Sand Blast!

Today, a new breed of vehicle roams where conventional conveyances fear to put their freads. Dune buggy, beach buggy, bush buggy, fun buggy or sports buggy, call it what you will. The name varies, but it usually describes a short, snub-nosed machine resembling a cross between a sports car and a jeep; one that rolls on fat tires and packs a rear (usually air-cooled) engine housed in a curvy, colorful fiberglass body.

No automotive innovation since the MG-TC has created more excitement among tuned-in car enthusiasts who thrive on owning exotic wheels. Spend a Saturday tooling across sand hills and dales on the way to a secluded picnic spot---as we've done here and on the following pages---and (text continued on page 128) you'll begin to understand why the buggy boom has happened. Then motor to the office in the same vehicle Monday morning: you'll be able to kill time at stop lights answering the queries of drivers piloting more prosaic machinery as to what type of animal you're riding. Chances are, they won't be able to hear your answer over the throb of the exhaust as you pull away in high style while out-maneuvering them and the other traffic.

Back-country vehicles have been around since Model-T Fords put the horse-drawn carriage out of business. Early buggies were nothing more than disembodied automobiles stripped right down to the frame. Any customizing was usually limited to shortening the wheelbase and/or moving the engine farther back in the frame to provide additional traction. The far more sophisticated dune buggies high-trailing it across unpopulated miles of beach and desert today owe their popularity to three factors: the Volkswagen, a West Coast manufacturer named Bruce Meyers and the versatility of fiberglass.

As more and more beetles were imported during the late Fifties, sand buffs became increasingly aware of the VW's off-road potentialities. Initial efforts to reduce the car's weight led to jettisoning the body shell. Thanks to a rigid platform chassis, the VW accepted this indignity without falling apart. Then buggymen began cutting the chassis down to jeep size, thereby shortening the turning radius and also lessening the chance that a driver might "high center" on rocks or ruts. As a final touch, big tires, a roll bar and various types of bracing were added to regain the strength lost by removing the body.

Thus, highly functional off-road vehicles evolved. But one thing was missing. They had absolutely no style. Driving one was like riding around on a pipe rack from a cut-rate clothing store. When early body builders experimented with flat sheet-metal panels, the machines began to look like topless aluminum breadboxes with caved-in fronts.

Enter Bruce Meyers. Having been a boat designer. Meyers was used to working with fiberglass and his first build-it-yourself vehicle, the Meyers' Manx, which he introduced early in 1965, actually looked like the type of fun machine that buggies are supposed to be. Soon other makes of bodies---most of them blatant copies of the Manx---became available in kit form. As the supply of Manx-type buggy bodies increased, the supply of suitable VW chassis rapidly dwindled, and bargain hunters were no longer able to pick up a flipped VW for peanuts, combine it with an inexpensive body kit and then get the finished show on the road for about $600. Some would-be buggy owners went to the extreme of buying a new VW and then selling the unused body and other portions of the machine back to the dealer for his new-parts inventory. The demand for original-looking buggy bodies in kit form, too, exceeded the supply and manufacturers of non-Manx-style body kits were swamped with orders.

Today, however, there is an auspicious array of diverse and good-looking buggies available. The new styling, in fact, matches the machines' performance, which is sprightly even with a stock VW engine. This is not surprising when you consider that a buggy weighs 30 to 40 percent less than a beetle sedan. The sports-car look of a fun buggy is also equaled by its handling qualities. Steering is feather light and the machine's low center of gravity and increased tread width make it an extremely stable vehicle. It's not easy to flip one if the driver exercises reasonable precautions. When a smart buggy-master is out dune driving in unfamiliar terrain, for example, he always slows down at the crest of a sand hill before proceeding over the top. On the other side, there might be a vertical drop that even a sure-footed buggy can't negotiate.

Because of all the blossoming activity in buggies, a prospective owner no longer has to be a do-it-yourself mechanic to acquire one. Although most manufacturers still build kits only, as opposed to complete cars, many of them will build a car to order, if the price is right. More often, dealers who stock buggies and buggy equipment have complete cars available or can put an interested party in touch with a local mechanic who will build one. This way, a car can be custom built to one's specifications; thus, the buyer gets exactly the body, color scheme, engine, upholstery and accessories he wants. Prices, of course, can vary widely. Local labor rates, cost of raw materials and the kind of quality and detail finish demanded are just a few of the factors that affect the final cost.

