Paddle Meals: Where's the Rush?

A Jack Russell terrier scampering around the hull of a rolling kayak? You might have seen that sight in Sooke Basin or on the front page of the Seattle Post which captured To'ki's aquabatics while Scot Taylor corkscrewed in the cockpit. Not so unusual - the duo has been paddling together since To'ki could fit into Scot's PFD pocket. The mascot is always eager to get out on the water with Scot, an enthusiastic and innovative chef who operates Rush Adventures.

FAST PASTA

Scot caters to vegetarian tastes, relying on pasta that he cooks up a day in advance, storing it in a zip-lock bag with olive oil to reheat at camp. For the sauce, Yves vegetarian 'Italian Ground Round' mixed with tomato sauce and chunks of organic veggies is tasty without being spicy. "Carnivores can't tell the difference", Scot says.

SAVOURY SOUP

"When customers are well-fed and warm, it makes a guide's job easier", he notes. So a soup that you can make quickly when you get to the beach is 'first aid' for cold and wet paddlers. Pack along envelopes of miso soup and chili peppers for a quick fix. Or to a package of Knorr Fine Herb Soup mix made with the required milk and water, add one chopped leek and six chopped fresh mushrooms that have been sautéed in a bit of olive oil.

AMAZING MUFFINS

Scot impresses his groups with muffins fresh out of the BakePacker oven. Packaged mixes (off the supermarket shelf) work well. It istouchy to experiment with ingredients in these recipes. Better stick with easy-bake ideas like bran muffins with raisins or other dried fruit. Fresh berries can overcook and turn to mush.

Scot's oven came from the US and he is looking into being a Canadian supplier. Ask Scot about the oven, his multiple uses for foil wine bladders, and his waterproof 'Rush-a-Fire' starters made from recycled organic materials.

His website is www.rush-adventures.com

Chef in your Backpack: Gourmet Cooking in the Great Outdoors by Nicole Bassett,

Arsenal Pulp Press, 2003. ISBN 1-55152-140-7. Softcover, 144 pp. index. $21.95 Cdn $16.95 US

This cookbook is full of ideas for delicious, nutritious dishes that will transform your meals from frumpy to fabulous. The secret is planning ahead at home with careful storage of fresh, mostly vegetarian ingredients (generally in plastic ziplock bags), then minimal effort at the campsite. Recipes are grouped into Breakfast, Snack, Lunch and Dinner collections and are preceded with excellent tips for wilderness cooking. The time spent planning and preparing will be well rewarded when you and your companions are enjoying a fresh and flavourful meal at the end of a day of paddling. The recipes are so simple, quick to prepare and delicious, I suspect you'll find yourself turning to this cook book when you're at home with no plans to get away to the great outdoors!

© Nutritionist Deb Leach, her computer and her kayak, live in Victoria, BC.