School is out and baseball is done. It’s time to hit the beach.

We try to take advantage of the beach as much as possible, having dinner on the sand at least once a week, preferably twice a week. Since the boys are in a sailing camp in the late afternoon, I usually drop them off, come home and get everything together for the beach. I pack the car, pick them up and head straight for the sand.

It’s also time to more carefully consider fruits and vegetables in season. I’ve tried to take that into consideration here.

Recipes with an asterisk are included below.

Sunday: Dinner at the beach. Pork chop sandwiches* and watermelon salad.*

Beach dinners must be exceedingly portable and simple. Not only do we have to get it to the beach, we also have to be able to pack up in a hurry if a thunderstorm should develop.

Monday: Chicken, corn and tomato pasta salad.

My new Sunset magazine arrived yesterday, and it’s always an inspiration

Tuesday: Chicken tinga* tacos.

The smoky chorizo in this dish is what makes it so good. The tinga is just the filling. Add other taco elements (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and so on) as usual in the taco shells.

Wednesday: Salad with pears and cheese ravioli.*

I know pears aren’t quite in season, but this salad is very good on hot nights. I can cook the ravioli in advance and toss it all together last minute.

Thursday: Sailing race team family cookout.

Burgers and dogs with the other families at the sailing school.

Friday: Dinner at the beach. Buttermilk marinated fried chicken, corn on the cob, fresh fruit

I may even make the chicken the night before. It’s good hot or cold.

Saturday: Pork and peach kabobs* with peach barbeque sauce, salad.

We’ll be out most of the day with my older son at a sailing race, so having these ready to throw on the grill the moment we get home sounds good. I was inspired by Michele’s piece on kabobs, and by the article on peaches in the latest Eating Well magazine.

Recipes

Pork Chop Sandwiches

1/2-inch thick center cut pork chops
Marinade of your choice - we like barbeque sauce
Burger buns
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Additional barbeque sauce for the bun (but not the marinade)
Guacamole (optional)

Grill the thin pork chops until they are done but still juicy. This does not take very long, really, maybe five minutes per side. Build and serve sandwiches like burgers.

Watermelon Salad

Cubes of ripe watermelon
Feta cheese
Pine nuts, toasted
Flat leaf parsley, chopped
Fresh lemon juice
Canola oil
Salt and pepper

Make a vinaigrette of lemon juice, canola oil, salt and pepper. Toss together the other ingredients in whatever quantities look right to you, and then toss with the vinaigrette.

Chicken Tinga

1/4 lb chorizo sausage, casings removed and chopped
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tbsp water
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 or 2 canned chipotle chilies, chopped fine (optional)
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
Salt to taste

In a frying pan over medium high heat, combine sausage, onion and water. Cover and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, raise the heat to high, and cook until the onion starts to brown around the edges, 3-5 minutes longer. Add the liquid smoke, chilies, chicken and tomato sauce. Stir and simmer 2-5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Salad with Pears and Cheese Ravioli

9 oz cheese-filled ravioli, cooked, drained and cooled
1 bag spring mix salad
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2/3 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 small pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c honey
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp minced shallots
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Combine the vinegar, oil, honey, poppy seeds, shallots, and herbs. Whisk together well. Combine the salad greens, ravioli, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and pears. Toss with the dressing, and sprinkle with Gorgonzola.

Pork and Peach Kabobs

Center cut pork chops
Firm, ripe peaches

Chop both the pork and peaches into large chunks. Alternate on metal or wooden skewers (soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using). Grill several minutes on each side. Top with barbeque sauce. You can even baste with barbeque sauce while they are grilling.