I couldn’t quite articulate why I was so opposed. Maybe it’s because I grew up eating sour cream and onion chips, which require no dip; maybe it was the idea of eating something that so closely resembled mayonnaise while wearing a bathing suit; maybe it was that I didn’t want something so commercial and processed interrupting my first South Fork beach excursion. I did, however, want the cool, tangy sweetness of an onion to surf atop our ruffled chips through the salty air.

I'd been reading a lot about Persian food at the time, and had mast-o-musir, a simple dish of strained yogurt and shallot left to sit and meld, on my mind. How hard could it be to whip up something speedy and similar? I grabbed some Greek yogurt, scallions, shallots, and chives, and loudly declared in the supermarket: We will make our own dip!

Back at our beach house, I improvised slightly: I cooked the shallots down a little, tossed in the scallions until they turned a brilliant green, then added chives at the last minute and killed the heat. I sprinkled on a good bit of salt and a little black pepper, letting the whole mixture cool a bit before mixing in the yogurt and throwing it all in the fridge (still in the yogurt container itself—ready for easy transit). Instead of an off-the-shelf experience, we had a new recipe to take home, reuse, and share. It’s even become a party staple in our household: quick, easy, relatively healthy, and usually gone in a blink.

The thing about perfect beach snacks is that they need to be hassle-free, portable, and sand-resistant. But they also need to feel just a little bit special; there is something tremendously satisfying about spending time preparing to relax. So grab the chips, the peach rings, and the Coke, but do just a little extra work on the dip side of things, and you’ll sink that much deeper into the sand.

Get the recipe for Sautéed Onion and Yogurt Dip »