Central Beat magazine May-July 2017 Central Beat May-July 2017

Great Foods to Pack for a Day at the Beach! CentralBeat/FoodFun Page 19 May 2017 P acking food for a picnic in the park is pretty easy. But when your picnic happens to be on the beach, there’s a new set of rules and a few more fac- tors to consider before filling your basket or cooler. For starters, there’s the sand. It’s totally obvious, but no matter how hard you plan and how many precautions you take, it in- evitably ends up everywhere. In- cluding your sandwich. There’s also the wind — the beach can be breezy, which means that sand and salt swirl around, attaching themselves to anything that’s re- motely sticky, wet, or, let’s face it, edible. Keep that in mind the next time you’re packing up for a day at the beach, and remember that even when you have a cooler, some foods hold up better than others. Of course you can always pack the basics, like crackers, chips, nuts, and dried fruit, but it’s good to have something a lit- tle more substantial. 1. Wraps Opt for wraps over regular sand- wiches when packing lunch for a day at the beach. For one, it’s just fun to coil things up in a tor- tilla or collard leaf. But more im- portantly, when the fillings are tucked away on the inside, they’re better protected — plus wraps are easy to eat with one hand. 2. Fried chicken The only thing better than hot and crispy fried chicken, is left- over cold fried chicken the next day. Especially when that “next day” happens to be at the beach. Fried chicken is a hot weather staple; it holds up well in a cooler, and it’s pretty easy to eat without getting mouthfuls of sand. 3. Skewers Because food on skewers is al- ways more fun! Whether you go for fruit, veggies, or meat, kabobs make great beach fare. This is a hands-off (read, sand- free!) meal that’s utensil-free and easy to eat, with even easier cleanup. 4. Whole fruit As much as we all love fresh cut- up fruit, sandy fingers diving in and out of the bowl puts a big damper on the party. Whole fruit is much more suited to a day at the beach. 5. Couscous or pasta salad These two tend to hold up well in the heat. Also, even if a few grains of sand make their way in, they’ll easily get lost in a jumble of couscous; you might not even notice. 6. Charcuterie True, cheese and salami might not be great choices if you’re going to be out for hours in the heat of the mid-afternoon. But if you’re eating right away or going at sunset, these bites are easy to pack, require no assembly, and can be eaten without utensils. 7. Lettuce wraps These may seem overly compli- cated, but this is a suggestion in lieu of a salad. Wrap up some chopped vegetables or other components in big, oversized leaves of iceberg lettuce. Then wrap in foil, so you can just peel it back and eat. 8. Cookies Don’t forget dessert! Cookies are a simple finger food to curb your post-lunch sweet tooth. It’s prob- ably best to skip anything choco- late to avoid a melty mess. And if you want to add a home- made treat for the adults try this recipe for Pineapple Mojitos 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple 16 mint leaves Lemon Grass Syrup 1 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup white rum, chilled 1 (1-liter) bottle club soda, chilled Cracked ice Purée pineapple in a blender or food processor. Crush mint with a mortar and pestle or coarsely chop. Divide mint among 8 large glasses or canning jars. Add 1/4 cup pineapple purée and 2 table- spoons each Lemon Grass Syrup, lime juice, and rum to each glass. Fill glasses 3/4 full with club soda. Stir in about 1/3 cup cracked ice. Serve immediately. Cook’s Notes: Cool overnight. À´²Å¶µÀ¿Å¹¶¾²º¿ÃÀ²µÀÁÁÀÄºÅ¶ ¶ÄÀÆÃ´¶¶¿ÅÃ¶ ²Ê²ÃÀ

Central Beat magazine May-July 2017 Central Beat May-July 2017 | Page 19