Summer is only six weeks away! It occurred to me today as I scowled at the weeds in my flower beds and shook the kitchen tablecloth off in the warm breeze out the back door. It got me in the mood for summer food. Tiny sandwiches, barbeque chicken, potato salad, cool drinks, watermelon (oh how I love watermelon! Once I ate an entire large one in a single day!). And when it comes to summer food in my house one cookbook gets a lot of the attention: The Summer Book by Susan Branch.
More than a decade ago I discovered Susan Branch's cookbooks and I quickly bought them all. Let the record show that I don't own many cookbooks and that I am not much of a cook, but I do own all of these for one simple reason – they are beautiful. Each page is handwritten Susan's perfectly happy penmanship and decorated with the loveliest little watercolor drawings throughout. Susan selects the sweetest quotes about the seasons, friendship, food, tea, happiness, and all things good. She lines the edges of the pages with these words and decorates the borders. Each book is like a treasury of "home." I often open one of her books to a favorite page and display it on my cookbook easel as a piece of artwork.
The recipes themselves range from quick-n-easy (my style) to more complicated and exotic (not my skill level) but I must say that every one I've tried has been delicious.
As a bonus for me personally: Susan lives in Martha's Vinyard in an adorable white house and I love all people who live in Martha's Vinyard or anywhere in New England really. Naturally, I'm completely convinced they know a lot about how to live an amazing life because I'm quite sure the grass IS greener there. :)
I have some of her books as well. Such pretty watercolor illustrations. I hadn't seen the Summer Book - must find.
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