It’s about that time of year for a Mediterranean Inspired Beach Picnic. Get ready to pack your favorite picnic basket with an abundance of easy beach food you can enjoy while watching the sunset! These easy beach meals are Mediterranean inspired to really make it feel like you’re in paradise!
Having a gorgeously laid out picnic has got to be one of my top three summer activities.
Last weekend, we headed to little Corona Del Mar (one of my favorite Orange County beaches), found a cozy corner, and sprawled out with all of our picnic necessities. It was fun, romantic, and memorable!
I had this major epiphany as we were walking across the sand with all of our gear…how amazing would it be to start a proposal company?! Like epic-ally styled, totally romantic, tailored proposals for grooms to be?
I did a wedding internship and I loved the process of watching it come together on the big day. A little proposal planning company would be like a precursor and about 9/10’s less of the crazy details that go into a wedding. So if anyone would like to take on this investment with me, comment below. Ha! (but really).
Aside from business planning on the beach! Ha! We couldn’t have been more thrilled to pack up and head for a day trip to little Corona Del Mar.
Coming to this beach was like a blast from the past for me! We always used to bring snorkel gear as kids and climb on all of the rocks looking for sea life. When the American Lamb Board contacted me to collaborate on their Summer Lambventures: Make Summer Memories, I knew that this would be the perfect spot!
If there’s one thing I have been bitten by this summer, it is the European travel bug! I haven’t been on a plane in 9 months (I blame my golden retriever and being a workaholic!). But once or twice a week, I have caught myself on Kayak looking at exciting flights to the Mediterranean. While I probably won’t be able to schedule something in for this summer, there was no doubt in mind that I couldn’t recreate a little bit of euro magic to the good old California coast.
The last few weeks, I have had a flare for light-Greek inspired cuisine. Everything from lemon marinades, fresh garlic, and tzatziki on repeat. I can’t help but blame my adventure wanderlust! And my constant craving for this Greek Dinner Party. I can only imagine how Greek food tastes in Greece! Have you guys been?! Let me know in the comments how amazing your trip was!
Foods to Pack for a Day at the Beach
For this Mediterranean inspired beach picnic, we packed up a variety of easy beach friendly snacks and bites for a light and flavorful afternoon!
A Greek Snack Board…sort of like a Mediterranean take on a cheeseboard.
To build yours, be sure to pack some of these items!
- Fresh hummus, topped with roasted tomatoes
- Pita Triangles
- Colorful Red and Green Grapes
- Dried Apricots
- Cherries
- Marinated Olives
Fresh Deli Salads! We put a spin on the classic lemon orzo side salad and swapped out the orzo pasta for quinoa. We also tossed them in mason jars for any easy portable, but chic Tupperware.
Pellegrino, Prosecco, and Rose!
My favorite of all… Garlic Lamb Pita Pockets! (recipe below!)
Talk about the ultimate picnic food! Move over sandwiches and deli meats and Hello lamb filled pockets with fresh herb arugula slaw + feta cheese. YUM!
The Right Way to Picnic at the Beach
Just make sure you pack a bunch of easy, beach friendly food that you can eat with your hands. In other words, pack all the finger foods and stuffed pita pockets you can imagine! No one wants to have to deal with bags and bags of plates and silverware to lug around!
Good Beach Food Becomes Great Beach Food
With the help of the amazing Garlic Lamb Pita Pockets with Summer Herb Slaw, simple food becomes extravagant! We marinated lean, protein packed lamb chops in a garlic lemon marinade and stuffed fresh pita pockets with a green slaw. For the slaw, we used a mixture of summer herbs like basil, mint, and arugula. The flavors of these pockets were so light and lean, but kept us feeling full even after a long walk on the beach!
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Oregano, minced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary, minced
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil, plus 1-2 Tablespoons more for the pan
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3-4 American Lamb Chops
- 10-12 Basil Leaves, thinly chopped
- 8-10 Mint Leaves, thinly chopped
- Large Handful Arugula Leaves
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1/4 teaspoon each Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- 4 Pita Pockets
- Sauces and Toppings: Tzatziki, Feta Cheese, and Diced Fresh Tomatoes or Diced Red Bell Pepper
- In a small bowl, combine the lamb marinade of minced garlic, lemon zest, oregano, rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Rub into lamb chops and marinate for 30-60 minutes.
- Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron grill or fry pan. Sear lamb for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until chop reaches a temp of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium / pink center.
- Remove from grill and cover with foil. Allow chops to rest for 5 mins. Cut into strips for pockets.
- In a medium bowl, combine basil, mint, arugula, olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper, and toss until combined.
- Fill 1/2 pita with herb slaw, 3-4 lamb strips, tzatziki sauce, 1-2 Tablespoons of feta, and a sprinkle of diced tomato or red bell pepper. Wrap in foil or parchment and head to the beach!
- Combine 1 cup Greek Yogurt, 1/2 peeled, diced Cucumber, 2 minced Garlic Cloves, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Dill, and Salt + Black Pepper, to taste.
This post was sponsored in partnership with the American Lamb Board. For a chance at some amazing summer party packs head to their site here and enter! You can’t beat free food and an anthropologie gift card!
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Amazing post! Where can I buy this Greek snack board?
Ooh everything about this picnic looks delicious!! Also wanted to add that I know an acquaintance who owns a boutique proposal company in New Orleans called Project Proposal. I think it’s a great idea!!!
Hi Gina! Thanks so much for commenting! How fun?! I’ll have to look it up, the whole idea sounds like such a blast to me!