THE PLASTIKI FOOD STORY

HOW DO YOU FEED A HUNGRY CREW OF EIGHT WHEN YOUR KITCHEN IS THREE BY FOUR FEET WITH LIMITED STORAGE AND NO REFRIGERATION?GET CREATIVE AND ASK THE EXPERTS....

W hen Jennifer Tuck and Nona Lim heard Skipper Jo’s casting call to the SF Food Community for help provisioning the

Plastiki, they knew the project would be a good match for their team. After all, Cook! uses only the freshest local, sustainable meats and produce to create really simple meal kits.

The main goals were to help the Plastiki crew:

EAT NUTRITIOUSLY EAT SUSTAINABLY EAT RELATIVELY AFFORDABLY

In terms of access to awesome ingredients, you couldn’t have picked a better departure city than San Francisco. The process that unfolded was a heart warming collaboration with many passionate and environmentally conscious farmers and foodies. From Bill Crepps who spent nights dehydrating great bushels of kale and mandarins to Ulimana sending a large box of their vegan brownies and truffles from North Carolina, the sustainable food community was eager to lend a hand.

HOW DO YOU FEED A HUNGRY CREW OF EIGHT WHEN YOUR KITCHEN IS THREE BY FOUR FEET WITH LIMITED STORAGE AND NO REFRIGERATION?GET CREATIVE AND ASK THE EXPERTS....

The Cook! kitchen crew engaged by turning lovely grass-fed beef, lamb and chicken from Marin Sun Farms into more than 110 jars of beef bourguignon, lamb ragout, Thai chicken curry and many more dishes.

The Plastiki has always been about focusing on a journey of discovery, learning, sharing and innova-

tion rather than just the destination. To this end it has exposed the project to many diverse, curious, passion-ate and incredibly generous individuals and none more so than the committed and diverse group of or-ganic farmers and local suppliers who have not only overwhelmed the team and myself with their careful-ly crafted meals, snacks and treats but they have also deeply inspired me with their unrivalled commit-ment to authenticity, quality and community spirit. – David de Rothschild

Thanks to Bill Crepps from Everything Under the Sun the Plastiki is loaded with freshly dehydrated (translation: light weight), organic produce.

As for grass-fed meats, SF based Cook! preserved more than a hundred jars of tagines, curries and stews. The crew will then bring it all to life with our new best friend in the galley – the pressure cooker.

San Francisco foodies Jennifer Tuck and Nona Lima of Cook! (www.cooksf.com) came on board to help the crew eat nutritiously, sustainably and relatively affordably. The duo worked with Northern California’s farmers and many healthy food companies to create a bevy of delicious and nutritious meal options.

A DAY IN THE PLASTIKI KITCHEN

Three recipes taken from the Plastiki Eat Well Guidecollated by Cook! SF

Breakfast: Cornmeal Pancakes

INGREDIENTS(6-8 servings)1 egg, separated 2 cups buttermilk 2 tbl vegetable oil 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 1/2 cups cornmeal or corn flour

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RECIPE 1 Beat egg white until stiff peaks form; set aside. 2 Slightly beat the egg yolk in mixing bowl; blend in buttermilk and oil. 3 Mix together the flour, soda, salt, sugar, and cornmeal; blend into the liquid mixture until smooth. 4 Fold in beaten egg white. Let batter stand for 10 minutes. 5 Bake on hot greased griddle until nicely browned on both sides. These cook a little slower than pancakes. 6 Serve with butter and warmed syrup. Also delicious with fried ham or bacon on the side.

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Main Meal: Sweet Potato, Okra and Peanut Stew

INGREDIENTS(7 servings)5¼ tb vegetable oil1 ¾ onion5 – 6 cloves garlic3 ½ jalapeño1 ¾ tb Ginger-root; fresh; minced2 5/8 tb curry powder1 - 2 tomato7 cups Water or low-sodium veggie broth (or chicken broth)14 tb peanut butter7/8 tsp salt7/16 tsp pepper1 ¾ lbs sweet potato3 ½ carrots3 ½ cup okra7 oz green beans7 tb cilantro7 tb peanuts, chopped1 – 2 limes

RECIPE 1 Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeños and ginger, until the onion is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. 2 Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. 3 Add the tomatoes, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole. 4 Whisk in the stock or water and peanut butter, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. 5 Cook over moderately high heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 6 Add the sweet potatoes and carrots, cover partially and cook over a moderately low heat until the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes. 7 Add the okra and green beans, cover partially and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer.

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Desert: Brown Rice Crispy Treats

INGREDIENTS(5 servings)2-3 tb virgin coconut oil1 cup brown rice syrup1/2 cup almond butter1 tsp vanilla6 cups brown rice puffs / crispy cerealOptional: 1/4 cup sesame seeds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, chopped nutsOptional: 1/2 - 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened with apple juice or other fruit juices)

RECIPE 1 Put coconut oil into medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. 2 Add brown rice syrup and almond butter. Heat until tiny bubbles form, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Immediately take pot off the heat and add vanilla. Stir again. 3 Place cereal and any optional ingredients into a large bowl. 4 Pour hot rice syrup mixture over it. Mix togeth-er immediately with wooden spoon or spatula. 5 Pour mixture into 9x13 inch pan and press mixture flat. 6 Let cool, slice into bars and enjoy.

Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition cookbookMakes about 15 squares

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INSIDE THEPLASTIKI KITCHEN

We do our watches and we sleep at different times. The only time we are all gathered is during dinner or when some-one is shouting: ‘whale, dolphin or shark!’.