A Pre-Dinner Nibble at the Beach

Having food set out for when guests arrive on the island for dinner has become a tradition. The ferry ride is not really very long, but there is something about the journey that makes folks hungry. Even though we will have a sit down dinner later, we find that the nibbles we put out initially are almost always eaten up and enjoyed. It allows for guests to linger, take a walk on the beach, sit by the fire, make a small plate of food or just graze. We are on “island time” so it is just super relaxing to have no real set agenda.

This grouping of food varies a bit from what we put out in town when we are having guests for dinner. We tend to offer more options. Here is what we did a few Sundays ago, when we had a small group of friends over.

We typically choose things that can sit out for awhile. Saint Andre is one of our favorite cheeses, so we started there, and also added an herbed chevre, which is a favorite too. A seeded baguette works perfectly for both. It also works great with the salmon spread we make. Recipe to follow in the coming weeks. Since I always like to offer a nut option, pistachios are the nut of choice this week. We always have a few jars filled and at the ready. A small bowl of olives, with a small bowl set next to them for the pits, as well as the pistachio shells. I had found these gargantuan radishes at the Market, so I cut them in quarters. They work perfectly dipped into the French sea salt. I also sliced a cucumber and splashed a bit of rice wine vinegar over them. Lastly, a quick mini caprese. Cherry tomatoes and small mozzarella balls cut in half, tear a few leaves of basil, drizzle with olive oil and a few pinches of salt.

Then the festivities were ready to begin!