Monday Mishmash: Guernsey & Potato Peel Pie

What a gorgeous cover!
It pains me to admit publicly that I don't keep up with the New York Times Bestseller List. That unless it jumps off the shelf during my monthly stocking-up at our library's Booktique, I have to be alerted to the existence of a particular book in some other fashion.

For example, a link at marley&lockyear introduced me to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and niece Annie Barrows.

"As London is emerging from the shadow of World War II,
writer Juliet Ashton discovers her next subject in a book
club on Guernsey--a club born as a spur-of-the-moment
alibi after its members are discovered breaking curfew
by the German soldiers occupying their island."
Co-author Annie Barrows on how the book came about:


Listen to some of those "twenty voices" from the book:


The book has its own blog, which includes a recipe for Potato Peel Pie.

Sadly, you'd have to be very hungry (or starving!) to eat that version.

Luckily, after Nancy Miyasaki's book club read GLAPPPS, she came up with an infinitely more edible version and posted it at CookEatShare.com.

Nancy's Guernsey Potato Peel Pie
2 cups raw, grated potato skins (add some of the white part to keep texture somewhat tender)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup grated onion
3 Tbs flour

Mashed potatoes for filling
Sour cream (optional)
Chives (optional)
Butter (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Beetroot to sprinkle on later

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a small pie plate.
Mix grated potato peels with egg, onion and flour.
Press the mixture into the pie plate and up the sides to form a crust.
Bake crust for 20-25 minutes.

While crust is baking, cook potatoes, drain and mash. If desired, add favorite mashed potato flavorings here (garlic, onion, milk, butter, salt, etc). Fill crust with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with beetroot. Reduce oven to 375 and bake for 10 minutes or until browned.


St. Peter Port Harbour, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Guernsey, btw, is the largest of the four self-governing British Islands of Guernsey in the bay of St. Malo in the English Channel (hence, Channel Islands), 30 miles from the north coast of France and 70 miles from the south coast of England.

It can be reached by air via daily flights from Heathrow and other UK airports, and by ferry from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth. The other islands (Alderney, Herm and Sark) can be reached by ferry from Guernsey.


Frank McCourt (1930-2009). R.I.P.