Green Thumbs and Moist Earth

Head Chef Hiro Takeda is spearheading the expansion of our successful herb garden from last year. A new plot has been recovered from nature beside the main lodge. Our main crops will be primarily herbs, with some root vegetables on the side. If you are visiting Camp Squeah and have a green thumb, ask us if you can spend some time in our garden. It is a great place for solitude and prayer.

Herb garden seen from the walkway

Herb garden with main lodge in the background

Stain·less Steel: (noun) A form of steel containing chromium, resistant to tarnishing and rust.

All new workstations are installed. Here are pictures of the new face of the Squeah kitchen. Oh, and our new convection ovens arrived as well...

New stainless steel wet workstation

Additional stainless steel workstation w/ overhangs

New stainless steel baking tables

New Blodgett convection ovens

Squeah Renovations – Phase 1

Monday morning. After a wonderfully hot and sunny day yesterday, today is a bit of a disappointment, with the clouds threatening a shower and a brisk cold breeze in the air.

However, today is an exciting day in Squeah kitchen. Today is the day that we put more stainless steel into the kitchen. With Vancouver Stainless fabricating new prep tables in the baking area and the main prep area, it was a time to say, “goodbye” to old prep tables that served dearly for many years, and say, “hello” to a new set of tables that will serve for the next era.

Masa (our new assistant cook), Reid, Dan (site manager) and I worked hard to put the tables in, and we are excited to start using them, beginning this weekend with our next group of the Spring season.

I had some wonderful thoughts going through my head of sometime in the future, where I could come back to Squeah kitchen one day and say, “Hey, I remember when these tables were put in.”

~ Yoshi

Yoshi's Big Pig Gig

 April 19^th was a significant evening for me. An idea that spawned months of planning would pay off.

The “Big Pig Gig,” a name creatively put together by Reid Nickerson, was an event that I put together with the help of Jill Teerink and the leadership of Camp Squeah. This dinner consisted of 9 different menu items, all featuring pork, with 8 sides and 2 desserts to round off the evening. At $20 a person, it was quite the bargain.

My relationship with Walter Bergen began last year up here at Squeah. He introduced himself to me while Emmanuel Mennonite Church was here for their retreat. Through talking about his work on Six Masters Farm, I became very interested in this man, and his passion for farming using the Christian mindset. His philosophy on farming mirrored those of mine as a chef, and I found comfort and interest in that.

After a visit to Six Masters Farm, I decided that it would be great if we could get his product into Squeah.

He was raising four pigs at the time, just for his own personal use, to try it out on the farm. I ordered my pig in February. 60 days later, it was time to prepare for the feast.

This was a great opportunity for me as a chef to see the ingredients I was preparing on a more personal level, and gave me a great opportunity to really appreciate what the cost is of my job.

The evening was a great success, with over 40 people in attendance, and all the menu items received compliments. It was great to have so many people who were willing to try every dish, and I’m sure it was a great experience for Jill, who is in her first year of apprenticeship. Despite the long hours, it was well worth the time we took to make this event possible.

My friends Stu and Mark were photographers for the event and we are planning on creating a cookbook with this event, both as a keepsake and as an educational tool to be used at Squeah kitchen.

The menu is as follows:

YOSHI’S BIG PIG GIG

April 19^th, 2011

All Pork supplied by Six Masters Farm

White bean Cassoulet with Smoked Hock

Thai Green Curry Shoulder

Ras el Hanout Roasted Tenderloin

Cranberry, Orange and Almond Cous Cous with Cilantro

Braised Belly with BBQ Soy Sauce

Hiro and Kari’s B&B Back Ribs

Braised and Broiled

Corn Salsa, Mashed Potatoes

Apricot, Fig and Raisin Stuffed Loin

Grainy Honey Mustard Sauce

House made Pappardelle with Smoked Belly

Peas, Mushrooms, and Parmesan

Grilled House made Sausage

Confit Leg Sandwiches

Cooked in Pork Fat

House made Rosemary and Roasted Garlic buns,

Iceberg Lettuce, Pesto Mayo

Stuffed Pulled Pork Shoulder Buns

Caramelized Onion Jam, Coleslaw

Sides:

Corn Bread

Creamed Corn and Caramelized Leeks

Sauerkraut

Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese, Blueberries, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Fresh Baked Bread

Coleslaw

Dessert:

Chocolate Ganache Tarts, Whipped Cream

Minted Watermelon Salad

Thanks to everyone for their support of this event!

~ Yoshi