It's a Rogue World feat. A Great Beach Read 5.26.25
Hi, Paq! Thank you for joining us to discuss the things that nourish our bodies, minds, and souls. This week in honor of the unofficial launch of summer we recommend one of our favorite beach reads. And because we know many of you will be hosting or attending picnics, we include a delectable recipe for infused pasta salad. Last up: our latest fashion obsession. You guessed it: the perfect beach tote. Let's go!
Our Current Read: An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
It's basically summer which, for us, equates to as much beach time as possible. When we're in the sand we want a book that grips us from the beginning. An Instance of the Fingerpost is that book. I've read this book no less than five times and it never fails to captivate me. It takes you into Oxford, England, during the Restoration period – a really fascinating (and, often, treacherous) time.
The story begins with the murder of a fellow at New College, and then you are delivered a summary of the events by not one, but four, different people who witnessed things. Needless to say each has their own take on what really happened, colored by their own secrets and views. Like Orbital which we featured a few weeks back, it makes you think a lot about perspective. It also makes you question who you can trust and what is the truth. It’s a brilliant exploration of tangled threads which has a ton of entertainment value while still being a very smart, well-written novel.
Image by Janesca
Infused Recipe of the Week: Picnic Style Pasta Salad
What You Need:
- Pasta – short shapes are best like rotini, penne, and farfalle fusilli.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes - chopped in half
- Cucumbers -diced
- Chickpeas - rinsed and drained
- Arugula
- Feta cheese
- Pine nuts – for extra crunch
- Fresh herbs – Parsley, basil, and/or mint are great choices
For The Dressing:
Adjust amounts to taste but we like to whisk together:
- 3/4 cup infused olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard,
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt to taste
How to Assemble the Pasta Salad:
- Cook your pasta al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water (the water should "taste like the sea" as my Italian Grammy used to say). Drain it, and set it aside to cool.
- Chop your cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, mince the parsley, and crumble the feta.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Toss everything together in a big bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary
- Pro tip: Make a few hours ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Pasta salad "comes together" if you leave it to marinate for a few hours
Our Current Fashion Obsession: The Best Beach Bag That Won't Break Your Bank is the LL Beach Boat and Tote
Why reinvent the wheel so to speak? We go back to the OG of beach bags time and again. She's inexpensive, cute, and so super roomy. Plus, you can have your monogrammed!
Thanks for spending your time with us. Hope you have a fun and safe long weekend and we'll catch you next week. xo
