When Vince and I were dating, he used to love to tell me all about Beaufort. One of Beaufort's claims to fame (that he repeated way more than once) was that The Great Santini had been filmed here. “You know, from Pat Conroy's book. He's Conrack. He's the guy who wrote The Lords of Discipline.”

What should I cook for supper? Believe it or not, that's an almost daily question at our house. When it's just Vince and me at the dinner table, I'm inclined to try some new ideas. That's what I did on Tuesday. My broccoli salad recipe had originally consisted of broccoli, strawberries, salted cashews and toasted coconut, but when I couldn't find any pretty fresh strawberries, I had to resort to Plan B.

Whether you’re heading to your alma mater for a fall football game and tailgate meal, or to the river for a picnic, this menu of make-ahead dishes is sure to be hit!