Beach Eats....What do you bring?

[cape chef]

The dog days of summer are upon us,
Actually it's been quite beautiful the last few day's in CT,warm and low humidity

But anyway, what do you all like to bring along with you when you head out for a day on the beach?

I like simple things like chilled roast chicken or sliced flank steak,cheeses and bread.

Chilled shrimp with hot sauce
olives,and cold roasted eggplant.Lots of water+lots of chilled adult beverges.

Raw veggies and sandwiches for the kids,chips and stuff.

Anyone else?

[momoreg]

Seems like whenever we picnic on the beach, we always bring too much food. Apparently, I'm the slaw queen, so there always has to be slaw. I'm with ya on the chilled roast chicken, CC. And sandwiches are perfect, because they start with sand.
I just made a tasty rosemary and olive oil boule, and I might slice that up and eat it with grain mustard , romaine lettuce, and peppermill turkey.

[cape chef]

Nothing like a bit of sand in your sandwich.

I love the extra "Crunch"makes me think of the Cape

The Boule sounds tasty

[sammiemom]

All this sounds wonderful, and I would love to eat it at home.

Am I the only one who doesn't like eating on the beach?


Sue

[KateW]

I don't like eating at the beach. You get sand in your food, you drop it all over yourself (unless you bring little tables or something, I guess), seagulls harass you, it blows away, etc.

[Pete]

It seems that I am in a "muffeletta" rut right now. Everytime we go off for a picnic of some sort, I usually bring a variation on a muffeletta. Along with that, there is always fresh fruit. Cherries are a great picnic food!!! And don't forget the adult, malted beverages!

[Pongi]

Pete,
I've already heard from people here the word "muffeletta" and wonder what kind of food it is! It reminds me of the Italian word "moffetta", but since it means "polecat" it's clearly something else . Could you enlighten me?

Apart from that, I too don't like eating on the beach...although our beaches are usually pretty stony and sand is not a problem
So, my idea of a picnic is a mountain one...something rather boring, I must say, if I remember all those walks I had with my family during my childhood, but suppose it's a curse nobody can escape
In any case, this is the menu of a "typical" Italian picnic (my family ones included!)

-Sandwiches with salami, prosciutto, cheese and veggies (tomato/mozzarella and so on), cotoletta alla milanese
-Frittata (probably the top ten in ANY italian picnic)
-Roasted chicken
-Hard boiled eggs
-Rice salad
-Focaccia and/or homemade pizza
-Fresh fruits
-Chocolate bars
-Beverages (malted or not) as everywhere in the world!

Pongi

[chefboy2160]

I really like all the food ideas but one thing is missing though .
That special someone to share it with . Thats what makes the beach picnic so good for me . oh and maybe some cold fried chicken with potato salad and a veggie assortment with dip ,
watermelon for dessert and Im a happy camper . Just dont forget that special someone . Your friend in food , Doug ..................

[chrose]

While I do love cold fried chicken on the beach as well as grilled burgers and hot dogs I always seem to feel cheated if I don't eat seafood on the beach. There's something almost primal to me, about having clams on the beach or crabs, fresh caught grilled fish and dare I say it....LOBSTER!!!
Got to have a Clam bake!

[Pete]

Pongi, a muffeletta is a sandwich that was created in New Orleans by Italian immigrants. Central Grocery is the supposed birthplace of this wonderful sandwich. It is made on a very large, round, flat bread covered with sesame seeds. They slice the bread open and layer a number of different italian cold cuts (salami, mortadella, capicola, etc. I can't remember exactly which meats though), then add provolone cheese. But what really makes the sandwich special (and messy!) is the olive salad that they top the meats with before closing the sandwich. Its a salad made up of olives, garlic, carrots, other various vegetables, oil, vinegar, and a light sprinkling of red pepper flakes. They are so large that they sell the sandwiches by the 1/2s and 1/4s. Getting a muffeletta at Central Grocery is always one of my highlights whenever I get to New Orleans.

[thebighat]

I've been afraid to go to the beach this year...afraid all those nosy tourists are gonna push me back out to sea.

[Pongi]

Thanks Pete!
This muffeletta sounds very yummy...could anyone of those immigrants come back to Italy and teach our grocers the recipe?
BTW, after your reply I did a quick online search and, as I supposed, there is no trace of it in any Italian site. So, it's another "Italian" specialty that actually wasn't born in Italy, and I wonder how many dishes exist in the world which are unknown in the country they're told to come from!
I'm starting a thread about this topic...

Pongi

[chrose]

Originally posted by thebighat
I've been afraid to go to the beach this year...afraid all those nosy tourists are gonna push me back out to sea.

They're just being helpful.. They don't want to see your skin start to crack.
Avoid PETA they'll probably try to adopt you.

[spikezoe]

Growing up the beach always meant exotic fast food (well exotic in that we didn't have that particular footlong hot dog stand which introduced our family to deep fried whole turkey back in the 80's, but that's another thread) and seafood restaurants. Up north meant crispy and melt in your mouth sweet fried clams and outdoor grill steamed lobsters spread out on picnic tables--the only way to eat them. Down south was bushels of steamed shrimp and wash tubs full of steamed oysters with DIY cocktail sauce fixin's on the lazy susan on the table. And those fascinating (at least to the young me) oyster roast tables with holes right in the middle to dump your oyster shells or to crawl under and stick your head through when the conversation waned. But in all of those years and even now, I can never remember actually eating anything on the beach other than sand and snootfulls of sea water.

[Pete]

Pongi, no, the muffeletta is not Italian, nor do I think that it has ever claimed to be. It is a New Orleans dish through and through. It's only link to Italy, is that it was created by Italian immigrants or childern of Italian immigrants. But it is wonderful, you should attempt to make one. There are numerous recipes floating around on the web.