Got the Food Covered”

Famous last words before a cruising weekend

Before I bought my own sailboat, I had the next best thing: a boyfriend with a sailboat. It was early July, and his 27foot Albin Vega was anchored in False Creek. On hot summer evenings, he

Bwould drive us in the dinghy to Granville Island and pick up fresh pasta and vegetables at the market to bring back to the boat. Some nights, we would also pick up a couple of friends at the dock and enjoy some good company, along with the food and the sunset. As fun as it was to hang out on a boat in the city, we couldn’t wait to get away for an adventure.

We decided to head to De Courcy Island. It was only my second trip aboard the Albin Vega. On our first trip together, he had organized everything— food, fuel, water—you name it. All I had to do was show up. On this second trip, I was eager to show him I could be a valuable member of the crew, so I offered to take care of provisions for the weekend.

I am not new to sailing, but I am new to cruising. My previous sailing experience was aboard the 210-foot Norwegian square rigger, STS Sørlandet. At 16, I left home to go to school and sail around the Atlantic. After my eight months as a trainee, I returned the following summer to volunteer, and was later hired as cook’s mate. Throughout university, I worked in Sørlandet’s galley during their summer season, making coffee, baking bread, peeling potatoes, serving fish soup, pouring champagne and feeding up to 90 hungry crew. I certainly knew my way around a ship’s galley. How hard could it be to cook for two on a 27-foot sailboat? I thought it would be easy. I thought I was overqualified. As it turns out, I had no idea what I was doing.

A COUPLE WEEKS before our trip to De Courcy, another cruising couple had invited us for dinner aboard their Spencer 53—their full-time home. They cooked the most delicious pal- ak paneer curry. We begged for the recipe, and they graciously obliged. I decided it was the perfect meal for our weekend sail. I bought bags of spinach, tomatoes, paneer and coconut milk. I premeasured the spices into little baggies and poured maple syrup into a squeeze tube. I packed eggs, bacon, cheese, parmesan, crackers, pasta and fresh Swiss chard from the garden. I felt prepared. We loaded everything into the boat and hit the water.

All was well aboard until the second night, anchored off De Courcy, when I climbed below to begin cooking palak paneer curry for our dinner.

“How do you plan on blending the spinach?” My boyfriend asked.

I looked up at him, eyes wide with panic. I hadn’t considered the possibility that I wouldn’t have access to everything I had in my kitchen at home. I was used to working in a galley with two industrial ovens, three multiuse cookers and a professional mixer, not to mention every imaginable cooking gadget. The Albin Vega certainly didn’t have a hand blender. How could I have thought otherwise? There were only two burners and a small icebox. Although I had cooked on board half a dozen times, I just hadn’t thought my meal plan through.

Luckily, I had stashed a can of instant red curry on board during a previous visit, in case of an emergency. Curry-in- a-can was a trick I learned from my best friend’s mom—a long-time cruiser and foodie—who can whip up a delicious meal for six in the galley of her 30-foot Sea Ray in less than 20 minutes.

THE GREAT THING about this recipe is you can use whatever vegetables and protein you have. That night, I didn’t have much, but I threw in some garlic and Swiss chard, then added one can of curry and one can of coconut milk. On the other burner, I cooked the rice. The aromatic smells of the garlic and curry wafted up to deck and turned the envious heads of our anchored neighbours. Just like that, the evening was saved.

Ingredients:

•1 – 2 cloves of garlic

•1 shallot or white onion

•2 cups thinly sliced vegetables (zucchini, red pepper, carrots, bean sprouts and Swiss chard all work well)

•1 can Aroy-D Instant Red Curry

•1 can coconut milk

•1 cup brown or white rice

Optional: Add a protein such as prawns, cod, chicken or even deep-fried tofu.

Method:

In olive oil and butter, sauté garlic and shallot or onion if you have it. When soft, add vegetables in order of cook time. When vegetables begin to get soft, add cooked protein. Then, add can of curry and can of coconut. Let simmer for five to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve on rice. Enjoy!