Clamming around

Do you remember a few weeks ago when we did the Summer Soup Special – and I was bemoaning the lack of a clam chowder? Well, you know what happens when you put something out to the universe – the universe delivers!

Thanks to Julia Blanter (she has a sixth sense about Island food so she and the universe partnered on this one), we now have The Homeport Restaurant’s wonderful recipe for Striped Bass and Clam Chowder. First published in Julia’s book, The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook, the chowder is straightforward, easy to make, and just the right balance of light and creamy. As a bonus, it includes striped bass – though you could substitute any white fish. Put that on your Labor Day menu.

But wait, there’s more!

The universe evidently felt we needed to load up on clams – and I have no argument with that. What food is more quintessentially Vineyard? If you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve either gone clamming or been the recipient of back-door clams – a gift from neighbors or friends who want to share the bounty.

I loved that food writer Catherine Young opened her latest piece for Martha’s Vineyard magazine, Happy As A Clam, by chatting with Albert Fischer. I think of Bert as being the quintessential up-Islander. (I’m in a quintessential mood, I guess – sorry.) He fishes and gardens and cooks and forages – and of course dons his waders to go clamming pretty much all throughout the year.

And I’m grateful to Catherine for her (very) fresh takes on clam recipes that accompany her article. (Pick up the August issue of the magazine to fully appreciate Gabriela Herman’s beautiful photos.)

Catherine’s recipe for Chinese-Style Clam and Scallion Pancakes with Clam and Scallion Dip is blowing me away – I can’t wait to make them when I get a little time. I love the addition of clams to the traditional layered scallion pancake, and the little dip that goes with them is something you could make anytime with a few clams.

Her elegant and alpha-gal-friendly take on Poached Cod and Clams has all the things I love in a good broth – leeks, fennel, garlic, tomatoes – plus lemon and a bit of tarragon.

But I might first make Catherine’s New England Clam Cakes, because they seem so comforting. You could fry some of those up for breakfast, supper, or a first course.

Oh, and, of course, if you’re just looking to cook up some steamed clams in white wine (*agf) to serve with crusty bread, Catherine’s got a quick technique for that, too.

In case you get carried away with clams and need even more recipes, visit our clam archives (isn’t it cool that we have clam archives?!) for recipes like Littlenecks (aka Littles) with Spicy Garlic Oil and Spinach (*agf), Stuffed Quahaugs with Bread Stuffing and Linguiça, and, of course, my favorite Oven-Roasted Clams in a Garlicky Tomato Pan Sauce.

All the pretty veg

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This week’s Farm & Field column in the Vineyard Gazette is about Island mushroom growers. Both Meg Athearn (Morning Glory Farm) and Matthew Dix (North Tabor Farm) grow shiitakes on oak logs. Or I should say, they nourish the growth of shiitakes, as the shiitakes grow themselves (as Haley Sandlow points out). The article reminded me of my favorite summer shiitake preparation: Grilled Maple-Tamari Shiitakes (*agf).

I also like to tuck them into these Little Corn, Shiitake, Spinach, and Cheddar Quesadillas.

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With the beautiful globe eggplants around now, it’s time to make Steven Raichlen’s Cedar-Planked Eggplant Parmigiana.

Or my Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Gratin with Feta, Leeks, and Herbs.

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Make the most of the cherry tomatoes pouring in. Why not make Sear-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomato Pan Sauce and Parmigiano for supper this week. I think I will! (All hail Parmigiano.)

And I just want to make sure you’re slow-roasting those beautiful beefsteak tomatoes (*agf) to freeze for the winter.

🍉

We’re in watermelon mode in our house right now. Chilled slices for mid-afternoon snacks. Salads with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, some crumbled feta cheese, chopped mint, toasted walnuts.

(*agf=alpha-gal friendly)

September already! Happy long Labor Day weekend. Free subscribers, if you enjoyed this newsletter and would like to get your full Cook the Vineyard newsletter every Wednesday, be sure to upgrade to a paid subscription.

As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment here or email us at cookthevineyard@vineyardgazette.com. And be sure to follow Cook the Vineyard on Instagram.

— Susie Middleton, editor

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💃🏻 What’s happening around the Island

A plot of white flint corn at Island Grown Initiative’s Farm Hub is part of the Aquinnah Cultural Center’s efforts to refamiliarize members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah with ancestral crops. Read more in the Vineyard Gazette.

📆 Markets and Events

• This Friday, Sept. 5, is your last chance to get a lobster roll from Grace Church this summer. Order Lobster Rolls online or walk up between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Chowder, hot dogs and pie slices also available.

• Next Tuesday, Sept. 8, is the last lobster roll night at the Chilmark Community Church. Hours are 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• The last Wednesday West Tisbury Farmers’ Market was August 26, but the Saturday market will continue to run, 9 a.m. to noon, through October 31 at the Ag Society.

• Tuesday, Sept. 8, will be the last Edgartown Village Market for the season. It will be held, as usual, at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

🥬 Farm Stand Schedules

• Ghost Island Farm is open daily.

• North Tabor Farm is open daily, dawn to dusk.

• Beetlebung Farm is open Wednesday to Monday (every day except Tuesday), 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The self-serve shack is open on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Morning Glory Farm is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

• Mermaid Farm is always open!

🐟 Seafood Market Schedules

• The Fish House is open daily, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. The takeout area is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• John’s Fish Market is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The Net Result in Vineyard Haven is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the fish market and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for takeout.

• Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha is open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Menemsha Fish Market is open daily, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for closing at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

• Edgartown Seafood is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Edgartown Meat & Fish Market is open daily, 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

Photos: Chowder — Jocelyn Filley; clams, Bert Fischer, scallion pancakes, cod and clams, clamcakes and steamed clams — Gabriela Herman; eggplant parmigiana — Steven Ranzan; stuffed quahogs, Meg Athearn and flint corn — Ray Ewing; all others — Susie Middleton.

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🥖 Grilled bread makes everything better

A friend gave me three beautiful beefsteak tomatoes the other day and I knew just what I wanted to do with them: make panzanella. I learned to make this Tuscan tomato-bread salad in my first cooking job at Al Forno restaurant in Providence, R.I. And I’ve never had a panzanella I’ve liked quite as much, because at Al Forno, everything started either on a grill or in a very hot wood-fired oven. So instead of day-old or toasted bread, my favorite panzanella has grilled bread in it.

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⭐️ Sea scallops — worth their weight in gold?

The other day, I asked my husband to pick up six sea scallops for me at the fish market. When he came home and told me how much he’d paid for them, I nearly fell off my kitchen stool. Maybe it’s August-on-the-Vineyard syndrome, I thought.

But it turns out that these were jumbo sea scallops — much bigger than the ones I usually get from Island fishermen. And jumbo sea scallops (U-10 or under 10 per pound) are priced higher per pound than standard (10-20 per pound) sea scallops. (I didn’t know that scallops were graded like shrimp are.) Don’t get me wrong — they were delicious when we cooked them, but if I were you, I’d do a little sleuthing and compare prices and sizes at our various seafood markets.

