As surfers we’re aware of what we’re eating, what we don’t want to be eating is fat laden, unprocessed, sugary foods. Fresh, locally produced food is best and increasing your vegetable content in your diet is important for good health, which will in turn make you feel fitter and stronger for surfing. (Get a copy of our Surf Girl Guide to Fitness book for inspiration on how to eat healthy for surfing.) You don’t need to go the whole hog(!) and give up meat entirely but be aware of the importance of vegetables in your daily diet and adjust according to the season. With this in mind we choose a couple of tasty veggie recipes from our cookbooks.
Big Phat Veggie Noodle Soup
Ahh yes the go-to meal on those days when the cold surf has done you in, when your body aches a little and your nose is full of seawater. The wind is howling outside, so put the TV on, grab your warmest socks, whip this up in 10 minutes and slurp away. Recipe by Myles Lamberth at Shells Cafe in Strandhill, Ireland. See more recipes like this in the Surf Cafe Living Cookbook. Photos Mike Searle
Serves 2
Ingredients
You need a wok
1 packet ramen noodles
2 thumb-size pieces of ginger, finely sliced into sticks
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
½ stick celery
1 red chilli (seeds in if you need to sweat it out), sliced
1 pepper, sliced (any colour)
2 scallions, sliced
1 portion veg, like broccoli, spinach, beans – preferably something green for health
50g (½ cup) coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
750ml (3½ cups) veg stock (hot water from the kettle and organic veg cube)
Coriander to garnish
Method
To begin, slice everything down nice and thin. Prep the work area and get organised because things are going to cook fast.
Put the kettle on as you need hot boiling water.
Grab the wok and heat it up with vegetable oil and sesame oil until it’s just smoking.
Throw in the garlic for a few seconds, followed by the onions and ginger. Toss around the pan.
Next add in all the sliced veg (keep back half the scallion for garnishing). Stir fry as normal.
John’s Sunrise Salad
A beautiful salad, inspired by the colours and textures that are around in nature at autumn time. Very simple to make – but with the extra effort of pickling the garnishes and the freshly squeezed, zesty orange dressing – this is a real treat and packed full of vitamins and nutrients. Recipe by John Hersey at Good Vibes Cafe in Falmouth (John works at Watershed now but he made this when he owned Good Vibes). See more recipes like this in the Saltwater Kitchen Cookbook. Photos Mike Searle
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
• 100g (4oz) mixed organic baby salad leaves
• Handful of parsley and sorrel
• 3 ripe figs
• 75g (2½oz) pecan nuts
• 150g (5oz) soft goat’s cheese
• ¼ red onion
• ½ small cucumber
• 2 radishes
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 orange, zest and juice
• 25ml (1fl oz) pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
Method
1. Finely slice the red onion, cucumber and radishes, pop in a bowl and add the cider vinegar. Make sure everything has a good vinegary coat, add a small amount of the parsley and leave aside to pickle whilst preparing the rest of the salad.
2. Chop figs into quarters, and roughly chop the walnuts. Add these to a mixing bowl along with the leaves, parsley and sorrel leaves.
3. Crumble over the soft goat’s cheese – the small bits will melt down with the dressing, and the larger bits will add luxurious pockets of cheesy goodness.
4. In a separate bowl whisk up the juice of the orange with the maple syrup, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and season to taste.
5. Add to the mixing bowl with your leaves, herbs, figs and walnuts, mix through the pickles and lightly toss, drizzle in the dressing slowly until all the leaves and ingredients are coated with the sweet syrup.
6. Give it a hit of cracked black pepper and orange zest to finish the job. Tuck in.
