A Day at the Beach

Hello Everyone

I'll be off for the next two weeks on vacation discovering new and interesting foods to share with all of you. If I can publish RecipePhile from my destination, you will definitely receive something from me. Otherwise, you'll hear from me again on the second of September.

Ahhh.... the beach. Every so often I long for the wonderful feeling of warm sand between my toes, the smell of coconut Coppertone and the taste of saltwater in my mouth. So on Saturday, my friend Tim and I hopped on the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) and headed out to Jone's Beach (1). We got off at the last stop and walked a while before ending up in a somewhat secluded spot. The weather was perfect and of course the food we brought along was absolutely delicious.

In preparation for our outing, I headed to Whole Foods Market on 24th and 7th, hoping to find some inspiration among the bountiful collection of fruits and vegetables and help from the friendly and knowledgeable sales people.

My shopping experience began in the produce aisle. I found some Gooseberries, Pluots and Honeydew Nectarines (2). We had never had any of these, and the opportunity to taste something new is always welcome! I headed to the cheese aisle and at the recommendation of Tim Thompson (the very intelligent cheese man from Whole Foods) we paired our fruit with D'Affinois, a creamy and delicious cow's milk cheese from the Lyonnais region in France (3). Thanks Tim.

Sandwiches were next. When I walked up to the deli counter, I was immediately drawn to the big slab of rare roast beef. It looked so tender and delicious, I had to get some. While the meat was being sliced, I headed over the condiment aisle and made a fabulous discovery -- GarLeo. For those of you who love the taste and nutritional benefits of garlic, this is the spread for you. Made with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, this spread gave our crispy French Baguette sandwich a wonderfully distinctive flavor.

Tim the cheese man also recommended that we try some sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese from the Grafton Village Cheese Company to add a little bite to our sandwich. We chose a sharp white cheddar and finished the sandwich with some sweet roasted yellow plum tomatoes (4). This sandwich was truly a winner.

I think I'll go back to the beach more often, but next time I'll come up with a completely different, tasty combination for my sandwich and possibly test out the White Figs or Lemon Cucumbers I saw at the Whole Foods Market.

Have a great week.

Michael
"Always remember that food is about more than eating...it is about thinking, buying, preparing, enjoying and most importantly... sharing."