If you’ve ever dreamt of living near the beach, you’re not alone. Regardless of the time of the year, a part of my heart is always in the Lowcountry on the Atlantic coast. For over thirty years, I’ve counted the months and days until I could dig my toes in the sand on my favorite beach. It’s more than just the wide, swaths of sand and salty breezes – it’s about the simplicity of the daily round. By paring down everything from my wardrobe to the menu, I am able to clear my headspace and focus solely on the things that matter most. My time at the beach always resets my minimalist compass by reminding me that more is just more, not necessarily better.
Being a minimalist can have a different meaning from person-to-person. For me, it’s about eliminating the excess and the clutter (even in the refrigerator), and holding on to to those things that are abundantly useful, delicious, or that make me happy. When I prepare for our weeks at the beach, I purposefully pack only my favorite articles of clothing with the intention of mixing and matching core pieces, along with my go-to, multitasking kitchen essentials, and favorite pantry staples. Once I’m contentedly settled in, I am always grateful for the ease that comes along with living with less.
This mindset does not come without its challenges. It’s so easy to stray off course with sites like Food52 debuting all of the latest and coolest in kitchen and home goods – such temptation! Instead of loading up my cart regularly, I use sites like this as resources for inspiration. When I do indulge, it’s often to trade out something less useful, or breathe a little new life into my routine.
When it’s time to pack up and head back to the Northeast, I make a point of bringing the beach life mentality home with me – looking at my space and my menu with a fresh lense. So, if you’re a minimalist at heart, or a “minimalist wanna-be”, here’s how to use the beach mentality as your guide.
CAPSULE BEACH WARDROBE
- Blazer – all season weight
- White t-shirt
- Favorite pair of jeans (I’m loving a high-waisted flare)
- Summer dress
- Denim shorts
- Swimsuits (Mix and match tops and bottoms)
- Flat slides
- Kitten heel sandal
- White leather tennis shoes
KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
- Good knives
- Salt & pepper grinders
- Cuisinart mini-prep food processor
- Le Creuset Dutch oven
- Vitamix
- Grill pan
PANTRY STAPLES
- Kosher salt
- Sea salt
- Black peppercorns
- Cup-4-Cup gluten free flour
- Allegro marinade
- Charleston Gold rice
Menu
Burrata Plate with Honeycomb & Basil
Baked Flounder
Charleston Gold rice
Burrata Plate with Honeycomb & Basil
Ingredients
- 8 oz burrata
- Brightland Arise basil olive oil
- 1 oz honey comb
- fresh basil leaves
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Gently open the burrata so that the stracciatella filling oozes out. Spread onto a serving platter.
- Drizzle generously with Arise basil olive oil. Spoon small honeycomb clusters on top.
- Garnish with flaky sea salt and basil leaves.
Baked Flounder with Lemon, Onions, & Butter
Ingredients
- 3 flounder fillets
- 1 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 Vidalia onion, small diced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, for serving
- 3 lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients and grease a shallow baking dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cut the flounder fillets into serving-size portions, or serve whole filets if seem to be the correct size. Arrange the pieces into a prepared baking dish or baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a small bowl combine melted butter, lemon juice, and small diced onion. Pour the lemon-butter mixture over the fish.
- Sprinkle the fish with paprika and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, lemon wedges, and serve!
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