Of course you always want to buy “dry” sea scallops (meaning they have not been soaked in a chemical solution that causes them to retain water), so don’t buy sea scallops at the grocery store. (Cheaper is not better in that case!) You can be fairly confident that our Island seafood stores will all have dry or “dayboat” scallops, though colossal scallops are practically guaranteed to be. Just ask!

⭐️New flavors⭐️

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🔥 Grill + Tuna = Success!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we finally got a new gas grill – a Weber Spirit E-425, which Wirecutter chose as its overall best gas grill for 2026. It’s not super high-end (obviously), but it has four burners, two of which can be “boosted” for extra heat to sear something. The grill seems to cook evenly and I especially like the wider, smoother grates.

Both the booster burners and the wide grates came in handy when I decided to grill tuna the other night. We had gotten three nice pieces of tuna in our last fish share, and I just didn’t feel like cooking them inside.

Wow, I forgot how easy it is to grill tuna! As long as your grates are cleaned and oiled, you’ve oiled and seasoned the filets, and you’ve cranked your heat up as high as it goes (booster burners or not!), you will get a nice sear. And as soon as you do, you flip it, do the same thing on the other side, and get it off as quickly as possible.

If you prefer your tuna truly rare, be sure to buy tuna filets that are 1 ½- or 1 ¾-inches thick, not 1-inch thick. Mine varied in thickness and I overcooked one completely. The other two were still pink(ish), thankfully. I think about two minutes per side is good, but it depends on the heat of your grill. One tip: eyeball the color of the tuna as it cooks, turning from red to grey. If the bottom edge is grey one-quarter of the way up, that’s a good time to flip. (Even less for rare.)

Lastly, you will need a very sharp knife to slice your tuna neatly – and a yummy dressing or salsa to drizzle over the slices (see below!).

🌴 Pretending to be in Nice — and beans, as you like them

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🎡 Welcome everyone - and happy August! Since today’s newsletter is our monthly free edition, I hope you’ll share it with all of your friends who love to cook and are inspired by seasonal ingredients. And if you enjoy our work, consider this a personal invitation from me to support us with a paid subscription (or a gift subscription). You’ll get your recipe-packed newsletter once a week instead of once a month and be notified early of special events. Yippee and thank you — Susie.

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🍨 Top Priority

Yes, I know it is August and we are supposed to be relaxing. Who needs a to-do list or priorities? So maybe prioritizing isn’t the right word, but allow me to gently suggest that you might want to put aside just a little time this weekend to make Abby Dodge’s No-Churn Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Graham Crackers (with or without the cereal crunchies, though, again, I suggest WITH). No ice-cream maker required (just a mixer and a loaf pan), and the result here is like eating the best soda-fountain chocolate milkshake in ice-cream form. Seriously, it’s a real treat and it couldn’t be easier to make.

And of course, since this is the latest recipe for Abby’s Baking Together column, she’s given us all kinds of fun ways to serve the ice cream. We made ours with a small amount of crumbled graham crackers mixed in (suggested, but optional) — just enough to be interesting but not overwhelming. And then we made the chocolate-coated cereal crunchies for topping. So fun. Abby also notes that you can top with chocolate shavings and/or marshmallow fluff for a s’mores-like experience.

And lastly, if you want a fancy presentation, you can layer the ice cream mixture in a square baking pan between a layer (or two) of graham crackers and the cereal crunchies for topping. Freeze, unmold, and cut into squares.

🍫Tip: Shopping for good-quality milk chocolate can be a bit of an adventure, so I thought I’d let you know that I used Tony’s Chocolonely Milk Chocolate, which, I know from my pre-Alpha-Gal life (is) delicious and very smooth. I got it at Cronig’s.

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🫐 Blueberry Crisp for All

Before we move on from dessert altogether, I wanted to let you know that I made a little alpha-gal friendly blueberry crisp (above, left) this weekend, too. I picked up the blueberries at Ghost Island, who got them from a Massachusetts farm. They tasted so much like real blueberries (as opposed to some saccharine-y tasting blueberries I had gotten at the grocery store) that I had to make something with them. I know that sounds weird, but I think the commercial blueberry growers are out of control with hybridizing fruit, aiming for all-sweet-all-the-time. A blueberry should have some citrusy tang to it.

I borrowed my recipe for Individual Spiced Vanilla-Maple Raspberry-Blackberry Crisps (photo above, lower right) to improvise the blueberry crisp. I cut the recipe in half so instead of making 4 individual crisps, I made one crisp-for-two in a small gratin dish. In the topping, I used organic brown sugar and white (cane) sugar, un-enriched flour, and plant-based butter (along with the oats, cinnamon and salt, of course). I made the same subs for sugar and flour in the filling. (One note: alpha-gal folks who are super-sensitive should use organic maple syrup, as some maple-syrups have been processed using animal fats as defoaming agents.)

Earlier in the summer, I also did an alpha-gal friendly version of my Gingery Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Click below.

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🧡 Beets & sungolds & pesto, oh my!

I also picked up some adorable baby orange beets from Ghost Island Farm (their own). And since I’m now picking my first Sungold tomatoes, I felt compelled to unite these two orange beauties. Of course, once I got to roasting everything, I kind of wrecked the color situation (typical!). However, I did produce something delicious.

I used my foil-pouch steam-roasting method in Walkaway Beets to cook the beets, to which I added a couple large cloves of unpeeled garlic (freshly dug, local). I used my quick-roasting method to cook the Sungolds. And then I improvised a pesto-ish dressing (*agf) using the roasted garlic and basil that is growing bodaciously in my hoop house. I tossed them all together and served at room temperature.

🐟 The Good Fish

We now have fresh-frozen black sea bass in the freezer thanks to our CSF pickup, so it is officially time to make Sear-Roasted Black Sea Bass with Ginger-Garlic-Lime Butter and Roasted August Vegetables.

But if you don’t have sea bass, you might want to make those vegetables anyway! Roasted August Vegetables with Garlic, Ginger, and Lime (*agf) have a little bit of all the good stuff in them.

We’ve also got squid in the freezer, so I’ll be repeating that experiment from last year of combining Cathy Walthers’ Herb and Lemon-Marinated Grilled Squid (*agf) with my Summer Squash, Corn, and Pearl Couscous with Coriander and Herbs. That was so good! And the squid are trulyl quick and easy. Great protein, alpha-gal folks!

(*agf = alpha-gal-friendly)

🫐 🫐 🫐

Have a great week and I’ll be back in your inbox with eggplant, peppers and new discoveries next Wednesday! Free subscribers, don’t forget to upgrade if you want to get your newsletter every week.

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And, as always, if you have any questions, leave a comment here or feel free to email us at cookthevineyard@vineyardgazette.com. And be sure to follow Cook the Vineyard on Instagram.

— Susie Middleton, editor

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❤️ Don’t forget to click the little heart at the top or bottom if you liked this post! It helps us get discovered. Thank you.

