Book: Summer Island
Author: Kristin Hannah
Summer Island: Thirty-four year old Ruby Bridge is a not-too-successful comedienne who uses her mother, a nationally-syndicated “moral and spiritual counselor” as the main fodder for her cynical, rather bitter humor. Her mother Nora, long divorced from Ruby’s father, is a woman whose past is just about to catch up with her – in the form of blackmail by a former lover. After an accident (an attempted suicide?) Ruby returns to care for her stricken mother – bitterly resenting the fact that once again her mother’s life has colonized hers. When she is approached by a publisher to write a biography of her mother, Ruby is desperate for the princely sum offered. Yet her research into her mother’s past reveals a woman very different from the one Ruby expected. And what began as “mommy dearest” ends as a love story – not only between mother and daughter, but involving two very different men who play a key role in linking the past to the present. (Summery by goodreads)
Since this book was set in the Pacific Northwest we decided on Seafood. Wow what a luncheon we had.
Menu: Gravlax, Shrimp Cocktail, Linguini with Clams, Spinach salad with blueberries, Garlic Cheesy Bread and Blue Cheese Bread, a beautiful cheese platter and a olive tapenade with crackers. Let me not forget……Mojitos.
The Garlic Cheesy Bread recipe is in my blog and it is called Tonda Bread. Just look in the Recipe Section.
Shaved Spinach Salad (Recipe from Joanne and Costco)
- 908 g (2 lbs) baby spinach
- 227 g (1/2 lb) pecorino Romano cheese
- 500 mL (2 cups) pine nuts
- 3 lemons
- 180 mL (3/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 500 mL (2 cups) dried blueberries
Stack the spinach leaves, cut into thin strips and add to a large bowl. Using a microplane grater, grate the cheese into a bowl and set aside. Heat a large stainless steel or non-stick pan over medium. Add ½ of the pine nuts in a single layer. Cook and stir until pine nuts are golden brown, then place on a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat for the remaining pine nuts. Let the pine nuts cool completely. Juice the lemons and strain, then set juice aside.
In a large stainless steel or wooden bowl, combine the sliced spinach, cheese and pine nuts. Mix with tongs until well combined. Mix the olive oil and lemon juice. Drizzle ½ the dressing on the salad and toss, adding more dressing as desired. Top with the blueberries and gently stir in. Plate and serve immediately. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
The key to this dish is preparing the spinach. Use a sharp knife and cut it as thin as possible. It is also very important to grate the cheese using a microplane to give it a soft consistency that melts into the salad as you mix it. Lastly, do not mix the salad ahead of time. Once ingredients are prepped, set them aside and mix right before serving to keep the texture of the spinach intact.
We had some great discussions about the book while we were eating and even used our Author’s Questions Guide at the end. It was a fabulous luncheon, with wonderful women and very good book. Thank you for hosting Joanne. Our next book is American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins and you know what that means……….Mexican Food. Yay!
Happy Reading and Bon Appetit
