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So, I’ve been in camping for 20+ summers now at 17 different camps, and I’ve seen all kinds of food hit the plate! 

Camp Augusta kitchen staff make much of our food from scratch.  Bread, pancake mix, desserts, and pizza crusts are made by hand.  Sauces, salsas and soups are made from basic ingredients, not out of ready-to-eat containers.  There are almost no “heat and serve” products used in this kitchen, the only exception being tortellini.

Camp Augusta has a much larger kitchen staff proportionally than other camps, but these community members are used to putting hours of preparation into the meals.  It would be easier to buy frozen chicken fingers and pre-made brownies, but we are able to use fresh ingredients that don’t need to be pre-processed.  Wherever possible, the most basic ingredients are purchased in bulk to be prepared by our staff instead of spending more on processed foods.

The menu is designed to be simple and camper friendly, but also to include a healthy balance of nutrition.  Weekly feedback is taken from the campers to find out what meals were liked and disliked and how they could be improved.  Some meals were discontinued or revamped because of this information. 

Every lunch and dinner at Camp Augusta has a full salad bar with an array of fresh vegetables, salads, hummus, hand-made dressings and fresh fruits.  Fresh fruit is also available at all times to the campers and staff throughout the day. 

We don’t serve candy, chips, croutons on the salad bar, iceberg lettuce, tater tots, or other high fat, low nutrition, or high sugar foods.  We do serve a dessert daily, at dinner.

A few other kitchen notes . . . We compost food scraps and weigh food waste.  We use whole grains and serve gluten free to those requesting it.  Cooked, prepared, vegetarian options are always offered, and vegan options by request.  We don’t heat anything up in plastic.  We recycle everything we can and use bulk containers whenever possible. 

• 100% high fructose corn syrup free
• 100% hydrogenated oil free
• 100% MSG free
• 100% artificial sweetener free (we prefer honey when it works)
• All beef bought from local cattleman Jim Gates with Nevada County Free Range Beef
• Grass fed and grass finished
• Never confined to a feed lot
• No hormones
• No antibiotics
• Raised on local pastureland and processed locally
• Works with small family ranches
• Uses natural pasture management practices
• Protects viable ranchland and habitats
• All chicken is “Smart Chicken”
• No added water
• Not fed animal by-products
• Vegetable grain fed
• No antibiotics
• No hormones
• “Air chilled” processing uses less water and is safer against cross-contamination
• Free range
• Humane processing
• Pork products (bacon, sausage, pulled pork)
• Free Range
• No nitrates
• 100% natural
• No antibiotics
• No hormones
• Vegetarian fed
• No preservatives
• Minimally processed
• Eggs
• Free range
• No antibiotics
• No hormones
• No steroids
• No Genetically Modified feed
• Milk
• Organic
• No antibiotics
• No hormones
• No steroids
• No pesticides
• No cloning

Videos and books we enjoyed

• King Corn
• Future of Food
• Two Angry Moms
• Food, Inc.
• ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine
• Omnivore’s Dilemma

Lunch and dinner includes a full salad bar

• Spring mix, spinach, cucumbers, carrots, black olives, beets, raisins, mushrooms, tomatoes, black beans, onions, peppers, garbanzo beans, hummus, celery, oranges, oils, homemade dressings, kidney beans, egg salad, artichokes, broccoli, and other items we sprinkle in here and there.

Example dinners:

• Roasted chicken w/ mashed potatoes and leaks and chard // Vegetarian and beef chili and corn bread w/ sour cream, onions, cheese // Breaded chicken fingers and tofu w/ side zucchini and pasta salad // Chicken Pot Pie // Tortellini and garlic bread w/ white and red sauce & broccoli // Jamaican Jerk Grilled Chicken or Tofu served w/ beans and rice w/ grilled peppers on side // Chow mein - grilled beef or tempeh and veggies over noodles // Lasagna - traditional and veggie options // BBQ Pulled Pork

Example lunches:

• Quesadillas -  cheese, bean, sweet potato w/ salsa, sour cream, served w/ sauteed peppers and onions // Chicken or Tofu Chow Mein // Pulled Pork BBQ on homemade rolls - tempeh for veg - side of steamed carrots // Pizza Baked potato bar // Stir fried chicken or tempeh and veggies served with rice // Breaded chicken fingers and tofu w/ side veggies (corn or beans) // Taco Salad - Ground seasoned beef or beans with tortilla chips, cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream // Wraps - turkey or ham or hummus w/ pasta salad

Example breakfasts:

• Oatmeal Bake with sausage patties // Scrambled eggs and home fries // Pancakes and bacon // Breakfast Strata with eggs, cheese, sausage (or not), bread // French toast with fruit compote served with sausage links // Egg muffin - English muffins with egg, ham and cheese // Breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, black beans variety chopped veggies
• Breakfast bar is always available, and usually includes three kinds of yogurt, homemade granola, Heritage O's, raisin bran, fresh fruit (melons, pineapple, bananas, oranges), hard boiled eggs, and cow’s milk, soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk.  Orange juice is also available.

Lazy Dog is a local company (about 5 miles away on Lazy Dog road) that makes all their own ice cream -- just the husband and wife together!  They do not have a store front, instead going to local festivals and setting up their stand.  Twice a week, they come by Camp Augusta after dinner.  Campers choose from over 30 handmade flavors of bars, drumsticks, or fruit freezes.