🫐 🫐 🫐

💃🏻 What’s happening around the Island

📆 Markets and Events

• Order Grace Church Lobster Rolls online or walk up between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday nights. Chowder, hot dogs and pie slices also available.

• Tuesdays are lobster roll nights at the Chilmark Community Church. Hours are 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• The West Tisbury Farmers’ Market is every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Ag Society.

• The Edgartown Village Market is held on Tuesdays at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

🥬 Farm Stand Schedules

• Ghost Island Farm is open daily.

• North Tabor Farm is open daily, dawn to dusk.

• Beetlebung Farm is open Wednesday to Monday (every day except Tuesday), 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The self-serve shack is open on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Morning Glory Farm is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

• Mermaid Farm is always open!

🐟 Seafood Market Schedules

• The Fish House is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The takeout area is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• John’s Fish Market is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The Net Result in Vineyard Haven is OPEN! Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the fish market and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for takeout.

• Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha is open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Menemsha Fish Market is open daily, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for closing at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

• Edgartown Seafood is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Edgartown Meat & Fish Market is open daily, 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

Photos: Midnight Taco, Jeanna Shepard; ice cream layered in pan, Abby Dodge; all others Susie Middleton.

Follow us on Instagram @cookthevineyard.

🍲 Gazpacho! Chowder! Bisque! Cioppino!

The first Morning Glory Farm corn came in from the fields this week, Milkweed Farm had gorgeous cherry tomatoes at the farmers’ market on Saturday — and I have green beans to harvest. Clearly, all is right with the world (well, veggie-wise, anyway). Last week we put our tomatoes and corn (and peaches) in salads. This week, I’m thinking summer soups. There are so many delicious options, both hot and cold, and soups are lovely for entertaining. I always think serving soup makes your guests feel special.

(A little further down I’ve also slipped corn and tomatoes into some easy side dishes, including these fresh green beans with lemon oil.)

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🍑 🍅 🌽 Field Trip

Who travels with their lemon basil plants? I do. Crazy, I know. As we were getting ready to head down to Delaware last week, I was feeling forlorn about leaving my garden. So I grabbed a couple seedlings from the hoop house and stowed them in the car. I also packed the cooler with two boxes of Martha’s Vineyard Pasta and two frozen packs of fish from our Community Supported Fishery (CSF) share. Oh, and frozen sliced Beetlebung farmers’ loaf, too.

All this is pretty silly, considering I am now in the place where my love of fresh food began.

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Easy as 1-2-3

You’ll have to forgive me the cliché headline (I spent too many years working for service magazines!), but my new favorite pasta dish really couldn’t be simpler. You know I am obsessed with Katie Leaird’s fresh pasta (Martha’s Vineyard Pasta) and with quick-roasted cherry and grape tomatoes (so much umami). But I’ve got a new and very delicious way to bring them together that is making me so happy, because it is a total no-brainer for supper. I eat it straight out of the pan, or I serve it as a side dish with grilled sausages or scallops or just about anything, really. (It’s alpha-gal-friendly, FYI.) Here are the simple steps:

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🐟 🍚 The bowl’s got it

We’ve been cooking on our new grill most every night. At least we were until the epic rain began. I bought some really nice swordfish over the weekend, thinking we would have my stepsons over. But plans changed and my husband and I had two pounds of swordfish on our hands. We grilled the whole lot.

To go with it, I made a summer version of my Veggie Fried Rice with fresh peas, diced zucchini and summer squash, spring onions, and a bit of Georgia corn that Morning Glory was selling. I liked the combination so much that I turned the leftover fish and rice into a rice bowl for supper the next night.

That was so tasty that naturally I decided to develop it into a recipe for you. I added some sautéed veggies (sugar snaps and purple snow peas from my garden), and made a new drizzling sauce with lime juice, tahini, tamari, sesame oil, rice wine and maple syrup. The combo sang and we now have a new addition to our dinner repertoire!

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🍒 Cherry picking

When I see Rainier cherries, those lovely blush-yellow beauties, I can’t pass them by. My mother used to buy them for me as a treat, and somehow their sweet, peachy flavor reminds me of idyllic summer days and picnics and barbecues. Of course, we don’t grow them commercially on the Island, but they are in grocery stores right now.

I nabbed some at Cronig’s. And thinking many of you will be grilling over this long holiday weekend, I decided to turn some of them into a salsa with lime, cilantro, minced scallions, and a bit of jalapeño. Delicious!

I paired this Yellow Cherry Salsa (*agf) with our recipe for Grilled Ginger-Lime-Cilantro Marinated Butterflied Chicken Breasts (*agf). The lime and the cilantro in both made a nice flavor bridge. FYI: I didn’t butterfly the breasts this time, and just increased the cooking time by about three minutes on both sides.

You could also serve the salsa with Grilled Spiced Chicken Brochettes (*agf without the limey drizzling sauce).

The salsa would also be fabulous with grilled pork tenderloin, grilled swordfish or tuna, on grilled toast with goat cheese, with salty tortilla chips — or in tacos! I’d suggest these Grilled Swordfish Tacos or these Shrimp Tacos or Tostadas.

And FYI, if you’d rather drink your cherries than eat them, you should definitely try Cathy Walthers’ delicious non-alcoholic Cherry Tonic, made with Feverfew Elderflower Tonic Water.

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🍅 🥬 Tomato salad time

It’s a little early to be showcasing tomatoes, I know, but since Morning Glory’s high tunnel tomatoes are in, you could indulge in tomato salads this weekend. A perfect one for the potluck is this Cool Pasta with Tomatoes, Feta, Olives, Basil & Capers.

But if it is just you and your honey, make Martha Holmberg’s wonderful BLT Salad with Creamy Salad Dressing as a side or starter.

And if you’re looking for something heartier for dinner, make this Improv Pasta with Basil Sauce, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Green Beans and Parmigiano.

🍅 🍅 🍅

🍦Frozen desserts for hot days

It’s going to be hot-hot-hot all over the country this weekend, so why not plan to make ice cream or another frozen dessert to have on hand?

My very favorite is (again) something my mother made, usually right around my July birthday – ice cream pie. I adapted her recipe to make mine, Summer Berry and Vanilla Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Sauce, by incorporating homemade ice cream.

The best Summer Berry Ice Cream I ever made was based on wild black raspberries gathered right here on the Vineyard. But since they are elusive (and the birds like them), I’ve found that a combination of raspberries and blackberries is (almost) as good. You can use that recipe to make strawberry ice cream, too. And of course, you can make the pie with all store-bought ice cream as well.

I have to say, I’m equally fond of Abby Dodge’s Irresistible Ice Cream Sandwiches – and they are even easier to serve since you make, cut, and freeze them ahead. You get to use your favorite ice cream flavors (a combo of two is fun), and Abby’s directions, as always, are spot on.

