simple marinara and camp kudzu

It has been one hell of a week to say the least. No, I'm not back from the dead but I've been at camp for the past 7 days! I was part of the activities staff at Camp Kudzu, a camp for type 1 diabetic children in Georgia. I had to go as a part of my service hours for pharmacy school and it turned out to be a lot better and more fun than I expected it would be.

Learning about it in class and reading the disease state on a piece of paper is one thing but to experience it first hand is a completely different feeling. The misconceptions, bullying and physical endeavors these kids have to go through everyday is amazing. Can you eat this? Can you do this activity because you're diabetic? I can tell you now that yes, these children can eat foods that you and I enjoy and do any type of activity they wish to pursue. It was a great experience to be a part of my campers' lives for a week and I have a greater appreciation for how they cope with their disease.

Now for the food, my god the food at camp was absolutely. positively. hideous, disgusting, anemic and ghastly. I cannot believe the type of food they were feeding children who are still in their prime growth stage of their lives. The food was greasy, all simple carb sources, synthetic and loaded with sugar. Because the main food was so bad, kids just ended up eating dessert and sugar filled snacks to satisfy their hunger. Simple food doesn't have to take long and even the simplest pasta sauce can be made in minutes. This basic Marinara Sauce takes 15 minutes to make, maximum, and is delicious and nutritious without adding synthetic ingredients.

Simple Marinara
Original, Serves 2 for Pasta

Ingredients:
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 can (400g) of diced tomatoes
- chiffonade of basil
- splash of milk (optional)
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1) Add olive oil to a hot pan and sauté the onions until they start to turn translucent. About 3 - 5 minutes.
2) Make a well in the middle of the pan and add in the oregano. Sauté with the onions for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Add in the white wine and reduce.
4) Make another well in the middle and add the tomato purée. Roast the purée for a minute to take the bitterness out.
5) Add in the can of diced tomatoes and bring back to a boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
6) Add half of the chiffonaded basil and stir into the sauce.
7) At this point, add in a splash of milk to make it creamier and lighter. It'll turn from a bright red to a beautiful rosé color (I didn't have any milk on hand when I made this). Taste again if you added the milk and adjust seasoning if needed.
8) Serve over pasta of choice and garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
_____________________________________________________
15 minutes. Maximum. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy.