As soon as we decided to sell most of our stuff and move aboard a boat, I went online and began to learn about provisioning and cooking aboard a boat. Blogs were helpful, but the best resource that I have come to rely on is Carolyn Shearlock’s The Boat Galley website and Facebook page. I began winnowing my kitchen accessories, and purchased a few things, such as the Swedish dough whisk for my sourdough bread baking, and the Omnia Stove-top Oven (a necessity as we didn’t have a propane oven, only the Shipmate wood stove). I can bake bread, muffins, granola, and fish, as well as cook meatloaf, pizza, granola, ribs, and so much more!
In 2017, we shifted our diet away from grains, refined sugars, and “bad” cooking oils, to the recommended diet in the Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson: nutrient-dense fats and oils, whole fat, preferably raw, dairy, grass-fed meats, fermented foods, and organic poultry and produce. In some cases, the food may be more expensive, but I find we waste almost nothing. My shopping has become more intentional, in terms of buying based on specific recipes, and planning meals that might use some of the same ingredients, so they get used up and not shoved to the back of the fridge, ignored and mouldering. “Big-ass salads” are a staple. In addition, other than store-bought ketchup and homemade mayo, I make my own marinades and sauces, in small batches called for in the recipe and therefore used up immediately. I keep all the ingredients in the storage lockers, as they don’t need to be refrigerated, which is good, because our one-drawer fridge is TINY!
While we were already buying local meats and produce through the farmers market in which I participated as a vendor of yarns, hand knits, and hand wovens (see Longwoodsalpacas.com), the cookbooks that implemented the non-grain recipes were extremely helpful. Sisson’s Primal Blueprint: Quick and Easy Meals, Melissa Joulwan’s Well Fed Weeknights, and Megan and Brandon Keatley’s Primal Cravings helped us not only to lose some weight but also to lower our cholesterol . The provisioning lists include lots of herbs and spices for upping the flavor, and other than traditional-flour piecrusts for Hugh’s birthday cherry pie, the occasional peanutbutter and cherry jelly sandwich, fried clams or fried oysters, we are sold on the primal way of eating.
What worried me about continuing to eat like this once we were cruising, was being able to find the fresh and wholesome ingredients we have come to rely on. More and more communities along the coast have small markets and co-ops which offer fresh, healthy produce and meats, and thanks to ThriveMarket.com, Nuts.com, and CrossroadCoffebeans.com we are able to be fairly consistent in provisioning. Orders with Thrive and Nuts over $50 have no shipping costs, so I start my shopping carts and finish the order when I have met that threshold.
Bon Appetit!