Another super-fun dessert from Abby is stored, half-made, in the freezer until serving time. In the recipe for Make-Ahead S’mores Squares, you make the graham cracker and chocolate base and keep that in the freezer. You pop on the marshmallows and broil right before serving.

And for a super-easy frozen make-ahead, put together a batch of Frozen Berry Pops.

They can be alpha-gal friendly (*agf) if you use organic cane sugar in the blueberry sauce. (And be sure to check that you are using a maple syrup that does not use an animal-based defoaming agent. Organic is the way to go here, too.)

Or make Emily Meegan’s Frozen Chocolate-Coconut Pops. These can also be alpha-gal friendly (*agf) if you’re sure to use a dark chocolate that does not contain milk solids.

🍦 🍨 🍦 🍨

🙋🏻‍♀️ Running the Alpha-Gal Poll again!

I hope you all got a chance to take a look at the special newsletter we sent out last Friday, a guide to cooking with alpha-gal. In it, I included a very short poll, which I put a 24-hour time limit on – by mistake. In other words, I meant to keep the poll open longer. So I am including the poll again here (and hopefully pressing the right button to keep it open for a few days!) Please do not take the poll if you took it last week – I intend to combine results from both.

🥑 🥑 🥑

🍾 Best of the Vineyard, 2026

Have you seen Martha’s Vineyard Magazine’s 2026 Best of the Vineyard issue? Be sure to pick it up on the newsstand. And in the meantime, you can find out who won in the food categories (best burger! best lobster roll! best bakery!) right here.

🦞 🦞 🦞

🍱 Five Things to Eat…at Town Bar & Grill MV

In the new (July) edition of The Vine, Laura Holmes Haddad reports on what’s new and delicious this summer season at Edgartown’s popular Town Bar & Grill MV.

(*agf) = alpha-gal-friendly

🍒 🍒 🍒

Subscribe now

Stay cool and be sure to follow Cook the Vineyard on Instagram. As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment here or feel free to email us at cookthevineyard@vineyardgazette.com.

— Susie Middleton, editor

Where to find recipes and past newsletters:

🍅 Our recipe archive is always open at cookthevineyard.com.

🍅 All previous newsletters can be accessed by paid subscribers at cookthevineyard.substack.com.

Where to find alpha-gal information and recipes:

🥕 Find alpha-gal friendly recipes by clicking here.

🥕 Find a guide to cooking with alpha-gal here.

🥕 More information.

🍒 🍒 🍒

💃🏻 What’s happening around the Island

📆 Markets and Events

• Order Grace Church Lobster Rolls online or walk up between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday nights. Chowder, hot dogs and pie slices also available.

• The West Tisbury Farmers’ Market is every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Ag Society.

• The Edgartown Village Market is held on Tuesdays at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Beetlebung Farm will conduct farm tours this summer every Monday from 4 to 4:30 p.m.

🥬 Farm Stand Schedules

• Ghost Island Farm is open daily.

• North Tabor Farm is open daily, dawn to dusk.

• Beetlebung Farm is now open Wednesday to Monday (every day except Tuesday), 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Morning Glory Farm is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

• Mermaid Farm is always open!

🐟 Seafood Market Schedules

• The Fish House is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The takeout area is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• John’s Fish Market is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The Net Result in Vineyard Haven is closed for renovations. Opening soon.

• Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha is open daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Menemsha Fish Market is open daily, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for closing at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

• Edgartown Seafood is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Edgartown Meat & Fish Market is open daily, 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

Photos: BLT Salad, Ellen Silverman; Cherry Tonic and pasta ingredients, Randi Baird; Town, Ray Ewing; Mad Martha’s, Tim Johnson; all others Susie Middleton.

Follow us on Instagram @cookthevineyard.

Dear Subscribers,

By now you all have seen the references in our newsletter to alpha-gal-friendly recipes. And you may have heard the national news coverage of Alpha-Gal Syndrome, a condition caused by a bite from a lone star tick. After the bite, some (though not all) people will subsequently have an allergic reaction to mammalian products. This includes red meat, dairy in some cases, and a host of animal derivatives used in everything from plant milks to sugar. For most people, this means making abrupt and careful adjustments to eating and cooking. (See “What is Alpha-Gal?” below.)

Because Martha’s Vineyard is a hotspot for alpha-gal, Cook the Vineyard is committed to providing and curating tips, strategies, and information about cooking with alpha-gal — while still offering plenty of meaty (and cheesy!) options for all of our newsletter readers.

Most recently, I wrote an article for The Vine, a supplement to the Vineyard Gazette, called A Strategy for Alpha-Gal-Friendly Cooking. The article is loaded with tips on refreshing your pantry, finding sources for safe ingredients, and planning make-aheads to assure that you’ve got something nutritious and satisfying to eat. And yes, it includes a little bit of my personal journey with alpha-gal.

I wanted to share the article with all subscribers, in a separate email from our regular Wednesday newsletter, so I am sending it out to you today. I’ve included the entire article below, and I’ve posted the piece on both The Vine website and Cookthevineyard.com. So please share this newsletter or one of those links with anyone you know who has alpha-gal or is cooking for someone who has it.

Also, if you don’t mind, please take a minute to answer the quick poll below.

I welcome your feedback and questions in the comments section, so that we can share our tips and experiences. I will of course be back on Wednesday with a regular newsletter.

With thanks, Susie

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Note: Because this is a cooking newsletter (and website), and not a scientific or medical one, none of our information is intended to replace a consultation with your doctor or a dietician if you have a diagnosis of alpha-gal or other food allergies, or think you might.

🔗 The link to our entire alpha-gal friendly recipe collection is here.

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A Guide to Cooking with Alpha-Gal

Start by refreshing your pantry, and you’ll be on your way to delicious and satisfying meals.

By Susie Middleton

In retrospect, it was probably inevitable that I would wind up with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS, also referred to as alpha-gal). I spend as much time as I can outdoors, tending a large garden and taking daily walks with my husband. Last summer, I was careful — but not careful enough. And then one day in August I unknowingly walked through a nest of lone star nymphs, which are baby ticks the size of a poppyseed, at Quansoo. Later that week I woke up in the middle of the night with hives all over my body. I went to see my doctor, had the blood test and soon knew what I already suspected. I had alpha-gal. (See “What is Alpha-Gal?,” below.)

At first I thought, “No problem. I can handle this.” (“This” being a diet containing no meat products.) I’ve been a food writer and recipe developer for 30 years, and I was a vegetarian for several years. Giving up red meat was doable. I was thankful that fish, chicken and other poultry — not to mention eggs — were still on the menu. (An alpha-gal diet is not a vegan diet, despite being mislabeled as such in the media. Birds and fish are not mammals!) Cutting out dairy, especially cheese and ice cream, did strike me as tragic, but I thought redeveloping some of my vegetarian recipes without dairy would be a fun challenge. Not all alpha-gal folks react to dairy (see below), but I do.

