Cheese sandwiches to go with the Tomato Soup, Chicken Tikka, which was first marinated in yogurt and Indian spices, and then served with a Cucumber Yogurt Sauce on the side. Buttermilk Catfish Fillets with Corn Relish--yum! And the Manicotti disappeared in a flash.  The Key Lime Pies will chill until tomorrow, but the big hit was the homemade Vanilla Ice Cream served on yesterday's fruit pies--Blueberry, Peach and Blackberry.  What a way to build your bone bank!