It’s this newsletter’s two-year anniversary, which necessitates a heartfelt thank you to those of you who read each month — this is honestly my favorite project, and to hear responses and feedback from y’all is something I don’t take for granted. Cheers to two years!
Last week, I hosted a summer solstice dinner in the new greenhouse in the garden, because we were graced with gusty winds and a smattering of raindrops that evening. Celebrating the solstice is one of my favorite casual traditions in the summertime. The greenhouse turned out to be a perfectly cozy setting and we squeezed in a table amongst the workbenches and seedlings. Mom was on flower duty for the evening and produced a gorgeous arrangement with a surprise peony and some raspberry and snap pea stems.
I used my typewriter (a baby blue Royal I got for my 13th birthday and continue to use) to hastily type up a last-minute menu and naturally, we had a tiny menu stand in the butler’s pantry, probably something my mom picked up at an antique store. I’m particularly grateful for her good eye for kitchen treasures when we entertain. For perhaps the first time, I met my target goal for when I wanted to have dinner done (that being said, I had been cooking since 11 am, so I’m not sure how admirable that is), so there was little left to do besides exchange my apron for a nap dress and head out to the garden.
I tried to keep the menu as garden-based as possible, working with components that were in season. Drinks were G&Ts with rhubarb syrup and candied rhubarb twists, both of which I made with farmer’s market rhubarb. For the appetizer, garden beets were sliced alongside sweet potato to make crisps, paired with an avocado-coriander dip with a little kick. The main course was a risotto (of course) with a heap of sugar snap peas from the garden, fresh burrata, and mint from our jungle of mint plants alongside our house. Finally, dessert was a “backyard mint” ice cream with vanilla bean, topped with homemade dark chocolate magic shell, which is my favorite dinner party trick and never fails to delight me.
I served the ice cream in mint julep cups and the drinks on my favorite silver platter. I have a slight obsession with hotel silver — my mom and I love an antique store in Hopewell called The Tomato Factory, and it’s where I’ve found almost all of my favorite silver pieces. A vintage cigarette case, which I use as a wallet. A small hotel silver tray, which I use as a catch-all on my bedside table. A larger silver tray, which my mom has tried to steal on multiple occasions because it’s the greatest, and which we use pretty much every time we eat outside. I found it (or she did, it’s the eternal debate) at Fritz Karch’s booth at The Tomato Factory — he used to be an editor for Martha Stewart and he curates an eccentric collection of antique kitchenware. Things I’m on the hunt for next? More mint julep cups, silver ice cream sundae glasses, and a silver oyster tray.
It’s been storming a great deal, which I love because it means all of the animals seek refuge on my bed and we’re greeted with the shock of a wet emerald lawn in the morning. Collecting eggs or snap peas from the garden means stopping to watch angry thunderheads form over the field. Is there anything more thrilling than an impending storm warning? It rarely (if ever) thunderstorms on Scotland’s east coast and I welcome the downpours and heat lightning — only here is the weather channel’s inaccuracy a source of comfort. The passing of the solstice signals the death of cool mornings, impromptu tennis matches at two in the afternoon, and the appeal of a hot coffee. I think I’m going to have to double my ice cream production. July feels like a good time to have two freezers.
My internship with Town Topics continues and mostly consists of competing with the editor I work under to see who can use the most keyboard shortcuts and upload the online articles the fastest. I have yet to beat him, but my time is coming… I also did a little reporting job one weekend; we have a section called Town Talk where we visit a local event and ask the community a themed question, and their answer and photo are featured in that week’s paper. It has been a great lesson in deadlines, AP style comma placement, 2-column ads, and the right red pen.
I’m filling in the gaps with catering (I’m in my seventh year with Emily’s Cafe) and some freelance editorial work, which is teaching me a lot about real-world editing and making substantial comments on someone’s work, a big challenge that I have liked more than I anticipated.
I just finished Riley Sager’s Final Girls, which was reminiscent of an 80’s slasher and kept me guessing until the very end. I love the summer slasher theme in movies and have recently started seeking it out in books, and haven’t been disappointed.
It’s been a slow reading month, mostly because I needed a break and chose to re-read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. This series is incredibly nostalgic for me — it was one of the earliest series I really got into (there exist photos of me with a homemade duct tape sword and an Aegis shield made out of a spare lid and clay) and to be a kid as the PJO universe continued to publish sequels was so cool. Now, as a 21-year-old, I’m patiently waiting for the new TV series to announce a streaming date, and the final Percy Jackson book is slated to release in September.
After searching high and low for the 2012 Algonquin Books edition of Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, I scored on eBay. My book-buying addiction is only remotely held in check by the fact that I try to only buy hard copies where I like the cover or know I’m going to read it multiple times. Big Fish was a charming, quirky reflection on a father and son’s relationship as the father nears death, full of tall tales, over-exaggeration, and humor. The cover intrigued me because of its bright colors and border pattern — it evokes a vibe I can’t really put my finger on, but recently I’ve been seeing so many callbacks to the late 80s and 90s Starbucks/Global Coffee House designs (see examples here and here, and also this article), and this cover kind of feels like it’s in that vein.
Lastly, I read Grace D. Li’s Portrait of a Thief, a debut novel with a plot I found pretty genius — five Chinese-American college students get roped into a series of art museum heists, working to steal back Chinese artifacts. I found some of the language and characterization a little repetitive at times, but the plot had me hooked and I found it to be a detailed and emotional perspective on belonging, pride, and the importance of heritage.