Hidden Mammalian Ingredients

My early confidence soon turned to bewilderment. What I hadn’t anticipated — or ever given much thought to — was how many processed foods contain hidden mammalian ingredients. Even if your diet is mostly whole foods, you’ll soon discover that your fridge and pantry (and even your medicine cabinet) contain potential alpha-gal landmines. Some — lard in tortillas, gelatin in marshmallows — are easy to identify. Others not so much. Bone char (from cattle) is used to filter white sugar; gelatin can be used as a filter in winemaking; chicken sausages can be wrapped in pork casings; enriched flour, sandwich bread and breakfast cereals can contain lanolin-derived Vitamin D3 or dough conditioners derived from pigs.

Most mysterious of all is an ingredient listed simply as “natural flavors.” Those two words show up on many ingredient lists, and you have no way of knowing whether those flavors are animal- or vegetable-derived. The FDA does not require distinguishing between the two. You can only be sure that “natural flavors” are entirely vegetable-derived when you buy a certified organic vegan product.

In response to the growing number of people with alpha-gal in the U.S. (now an estimated 450,000), there is currently a bill before Congress to require labeling of all mammalian ingredients. But until that bill passes, we have to be vigilant.

Alpha-gal in Seaweed? The Culprit is Carrageenan

Even more confounding to me was the discovery that the alpha-gal molecule can also reach you through a non-mammalian food source. Namely, seaweed. Certain types of red seaweed contain a compound called carrageenan, which is widely used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in dairy alternatives and other foods, including some jams. It is even used to plump up commercial rotisserie chicken. Most annoying — it’s in many plant milks. Carrageenan is composed of sugar molecules, including alpha-gal.

I began to realize that my new “diet” was going to be more complicated than I first thought. I knew I needed a strategy. It’s taken me a while to hone that strategy (and I’ve eaten a lot of hummus along the way!), but it boils down to two key components: maintaining an alpha-gal-friendly pantry and planning ahead.

And now I’m able to pass along my tips to you if you’ve got alpha-gal — and to connect you with a collection of alpha-gal-friendly recipes on cookthevineyard.com.

A plan to take you from the store to the stove:

🛒 1. Start at the grocery store

✦ Shop the perimeter of the store. Steer clear of the middle, where processed foods can hide additives that might activate an alpha-gal reaction. Stick to whole foods whenever possible.

✦ Check labels. When you do purchase packaged goods, always check the ingredient labels, not only for dairy, but for gelatin, carrageenan, natural flavors and gums (which can also be irritants).

✦ Download the Fig app, which quickly scans barcodes to tell you if there is an ingredient in a product that you shouldn’t eat. You can customize the app so that it identifies all of your allergies. It’s not perfect, but it is helpful.

✦ Be aware of cross-contamination. Don’t buy freshly sliced turkey meat at the deli, where ham may have just been on the slicer. (FYI, deli turkey can contain carrageenan.)

✦ Choose a plant butter (optional). I steered away from plant butter until a friend told me about Melt brand. I tried it and I found that it did behave like butter when sautéing. Now I use it for cooking eggs and for certain pan sauces. Bakers with alpha-gal recommend Earth Balance for baking. Be sure to check ingredient lists: some plant butters contain carrageenan and/or natural flavors. Most are also high in saturated fat, due to coconut and palm oil. So you’ll want to use them sparingly.

✦ Pick up a variety of oils. You’re probably already using healthy oils in your cooking, but you might want some variety. Avocado oil is very nutritious and has a high smoke point. Grapeseed oil is neutral-tasting and is also good for high-heat cooking. Keep one good extra-virgin olive oil for dressings and a lighter olive oil for cooking. Refined coconut oil (neutral flavor) is a good choice for frying and pie dough. Unrefined coconut oil adds a slight coconut flavor to a rice or noodle dish.

✦ Settle on a plant milk. I started out with Oatly brand oat milk, which contains nothing but oats and water. Later I switched to soy milk for its high protein content. But I had to hunt for a brand that did not contain thickeners, natural flavors or added sugars — and that was locally available. I eventually found two: EdenSoy unsweetened organic soy milk at Cronig’s Market and West Life organic unsweetened plain soy milk at Stop & Shop.

✦ Try other non-dairy products. While carrageenan also shows up in non-dairy ice creams and yogurts, there are high-quality options on-Island that don’t have it. I like Cocojune Organic Cultured Coconut (Morning Glory Farm and Cronig’s), and friends love Coconut Cult cultured yogurt (North Tisbury Farm). Award-winning Rebel (cashew-based) cheese (North Tisbury Farm) gets raves as does Monty’s brand cashew cream cheese (Morning Glory Farm). I also love Talenti Dairy-Free Sorbetto Cold Brew Coffee (Cronig’s).

✦ Shop for high-protein staples:

— Tinned fish. Canned tuna, sardines, mussels and salmon are not only super-high in protein, but they are, of course, shelf-stable. So they’re great in an emergency. If you don’t think you like them, try a few of the higher end brands in flavorful marinades. And use tuna creatively. I don’t love traditional tuna salad, but for lunch I now make a Mediterranean-style tuna salad with sundried tomatoes, olives, arugula, crunchy chickpeas and a Lemon-Tahini Vinaigrette. Delicious.

— Snacks. Healthy, alpha-gal-friendly (shelf-stable) snacks include roasted nuts and pistachios, roasted edamame, crunchy chickpeas and some crackers. (Crunchmaster brand is safe and tasty; many crackers contain butter or natural flavorings). In the fridge? Fruit, of course, and the almighty hummus. (Be aware that not all hummus is alpha-gal-friendly.)

— Whole grains. Having a variety of whole grains in the pantry is key, because you can cook a batch on Sunday and use them in breakfast and lunches throughout the week. Wheatberries, farro and short-grain brown rice are my favorites, but quinoa cooks in only 15 minutes. Oats are essential too. Quick-cooking oats are great for overnight oats. Steel-cut oats are more nutritious; you can cook them ahead, divide into portions and reheat.

— Chickpeas and beans. If you don’t like canned chickpeas, try roasting them to transform their flavor and texture. They don’t stay crisp for long, so keep a stash of store-bought crispy chickpeas, as well, to add crunch and protein to salads and grain dishes. (I like Biena brand.) Chickpeas also make excellent veggie burgers. We all know how versatile canned beans are. It’s summer, so start making bean salads and veggie tacos.

— Eggs. Unless you’re vegan, you’ll find eggs a boon to your alpha-gal meal plan. My go-to breakfast has evolved to be a Japanese-style egg pancake with scallions or spring onions, thinly sliced cabbage or kale, chopped cilantro (if I have it), a dash of sesame oil and soy sauce and a drizzle of chili crisp to finish.

— Tofu. Tofu is very high in protein. A tofu scramble is an excellent sub for eggs. Try roasting extra-firm tofu on a sheet pan with veggies for an easy dinner. Most tofu is additive-free, but check labels.