Building a dune buggy isn't really difficult, but it does take time and mechanical know-how. If you lack either of these prerequisites, you'll be better off buying an assembled model or having the machine built for you by an expert. Since it won't be fun---or perhaps even safe---if the workmanship is shoddy, the wise buggy buyer picks a builder with care. He looks over samples of work with a critical eye. He talks to other owners who acquired their machines from the same source. And if he has any doubts, he keeps looking.

In some areas of the country, such as Southern California, there are also plenty of secondhand dune buggies from which to choose. If you decide to go this route, determine if the vehicle of your choice has a VW chassis. It's nice to know that spare parts are available at your neighborhood beetle dealer. A bastardized buggy that's been assembled from assorted bits and pieces may bring more pain than pleasure.

Within the past year, two new trends have begun to develop in the funmobile industry. One is the increasing number of street buggies being built---machines designed primarily for travel on the boulevards rather than in the boondocks. The first fully enclosed fun car, the Shalako by Dick Dean, also appeared recently. This superbuggy has gull-wing doors and a definite GT look. It's a hint of one direction that street-oriented sportsmobiles may take in the future.

The second trend points to an increasing interest in competitive events geared for buggies and other overland vehicles, such as four-wheel-drive jeeps. The National Off-Road Racing Association annually sponsors a hairy 832-mile race down Mexico's rugged and remote Baja peninsula. Among the automotive and showbiz personalities who often compete are Steve McQueen, James Garner, Dick Smothers, A. J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones. But you don't have to engage in this bone-jarring sport to spend an exciting day---or a romantic evening---out in the dunes.

For our picnic sand safari, we chose six sturdy machines that are available both in kit and completed form. (For the latter, you'll have to allow the manufacturer a few weeks' extra notice.) All but one have fiberglass bodies and all---except where noted---come equipped with a brand-new VW engine, chassis and running gear. A multitude of options, such as vinyl tops, vented seat covers, side curtains and special paint jobs, are also available. Here, then, are thumbnail sketches of the cars shown on pages 120--127. All prices are F. O. B. the place of manufacture.

The Empi Imp, manufactured in Riverside, California, features a wheelbase two and one half inches longer than the standard 80 inches, which helps reduce oversteer and makes the machine more tractable on the road. This also provides more rear-seat room---enough for two couples, in a pinch. Body-kit prices start at $395. (For this figure---as with all the kit prices listed here---you get what essentially is only a body shell; the chassis, tires, engine and other running gear are extra.) A racy and rarin'-to-go Super Sport Imp such as the one pictured on page 128 sells for about $3195. (The Super Sport Imp kit costs $1495.)

Fiberfab, an auto-body manufacturer located in Santa Clara, California, produces the Clodhopper. It's designed to utilize all VW components---including a shortened chassis, stock seats, engine, transmission, etc.; thus, conversion is relatively easy. The kit price is $395; a ready-for-the-road model, about $1950. When writing for details, you might also (continued on page 212)sand blast!(continued from page 128) inquire about the Vagabond, a larger buggy with a full-sized VW chassis.

Dean Jeffries---the Hollywood-based creator of such one-shot vehicles as The Monkee Mobile and the Green Hornet's Black Beauty---manufactures the Kyote. The kit body ($495), which has a 15-gallon fuel tank and handsome dash panel built in, fits a shortened 80-inch VW chassis and takes a VW, Porsche or Corvair engine. A completed Kyote costs about $2000--$2500, depending on whether or not you want such optional goodies as Mallory ignition, Stewart-Warner dash instruments and special Indianapolistype tires by Goodyear.

The Tow'd, a strictly off-road machine that must be towed to and from the dunes (hence the name), is manufactured by Bruce Meyers in Fountain Valley, California. Buyers can supply a VW's front and rear suspension and then have a mechanic bolt the Tow'd's heat-molded plastic (not fiberglass) one-piece body and special steel-loop frame to the suspension components. Tow'd kit prices start at $349.95. A finished Tow'd that's ready to hop costs about $1600. Meyers also produces the previously mentioned Manx.

