coastal living

Congratulations to the winner, comment #18, Taryn! Thank you to Karen Covey for giving me a copy of her beautiful book to give away. Definitely pick up a copy if you love coastal living and dining!

Graham cracker crust, a gooey brownie center, and toasted marshmallows make for a crowd pleaser in the Campfire Brownies recipe from Karen Covey’s The Coastal Table. I picked up this book at an event held by the Urban Grape way back in December, on a day where it was unbearable to walk the few blocks to the wine store from my hair salon in the South End. Karen is an absolute delight and lovely writer, and the book, focused on coastal living and eating in Southeastern Massachusetts, was a little bit of hope in a dreadful winter. I spent a lot of time browsing through the recipes and stories of farms and other sources of food and drink in Massachusetts. When I was asked to participate in a virtual potluck to kick off the summer, I didn’t hesitate for a second, though I did have a hard time deciding what to make. In the end, I made Campfire Brownies, a sweet addition to an afternoon of boating with friends. Sharing food and wine with friends out at sea in a New England summer is my heaven, and The Coastal Table is a little slice of that.

The Campfire Brownies start with a buttery graham cracker crust. The smell of the crust baking as I prepared the other ingredients was enough to wake up my husband that Sunday morning. I should get up early to bake more often.

Atop the crust went a brownie batter made of chocolate and more butter, along with eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla.

I let the brownies bake until still slightly underdone, then added flat marshmallows, which are simply made for these brownies. About 30 seconds under the broiler was all these needed to turn into campfire-like toasted marshmallows.

I still don’t know the strength of my new (but very old) oven, so there were some marshmallows that were a little more crisp than others. Our guests didn’t complain!

The only difficult part of this recipe is cutting through the marshmallows. I waited as long as possible for them to cool, but the marshmallows were still warm and stuck to the knife, making cutting a little difficult. Overall though this recipe was straightforward, even for the worst baker ever, me.

The Coastal Table is a visual vacation; you need not be near the sea to feel like you can almost smell the briny air. The book contains gorgeous photos and stories, along with recipes that include cocktails, picnic foods, baked goods, and of course, the beautiful seafood that graces the seas around us.

I know you will love this book as I do, and I am happy to be able to give away a copy! Simply leave a comment letting me know your favorite coastal  or summer meal ingredient. I will choose a winner next Tuesday.