Paddle Meals: Galapagos Gourmet

October-November 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Deb Leach

Watching for whales. Paddling with penguins. Snorkelling with sea lions and green turtles. Birdwatching without binoculars. Tromping with tortoises.”

This is a sample from the menu of delights that awaited me when adventurers Dag Goering and Maria Coffey (www.hiddenplaces.net) lured me from the Arctic to the Equator. Spending a week with captivating wildlife, clever caterers and a small group of adventurers on a mothership is the best way to experience the Galapagos Islands.

Other Ecuadorian menus feature meat, rice and Andean potatoes; fish and seafood (including ceviche served with popcorn), patacones (squashed fried green bananas) and soups, which are a specialty.Epicureans enjoy even the oddest looking exotic fruit—naranjilla (a cross between an orange and a tomato), tree tomato, guanabana, maracuya (passion fruit) and papaya. When camping without the refrigerating effect of northern waters, keep your menus flexible so you can enjoy your perishables before they are past their prime.

This column’s soup brings together tastes of Ecuador you can try on a northern or southern getaway. You can use canned cream diluted with canned, powdered or UHT milk instead of light cream. Powdered whole eggs are easier to transport. Good luck landing those reef fish!

LOCRO DE PAPAS

(Potato Soup with Fish and Cheese—makes 6 servings)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon paprika

1 large red onion, finely chopped

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 cups water

10 small baking potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups light cream (18%)

1/2 pound firm white fish (sea bass, cod, or haddock), cut in bite- sized pieces

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 and 1/2 cups grated Munster cheese (6 ounces)

Salt and pepper

Ripe avocado, cut into slices

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add paprika. Toss in the onions and stir-fry until they are soft. Add the water, bring it to a boil and add the potatoes. Simmer gently until the potatoes are almost done. Add more water if they boil dry. Add the cream and fish. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to fall apart. If they remain very firm, mash them in the pan with a wooden spoon.

  2. Add a little of the potato mixture to the beaten eggs and then add the eggs to the soup. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with a slice of avocado and hot sauce (aji in Ecuador) on the side.

© Debbie Leach has returned to Victoria and found a niche in ‘2010 Legacies Now’, an initiative linked to Vancouver’s successful bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, which combines healthy eating and active living.