June was rhubarb and cherry season for us at the farm. We pulled over eight pounds of sour cherries off of our tree in the garden, which is a record harvest. We’ve frozen them, made them into jams, pickled them, and naturally, I made an ice cream; a goat’s cheese and roasted cherry that was equal parts rich and sweet. Also out of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams cookbook, I made a chardonnay and chamomile ice cream, which may be one of my classiest frozen endeavors to date.
I made these cheery little rhubarb garnishes for cocktails with this recipe. We grow some in the garden, but I got these jewel-tone stalks from the local farmer’s market because we don’t have very many plants. Apparently, in Leeds, England, they grow the pinkest and most tender rhubarb by growing it in blacked-out greenhouses and — this is legit — harvest it by candlelight. It’s obviously now on my bucket list to witness this, so if you know anyone in Leeds, please hit my line.
A steady rotation of one or two pints of ice cream a week has been keeping our freezer busy. I love making ice cream, but soon enough I’m going to have to start pawning it off on other people, because as much as my dad and brother make a dent, some recipes make way more than a pint and how much cinnamon-banana-nilla wafer ice cream can one consume, really??
I have been trying to work on my technique in the kitchen a little bit more (am I being influenced by The Bear, whose second season just dropped? Maybe.). I can cut an onion properly and know how to julienne a radish, so we’re making progress. Working for Emily’s over the years has given me a small taste of the restaurant industry, and while it’s definitely not something I’m dying to make my career, I love the food world and food media. Food editorial takes up a lot of space in the industry, and I think that’s pretty awesome.
Seven songs for a thunderstorm with the window open.
Saw You for the First Time by Laurence Guy
Find Me, Pt.2 by Ivan Ave
Origin (Mixed) by Vanilla
Skyway by Allison Miller & Carmen Staaf
Cocktails by Syndrome
Blue In Green by Miles Davis
When I’m in Your Arms by Cleo Sol
I’ve been listening to a lot of Pat Metheny and Pat Metheny Group, which coincides with the odd nostalgia of coffee shops I discussed in From the Library earlier. I feel like his music is precisely what I associate with the playlists you used to hear in the original Barnes & Noble cafes and places that called coffee “java.” My favorites are “So It May Secretly Begin,” “Last Train Home,” and “September Fifteenth.”
I love the live version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me,” played live at Budokan, because it sounds so summery.
The Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds has captivated me, mostly because I listened to “Let’s Go Away For a While” and it sounds exactly like the moment in a book where the two characters lock eyes from across the party… It would be perfect for a film.
I heard “Slabo Day” by Peter Green and really love it for a laid-back vibe — it’s very Grateful Dead-esque. The whole album (In the Skies) is pretty good and makes great background music while I read or write.
Rainbow Flip Flops. I’ve worn these for what, six summers now, and can confidently say they’re the best flip flops I’ve ever owned. Since they’re leather, they get a great patina and basically mold to your feet after a couple of months of wear, so they look pretty lived-in and I really like that about them. They’re comfortable, the straps come in a variety of widths, and they kind of go with everything.
Athleta Evergreen Sweater Hoodie. I found this on final sale at Athleta and, unable to resist a lightweight sweater that doubles as a hoodie, added it to cart. It’s super light, making it perfect for a cover-up over a bikini. It has an athletic-wear feel to it but I don’t feel like I look like I’m in my pajamas when I wear it to run errands. I’m all for pajama world domination, but there’s a time and place!
Osea Undaria Algae Body Butter. I bought this on a whim at Terrain when they gave us discounts and it was well worth it, though I almost don’t want to use it because I’m afraid of running out. I kind of hate body lotion because it never quite lives up to my expectations and therefore usually just default to a big tub of Cerave, but this would make a great gift or just something special to treat yourself with for post-pool showers.
In my very first newsletter, I did a section called “Solstice Essentials.” Not much has changed. A couple of things to keep in mind for your next solstice event
Precious glassware — star coupes were my pick
Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse on the radio
Fairy lights strung up on trees, or across the greenhouse roof
A mismatched assortment of old silverware — they’re not unpolished, it’s just patina
Fresh flowers for the table, whatever’s in season
Herb garnishes you pluck on your way to the table
Candles in the chandelier, which, shockingly, was not just for the party, but rather takes up permanent residence in the greenhouse
Your Wednesday best — bare feet are just fine
A toast to Mr. Moon and a quick request for limited humidity
Linen everything
Thank you all for reading this month! If you’ve been here since the beginning or just recently subscribed, thanks for taking a minute (or ten) out of your Sundays to dedicate to this newsletter! I can’t help but be a little surprised that I’ve kept up with this for two full years (24 newsletters feels like so many and so few at the same time), if only because I’m shocked I have this much to gab about every month. I suppose, if anything, my library content alone would keep this publication alive — next month’s newsletter is banking entirely on my finishing The Overstory by Richard Powers. Nothing describes From:Grace quite like basing an entire edition around one book, and trees. See you all then!
I sometimes post on Instagram @gracerobrts!
My Goodreads is here and I am always looking for reading recommendations.
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If you should need to contact me for any other reason, or just want to say hi, my email is gracecroberts@gmail.com, and my inbox is always in need of some extra love.
See you next month!
Sincerely yours,
Grace
The dinner was lovely and special and I was so happy to partake in it!