— Poultry. I’m sorry to say that you’ll be eating a lot of chicken, so buy extra for the freezer. It’s very high in protein; cook extra for lunches if you can. Ground turkey is now a weeknight staple in our house. We make turkey meat patties with Sriracha dipping sauce (see photo on page 20). Look for Applegate Farms chicken and turkey sausages; they don’t have pork casings. North Tisbury Farm is making alpha-gal-friendly chicken sausage this summer. Treat yourself to duck every once in awhile. Ostrich and emu are not yet available on the Island.

✦ Stock up on flavor boosters. Ingredients that are high in umami will taste better and help you feel satisfied.

— Jar stars. Ingredients that add umami include sundried tomatoes, olives, miso, dried mushrooms (and powder), soy sauce, fish sauce, nut and seed butters, some (safe) Asian condiments and nutritional yeast (a delicious cheese substitute). I am obsessed with tahini, which makes everything feel richer and taste better. I use it in sauces and marinades for chicken and fish, and drizzle it on roasted vegetables.

— Alliums. Garlic, shallots, onions, and leeks lend the background note in many delicious dishes. I use caramelized onions or leeks as a pizza topping in place of cheese. ✧ “Meaty” vegetables. Mushrooms are deeply flavorful and high in protein. Eggplant, roasted or grilled, can be at the center of the plate.

— Vegetables as condiments. Buy tomatoes for roasting, zucchini for quick-pickling, peppers for salsa.

2. Shop local

If you’re on the Vineyard, take advantage of the availability of fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and other artisan products by shopping at farm stands, farmers markets and local seafood outlets.

✦ Consider a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share from Morning Glory Farm or Island Grown Initiative. Or buy a membership at Ghost Island Farm. Weekly vegetable hauls will spur your creative vegetable cooking.

✦ Hit the alpha-gal-friendly farm stands. North Tisbury Farm has made a point of stocking as many high-quality alpha-gal-friendly products as possible, from duck bacon to chocolate and cheese. North Tabor Farm outfits their farm stand with a variety of alpha-gal-friendly foods. Morning Glory Farm has a fridge for alpha-gal-friendly items. Beetlebung Farm has alpha-gal-friendly baked goods, including brownies.

✦ Buy locally made bread to avoid the additives that come with commercial bread. During the summer, sources include Morning Glory Farm, Beetlebung Farm and Iggy’s. North Tisbury Farm and Ghost Island Farm carry Maison Villatte from Falmouth.

✦ Consider the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust’s CSF (Community Supported Fish) program. Freshly caught fish is flash-frozen, so you can stock your freezer and pull from your stash anytime. If you can’t commit to monthly pickups, visit their booth at the Farmers’ Market.

✦ Eat more fish and shellfish, regardless. It can be expensive, but be creative: Buy a smaller portion of fish and combine it with other proteins for a satisfying meal. Mussels and clams are still reasonable. And the freezer section of a seafood market will have fish stock, chopped clams and frozen fish for a lower price. When all else fails, barter!

3. Plan your meals

✦ Cook ahead. Commit to making two things ahead on Sunday; it will make all the difference during the week. Make a batch of your favorite salad dressing or dip, cook a pot of grains, roast tomatoes, caramelize onions, make pesto.

✦ Double up. Make enough dinner to have a half-portion leftover. That’s the base for tomorrow’s lunch. Make a vegetable-filled frittata (without the dairy) for breakfast and take half of it for lunch. Grill extra chicken.

✦ Lean into what’s fresh at market. If it’s peas, try adding sugar snap peas to several different meals during the week. They won’t be around in a couple weeks so don’t worry about overdosing. Cooking with seasonal food will make your meals feel special.

✦ Adjust your favorite recipes with substitutions. Use mushrooms (cooked until brown and almost chocolatey) and smoked paprika in place of bacon in a soup or pasta. Add a spalsh of plant milk to pan sauces; use canned coconut milk in place of cream in any sauce or soup recipe. Sub ground turkey (87 or 93 per cent lean) in for ground beef.

✦ Accommodate your meat eaters, but keep things safe. Start by making an alpha-gal-friendly meal, which you can then add cheese or cooked meat to. (Don’t reverse engineer.) Separate cooking equipment used for meat. If you grill, use one half of the grill for meat only. Some alpha-gal folks (like me) react to meat fumes. (Alpha-gal molecules are not destroyed by heat). We don’t cook red meat inside. When we grill, we make sure smoke doesn’t drift back inside.

✦ Consider a dietician. If you have other allergies or are having trouble reaching a balanced alpha-gal diet, Vineyard Nutrition (Prudence Levy MS, RDN, LDN and Josh Levy MS, RDN, LDN) is an excellent resource.

✦ Get recipe inspiration. Check out our alpha-gal-friendly recipe collection. And subscribe to our newsletter if you don’t already.

🥔 A salad with potatoes, but not a potato salad

This time of year, I’m like a kid in a candy shop when I hit the farm stands. It’s as if we’ve crossed some magical invisible line into the land (and time) of abundance. The problem for me is that too many synapses start firing at the same time, and I can’t decide what to buy, where to start, what to cook. So my strategy is to pick one thing and go from there.

This week I discovered beautiful heads of speckled Bel Fiore (“beautiful flower”) radicchio at Morning Glory. To showcase them, I knew I wanted a bold salad. The next step was easy, since the algorithm in my brain reminded me of a June farm stand salad I like to make with fingerling potatoes and the first sugar snaps and snow peas from my garden.

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🐟 A versatile curry

We’ve been hitting up The Fish House at the airport twice a week. The Fish House guys are so nice and there’s always a great variety of (very fresh) fish and shellfish to choose from. (I try not to look at those aged steaks in the meat case.) We had striped bass the other night, and my husband could eat salmon all day. But as a cook looking for an easy dinner, the meaty cod loins are my choice. They’re also a safe bet when friends come over. And that got me thinking about something a little special – a versatile coconut curry recipe.

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🍓 Strawberry Palooza, Part 2

After last week’s strawberry dessert salute, I promised you that I would focus on savory strawberry recipes this week. That got me thinking, and while we already have some delicious options in the archive (more on that below), I wanted something new. I liked the idea of a strawberry salsa, especially because strawberries pair so well with late spring herbs (mint, cilantro) and vegetables (radishes, spring onions). And of course, it was an excuse for me to combine fresh strawberries and ginger, a favorite combo.

I was thinking the salsa would be great on grilled swordfish or grilled chicken or spooned on a warm goat cheese crostini. But then it also occurred to me, as I was making the salsa, that it would make a wonderful base (or mix-in) for a light grain salad.

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🍓Strawberry Palooza (Part 1!) 🍓

When Abby Dodge uses the words “strawberries, whipped cream, and cake” in the same sentence, I say yes even before she’s finished talking. Abby has created many delicious strawberry desserts for us (see below), but that doesn’t keep me from wanting more. So when she suggested this beauty for June – and mentioned it was a make-ahead, too – I pounced.

Voila, Lemon Poppyseed, Berry & Whipped Cream Cake.

And we’ve got the recipe just in time for the first local strawberries! They’re making their debut, thanks to Fire Cat Farm, at opening day of the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market (this Saturday, June 6).