The Model-T--inspired Mini-T, with its unique flowing fenders, is manufactured by Berry Plasti-Glass of Long Beach, California. In keeping with its vintage-car look, the Mini-T's front seat is available as a single bench---or the twin buckets that are standard on most other buggies. The one-piece body costs $395 and fits a shortened VW chassis. Ready to run, a Mini-T sells for about $3195.

Our last buggy, the Vaquero, is from Marion Ruggles' Sand Chariots of California, in Fullerton. Ruggles has a reputation as an innovator; his Ocelot was one of the first machines to break away from Manx-type styling. The Vaquero, too, is strikingly original. It's available as a frame-and-body combination that will accept the engine and running gear from a VW, Corvair, Renault or Fiat, among others. Body kits begin at $325, or you can buy the finished product for about $1750.

The preceding list, of course, doesn't begin to exhaust the number of dune vehicles available. And not all buggy manufacturers are based in California. Sears, for example, now stocks a fiberglass body kit ($339) that bolts to a shortened VW chassis. Do-it-yourselfers can expect to have a Sears buggy rolling for about $1000--$1200 (including the cost of a used chassis) after just a few weekends of work. All the usual equipment---such as a dual exhaust system, roll bar, bumpers, bucket seats and even a 40-hp VW engine---can be ordered by mail. The one item Sears doesn't sell is the chassis---nor will it assemble the machine for you.

New England dune buffs may wish to check out The Getaway Twice (II), a slightly larger buggy made by DMCO in East Derry, New Hampshire. Prices for a three-piece body kit start at $249 and fully assembled Getaway cars are available from $1800 up. Another Eastern manufacturer, the Dearborn Automobile Company in Marblehead, Massachusetts, also makes a slightly longer vehicle; their Deserter model fits an 84-inch VW wheelbase. Body-kit prices begin at $498, or you can special order a complete machine for about $1800--$2500, depending on options.

Midwesterners can contact the following three firms, all located in Michigan. A. T. V. Industries in Dearborn is the maker of the Sand Shark, a snub-nosed street-and-dune runner that takes VW or Corvair components. The starting price for a fiberglass body kit is $395. Or, if you're shopping for a funmobile that's a little more offbeat, note that Greene Motors in Livonia manufactures the Minibug, a machine with extra-wide swooping fenders that give the passengers additional protection from wheel spray. A body kit costs about $395. As a third possibility, you might take a look at the Sandcraft, a fenderless off-road-only machine that's available from the Boudeman-Maloney Corporation in Kalamazoo. The Sandcraft's aluminum breadbox-style body houses a 40-hp VW engine, and the chassis is a shortened version of the one used in VW buses. A finished vehicle (no kits) costs $2000.

Southwesterners are hitting the desert trails behind the wheel of a Bushmaster, a fiberglass buggy manufactured in Austin, Texas. Two body kits are available; prices for the model begin at $349.50, and the components for a street kit tally up to an additional $89.50. Unusual options available include a supercharger, air horns, a surfboard rack and a hardtop with gull-wing doors.

Now that you've been briefed on some of the machines available, there are a few simple requirements that should be met before you can pick up the buggy of your choice and head for the sand hills. First, your vehicle should be equipped with seat belts. A roll bar is another necessity, unless you plan to drive only on streets and highways. In fact, if you wish to enter a competitive event, you'll probably be required to have double roll bars; groups such as the International Desert Racing Association insist upon them. A tall pole or mast from which a banner or a pennant can be flown is another must for all types of dune running. The high-flying flag serves as an early-warning signal and lets other drivers know the location of your low-slung machine before you top a sand rise. (If you plan to do any night driving, replace the pennant with a blinking light bulb hooked up to the battery.) And one last word to the wise: Skid plates that protect the engine and drive-line components are advisable if you wish to tackle any really rugged terrain.

