School’s out, July is here, and celebratory dinners at home that feature the best of the local catch and summer produce are the perfect way to entertain during the halcyon days of midsummer on Nantucket. We all want to stay outside as long as possible, and we do—lingering until the last traces of light have left the sky.
For this chapter, we’ve put together a menu for a summer alfresco dinner that highlights three seafood recipes and showcases the spectacular flavors of midsummer in the form of a lemony zucchini salad brightened with fresh mint, and an unforgettable tomato tart. And, as every host will appreciate, much of the menu can be prepared in advance, allowing you to enjoy the evening as much as your guests will. Dessert is satisfying but light; peaches at their peak of juicy flavorful ripeness take center stage against a delicate almond cake moistened with honey-spiked whipped cream.
We are big fans of local produce—here on the island, and in our travels during the off-season. That’s why we recommend that wherever you live, you support your local growers by shopping at farm stands and farmers’ markets. When you’re here on the island for an extended summer vacation, why not discover what the farmers have to offer? Start a Nantucket tradition with your family: Two days a week, before the sun gets too high, take a bike ride to Bartlett’s Farm or Moors End Farm and pick up enough vegetables, greens, herbs, and fruit for a few lunches and dinners. On your way, enjoy the scenery and the scented air. The magical beauty of a summer morning on New England’s most beautiful island, riding along leisurely with the ones you love, will become an unforgettable image in your memory.
For a wine to accompany this menu, we recommend Château de Selle Rosé. This French wine from Domaines Ott (located on the Riviera, where the vines grow in arid limestone soil bathed in dazzling sunshine) is made from a blend of grape varieties from Côtes de Provence but mostly from Grenache, which gives it a delicate color. The wine’s unique softness, with notes of citrus fruit, orchard flowers, and lemon, pairs beautifully with the dishes in this chapter: a chilled Mediterranean-style seafood salad of squid, tuna, mussels, and shrimp; grilled striped bass; and lobster tails in herbed butter.
Bon appétit!