I figured that’s all the excuse I need to make this week’s newsletter a strawberry dessert palooza. You can bookmark this (No. 357 if you can believe it!), and refer back to it for all those June events that deserve a strawberry dessert.

And next week (Strawberry-Palooza, Part 2), we’ll look at recipes that put strawberries in a savory spotlight.

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🍰 That cake!

To make the berry cake, you will need a 9 x 13 cake pan. Abby loves (and now so do I) a straight-sided cake pan, and for this recipe, it will give you nice square corners. My pan is an OXO, but you can buy one from USA Pan, at LeRoux at Home in Vineyard Haven, or any good kitchen store.

The cake batter is lightened with whipped cream (instead of butter) for a fabulous texture. Lemon zest gives it a bright hit – and the poppyseeds are optional. The cake filling is a vanilla whipped cream stabilized by sweetened condensed milk (now available in squeeze cartons in grocery stores).

You can make (and assemble) the cake up to a day ahead; it slices best after being refrigerated for at least a couple hours. And if making three layers seems too daunting, you can go for two layers instead. Directions for doing that are included in the recipe.

Once you’ve made the strawberry version of this cake, you can also try it with (gasp!) raspberries or blueberries. Any way you do it, it’s a beauty — perfect for celebrations.

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🍓 10 strawberry sweets - something for every occasion

Depending on who and what you’re cooking for, you can make a strawberry dessert that feels just right.

For a family gathering, Abby’s (to die for) No-Bake Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake – made with Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies – is a winner. Be sure to plan ahead on this one, though, as it needs to set up in the fridge overnight.

For a casual crowd, this Vanilla Cake with Whipped Strawberry Frosting serves 12 and can be easily transported to a picnic or a potluck.

If you’re hosting a baby or wedding shower, these Strawberry Hand Pies would be lovely.

For a small dinner party, you can’t miss with Strawberry Shortcake – especially one made with Abby’s buttery biscuits.

Or serve these individual Lemony Ricotta Panna Cottas with Strawberry Compote (another great make-ahead) straight from the fridge for a cool, refreshing end to a summer meal on the deck.

And if you’ve got kids in the house (or even if you don’t), you’ll definitely want to make a batch of Strawberry Ice Cream with the ripest berries.

What about something super-quick to serve to surprise guests? Maple-Balsamic Strawberries with Crème FraÎche.

With slightly more effort (you’ll need store-bought meringues), you can make a classic Eton Mess, which virtually no one will turn down.

Breakfast for houseguests? Strawberry Ginger Cardamom Lassis, Strawberry Ginger Muffins and/or Judson’s Crispy Granola (*agf) with Mermaid Farm yogurt (or coconut yogurt) and fresh strawberries.

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🥦 What’s for Supper?

In the event that you require something to eat other than strawberries this week, here’s what I’m thinking you can make to take advantage of other spring market finds:

• Spring Veggie Stir-Fry with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce

• Chicken, Kale, Parmigiano and Ricotta Meatballs or Ginger-Scallion Turkey Patties with Sriracha Mayo (*agf) for alpha-gal folks.

  

• Baked Pasta! The nights are still cool.

  

• Mussels in Tomato–Coconut Curry Broth with Spinach, Cilantro, and Lime (*agf)

  

• Ginger Rice Bowl with Glazed Salmon, Roasted Broccoli, and Tamari-Lime Drizzle (*agf)

*agf=alpha-gal friendly

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Happy June everyone! Free subscribers, don’t forget to upgrade to a paid subscription now that summer is here. You don’t want to miss out on ingredient finds, restaurant news, and of course, all the new recipes we’ll be posting.

Be sure to follow Cook the Vineyard on Instagram. As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment here or feel free to email us at cookthevineyard@vineyardgazette.com.

— Susie Middleton, editor

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💃🏻 What’s happening around the Island

In the June edition of The Vine, read about new (and newish) restaurants in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. Above left: Salad bar plate and cocktail at Vineyard Grill at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven. Above right: Highlands General in Oak Bluffs and the view from The Wave in Vineyard Haven.

📆 Markets

• The bell will ring to open the 2026 West Tisbury Farmers’ Market at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. The market is open through noon. The first Wednesday market will be June 10.

• The Edgartown Village Market is back on Tuesdays at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

🪴 Plant Sales

• Beetlebung Farm has vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings for sale, with 15% of proceeds going to the Chilmark Preschool.

• North Tabor Farm is selling plants from its farmstand.

• Whippoorwill Farm has veggie starts at its farmstand.

• The Morning Glory Farm greenhouse is open with lots of both vegetable and flower starts for sale.

🥬 Farm Stand Schedules

• Ghost Island Farm is open daily.

• North Tabor Farm is open daily, dawn to dusk.

• Beetlebung Farm is open Wednesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Morning Glory Farm is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

• Mermaid Farm is always open!

🐟 Seafood Market Schedules

• The Fish House is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The takeout area is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• The Net Result in Vineyard Haven is closed for renovations. Opening soon.

• Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha is open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Menemsha Fish Market hours vary. Check the website for specifics.

• Edgartown Seafood is open, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Edgartown Meat & Fish Market is open daily, 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

Photos: cake, Abby Dodge; restaurants, Jeanna Shepard; all others Susie Middleton.

Follow us on Instagram @cookthevineyard.

🥬 Stalking the Spring Farmstand

A couple weeks ago when I first started talking about local asparagus (and linked you to our asparagus recipe archive, below), I promised I would play around with asparagus a bit more this spring. I found some beauties this weekend along with gorgeous spring onions and radishes. It wasn’t hard to imagine all three together, and in the process of developing a new recipe, I wound up with a vinaigrette and crunchy breadcrumbs that you can use in other things.

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At long last, it feels and looks like spring on the Vineyard. Even where I live (scrub-oak central), the trees are finally leafing out. And the blue skies make me delirious. I hope the glorious weather holds for the weekend, as I know many of you will be coming to the Island to kick off summer.

Wherever you are, you’ll likely be gathering with friends and families for bigger meals. To that end, I’ve curated my favorite grilled chicken recipes and a few delicious sides to go with them. And at long last, I’ve done a run-through of an alpha-gal friendly version of our favorite Gingery Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.

I’ve also been playing around with a super-quick sesame noodle recipe for which I’ll give you some options. This week I garnished the noodles with frizzled kale and slivered radishes after picking up the most beautiful red kale and French breakfast radishes from Morning Glory on Monday.

And we’ve got lots of Island food news for you this week, too, so read on!

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🍊 A Sweet Story

“It started with a bag of cookies. As I was about to board a van in Genoa to take a small group of tourists on a day trip, I ducked into a bakery…” And so begins the beguiling tale of Domenica Marchetti’s Italian cookie sleuthing. One cookie led to another and pretty soon Domenica was traveling from the Veneto to Sardinia in search of unique cookies, discovering along the way that Italian cookies were as regionally diverse as wine and cheeses. And, of course, that each had its own story to tell.