Fun and Games

Sand-Hill Climb: All that's needed for this event (as the pictures on page 123 show) are a king-sized sand pile and some stakes to use as markers. Two couples line up their machines about 50 feet from the base of the slope and then, at a given signal, they simultaneously charge the mountain. When the lead vehicle grinds to a halt (usually, its back wheels will be buried in the sand), the copilot hops out and plants a stake. After the buggies have been backed down the hill, two more attempt to top the mark that's just been made. The winning team, of course, is the one that makes it the farthest up the incline.

Slalom Race: Here, you'll need about 30 long stakes, a starter's flag and a stop watch. Set up a serpentine course on a low hillside, with the stakes about two car widths apart; and then, with the girls watching, have the driver of each buggy take a trial run through the forest of sticks. After all the cars are back at the starting line, each driver then makes a timed solo sprint over the course; whoever crosses the finish line in the least time with the smallest number of sticks down is declared the winner. After the victor has been rewarded with suitable liquid refreshment, rerun the event with the girls doing the driving.

Obstacle Race: For this, couples run a challenging course that pits their driving skill against different types of terrain---perhaps a fairly steep downhill grade, several sharp left- and right-hand turns through a series of sand mounds, some figure eights between flag markers and then a low hill to climb before reaching the finish line. Teams can run the race one at a time or all together, depending on how large you make the circuit. The couple with the fastest time takes the prize.

Blindfold Contest: To stage this event, find an area with plenty of wide-open space that's devoid of any natural hazards such as deep chuckholes or steep drop-offs. Then stake out a simple course with pole markers and, as each team prepares to take a solo run around the circuit, blindfold the driver. From here on out, it's up to the copilot to verbally direct her partner on which way to turn and when to stop. Results are hilarious, especially when the inevitable happens and a navigator forgets that her partner can't see. Shouts of "That way! That way!" accompany frantic arm waving to the left or right. Obviously, this is a first-and-second-gear-only event. In fact, you may find it helpful to place a few "track marshals" at strategic points in the field to assist an uncommunicative couple too far off course. Prizes to the team with the fastest time.

Sand-Bag Derby: This should take place on a bumpy, twisting course where there's plenty of room for cars to pass each other. Line all the buggies up at the starting line. Place a cloth bag filled with sand and knotted at the neck on each of the hoods. Then, with the girls driving and the guys riding shotgun, flag the racers off. Every time the bag bounces to the ground, the copilot must hop out of the car, replace it and then climb back into the buggy before the vehicle can continue. The team that crosses the finish line first is the winner. (If the area you've chosen seems too narrow for a group race, have the couples compete one at a time against the clock.)

Bowl Shooting: Not really a game, this will give the more adventurous buggy driver a chance to show off the capability of his machine. When you chance upon a large saucer-shaped sand crater---a "bowl"---formed by the wind, ease your buggy over the lip and then begin accelerating around the crater's circumference. Even in a bowl with nearly vertical sides, centrifugal force will keep the speeding buggy safely up tight against the walls. The trick, of course, is to avoid slowing down until you've driven back over the lip. One word of caution: Keep the revs high and the buggy well up on the walls or there's a chance you may get bogged down in the soft sand at the bottom of the bowl and will have to be pushed out.

Food and Drink

No matter how many miles of dunes your buggy covers on any day, its terminus is usually an alfresco evening feast. To host such a gathering, you must carry not only totable potables but tasty edibles as well---the kind of outdoor food that will appease hearty appetites sharpened by such hors d'oeuvres as slalom racing and bowl shooting. Let your buggy's bill of fare be brief, but make the portions generous. Naturally, the shorter the menu, the easier it is to stash the necessary equipage---food and drink, cookware and seasonings---in the limited buggy baggage space.

Before heading off-road, every owner of a funmobile should case the surrounding region for local suppliers. The accomplished host knows the location of the nearest liquor store before he reaches the dunes. Often it's convenient to stop off and stock up before leaving the city for the sand. Buggy owners who may not have the time to cook and pack sumptuous rations at home can even take advantage of club kitchens or restaurants offering take-out service. If you happen to know a Stroganoff specialist at a certain bistro, it's often a simple matter to order a quart or two beforehand. Chinese pepper steak and its many variations---including beef with tomatoes or snow peas---can be equally delicious. Whichever you prefer, simply supplement the beef with several long loaves of French bread or sourdough French bread sliced lengthwise. Toward evening, when the crisp bread is finally filled with beef, the bulging sandwiches will bring your fellow sun duners flocking to the fireside.

