While vacation might seem like the best time to take a break from cooking I sometimes find it quite the opposite. It inspires in me the desire maybe not always to cook but rather assemble snacks and meals that mirror the calm bliss I’ve spent the day cultivating at the beach.
During a Spring Break beach trip with two other moms and their children, our host, in a moment of brilliance, quickly cobbled together a post-beach snack that was immediately devoured by all six kids in a frenzy that can only be described as piranha-like.
Its brilliance lies not only in it’s delightful melding of flavors or in its ease, although it deserves accolades for both. What earns it star status is that it perfectly utilized all of our leftover ingredients that we needed to purge before we left the next day. It also was a healthy way to replenish vitamins, minerals and energy depleted by a day in sun and sand.
Fresh strawberries cut up fine and macerated with a splash of balsamic, are spooned over toasted day-old baguette with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and, for an extra treat, the lightest touch of honey. It smelled divine and married a variety of textures to suit every little palate. It was also beautiful on the plate for the brief glimpse I caught before it was greedily snatched away by a small hand.
This snack will come back home with us and will make a perfect after-school snack. Almost-old strawberries and day old baguette frequently languish around our house and I always have yogurt and honey.
While it was with heavy hearts that we dragged ourselves back to our landlocked home, it cheers us a little to bring back a taste of the beach. We sink our teeth into our strawberry bruschetta, wipe a sliver of juice from our chin and with a satisfied glow realize that summer vacation is so close we can almost taste it.
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Adapted from the kitchen of Leslie Robins