Beach Picnicking
...and Lobster Linguini with a Creamy Tomato & Leek Sauce (great with or without the lobster!)
One of our favorite ways to spend a summer evening is packing up an easy dinner and heading down to the beach. Sometimes it’s homemade sandwiches, sometimes it’s takeout from the market, and occasionally just a few pizza boxes balanced between beach chairs and towels. There are always plenty of snacks involved, a good cocktail in hand, and at least one great dip to dig into while the kids run around crabbing at low tide. We stay until the sun sets and they finally kick us off the beach. While this newsletter is inspired by beach picnics by the water, the truth is a picnic can happen anywhere. A park, your backyard, the lake, the boat or even your front porch - all make lovely backdrops for an easy outdoor summer meal shared with people you love.
Beach Picnic Menu:
Old Man & The Sea Cocktail
Shrimp & Bacon Dip with Ruffles & Celery
Turkey, Manchego & Arugula Sandwiches with Romesco Sauce
Fresh Cut Fruit
Brown Butter Toffee Cookies
‘Elegant yet Easy’ recipe (subscribers only): Lobster Linguini with a Creamy Tomato & Leek Sauce (great with or without the lobster!)
Beach Picnicking Tips:
Our number one tip for hosting a chic beach picnic is getting a small folding beach table. It keeps everything elevated, organized and off the sand! We’ve had ours for years. It’s lightweight, easy to tote and set up, and fellow beachgoers are constantly stopping to ask us where we got it!
Like all kinds of hosting, packing for a beach picnic is 100 times easier when you’re stocked with the right items to keep things efficient and organized. Don’t forget simple additions like a small speaker, great beach chairs (bonus points for backpack straps), and a picnicking blanket for when everyone wants to settle in and stay awhile.
Any picnic requires snacks! One of our favorite things to bring is a divided snack tray filled with fresh-cut fruit, snack mixes, chips, and veggies. It always comes home empty.
Never leave home without baby wipes and a roll of paper towels. Baby powder is also amazing for helping remove sand from little hands and feet before kids eat.
When packing a cooler, use ice packs or freeze a few water bottles instead of loose ice so everything stays cold without getting soggy. We also love bringing a Yeti filled with ice for cocktails and using insulated canteens for pre-batched drinks. We’ll even pour a bottle of wine into one before heading out so it stays perfectly chilled.
Low tide at our local beach is always our favorite time to picnic with and expansive beach and lots of room to run around. The kids usually crab, explore, and run around — built-in entertainment!
The beach almost always cools off as the sun starts to set, so we make sure to pack sweatshirts and lightweight cotton sweaters to bundle up in.
Beach Picnic Essentials:
For Subscribers Only:
Beach Picnic Shopping List & Prep Timeline
June 2024 EYE Recipe- Bruschetta Pesto Chicken
June 2025 EYE Recipe- Mojo Marinated Steak with Roasted Beets, Strawberries & Burrata
NEW ‘Elegant yet Easy’ Recipe- Lobster Linguini with Creamy Tomato & Leek Sauce (great with or without the lobster!)
A simple summer pasta always hits! Especially after a long day by the water. I first created this lobster linguine last summer while visiting Maine, inspired by the abundance of fresh seafood and peak-season produce everywhere we turned. Sweet lobster, ripe tomatoes, tender leeks, and a silky creamy sauce come together for a dish that feels elegant enough for entertaining, yet easy enough to pull together on a warm summer evening after being on the beach all day. And while the lobster is absolutely exquisite here, it’s by no means necessary. The tomato and leek sauce shines beautifully on its own, making this just as delicious as a vegetarian pasta packed with the flavors of summer. Perfect for your summer dinner rotation!