Curried chicken and spinach. (Serves 6)
So the tour continues... On Saturday we jumped into the car and headed down to Bookhampton in Sag Harbor for an event - small but sweet - and the best thing of all was staying in Amagansett with a cousin, Sas Peters.
I have to admit to a few nerves when we got there. Sas had left the door open, and told us we were staying in the 'family room.' We walked through the kitchen, saying hello to Max and Frieda, the two poodles, and walked into the only room that could possibly have been a family room. It was crammed with furniture, sofas, chairs, boxes, books.
'Where are we supposed to sleep?' I whispered, my face falling along with my dreams of fluffy down pillows and soft mattresses.
'Um, floor, maybe?' beloved said, uncertainly.
I'd given up a luxury hotel room for a hard floor, and let me tell you, I wasn't happy. But, family is family, and I figured it was only one night, and I'd survive.
We went to do the event which wins the award for smallest event of the year - unsurprising really, who wants to go to a book talk on a Saturday night in the Hamptons when there are parties to go to and people to see - then out for dinner with friends, then back to the house where we discovered, with relief, we'd got it entirely wrong.
The family room was a gorgeous bedroom downstairs, filled with photographs and letters and memorabilia of four generations of the family, and both of us slept better than we had in years.
On Sunday we had a brief wander round Amagansett, and I remembered exactly why I had fallen in love with it all those years ago - as a teen I summered there, and am sure that's when I decided that one day I would live in America.
We hit horrible traffic on Sunday on the way back, and got back about ten minutes before a gang of friends arrived for dinner. It was meant to be a barbeque, but realised we were out of gas so had to improvise, and made one of my mum's dishes that I haven't made in about fifteen years, but is still completely delicious - so delicious in fact, I'm posting it here:
Curried chicken and spinach. (Serves 6)
Defrost 3 or 4 bags of frozen chopped spinach, squeeze out water and spread it thickly over a square ovenproof dish, season and dot with butter.
Cut four chicken breasts into large chunks and poach gently in boiling water until just cooked.
Mix together one carton greek yoghurt, equal amount of mayonnaise, and a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream to thin. Season liberally with curry powder, a little cumin, and ground coriander.
Cover spinach with chicken, season, pour mayonnaise mix over the top.
Cover with panko breadcrumbs, cook on 350 for around 30/40 minutes, until slightly browned.
I know it's a bit weird to suddenly post a recipe up, but since my loves are entertaining and gardening, I figure I may as well share some of that with you.
Then last night I went to the Jersey shore, to the Ocean County Library in Long Beach, for an event, and, I've got to be honest, it was with some trepidation. After travelling seven hours to the Hamptons and back, I was terrified that this was going to be a doozy with three people - and another seven hours in the car.
So I walked in, and immediately heard a loud din, an excited buzz coming from the room that I was to appear in, and I popped my head round the door to see that it was STUFFED with people - there were TONS, and they were all clutching copies of The Beach House!
Ashley, Anna & Sweta with Jane Green
It was wonderful. Thank you Scott, and everyone who came. There were over 125 people, I had a great time, and didn't even mind the three hour car journey there and back - I took a tip from someone I know who does a lot of car journeys, and brought a pillow, a blanket, and a book on my ipod, and I stretched out on the back seat and slept all the way there, and all the way back - a rest I clearly needed, and the couple of dramamine I popped helped, so thank you to all who posted car sickness tips...
I was one of the luck people "stuffed" into the meeting room at the LBI Library. You were wonderful and my only regret is not getting to have you join Phyllis, my Mother and me for dinner before your speaking engagement. We all had such a great time and hope you will find time to come again. There were a lot of people who were sorry to have missed seeing you.
I am looking forward to reading more of your books and will let you know how I enjoy them.
Thank you for such a nice evening. It was just lovely.
I was one of the luck people "stuffed" into the meeting room at the LBI Library. You were wonderful and my only regret is not getting to have you join Phyllis, my Mother and me for dinner before your speaking engagement. We all had such a great time and hope you will find time to come again. There were a lot of people who were sorry to have missed seeing you.
