Μake us preferred on Google The perfect summer day calls for a sandy beach, a little shade and swims in the sea from morning until late afternoon. All we need is to come prepared—and make sure our food containers are packed.
A picnic means carefree pleasure; the two are practically synonymous. Add a third ingredient to the equation—the sweltering August heat—and the picnic suddenly has a very specific location: the beach.
Pebbles or fine sand, sun loungers or no sun loungers, the beach has its own unwritten rules. And perhaps the oldest of them all, a rule ingrained in us since childhood, is this: you never go to the sea without provisions.
For generations of Greeks, that meant the classic beach taperaki—the humble food container that grandmothers and mothers would fill to the brim with anything and everything. Cheese pies, cake and ham-and-cheese sandwiches sat alongside meatballs, omelettes and slices of yesterday’s soufflé.
Those legendary containers seemed capable of holding an entire dining table, sometimes looking more like Sport Billy’s magic bag than a lunchbox. And they were never intended to feed just their own children or grandchildren. They could easily stretch to the kids two umbrellas down, too—the ones who caught the irresistible smell of garlic-laced meatballs and wandered over hoping for a bite.
The beach lunch gets a makeover
Over the years, the taperakia evolved. Following the trends of the times, they became healthier and lighter. Full meals gave way to snacks.
Then, after the turn of the millennium, beach bars began popping up like mushrooms on famous and not-so-famous beaches across Greece. They offered filling options to hungry swimmers, who increasingly preferred to leave their food containers in the cupboard rather than arrive at the sea weighed down by bags and coolers.
And yet, it turns out that abandoning our food containers isn’t quite so easy.
We said it: the taperaki speaks to our subconscious. You cannot simply erase it in favour of a club sandwich. It is the instinctive thought that comes to mind whenever we set off for the beach: Should we take something to eat with us?
So why not take that instinct one step further?
Let’s put together a proper beach picnic, with food prepared at home and ready to enjoy between swims. Hearty snacks and wholesome meals to eat while the sun is high and the sea is calling.
Exactly as we did when we were children—when our grandmothers had to practically drag us out of the water because it was time for lunch.
Focaccia Sandwiches with Homemade Mayonnaise and Smoked Ham
Photo: Ioanna Chalmouki
Preparation time: 35 minutes (+ 1½ hours resting time)
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: **
Ingredients for 4–6 servings
For the focaccia
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g dry yeast
- 350 ml lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- A little coarse salt
- Rosemary or oregano
For the mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 200 ml sunflower oil
- Salt
For the filling
- 8 slices smoked ham
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 4–6 lettuce leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Start with the focaccia. In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and lukewarm water. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- Once the yeast has begun to foam, add the flour, salt and olive oil. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead for approximately 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Transfer it to an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about an hour, until it has risen.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, spread it onto an oiled baking tray. Gently press your fingertips into the dough to create the characteristic dimples of focaccia. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary or oregano, and leave to rest for another 30 minutes.
- Bake the focaccia in a preheated oven at 200°C for approximately 25 minutes, until beautifully golden. Allow it to cool slightly before slicing it in half to make the sandwiches.
- Meanwhile, make the mayonnaise. Place the egg, mustard, lemon juice and a little salt in a tall container. Slowly add the sunflower oil in a thin, steady stream while blending with a stick blender until the mayonnaise is smooth and fluffy.
- Cut the focaccia in half and then into individual sandwiches. Spread with the homemade mayonnaise and add the lettuce, tomatoes and smoked ham. Season with freshly ground black pepper, close the sandwiches and serve.
Easy Homemade Lemonade
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: *
Ingredients for 1 large pitcher
- 4 lemons
- 1 litre cold water
- 4–5 tbsp sugar or honey
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices and mint leaves, to serve
Method
- Juice the lemons and pour the juice into a large pitcher. Add the sugar or honey and stir well until dissolved. Pour in the cold water and stir again.
- Add plenty of ice cubes and a few lemon slices to the pitcher. Serve the lemonade thoroughly chilled, with a little mint for an extra burst of freshness.
Orange-Roasted Chicken with Quinoa Salad
Photo: Ioanna Chalmouki
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: *
Ingredients for 4 servings
For the chicken
- 4 chicken thighs or chicken fillets
- 2 oranges
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp thyme
- Salt and pepper
For the quinoa salad
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cucumber, finely chopped
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Juice one of the oranges and slice the other into rounds. In a bowl, combine the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, mustard, honey, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a baking dish, pour over the marinade and arrange the orange slices on top. Roast for approximately 45 minutes, until the chicken is nicely browned but remains juicy.
- Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa and cook it in the water for approximately 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Allow it to cool slightly.
- Place the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, spring onion and parsley in a large salad bowl. Add the quinoa and mix well.
- Dress the salad with the lemon juice and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss well and serve the chicken with the refreshing quinoa salad.
Zucchini and Halloumi Souvlaki with Chickpea Salad
Photo: Ioanna Chalmouki
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Difficulty: *
Ingredients for 4 servings
For the skewers
- 2 zucchini
- 250 g halloumi, cut into cubes
- 1 red pepper, cut into pieces
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the chickpea salad
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini into very thin strips. Heat a griddle pan over high heat until very hot. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and pepper in a bowl. Brush the mixture over the zucchini slices, pepper and halloumi.
- Thread the ingredients onto skewers, alternating the zucchini—which should be folded over—as well as the halloumi and pepper. (The original recipe also mentions onion at this point, although no onion appears in the listed ingredients.) Grill the skewers for approximately 10–12 minutes, turning them frequently, until they are nicely coloured and marked with grill lines.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and toss gently.
- Serve the skewers warm, with the refreshing chickpea salad on the side.
