One thing that struck me last night as we all were enjoying Chinese Banquet Night was not just the variety and popularity of the dishes offered at Birchmont, but the creativity and care with which they are put forth. An old saying of Pop Pierce’s is especially true at camp, “many hands make light work”, and so it happens that a few areas of camp get involved with making magic for the kids. To set the scene for Asian cuisine there was paper mâché sushi, in a garland of green cellophane seaweed, glittering giant chopsticks made in Arts and Crafts and set out on a table, Chinese lanterns were hung from the Dining Hall ceiling with Chinese fans and Japanese parasols strewn about, all to create a fun meal for campers to remember.

It is no small feat to make Asian style dishes without sesame oil, peanuts, cashews and shrimp, (allergens all) but Helen and her team of 16, pulled off chicken tempura, beef with broccoli, honey roasted ribs, vegetable lo mein, pork pot stickers, and egg rolls to the delight of us all.

We even enjoyed campy fortune cookies and oranges for dessert. When Greg asked the campers for a round of applause for the kitchen staff, the cheers were loud and authentic.

At home, meals are made with no less care, but somehow children expect great home cooked meals all the time, and much to the chagrin of moms and dads everywhere, most meals are taken for granted. The job of preparing 3 meals a day for 400 people at once is a huge task, and our campers and staff are genuinely appreciative at meal times.

We owe this mainly to our Head Chef, Helen and her trusted assistant, Kitty, two harder working women would be hard to find. Helen has been with us for over 25 years while cooking at the esteemed Phillips Exeter Academy during the school year, and has made her summer home at Birchmont to cook and run our camp kitchen.  After many years at Exeter, Helen worked at University of New Hampshire, cooking for a sorority house there but still returned to camp with the energy of a college co-ed herself. We never take for granted that while many camps are hiring food services with first time chefs, we have Helen, whose experience, pride, and love of camp make our food terrific all summer long. We have even had Alumni come back and visit with Helen.

We like that Helen has been open to new food items and ideas, when our campers ask for edamame on our salad bars and sweet potato fries on their plates, Helen makes it happen. Egg white frittatas with spinach and feta, no problem. We love her stuffed portobello mushrooms, artichoke dishes, and Italian baked eggplant stacks with cheese. Turkey meatloaf, ribs, chocolate chip pancakes, chicken patties and veggie lasagna are all camper favorites. Camp food has come a long way since most of our parents went to camp. Greg and I feel that food is fuel, and campers need energy to be their best. Food quality while not seen by parents is an area worth our attention and investment.

Helen has certificates in food science and safety, allergy prevention, dietary nutrition, etc. but what we care most about are the fresh, and varied meals she consistently prepares at camp. We have a vegetarian option at every meal, and handle food and allergy restrictions with care and vigilance. Together with Helen, we are able to coax some very picky eaters to try new things, an experience whose rewards translate to more pleasant home meals after camp.

All the special event meals Helen and her staff turn out are just icing on the cake and we won’t even get into our baked desserts from our bakery department. So now you know why Helen is our Top Chef at Camp Birchmont, and she gets our highest ratings. We can only hope nobody steals her for her own reality show…she would be a star!