When Summer Feels Like Summer

A leisurely start to July

Happy July, friends. I’m slow to start writing The Dish this month for good reason: summer! 

I’ve been…
🌞 hopping up and down the blue-skied east coast
🌞 swimming in the sea and in rivers
🌞 battling mosquitos intent on destroying my ankles
🌞 slathering sunscreen on my body
🌞 sitting beside roaring fire pits
🌞 racing the sun to finish ice cream cones before they melt

I hope you’ve had a similarly summery stretch, save for the mosquito bites.

(To be clear, I’ve also been working remotely and figuring out my life, but let’s be honest: it’s more fun to talk about sunshine and ice cream.)

July began with my older brother Trevor joining me on Fishers Island for some quality time. We shared a beer on the ferry ride, meandered along Isabella Beach, and cooked a Carla Lalli Music recipe for Fregola with Fresh Corn, Pancetta, and Basil, which was a keeper. Then, just after Trevor left the island, my parents arrived with our dog, Remy. None of my family members had ever been to Fishers before, so I did my best to tour them around, with assistance from my boyfriend Teo’s parents. Teo himself wasn’t available as a tour guide because he is, at present, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on a sailing expedition (NBD). I miss him, but he’ll be back soon, and I’m happy that he’s so happy, albeit sunburnt.

Over my parents’ visit, we took Remy to the beach, where she ran freely and joyously and made friends with everyone, people and dogs alike. We lounged about, read our books, and ate well, including a pitch-perfect (as always) aperitivo spread by Teo’s mom, Mary. And on the last night, we enjoyed an early 4th of July cookout with a winning trio of cheeseburgers, rosé, and fireworks. Many of Teo’s family members were present, all of whom have been so kind to me, so it was nice to introduce them to my parents at long last.

The following morning, my parents, Remy, and I left the island and drove up to our house in Vermont, a corner of the world that I’ve gushed about many times (see here, here, here, and here). Up north, we met up with Trevor, his fiancée Laura, and the Englanders, our dear family friends. The weekend was as summer should be: languorous mornings chatting on the couch with coffee in hand, midday river swims, and big, collaborative group dinners with even more friends gathered on the porch. 

For the actual 4th of July, Trevor and Laura made Gochujang Burgers, and Blyth baked a fluffy vanilla cake with summer berries for dessert. The next night, Eric made fresh corn tortillas while Tessa and Nina prepped guacamole and zingy mango salsa. For that meal, my offering was a vat of carnitas with orange, bay leaves, and jalapeño — one of my favorite dishes to cook for a big group of people. (I used this carnitas recipe as a loose reference, but ended up making it my own.) My dad, Peter, made mojitos with mint from the garden that the Englanders coined “mo-Pete-os.” Ooh, and Amy brought cookies with toasted pecans, oats, and dark chocolate that quickly disappeared. I love eclectic dinners like these when there’s a little something from everyone.

Now, I’m happily back in Brooklyn and back to comforting normalcy like my treadmill workouts and dishwasher-unloading and morning drip coffee with half-and-half. On we go.

Fishers Island

Vermont

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Thank you for indulging this breezy post. It felt good to revel in these places I’m so lucky to inhabit and these people I’m so lucky to love.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a list of 10 things I’m into. Much to say!

x Phoebe