I am looking forward to reading more of your books and will let you know how I enjoy them.
Thank you for such a nice evening. It was just lovely.
It was my great pleasure to meet you last night! As I mentioned, I had not yet read any of your work, and I feel as though I have found a new favorite author. I am 150 pages or so into The Beach House and I love it!
Enjoy your summer!
(Scott's friend) Diane
It was my great pleasure to meet you last night! As I mentioned, I had not yet read any of your work, and I feel as though I have found a new favorite author. I am 150 pages or so into The Beach House and I love it!
Enjoy your summer!
(Scott's friend) Diane
I also happened to be at the LBI Library event and I would like to thank you, Ms Green for coming to the Jersey Shore! I hope you enjoyed your brief visit. I came to the event with two of my good friends from high school Anna and Sweta and we had a wonderful time listening to you and meeting you. Actually we haven't had a night as fun as that in a while with our schedules and college and such. I have to say my friends and I felt very young compared with other members of the audience, especially when I recalled that I started reading your books when I was a junior in high school and then passed the books on to my friends almost four years ago. Thank you for sharing with us your writing process and the other aspects of you life, it was very interesting and I don't think that many authors would strive to make the same connection with their audience. I truly enjoy your books, they an escape, but they are also so real its incredible. I'm reading Jemima J right now and I am enjoying it throughly as I have the other books that you have written. I have hopefully included the picture in this comment. Thank you again very much for the visit it was a real pleasure to meet you!
By snowy2287, shot with E4600 at 2008-06-25
Sincerely
Ashley
I also happened to be at the LBI Library event and I would like to thank you, Ms Green for coming to the Jersey Shore! I hope you enjoyed your brief visit. I came to the event with two of my good friends from high school Anna and Sweta and we had a wonderful time listening to you and meeting you. Actually we haven't had a night as fun as that in a while with our schedules and college and such. I have to say my friends and I felt very young compared with other members of the audience, especially when I recalled that I started reading your books when I was a junior in high school and then passed the books on to my friends almost four years ago. Thank you for sharing with us your writing process and the other aspects of you life, it was very interesting and I don't think that many authors would strive to make the same connection with their audience. I truly enjoy your books, they an escape, but they are also so real its incredible. I'm reading Jemima J right now and I am enjoying it throughly as I have the other books that you have written. I have hopefully included the picture in this comment. Thank you again very much for the visit it was a real pleasure to meet you!
By snowy2287, shot with E4600 at 2008-06-25
Sincerely
Ashley
Hello there! Just stopping by to check out your blog/web site and as with my luck - I see that you were in Long Island this past week - and of course I'll be there NEXT Week!! Love your books and your writing style! Can't wait to read more. If you have the time - I'd like to invite you to visit my blog/site at: http://missdaisydog.blogspot.com/
Take care - Jill
Hello there! Just stopping by to check out your blog/web site and as with my luck - I see that you were in Long Island this past week - and of course I'll be there NEXT Week!! Love your books and your writing style! Can't wait to read more. If you have the time - I'd like to invite you to visit my blog/site at: http://missdaisydog.blogspot.com/
Take care - Jill
Ms. Green,
I just wanted to say that your books always make me want to keep reading! Just the other day I could hardly put down Jemima J because it was so interesting. I have actually started writing my own novel but with school and such, I barely have four chapters. I hope one day I can be as good as you are! Thank you for coming to the LBI library and signing all of our books, it was very nice to meet you. My friends and I thought you were so down to earth and open even though you are basically famous! Thank you again!
Sincerely,
Sweta
Ms. Green,
I just wanted to say that your books always make me want to keep reading! Just the other day I could hardly put down Jemima J because it was so interesting. I have actually started writing my own novel but with school and such, I barely have four chapters. I hope one day I can be as good as you are! Thank you for coming to the LBI library and signing all of our books, it was very nice to meet you. My friends and I thought you were so down to earth and open even though you are basically famous! Thank you again!
Sincerely,
Sweta