Entertaining by the Sea

This inspirational tome is full of simple entertaining ideas for casual—big and small—summer get-togethers.

From a lunch around a weathered picnic table set with mason jars full of herbs under a pergola and a vintage boat picnic to cocktails on the deck overlooking the marshes and a dessert party of bakery favorites in an open-air garage, this book is brimming with ideas for entertaining with ease during the warm weather months. Designer Tricia Foley has gone to her creative friends and influencers to collect their advice. Presented are beautifully photographed joyous gatherings at their beach retreats that reflect an artful—sometimes bohemian—approach to today’s entertaining. They provide the details for memorable occasions, from arranging garden roses or wildflowers to setting relaxed tables with a mix of heirlooms and new accoutrements and selecting delectable menus to organizing a bar on a white lacquer tray. Included are go-to recipes for light summer fare: lobster-salad lettuce wraps, salmon with grilled lemon slices, peach almond cake, musk-melon daiquiris, and more. There are sidebars with tips on setting an outdoor table using a beachy blue-and-white tablecloth or burlap, placing white stones to hold down napkins, using clamshells for salt and pepper, and stocking the pantry to make gatherings a breeze.