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Since my early 20s, I have been a part of a special group of friends here on Nantucket. Whether we met at Coatue for the 4th of July, or at a friend’s home for a raucous, themed dinner party, our common bond has always centered around sharing a home cooked meal complete with handmade drinks and wine.
We have all stayed friends, although some have moved. Fast forward to the last summer that both of my best girlfriends lived on island, 2018, we started a simple tradition. We would race to Ladies beach before sundown with picnic foods, our dogs, beach towels and chairs, (I would bring my portable propane Weber grill and folding table) and would quickly set up our makeshift kitchen table before making a beeline for the waves. When thoroughly refreshed, we would dry off, shake up some ice cold drinks and I would get to grilling. The picnic foods themselves were deceptively simple. A fresh loaf of sourdough bread and Bartlett’s corn, ready for the grill. Field tomatoes sliced and showered with salt and olive oil. Wedges of brie cheese, fresh hummus and other easy snacks would splay out on the table, staving off post-swim hunger until the grilled veggies and home made sausages were ready. On our first couple attempts at these impromptu picnics, we ended up eating in the dark…but with a little practice, our beach picnics became so easy and quick, with plenty of time left to linger as the sun set.
Looking back on those nights in my memory, my heart swells with emotion. The sun setting over the water as we floated in the waves. The vista; looking down at the table with the grill to my left, filled with fresh produce, cheese and snacks, and then beyond it to the shimmering shoreline in front of me. My dear friends, laughing and eating, playing tunes on the speaker and throwing the frisbee for the dogs. The intensely satisfying flavors of smoky, charred slices of oiled, garlicky bread topped with burrata and juicy, ripe tomatoes. I can practically see it in front of me and taste the salt on my lips.
I hope to have one of these picnics again very soon, with people that I love, but in the meantime, I hope to have inspired you, my readers, to throw out a text to your friends, load up the portable grill and the cooler, (don’t forget the beach towels, and a headlamp!) and have a magical beach picnic of your own.
by Leah Mojer- Wine, M & P Manager