GOING BANANAS

What do you when the stalk of green bananas hanging from the shrouds turns yellow overnight? Some cruisers manage to eat half and leave the rest dangling, a blackened, mushy admission of defeat. We don’t give up so easily. We stuff as many as we can into the fridge and start cooking and blending our way through them.

Bananas Flambe

Split bananas lengthwise. Melt equal parts butter and brown sugar in a pan, sprinkle some lemon juice over the fruit, and fry until golden. Pour rum into the pan, set the bananas on fire, and serve them in the glowing blue light of the burning rum.

Elvis sandwich Slice bananas and spread them on bread with peanut butter or Nutella, drizzle with honey. This comfort sandwich is good for whatever ails you.

Banana daiquiri

Blend bananas, a squirt of lime and a sip of rum, and pour over crushed ice—the perfect sundowner at the end of a tropical day. Leave out the rum and blend with yogurt, milk or vanilla ice cream for a smoothie.

Banana chutney

Chop ginger, garlic, chiles and onions, and fry with a coriander, cumin and cinnamon powder mix. Add a squirt of lemon, pinch of brown sugar, salt and at least 10 bananas. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Banana swap

Swap bananas with another boat whose bananas are in a different stage of ripeness, or give them away—what goes around comes around in the cruiser’s world.