The food you serve should be able to travel well. If you're planning to drive down a long stretch of uninterrupted sand flats, a cheese pie in a picnic cooler will remain freshly intact until eating time. But if your buggy must buck sand banks of all sizes, you should carry the kind of sturdy cold-meat-and-salad collation that easily withstands the roughest of rides.

If the catering is communal, it's important to elect a hostmaster to make sure the chipped-in talent is working together. A division of labor is arranged between those responsible for potables and edibles, and the specialties of each maison can then be pooled at whatever cove is chosen for the day's picnic destination.

The most appetizing of all outdoor pleasures is the smell of a driftwood or charcoal fire glowing beneath a dinner of fresh seafood. If you don't take your own fuel, try to rustle up well-dried, heavy hardwood for steady, long-lasting embers. And if you're near the sea, remember that lumber washed ashore may have been treated with wood preservatives, such as creosote; fumes may penetrate the food. After the cookout, the coals should be kept alive for warming the dusky night.

You also need nothing more than summer sand and sunshine to prove that chilled white wine tastes incomparably better under the sky than in a stuffy penthouse bar. Even men who stick to such conventional picnic stand-bys as cold chicken, German potato salad and bread-and-butter sandwiches eagerly pour new wine into old bottles---a metaphor that, brought up to date, simply means new wine cups and coolers in standard picnic jugs. Orange juice and ouzo, for example---four parts orange juice to one part ouzo poured over the rocks---makes a refreshing end-of-the-trail reviver. Equally convenient for quenching thirsts are such compatible partnerships as rum and bitter lemon, gin and soda, Campari and soda, whiskey and Seven-Up, applejack and ginger ale and vodka and ginger beer. For picnic purposes, none needs more than rocks and perhaps a wedge of lemon or lime to get a buggy party off in high gear. Wrap your ice cubes in a plastic bag and stow them in an insulated picnic hamper along with the hard and soft liquid refreshment. If the last two are cold before you leave home, fewer rocks will be needed at the picnic site.

Cocktails such as margaritas, daiquiris and rob roys are best blended at home, stirred or shaken, as the case may be, then strained into a Thermos jug. Tall drinks should be handled the same way, except when the formula calls for a carbonated mixer---which should be toted separately in its original bottle and added at the last moment for fresh bubbly power. Since mixed drinks grow to about twice their original size after ice is added, each quart jug will hold enough to satisfy two quarts' worth of thirst.

The basic rules of jugmanship are easily mastered: If you're carrying a hot drink, preheat the jug by filling it with boiling water and letting it stand for about five minutes; and before filling a Thermos with any cold potable, prechill it with ice water. In either case, don't fill it to the very top. And to ensure that your totable potables don't lose their hot or cool, lug the jugs in an insulated tote bag or at the bottom of a picnic basket under several layers of newspapers. When you're ready to turn the taps, remember that all premixed potables lose the sprightly aeration they normally have when they're poured straight from the shaker; so carry a long plastic or wooden spoon to stir and restore the drinks well before serving. Finally, it won't be necessary to remind indoorsmen who have carefully concocted and packed a dozen cocktails for the outdoors that only a Philistine would offer a martini in a paper cup. Since you won't want to take your prize crystal goblets along on a buggy ride, the best solution is to buy and bring some disposable drink-ware of the clear-plastic type now used on most airlines.

If you want your dune picnic to be a real sand blast, follow these recipes supplied by Playboy's Food and Drink Editor, Thomas Mario. All beverages are planned for quart jugs.

