Race 10 - Day 16
Crew Diary - Race 10 Day 16
12 April

The day my crew thought I was trying to kill them.

The responsibility of preparing lunch today fell on me. I have had a few successful meals under my belt and have to say, I was actually feeling a bit confident. Today’s lunch was one of my favourites: pumpkin soup! If you think I almost killed my crew from the recipe itself or how the finished product turned out, you would be wrong! Everyone actually raved about the finished product but maybe they were afraid I would kill them in their sleep if they didn’t; even people in the cockpit were not safe.

The ingredients (shared with Vicki’s permission)

500 g Onion

9 cloves Garlic, crushed

6 tsp Dried Oregano (pronounced Or-A-gano)

6 tsp Chilli Powder

3 tsp Ground Cumin

6 L Vegetable Stock

3 Small Pumpkins, Peeled and Chopped

4 Cups Dried Potato

2 Can Chickpeas

1 tsp Cinnamon

200 g Coarsely Grated Cheddar

UHT Cream

Bacon Bits

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat (we only have high heat). Add the onion, garlic, oregano, chilli powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic.

1. Add the stock. This is where I realized it might be going wrong. From our after-action review, we determined my mistake happened because I was using freeze dried onion and garlic instead of fresh and there may not have been enough moisture. And I may have started adding the stock a little late and a little slow. The galley was immediately filled with very aromatic steam and/or smoke (it was a little hard to tell). My first concern was the fire alarm. I quickly ran to the steps where Vicki greeted me and asked if I started a fire as smoke was billowing out of the companionway hatch. I told her I didn’t think so. Next, the 6 crew members in their bunk started coughing in their sleep. This was followed by Cam entering the galley asking if I was making tear gas. I told him I was following the recipe and it said to cook until aromatic… which it was. He asked, “Where did you get the recipe?” He then closed the bulkhead doors entering the ghetto as the cloud of mustard gas was threatening to kill the rest of the crew. Paddy and I remained in the galley coughing as we continued our work. Each time Vicki neared the companionway to check on our progress, she left coughing. Eventually, the cloud did clear and so did our lungs.

1. Add pumpkin, potato, chickpeas, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low (once again, we only have high heat). Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender (we don’t have lids and I don’t really time things in the galley).

1. Blend the pumpkin mixture until smooth.

1. Serve topped with bacon bits, cheese, and a swirl of whipping cream.

“I really like the flavour. It was a little thicker than I would imagine it would turn out and a little hotter but overall, it was really nice to have on a nice cold day in the Pacific. Good job, Jaci.” - Vicki