Beach holidays and beach food fests are synonymous in my mind. My mom used to make the best sandwiches wrapped in sand proof clingwrap to enjoy on the beach whilst hiding from the sun under the umbrella. This was followed by cold drinks and homemade biscuits! My poor dad had to lug the big cooler box to and from the beach without us kids even realising or appreciating this effort!
But then I met my husband, and he could not figure out how to enjoy a meal in a sandy mess. I have thus concluded that there are two types of beachgoers…those who take food to the beach and those who don’t!
Whichever option you prefer, we have some suggestions for the beach eaters and those who return hungry from the beach and want to dig into the fridge afterwards.
Beach Snacks
Hot Dogs for Picky Eaters
It is not a good idea to go to the beach with your tub of butter, rolls and sausages to build onsite – no! But how do you keep the picky eaters happy with what’s been packed in the cooler box?
You can pack the different hot dogs in separate zip-seal bags or containers marked with “mustard” or “butter”. Or build the basis of the sandwiches at home with a plain roll and sausage and pack a squeeze bottle of butter, tomato sauce and mustard separately.
Jar salad
Jar salads are great for a beach food fest! Simply pack them at home and enjoy a healthy, effortlessly meal in style on the beach.
Triangle Watermelon
A super easy and yummy beach snack is small triangle watermelon cuts packed away in a sealed container. These are easy to eat on the beach and the peels go back into the container.
Separate Water Bottles
Each person gets their own water bottle. Use steel or a thick plastic bottle with a flap-over cap, to keep the mouthpiece sand-free, preferably no single-use bottles to keep beach litter to a minimum.
Beach Treats
Returning home from the beach, especially with a bunch of “hangry” kids, can be challenging. Plan for the chaos by preparing a yummy treat the day before. First Choice shares one of their best beach treat recipes that can easily be prepared in just 30 minutes, put it in the freezer and enjoy the next day.
Trifle Ice Cream Cake
Difficulty level: EASY
Prepping time: 30 minutes
Freezing time: overnight
(Serves 10)
Ingredients
- 2 X 250 g mini-Swiss rolls
- 50 ml sherry or port (optional)
- 750 ml First Choice Strawberry Velvet, chilled for a few hours
- 250 ML First Choice Vanilla Velvet, chilled for a few hours
- 125 ml First Choice Custard
- 300 g fresh raspberries
- 200 ml fresh cream, whipped
- 1 tin sliced peaches in syrup, drained
- mini meringues
- icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Line a 24 cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper (do the bottom and sides. Sides must be about 10 cm high)
- Cut one packet of the mini-Swiss rolls into slices of about 1 cm each and line the bottom of the cake tin with Swiss roll slices. Sprinkle over half of the sherry/port
- Whip the Strawberry Velvet until fluffy but still a little runny. Pour half of the mixture over the Swiss roll. Place in freezer for 1 hour to set. Keep the other half whipped Strawberry Velvet in the fridge to use later.
- Whip the Vanilla Velvet until fluffy but still a little runny and add the custard. Whip to combine. Pour half of the mixture on top of the strawberry layer and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Cut the rest of the Swiss roll in slices and place on top of the vanilla/custard layer and sprinkle with the rest of the sherry/port.
- Top with the rest of the whipped Vanilla Velvet and smooth out with a spatula
- Arrange a layer of fresh raspberries on top of the Vanilla Velvet layer and place in the freezer for 1 hour to set
- Remove from the freezer and spoon the rest of the whipped Strawberry Velvet on top. Cover with cling wrap and freeze overnight
- TO SERVE: Remove the cake from the tin, peel off the paper and place it on a serving plate. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the cake and garnish generously with the peach slices, more raspberries and some baby meringues or chocolate curls. Allow to stand for 15 minutes
- Dust with icing sugar and serve
