The perfect complement to your adventure, never just an afterthought.
What could be better after an invigorating day of paddling than watching the sunset from your campsite while savoring a glass of wine and enjoying delicious Northwest cuisine from your waterfront campsite?
At Outdoor Odysseys, we believe that good food, prepared with care enhances and complements the wilderness experience. We go to great lengths to provide meals that are knock-your-socks-off delicious, not just “good-for-camp-food.”
My husband is a vegetarian, I am not. Rarely do our diets converge. How amazing, then, that both of us found the food absolutely delicious! It was fresh, abundant and imaginative. I especially liked the variety—so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables.
Our Cuisine
We place a premium on using quality ingredients: fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, real butter, premium chocolates, bottled wines, and real maple syrup.
Lunches most definitely provided
This seems like a no-brainer, but not every outfitter on San Juan Island includes lunches as part of their trip price, even on overnight tours. At Outdoor Odysseys, we make things as easy as possible. Lunches are a delicious (and included) part of all our overnight and full day tours.
Farm to campfire freshness
All of our food comes from one of the regions leading natural foods providers, providing us with access to a huge variety of organic, sustainably grown goodies. We also buy from local islanders as much as possible (we love supporting our friends!), and even source some of our herbs from our own Outdoor Odysseys garden.
Bottled wines (and beer) paired with delicious cuisine
Part of the fun of a well-organized kayak tour is enjoying tastefully prepared food in a scenic outdoor setting. We are the only outfitter that takes pains to pair excellent wines in collaboration with the Orcas Project with our delicious food.
Connoisseur of good wine or beer? Join us on our 3 Day Wine Tasting Kayaking Tour and our 3 Day NW Craft Beer Kayaking Tour to experience the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer!
Dutch ovens: big, heavy, and oh-so-worth bringing
A distinguishing part of our culinary offerings is that we utilize dutch ovens or the “D-Os” as we call them, on our tours. We use dutch ovens for savory main dishes such as our triple cheese lasagna and our herbed, goat cheese breakfast frittata. They also work great for creating delicious desserts such as our famous apple/pear crisps and double fudge brownies. If you are unfamiliar with “D-O” cookery, you’ll become a believer after this trip!
And, of course, great coffee is a must!
Here in the great Pacific Northwest, serving anything less than an exceptional cup of coffee is unacceptable. We source our coffee locally from the San Juan Coffee Roasting Co.
Dietary Restrictions?
We’ve got you covered. We pride ourselves in our ability to provide special dietary options for guests that have particular concerns (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, specific food allergies, more). We will gladly work with you to accommodate your specific needs or concerns.
If you are gluten intolerant, we’ve got you covered with delicious substitutions for any menu.
Sample Menu
This is a sample of the delicious cuisine you’ll paddle across the islands to enjoy! We have no set menus so our guides can be creative in the kitchen and cognizant of the local and seasonal produce. Please note all of our meals are customized to the customers’ dietary restrictions, including, but not restricted to, gluten-free and celiac, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, nut allergies, lactose intolerant, etc.
And, all of our food is organic! We source locally when available.
Day 1
Lunch
- Appetizer: Fresh fruit (including organic peanut butter, perfect for dipping apples) and Kettle chips
- Build-Your-Own Deli Sandwich Smorgasbord: Dave’s Killer Bread, King’s Market deli meat, cheddar and swiss, Beaverton mustards, hummus, and fresh veggies (bell peppers, red onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado, cucumber)
- Dessert: Newman O’s (way better than Oreos)
Dinner
- Appetizer: Dutch oven spinach artichoke with grilled pita bread and fresh veggies
- Grilled chicken skewers over polenta and creamy mushroom sauce (recipe below)
- Dessert: Fresh Skagit Valley berries and handmade maple whipped cream
- Red and white wine options
Day 2
Breakfast
- Appetizer: Cantaloupe with fresh mint from the garden
- Bacon, avocado, and grilled tomato egg sandwiches on toasted english muffins with a pesto aioli sauce
- San Juan Island Coffee Roasting Co coffee, organic herbal and caffeinated teas
Lunch
- Appetizer: Fresh fruit and Kettle chips
- Waldorf chicken salad wraps
- Dessert: Newman O’s
Dinner
- Appetizer: Cheese board with grilled and honey drizzled brie, herb rolled goat cheese, fresh fruit and roasted nuts
- Kang Ped red coconut curry stir-fry with local protein over jasmine rice
- Dessert: Dutch oven apple crisp with handmade maple whipped cream
- Red and white wine options
Day 3
Breakfast
- Appetizer: Watermelon with fresh mint from the garden
- Dutch oven sun-dried tomato and herbed goat cheese dutch oven frittata, sweet potato pancakes
- San Juan Island Coffee Roasting Co coffee, organic herbal and caffeinated teas
Lunch
- Appetizer: Fresh fruit and Kettle chips
- Greek salad and falafel pita pockets
- Dessert: Newman O’s
Recipe: Grilled Chicken Skewers over Polenta and Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Creator: Jennifer Koenig, Guide
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the skewers
- Organic chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- Cherry tomatoes
- 1 small yellow squash, cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 small zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices
- Wooden skewers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce
- ¾ lb of mushrooms, sliced
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1-1.5 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup of butter
- 1 cup of heavy cream
Polenta and Greens
- 1 tube of pre-cooked polenta, cut into ½ inch slices
- 6 handfuls of fresh greens (baby arugula, baby chard, etc)
Instructions
Place all the ingredients for skewers in a bowl and gently toss to distribute spices, oil, and vinegar.
Heat skillet to medium heat, add oil and onions. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally (10 minutes). Reduce heat to low and add mushrooms and continue cooking until onions and mushrooms caramelize, stirring occasionally (another 10-15 minutes, or longer). Add oil or stock as needed to prevent sticking.
In the meantime, assemble skewers alternating chicken and veggies.
Heat cast iron grill plate to medium high heat and line with sliced polenta. Grill each side until dark grill marks appear. Set to the side or keep warm in an oven.
Grease grill plate and grill skewers until chicken is cooked through.
Turn heat on sauce to low, add stock and soy sauce, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add butter and heavy cream and cook another 1-2 minutes until heated. Add additional stock for a thinner sauce, additional cream for a thicker sauce.
Place a handful of greens and a few slices of grilled polenta on each plate, cover polenta in mushroom sauce, then top with a chicken skewer. Enjoy!