My Late Summer Vacation: A Quiet Getaway with Friends Who Cook
Summer vacations are for families. The kids are out of school, the beach is full of playmates, and the whole family can get away together. But after school starts, this is one of my favorite weeks: my time at the beach with the ladies. It’s all about the food, the books I never got around to reading, and the long, rambling chats on the porch. And thanks to the friend that came with me, the food has been outstanding.
When the kids are back in school, my husband doesn’t have to scramble for childcare. Also? Rental prices on the South Carolina coast drop. So I head to Edisto Island with a few friends, including Leslie because, even though she’s lived in the big city for years, that lady can pick some crab and cook up a storm.
The first thing we do when we arrive is start the peanuts boiling and mix up a batch of Housewife Sangria. A couple days in, we head to Flowers Seafood for a dozen blue crabs (large and male, please). We haul out the huge pot and steam the crabs until they’re fragrant and ready to pick.
On the porch, we pick the crabs, eating as we go, but saving plenty of the delicious meat, and sip cold, slightly effervescent white wine, rounding out the meal with a simple cucumber and tomato salad and a bowl of roasted baby potatoes. I don’t want to say I count on this, but Leslie usually gets up early the next morning and makes crab cakes. There are worse things than waking up to a beautiful view of the St. Helena Sound, hot coffee and a plate of sauteed kale, poached farm fresh egg, bacon and a perfect crab cake.
The rest of our days here will be lazy. I’ll finally finish the book I’ve been meaning to read, we’ll enjoy quiet afternoons on the now peaceful beach and the most important thing we’ll do is plan our meals. Seafood and late summer local produce will be the stars, with a healthy dose of pimiento cheese for snacking.
How do you enjoy late summer? Do you steal a vacation now that the kids are back in school?
(Images: Anne Postic)