Captain Ed's Boat Salad

My father is a great dad and almost as good of a sailor.

 

Water was a constant theme when we were growing up - whether playing in the brook behind our house or trips to the Jersey Shore and Cape Cod. We have all re-located from our home town of Glen Rock but one thing is consistent: we all still live near the water. From Maine down to Virginia and points all over the globe, we play in it, eat from it and in my sister Catherine's case, write about it.

 

I have a quote hanging in my office written by "Anonymous" that I reference often:

 

"The point is, to be in the water, by the water, or on a bar stool with the water splashing gently at your feet"

 

One of my fondest memories is going out on my Dad's sailboat 

 on the Long Island Sound and Buzzard's Bay.

 

 

You could never predict how the winds would be on any particular day but you could always count on 3 things: good company, great tunes and my Dad's famous "boat salad".

 

Inspired by a lunchtime favorite when my Dad worked in Midtown, Manhattan, Boat Salad was always a staple aboard "About Time". My dad said  "Most people who have joined me on the boat will say that they are not sure about the sailing but the "Boat Salad" was great". I disagree.

 

Passengers were always put to work: steering, tacking, anchoring. But the pleasure of being on the water, the peacefulness and the time spent with family and good friends made it a pleasure. And The Captain made it so. Boat Salad was merely the delicious side dish.

 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of pasta mini shells or rotini

8 oz frozen peas

8 oz imitation crab, flaked

4 tbsp. mayonnaise

fresh cracked black pepper

 

 

Cook the pasta al dente and mix with the remaining ingredients.

 

 

 

Set sail.

 

Relax.

 

And let the wind carry your sails.

 

(Happy Father's Day!)