My Annual Fire Island Report
With some recipes and meal ideas
First of all, thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway for Sarah Kieffer’s book 100 Morning Treats. Congrats to Sarah Atwood of Seattle who won the book (who says she never wins anything). Never say never, Sarah! I always love reading your comments when we do these giveaways. If you’re wondering why I don’t respond to the comments like I usually do, it’s because it would mess up the random picker I use to determine the winner. But do know that I read and enjoy every one of them.
For the past three summers, we have spent a few days in Fire Island. In case you’re reading this from a far-flung place, Fire Island is an extremely narrow barrier island off the southern coast of Long Island that probably shouldn't be densely populated, but is. It’s charming and old-fashioned, mainly due to the fact that there are no cars allowed on the island (except for emergency vehicles and the like). Kids of all ages run — or bike — around in packs, bouncing from the beach to the ice cream parlor and wherever else they go. It’s a kind of freedom that’s rare to find these days, and appears to be a great way to grow up. Except for falling off your bike or crashing into someone, it’s extremely safe.
Another thing that’s unique about Fire Island is that you have to think ahead a bit when it comes to cooking. While there is a store in every town that dots the length of the island, they are somewhat limited and expensive, so many people bring food with them, wheeling wagons full of groceries onto the ferry (which, by the time you pay the freight charge, is it really any cheaper? Hmmm.). In any case, bringing your own does allow for more variety, especially when it comes to the available produce, which is standard supermarket fare, and just the basics, and nothing local.
Because our hosts, Meryl and David, were delayed by a few days due to a family emergency, Steve and I arrived first this year and suddenly had to fend for ourselves rather than rely on them for the provisioning. I researched and found a farm stand near the ferry where we scooped up some corn, peaches, watermelon, leafy broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, arugula, and tomatoes. Only as much as we could carry on top of our wheelie bags, of course, but our haul lasted us a good three days. Instead of my usual MO of going to the farm stand, seeing what looks good, and letting it inspire that evening’s meal, I filled the house with a random assortment of things, then figured out what to cook day by day, using what I already had.
After a few nights on our own, Meryl and David were finally due to arrive, and we planned a communal dinner for nine to welcome them back. A friend who was renting a house across the street (which was literally a shell’s throw away) and her four teenage charges made a green salad and a watermelon and feta salad, and I took care of the rest.
I wanted to make a mezze feast, because there’s something for everyone, and it uses up odds and ends. I made chicken, eggplant, and shrimp skewers to throw on the grill. I made kind of an Israeli salad with those peppers from the farm stand, which were green on the inside and purple on the outside, some red onion, and some cucumber, all sliced thinly and arranged on a small platter. That actually started out as a cucumber salad, but I had to pivot when I discovered one of my two cucumbers was weird and seedy. I added two kinds of hummus we had in the fridge, including my favorite, Esti Eggplant hummus, which everyone loved, and warmed up some pitas on the grill and drizzled them with olive oil and za’atar. I made a peach and blueberry crisp for dessert, which was extremely popular as usual. The whole dinner was truly a feast and left everyone very full and happy.
The next night, my assignment was to “do something” with a bag of green beans Meryl had brought with her. I also decided to make a galette with some plums (or were they pluots?) I found bouncing around the produce drawer. To make that, I used my usual galette dough recipe (although I only used 1 stick of butter, which is within the range of what works), and just winged it from there. Isn't that what we love about galettes? They’re so flexible and forgiving. I tossed the plums in some sugar and a little flour to help absorb the juices, and sprinkled some more sugar and sliced almonds (found in the fridge) on the edges. I would have used a little cardamom, but there was none. It was well received!
For the green beans, I thought and thought, and perused the fridge, and finally came up with a plan, which was a simple one. I generally prefer green beans chilled for a salad rather than steamed and warm, especially in the summer, so it was moving in a salad direction. I noticed a partial tub of store-bought Rana pesto, some hazelnuts, and a hunk of Parm. I asked Meryl about the homemade pesto she said she had ravaged her basil plant to make, but, alas, it was frozen, so, in the spirit of resourcefulness, I decided to use the Rana pesto. I’d seen it in my grocery store and had been wondering how it was, because I’m always looking for good store-bought items to try out and share with my readers. Well, it turns out it is very good! So good that one of our teenage guests asked if it was OK if she finished the green beans. I mark that as a win!
The simplicity-to-deliciousness ratio was high, so even though it’s not much of a “recipe,” I’m excited to share this idea with you today. Since I forgot to snap a pic when we had this IRL, I made it again to nail down a few details and take a picture, and it was just as good the second time! And, of course, if you have a batch of homemade pesto, this is a great way to use it!
Green Bean Salad with Pesto and Hazelnuts
Serves 4
12-16 ounces green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1/4 cup toasted, skinned hazelnuts
Flaky salt and freshly ground pepper
Hunk of Parm
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green (if they’re really fresh, you’ll start to hear a popping sound), about 2 to 3 minutes after returning to a boil.
Drain, rinse with cool water, and refresh in a bowl of ice water until completely cool. Drain again and pat dry with a clean dishcloth or paper towels. You can even spin them in a salad spinner.
Toss with the pesto and salt and pepper to taste (the Rana is pretty salty, so I just used a little flaky salt on top). Chill until needed.
For a complete explanation of how to toast and skin hazelnuts, click here. Chop the toasted hazelnuts until some of the pieces are quite small, so they cling to the green beans.
Arrange the beans on a platter, sprinkle with the hazelnuts, sprinkle with some flaky salt and pepper. Use a vegetable peeler to shave as much cheese as you like over top.
More from Fire Island
Last summer I shared my Fire Island Clam Chowder (with a surprise ingredient) after returning from this annual trip. And the year before, I shared my friend Meryl’s Chicken Salad recipe, including a full-circle story that still makes me smile!
Book Tour Event Reminder
My lunch and book signing event at Maximalist Studios in Philadelphia is September 14th, and tickets ($125) are still available here!
Your ticket includes a copy of Veg Forward, wine, a beautiful lunch of dishes from my book prepared by Balboa Catering, and a demo with me. The event will be prop styled by Maximalist Studios’ chief creative — and my friend and former colleague at Martha Stewart Living — Eddie Ross.
I’m offering a 20% discount to Susanality readers, so if you’re interested, follow this link and use the code MAXSPUNGEN. I hope to see you there!
Please Review Veg Forward on Amazon!
I hope that those of you who ordered Veg Forward are enjoying it! As you may already know, leaving a review on Amazon (whether or not you purchased the book there) is really helpful to authors (like me) as it helps the book be more visible to more people. Thank you in advance!
Editor: Molly Ramsey
If you need another store bought pesto, I find the Gotham Greens pesto to be amazing. There are vegan and spicy versions, but the classic is always delicious. I highly recommend it. I haven't tried the one you mention, but I think GG is as good as homemade.
One of my favorite posts Susan! Love the vision of you in the pantry scavenging for things to use - you always make it look so easy and delicious!