From pasta to plastic rockets, Camp Sage teaches kids a stack of skills

By Daniel Langhorne, Daily Pilot

Jack Pheasant mixed flour, water and egg yolk with his hands until he could form a sticky ball of dough.

After a once-over by executive chef Laura Catala of Sage Hill Cafe, the 12-year-old from Fountain Valley rolled the dough flat before feeding it through a pasta maker.

Jack was one of 62 middle-school students who learned how to make linguini and bowtie pasta last week at Camp Sage. Instead of handing campers a pre-made lunch every day, the dining staff of Sage Hill School in Newport Coast led an interactive teaching kitchen.

“My dad has always been trying to have me cook steak and stuff, but this is my first time cooking something by myself,” Jack said.

Sage Hill School hosted its first summer day camp over the past few weeks. On Friday, campers were sent home with an apron, protective mesh gloves and index cards with the recipes they learned to cook.

Camp director Lynette Swanson, who also is the Sage Hill registrar and girls’ soccer coach, said she created the cooking lessons to give students useful skills while making friends.

“They’re at the age now where they can prepare their own food and have a little more independence in that area,” Swanson said.

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Photo: Sage Hill School chemistry teacher Kerry Langdale counts down as Kristina Vitale, 14, launches her plastic bottle rocket during Camp Sage, Sage Hill's summer day camp for middle-schoolers. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)