[recipe_title]Steak and Eggplant Sandwiches[/recipe_title]

[recipe](Serves Four)[/recipe]

[recipe]4 boneless shell steaks, 6 ozs. each[/recipe]

[recipe]1 long loaf French bread[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-size eggplant[/recipe]

[recipe]8-oz. can plum tomatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons tomato paste[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4aspoon basil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon oregano[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large clove garlic[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 egg[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons milk[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]Flour[/recipe]

Be sure French bread is long, thin variety, so that when it is made into sandwiches, jaws can conveniently lock into it. Peel and cut eggplant into 4 slices of the same dimensions as the steaks. Put tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano into blender. Spin mixture until smooth. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in saucepan with garlic. When garlic is brown, remove it from oil. Add tomato mixture and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Beat egg with milk. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, mixing well. Dip eggplant slices in flour, coating thoroughly; shake off excess flour. Dip in egg, then in bread-crumb mixture, patting crumbs into eggplant. In large frying pan, heat oil to a depth of 1/4 in. Fry eggplant until medium brown on both sides. Clean pan and heat 2 tablespoons oil over high flame. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper and sauté to rare or medium doneness. Cut French bread crosswise to accommodate four steaks. Cut in half lengthwise. Spread both sides of bread with tomato sauce. Place steaks and eggplant on bread to make sandwiches. Chill thoroughly before stowing aboard dune buggy.

[recipe_title]Cold Glazed Duck[/recipe_title]

[recipe](Serves four to six)[/recipe]

[recipe]2 ducks, 4 1/2. each[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4p brown sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2aspoon Dijon mustard[/recipe]

[recipe]4 teaspoons curaçao[/recipe]

[recipe]Whole cloves[/recipe]

Thaw ducks, if frozen. Necks, hearts and gizzards are not needed for this dish. They may be used in a stockpot. Livers, however, should be saved for salad below. Preheat oven at 350°. Sprinkle ducks with salt and pepper and place them, breast side up, in shallow roasting pan. Roast, allowing about 2 1/2 hours total roasting time. Duck fat will accumulate during roasting; remove it from time to time. Mix brown sugar with mustard and curaçao. About 1/2 hour before roasting is completed, insert cloves into top of ducks, allowing about 8 cloves to each. Brush breasts, second joints and legs with brown-sugar mixture. Return to oven and finish roasting. Cloves may be removed before serving, if desired. Ducks may be carved at home before the dune-buggying trek or they may be carved at the beach. In the latter case, remember to take the poultry shears.

[recipe_title]Potato and Apple Salad[/recipe_title]

[recipe](Serves four)[/recipe]

[recipe]4 medium-size potatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]2 large Delicious apples[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons cider vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]2 duck livers[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]2 whole pimientos, diced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup mayonnaise[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons minced fresh chives[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

Boil potatoes in jackets until tender. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut them into slices about 1/4 in. thick and about 1 in. square. Cut apples through stem end into sixths. Remove skin and core and cut them into 1/4-in.-thick slices. Pour vinegar and sugar over apples and toss well. Sauté livers in 2 teaspoons oil until light brown; don't overcook. Cut into very small dice. In a mixing bowl, combine potatoes, apples, livers, pimientos, mayonnaise, chives and 2 tablespoons oil. Toss all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add more mayonnaise and/or more vinegar, if desired. Chill thoroughly. Tote with duck or steak sandwiches.

[recipe_title]Swiss Cheese and Mushroom Pie[/recipe_title]

(Serves four to six)

[recipe]9-in. prepared baked piecrust[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4. mushrooms[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large Spanish onion[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large clove garlic, very finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4p instantized flour[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups cold milk[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2. Swiss cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper, nutmeg[/recipe]

[recipe]4 ozs. cream cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]5 tablespoons heavy cream[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives[/recipe]

Cut mushrooms into 1/4 in.-thick slices. Cut onion in half through stem end. Cut crosswise into thinnest possible slices, then break slices into strips. Heat butter and oil in large saucepan. Sauté mushrooms, onion and garlic until onion is limp. If mushrooms give off a large quantity of liquid, cook until liquid evaporates, but do not brown onion. Dissolve flour in milk, stirring until there are no lumps. Add milk to mushroom mixture and stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick and no floury taste remains. Remove from fire. Shred Swiss cheese by forcing it through large holes of square metal grater. Add cheese to sauce. It will soften and blend into the hot sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a dash of nutmeg. Pour sauce into pie shell. Chill thoroughly in refrigerator. In a small bowl, work cream cheese, cream and chives together until mixture is smooth and spreadable, but not soupy. Add more cream, if necessary. Spread on top of pie. Stash pie carefully in portable icebox and carry to women in the dunes.

