You are preparing for an Atlantic crossing, and the question of provisioning arises?
You’ve come to the right place; this article has been written for you!
We’ll be sharing the secrets of how the r’Ose Transat crew manage the food on board.
R’Ose Transat is a crew of 6 women who set sail aboard a Lagoon 42 with the aim of regaining confidence in life after having lived through the ordeal of breast cancer. From November 4 to 28, 2019 they sailed across the Atlantic accompanied by a female doctor and a female skipper.
To get an overview of the food they needed, they contacted a sailing association for advice. However, the suggestions made were not to their taste: too much canned food and not enough fresh products!
Three members of the crew then decided to get to work to establish a list of needs. Their goal: to eat good, healthy and fresh food! Inspired by the great chef Yotam Ottolenghi, they identified the foods they needed. Selecting fresh products that can be kept for a long time was their secret. The organization was meticulous, the menus were established by the 3 chefs of the crew with details: the recipes, the ingredients and the quantities.
On board, the motto was: “Badly fed crew, badly sailed boat!”.
One of our 3 chefs shared a tip: “During the crossing, I kept an eye on how the fresh food was behaving: if the spinach was starting to go off, for example, I dug out a recipe with spinach and it’s done.”
This is called spontaneity. So be observant!
After the provisioning comes the stowing! The r’Ose Transat team established a specific plan for the distribution of food about the boat. “The crew established the food storage plans and posted them up in the saloon.” That way, no more problems to locate things, each product was stored in its proper place!
The food was calculated for 25 days with a 10-day margin, in case of delay during the transatlantic.
On arrival, the crew still had some products, like canned goods, milk, coffee … and this with only one revictual in the Canaries and one in Cape Verde! So, 24 hours before their arrival at their destination in Martinique, they made a pit stop in Barbados and gave the rest of the food to local youths.
The results of the expedition?
The Lagoon 42 offered the crew “plenty of space to cook” which kept their spirits up throughout the trip. In addition, they benefited from a lot of storage space for stowing food. This meant they were able to keep fresh products longer. Allowing them to prepare some delicious meals.
We have a little bonus for you! The famous favorite recipe of the young women during their crossing!
Ottolenghi’s roasted butternut squash with onions.
Recipe for 2-4 people:
Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash of 1 to 1.2kg
- 2 red onions
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of water
- ½ or 1 small clove of garlic
- Zaatar (Middle Eastern spice blend)
- Fresh parsley or cilantro
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to Mark 7 (210°C).
- Wash and brush the butternut and cut it into 2cm thick slices. Peel the red onions and cut them into large wedges (4 to 6 depending on the size of the onion).
- Place the butternut slices and onion wedges in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, then pour onto a baking dish (skin side down) and roast for about 50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and well colored (keep an eye on the onions, they cook more quickly).
- Making the tahini sauce: mix the tahini with the lemon juice and the crushed garlic. Add the water little by little, whisking to obtain a smooth, runny consistency like runny honey (adjust by adding more water or tahini as needed). Taste and add a little salt if necessary (note, some brands of tahini are already salted!)
- In a small frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil then add the onions and a little salt. Brown over low heat, stirring the pan for even coloring: the onions should be just golden. Stop cooking and transferring the fried onions to a small bowl.
- Arrange wedges of butternut and roasted onions on a plate, drizzle with tahini sauce, then add a few fried onions and sprinkle with zaatar and chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve hot, warm or cold as a light dish or side dish.
That’s it, all you have to do now is try it on board!
Discover the association: https://www.rosetransat.com/