The hardest part of being over here is not being able to be close to friends or family if needed. Celeste’s dad, Clarence, was not in good health (very similar to my dad), but still it is a shock when these things happen. His passing is in large part to lifestyle choices, particularly dietary. He enjoyed fast food too much, and Celeste does not have too many memories of healthy food around the dinner table. He really was a true southern gentlemen, the last time I saw him, Celeste had just opened her practice and she was giving us a demonstration of how she did the barefoot therapy. I have never seen him so proud, he was so excited to get his free massage! He saw my excitement in being in the south and wanting authentic cuisine, and brought me to a gas station that served up some great bbq, and even took me to another state for the sake of good food, he lived by his principles and will be missed by many people. As far as things over here, the picture is of Symi, Greece where we were this afternoon, we then dropped off a guest in Bodrum and are currently heading to Mykonos. This recipe is another one from Corli. It is my ideal breakfast, toasted with honey. If you get nothing else from this blog of mine, enjoy this recipe. This is the easiest bread recipe you will ever make (might even be fun for the kids to make it). It makes three loaves, but this is that perfect present to give someone wrapped nice, and it freezes beautifully. I took the picture of the bread just the way I like it, when Jenna would have waiting for me when I got up (I wonder why she doesn’t do that anymore?)

Corli’s Health Bread

The recipe calls for a kg. of flour, which is 2.2 lb. sorry, I have not figured this out in cups. I know, some of the best recipes I post make you work for it, I do promise it’s worth it though.

Three loaves

1 kg. (2.2 lb.) whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. salt

3 cups sunflower seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds

2 cups raisins

3/4 cup white sesame seeds

3/4 cup black sesame seeds

1 cup flax seeds

2 cups chopped pecans

2 packets yeast

Mix all of the above together in a large bowl

3 oz. honey

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

6 cups water

Combine all ingredients above with the water and mix with the dry ingredients. Scoop in to three bread tins sprayed with nonstick spray. Let the bread rest in a warm place, covered for an hour or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Celeste’s father passed away yesterday.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.  We are almost done with this charter and I will have a lot more time to post.

 Back in Greece again, which is good for for my provisioning.  There are certain things that you just can’t get in Turkey such as fresh low fat milk or berries.  We are docked here and overlooking the walls of the Citadel which used to enclose the city.  I am always on stand by so it is difficult for me to see the sights.  Yesterday we were at anchor for lunch when a boat came up to us and offered to make homemade bread, of course we accepted, they had some savory and even some sweet with Nutella and bananas.  We are headed back to Gocek to drop off this round of guests and pick up the last weeks guests.  Here is a another dip you can make next time you have the grill on.  If you think you don’t like eggplant, try this recipe

Baba Ganoush

serves a bunch

1 large eggplant

2 Tbsp. tahini

1 large garlic clove

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of a lemon

Rub the eggplant with oil and grill all over until charred and softened.  Let cool and peel skin off.  Put remaining ingredients in blender and mix until smooth, add water to thin as needed.

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Let me just say that Jenna is a great chef (she trained in Italy) and I was giving her crap with that photo. I think she gave the link to this site to her parents, so I need to clear that up. We are in Kas (funny squiggle thing on, under, around the s?) I am sure I will tell you we were actually somewhere else when I post tomorrow. Looks like we are heading to Rhodes, so it turns out we are mixing some of Greece in to this trip. The guests have pretty much had all of their meals on the boat, I would like to say it’s the great cooking, but the truth is that it is was 107 degrees here yesterday (and that’s not a dry heat!), so it makes the usual outdoor restaurant experience a little less appetizing. I should have the free diet out in a few days. In the meanwhile here is a recipe for coleslaw. We have a guest from Arkansas, so I did a “Southern” theme for dinner last night.

Coleslaw

Serves a bunch

1 bag shredded cabbage

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. celery salt

Mix together and refrigerate for an hour or so.

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We arrived in Gocek yesterday and it is the most stunning of the places we have visited. I am amazed at how lush some of the areas have been. I woke up one morning and thought I was back in the Pacific Northwest. I am trying to get up early so I can post regularly, we will see how it goes. I made this dip as part of our appetizers the other day, simple and delicious.

Artichoke Dip

Serves a bunch

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix together and serve with fresh vegetables and crackers.  This can also be heated in the microwave for a few minutes for a hot dip.

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