Good Beach Treats

 This is beach season, n dougt about it. It's a fun time, being out in sun and sea air. The last somehow creates an appetite and that means satsisfying . Time to bring the cooler full of cool drinks and good food.

Regular contributir, cookbook author and actor Naz Deravian wrote about the perfect beach picnic in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It all starts with the right cooler. Choose one with a large insulated interior.Lauren Rivard, founder of the Picnic Collective , a picnic catering company out of Costa Mesa, California strongly suggests avoiding coolers with multiple compartments like those soft collapsable coolers with various sleeves and pockets. These take up space. As far as the containers for sandwiches, dips and treats, use  lightweight , reusable containers that fit into your cooler. (Any store has these) DO NOT use glass ones. These are heavy and not safe to use outdoors. Remember to place the heavier, perishable items at the bottm, then slip in the smaller rounder shaped ones like cans and thermoses in mooks and crannies. TO keep the cooler from loosing its' cool,Alanna O'Neil a photographer on Maui and the author of "The Art Of Picnics: Seasonal Outdoor entertaining." recommneds freezing all your water , sodas and juices the night before. This knot only chills what's on top of them but creates a nice even base. They also melt less quicker than ice cubes.

What foods should go into the cooler? Beach proof ones.Think sturdy foods that can stand hours outside without getting soggy.wrap sandwiches in parchment paper and then place in baggies to reduce condensation. Ms. Deravian gives two recipes. One is for am artichoke and olive farro salad. The recipe calls for farro,a hearty grain which travels well. It has marinated artichokes and olives along with crumbled feta and red onions. You could add chopped bell peppers and halved grape tomatoes too. You can sub in orzo too or make a tasty orzo - veggie salad with tomatoes and broccoli florets. There is also a ranch dip, perfect with those bags of potato chips or chilled crudiutes. It's made with full fat Greek yogurt,garlic, dill and chives along with Kosher salt. A tablespoon of lemon juice gives it zing. What about dessert? Think chill grapes, watermelon and pineapple chunks.  Ms Rivard recommneds adding a  thermos of chilled coffee or tea in an insulated flask for a pick me up along with those indiviually wrapped RIce Krispie treats for a sugar rush. These can be bought or homemade.

It's beach weather . Head to it with a cooler of good food and chill drinks.It's perfect for enjoying the sea and sand.

Another Green Holiday Nowruz

 Today is Saint Patrick's Day , a holiday for green beer along with corned beef and cabbage. Yet another Spring holiday, older and more religious happens on Saturday  - Nowruz the Persian New Year.Its is a time of renewal to welcome in the season of Spring. The holiday brings all sorts of feasting and fun.

Naz Deravian , an actress who was in the CBS show "Jag" and author of the Persian cookbook Bottom of the Pot contributed Afghani recipes to yesterday's New York Times Food section.It is a New year celebrated not just by Iranians but countries in the Silk Road route.This also includes the ancient kingdom of Afghanistan.It is from the Zoroastrian tradition,  withe the religion being the oldest monotheisstic one in the world. Their beliefs have influenced Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Nowruz is Persian for "new day". The foods and even their preparations have meaning. Rinsing and soaking  fruit and nuts to be used in water symbolizes brightness and life. Sweets , of course, celebrate the sweetness of life while green ingredients like spinach mean new life . However the holiday will be subdued in cities like Kabul because of the Taliban takeover and the group does not like the Zoroastrians or their religion. Still there will be quiet celebrations where entire families will prep the food and the women will sing traditional songs.

Ms Deravian gives a variety of different recipes for a New Year's celebration. There is sabzi, a lamb and spinach stew that is spiked with chili and garlic. Two pounds of spinach is used  and it, the lamb and a large yellow onion are cooked. Cilantro and chives along with scallions are added to intensify the flavor and color of rebirth . It can be served with challaw , rice spiced with green cardamon pods and cumin seeds .(you can go to any Asian food store for the cardamon pods) The rice is first parboiled and then finished cooking with the pods and seeds for three minutes. It is then simmered for another twenty minutes. One of the most important dishes is haft mewa, seven fruits in Persian. Seven is a lucky number in the culture however more can be added to the recipe. This is a collection of walnuts,pistachios and almonds rinsed and soaked with golden raisins, apricots and black raisins,Oleaster or senjed , a type of olive with a sour tomato taste and dried sour apricot are the chief ingredients however they can only be found at Afghan or Iranian markets or online. Ms. Deravian suggests using figs and dried cherries instead.All the ingredients are soaked for  to days and served chilled.

Nowruz is another Spring holiday, ancient and sacred.It is also joyous celebrating a new year full of life and promise.Its' foods reflect this.