[recipe_title]Cold Stuffed Peppers With Curried Rice[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]4 large green peppers[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup long-grain rice[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons curry powder[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4lb. sliced boiled ham, finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]Mayonnaise[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-size onion, very finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4cup heavy cream[/recipe]

[recipe]Grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]Paprika[/recipe]

Cut a thin slice off stem ends of peppers. Remove seeds and membranes. Drop peppers into large pot of boiling water; cook 3 to 5 minutes, then drain. Drop rice into 2 cups boiling water to which 1 teaspoon salt has been added. Dissolve curry powder in 2 tablespoons cold water and add with the oil to rice. Stir; bring water to a second boil; reduce flame as low as possible and cook rice, covered, without stirring, 18 to 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from fire. When slightly cooled, combine with ham, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice and cream. Stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill peppers with rice mixture. Spread top of rice with a light layer of mayonnaise. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese; sprinkle lightly with paprika. Preheat oven at 375°. Place green peppers upright in shallow pan and bake 30 minutes. Chill thoroughly. Wonderful to have in tow with cold fried chicken or cold broiled chicken.

[recipe_title]Skewered Sesame Swordfish[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]2 lbs. swordfish steak,3/4. thick[/recipe]

[recipe]1 bunch large scallions[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons sesame seeds[/recipe]

[recipe]6 tablespoons salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large clove garlic, sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon soy sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2aspoon dried fresh mint, crumbled[/recipe]

Cut swordfish into chunks approximately 3/4in. square. Cut off hollow ends of scallions and discard. Cut remainder of scallions into pieces about 3/4ong. Place sesame seeds in heavy iron frying pan over moderate flame; stir continuously until they are deep brown (avoid scorching). Put sesame seeds, oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, pepper and mint into blender. Blend at high speed 2 minutes. Place swordfish and scallions alternately on skewers. Store swordfish and sauce in refrigerator until departure time. Broil swordfish over portable charcoal fire or beach fire. Baste with sesame sauce before and during broiling. Swordfish steak or salmon steak may be broiled with same basting sauce. A note on swordsmanship: To make sure all pieces of food are turned simultaneously when broiling both sides, pierce swordfish with two parallel skewers instead of one. Thin bamboo skewers are useful for this job. Don't forget basting brush.

[recipe_title]Celtic Cup[/recipe_title]

(Six drinks)

[drinkRecipe]9 ozs. light Scotch[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. cherry liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. sweet vermouth[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. fresh lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]12-oz. bottle iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

Shake Scotch, cherry liqueur, vermouth and lemon juice well with ice. Strain into prechilled picnic jug. Serve over rocks in 10-oz. glass. Add splash of soda.

[recipe_title]Bitter Bourbon[/recipe_title]

(Six drinks)

[drinkRecipe]7 1/2 ozs. 86-proof bourbon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]5 ozs. fresh orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. white crème de menthe[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon Angostura bitters[/recipe]

[drinkRecipe]12-oz. bottle iced quinine water[/drinkRecipe]

Shake bourbon, orange juice, crème de menthe and bitters well with ice. Strain into prechilled picnic jug. Serve over rocks in 10-oz. glass. Add quinine water.

[recipe_title]Black-Currant Cooler[/recipe_title]

(Six drinks)

[drinkRecipe]9 ozs. blended U. S. Whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. crème de cassis[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]7 ozs. fresh lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]7 ozs. fresh orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]12-oz. bottle iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

Combine---but do not mix with ice---whiskey, crème de cassis, lemon juice and orange juice. Chill in refrigerator. Pour into prechilled picnic jug. Serve over rocks in 10-oz. glass. Add splash of soda.

