Busy in the Galley

In My Kitchen: June 2015

Posting on a schedule can be tricky when weeks pass in between wi-fi connections, so while the post is titled IMK:June, this peek into my galley covers some of April and most of May. Not that it matters, on a long cruise the weeks and months blur and the memories blend. Our travel notes are posted here, if you’re interested in reading the CruiseNews updates from M/V Rhapsody. For a peek inside other kitchens, head over to Celia’s blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly IMK event and enjoy the posts of some interesting cooks from around the world.

April was a busy month in my galley, well... all over the boat for that matter. Spring always brings a flurry of activity - cleaning, inventory, provisioning and cooking-ahead for the upcoming adventure. I have had printed lists, iPhone notes, post-it notes, Excel spreadsheets, and scribbles on the back of envelopes, and I'm still adding more of this and that to the pantry list. Some specialty items and other things I consider basic are difficult to source in small town groceries. (Note: I'm still adding things as we go!) 

In my galley… I finally have some appropriate storage containers to organize the space under the new cooktop. Round plastic tubs hold sugars and AP flour while the stacked bins hold onions, potatoes, bags of rice and pasta, and assorted dried fruits. This has freed up space in other cabinets, and more storage space is always welcome. 

In my galley... we revel in fresh Spring produce, consuming various green salads, fruit salads and grilled vegetables nightly while we're in town. Once we set out it can be two weeks before I see another grocery store stocked with fresh produce. Bowls of fresh ripe fruit look inviting sitting on the counter, but it’s the plastic Ziploc produce bags that keep most fruits and vegetables fresh longer. That’s a bonus when grocery stops are weeks apart and “unbagged” bananas and mangos seem to go from green to overripe almost overnight.  

In my galley… the cute black bear on the label of this jar of fruit preserves caught my eye. We spend months cruising in SE Alaska photographing wildlife, especially the black bear and grizzly bears. Our black bear in a plum tree photo (link) might make a better jam label. Hmmmm, I hope this jam lives up to my expectations based on its label.

In my galley... sort of. The herb pots hold promise of future flavors. This pot sits outside much of the time, while basil and mint hang out in the galley. Basil doesn't appreciate cold nights or saltspray when traveling and mint just doesn't play well with others - it's a pushy bully in a small pot. The purple flower? that's heliotrope to attract the hummingbirds. 

In my galley... the freezer drawers are neatly packed with meats, frozen fruits and vegetables, and various containers pre-cooked favorites for those times when I need to prepare something in a hurry. A bowl of chili is always a hit - the recipe index lists 6 different chili recipes so you know we love it!

In my galley… I couldn’t resist buying this stunning, multi-toned, turned wooden bowl when we stopped in the small settlement of Meyers Chuck, 32 miles north of Ketchikan. It’s an eye-catching decorative item as well as a functional serving piece. My cruise mementos usually tend toward cookbooks - and photos, of course – but this piece called my name as soon as I saw it through the gallery window.

In my galley… it's all about using favorite, familiar recipes rather than experiment with anything new. Simple seems best when fresh seafood is the main event, and I’d rather spend time outside in this year’s unseasonably warm and sunny Spring weather.

Dungeness crab tastes so sweet and rich - it's worth the effort of cleaning, steaming and cracking a big batch. The daily limit is 6 big males per individual fishing license. That's a lot of crab!

Freshly caught king salmon, grilled with the "not-so-secret sauce" makes a great dinner, and leftovers are popular salad additions.

These dishes have been popular items with other boaters at dock potlucks:

Creamy Potato Salad

Italian Pepper Salad

Kale and Peppers Mac and Cheese Bake

It's time to get out of the harbor and go cruising again! Keep checking back, I'll post whenever I find a wi-fi connection.