[recipe_title]Peach Cup With Chablis[/recipe_title]

(12 drinks)

[drinkRecipe]2 10-oz. packages frozen peaches in syrup[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. California brandy[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 ozs. fresh lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]2 fifths iced Chablis[/recipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 12-oz. bottles iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

Although it is summer and fresh peaches are in season, frozen peaches in syrup make a richer, mellower cup than the fresh. Thaw peaches slightly; separate slices. Put peaches, together with their syrup, brandy and lemon juice in blender. Blend 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is velvety smooth. Pour into prechilled picnic jug. At picnic site, for each drink pour 2 1/2 ozs. mixture from jug into 12-oz. highball glass. (Carry along a jigger for measuring purposes, to keep portions uniform.) To each glass, add 4 ozs. Chablis and 2 large ice cubes. Fill glass with soda. Stir slightly.

[recipe_title]Rum and Soursop[/recipe_title]

(Six drinks)

[drinkRecipe]9 ozs. light Puerto Rican rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 ozs. fresh lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 7-oz. cans guanábana nectar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]12-oz. bottle iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]1 large lime, cut into 6 slices[/recipe]

Guanábana nectar is a canned fruit juice made from the pulp of the sour-sop---a delightful tropical fruit---and sugar. It's available in gourmet shops, including the specialty shops catering to Puerto Ricans, who are intimately acquainted with the soursop. Combine rum, lime juice and guanábana nectar. Do not shake with ice. Chill in refrigerator. Pour into prechilled picnic jug. At picnic site, pour into 10-oz. tall glasses, allowing about 5 ozs. of the chilled mixture for each drink. Add 2 large ice cubes to each glass and a splash of soda. Stir well. Add lime slice as garnish.

[recipe_title]Iced Coffee Oporto[/recipe_title]

(Four drinks)

[drinkRecipe]8 ozs. tawny port[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. brandy[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]16 ozs. extra-strong black coffee, sweetened to taste[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]Heavy sweet cream[/recipe]

Iced coffee oporto is a tall after-picnic potable, which for some picnickers takes the place of dessert. Combine port, brandy and coffee and chill in refrigerator. Do not shake or stir with ice. Pour into prechilled picnic jug. At picnic site, divide among 4 tall 12-oz. glasses. Add ice cubes to fill glasses. Top with sweet cream and stir. For a large party (16 drinks), multiply recipe by four and carry potable in gallon picnic jug.

[recipe_title]Carthusian Cup[/recipe_title]

(12 drinks)

[drinkRecipe]12 ozs. chilled fresh orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 ozs. chilled yellow Chartreuse[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]2 fifths iced Pouilly-Fuissé or dry white wine[/recipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 12-oz. bottles iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]12 slices orange[/recipe]

Pour orange juice and Chartreuse into prechilled picnic jug. Into each 12-oz. tall glass, pour 1 1/2 ozs. Chartreuse mixture. Add 4 ozs. Pouilly-Fuissé and 2 ozs. soda. Add ice cubes to fill each glass. Stir slightly. Garnish each drink with orange slice.

[recipe_title]Mandeville Cocktail[/recipe_title]

(Six drinks)

[drinkRecipe]7 ozs. golden Jamaica rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. banana liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. fresh lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. fresh orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. guava syrup[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]6 slices lime[/recipe]

This is a cocktail for those who like the earthy flavor of the pot-stilled Jamaica rums. Shake rum, banana liqueur, lime juice, orange juice and guava syrup well with ice. Strain into prechilled picnic jug. Serve in cocktail glasses. Garnish with lime slice.

[recipe_title]Tall French Gimlet[/recipe_title]

(Six drinks)

[drinkRecipe]9 ozs. gin[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. Rose's lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 /2 ozs. Amer Picon[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]1 1/2 ozs. poons grenadine[/recipe]

[drinkRecipe]12-oz. bottle iced quinine water[/drinkRecipe]

Stir gin, Rose's lime juice, Amer Picon and grenadine well with ice. Strain into prechilled picnic jug. At picnic site. pour 4-oz. portions into 10-oz. glasses. Add two ice cubes to each glass. Add quinine water. Stir slightly.

By carefully adhering to the preceding food-and-drink formulas, your motorized day in the dunes will be a first-rate buggy ball that's fun on wheels.