I admit, that first line in the introduction of Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region got me. Domenica is that rare writer who is both professional journalist and confident personal essayist. (Oh, and author of multiple cookbooks on the food of Italy, too.) Her Substack Buona Domenica is one of my favorites because it is so readable; I always learn something – and find myself wanting to cook every recipe.

As I continued reading Italian Cookies, I felt like I was on both a travel adventure and an archaeological dig – albeit a very tasty one. From the buttery, nutty cookies of the North (Hazelnut Crescents, Golden Polenta Cookies, Genovese Pine Nut Cookies) to the fruity, wine-y, almondy cookies of the South (I’m overgeneralizing here!) like Orange and Anise Cookie Knots and Sugar-Dipped Wine Rings, I began to see the vast range of Italian cuisine played out in cookies. A revelation!

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🍞 Loafing Around

Maybe you are like me and didn’t hook into the revival of sourdough bread baking during the pandemic. I am envious of my friends who produce loaves that look and taste like something from an artisan bakery. Someday! But I do want to bake bread, and I have fond memories of my mother’s obsession with making yeast breads after she got her first KitchenAid stand mixer – a gift from my Dad she was thrilled about. (Here’s a piece on Eater about the iconic mixer’s history. Would make a REALLY nice Mother’s Day present!). White bread, cheese bread, cinnamon bread, James Beard’s sweet potato rolls – she went crazy.

I was thinking a yeast bread might be more doable for busy folks (like me and you!) – and also provide a preservative-free alternative to grocery store-purchased sandwich bread – so I asked our resident baker, Abby Dodge, if she could devise a recipe for us that would be delicious and versatile.

Voila, Honey Oatmeal Bread!

Abby paired all-purpose and whole wheat flour with rolled oats, a touch of wheat germ, and honey for a tender loaf with an earthy sweetness. (And a beautiful golden crust, I might add.) Abby says, “It’s the kind of bread that does it all: perfect warm with salted butter, sturdy enough for sandwiches, and especially good toasted with a smear of jam.” And Abby’s directions, as always, are clear and easy to follow. You’ll need to schedule a little bit of (hands-off) time for two short rises, but you can start this late Sunday morning and have a warm slice by late afternoon.

The recipe contains milk and unsalted butter, and I made it as written (and fed it to the ever-hungry caterpillar in my house (aka husband). The recipe will work just as well with water instead of milk, Abby tells me. But I haven’t done a test with plant-based butter for alpha-gal folks who can’t do dairy. When I do, I’ll let you know how that goes. Maybe one of you will try it first!

I can’t help it - bread with (tea) and jam makes me think of this bit in The Sound of Music.

🍋 Asparagus Plus Plus

I went down to Morning Glory Farm yesterday and was thrilled to see that the first asparagus had come in. This is always a nostalgic event for me. I remember my first spring on the Vineyard when I encountered these freshly harvested asparagus, which I had never had before. In those days, Morning Glory sold them from the greenhouse because the farmstand wasn’t yet open. The asparagus poking up from the ground can’t wait. (You know they’re coming when you see the dandelions bloom.) Anyway, head to the farmstand early as the harvests are always small at first – though there was plenty at noontime Tuesday. I nabbed two bunches.

Two Favorite Cooking Methods

I landed some fairly thick spears, which I love to brown-braise. It’s a method I developed for cooking asparagus in my first book, Fast, Fresh & Green, and I use it in this recipe for Quick-Braised Asparagus with Dijon-Thyme Pan Sauce. Basically, you sear the (thick) spears until they get a little browned on all sides and then you add a little liquid to the pan, cover briefly, and simmer to finish cooking. In this recipe, a dab of butter, a bit of Dijon mustard, lemon and fresh thyme finish the flavoring.

I’ll cut my thinner spears on the bias and stir-fry or sauté them quickly over medium-high heat. Before I had alpha-gal, I loved this flavor spin: Sautéed Asparagus with Prosciutto Crisps and Parmigiano. But a little ginger and/or garlic is all you really need, and if you want some extra umami (without meat), start the sauté with a few shiitake mushrooms.

💚 Flavors Asparagus Loves

If you’re looking to create your own asparagus dish, here are some ingredients and flavors that pair well with asparagus, excerpted from one of my Martha’s Vineyard Magazine columns from a few years back:

🟩 Cook the Vineyard’s Asparagus Recipe Archive

If you’re looking for more asparagus inspiration, we’ve got plenty in our asparagus recipe archives. We’ll take a fresh stab at some of those in the coming weeks, too.

💐 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Quick — what to get on-Island at the last minute?

A strawberry pot (left) or flowers (right) from Morning Glory. Salt Rock chocolates or Merry Farm pottery (middle) from Beetlebung Farm.

Decorative planters (top left) or vases (bottom left) from Donaroma’s; Mole Hollow tapers from Alley’s or LeRoux; Jupiter hobnail glass tumblers, LeRoux.

New gardening books and cookbooks at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore.

Or, of course, you could always cook for the mom in your life! I’m thinking something berry-ish would be cheery.

How about Blueberry Lemon Scones or Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake?

Or Zesty Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes - or French Toast with Maple Berry Syrup?

One of those should do it!

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However or whatever you are celebrating this weekend, I hope it is a warm and delicious time. Be sure to follow Cook the Vineyard on Instagram. As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment here or feel free to email us at cookthevineyard@vineyardgazette.com.

— Susie Middleton, editor

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🍅 Our recipe archive is always open at cookthevineyard.com.

🍅 All previous newsletters can be accessed by paid subscribers at cookthevineyard.substack.com.

Where to find alpha-gal information and recipes:

🥕 Find alpha-gal friendly recipes by clicking here.

🥕 Find the Cook the Vineyard Alpha-Gal Syndrome Recipe and Resource Guide here.

💃🏻 What’s happening around the Island

🧑🏼‍🍳 News and Events

• 🦪 Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha reopens tomorrow, Thursday, May 7, for the season.

• 🪴 Beetlebung Farm has started its annual plant sale (vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings), with 15% of proceeds going to the Chilmark Preschool.

• The Pawnee House restaurant in Oak Bluffs is hosting a Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  

💍 Get Your Tickets to Martha’s Party Vendor Showcase

Just a quick note to those of you who might be planning an event on the Island, be it a wedding, birthday, retirement or any celebration: you won’t want to miss the Martha’s Party Vendor Showcase that will be part of the Island Weddings magazine’s Martha’s Party Wedding and Event Conference this year. You don’t need to attend the conference to come to the party. The vendor showcase will be at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday, May 18. You’ll have the chance to meet the Vineyard’s top caterers, chefs, and creatives while enjoying food, spirits, florals, and design inspiration. Get your tickets now. They’re going fast.

🥬 Farm Stand Schedules

• Ghost Island Farm is open daily.

• North Tabor Farm is open daily, dawn to dusk.

• Beetlebung Farm’s winter hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Morning Glory Farm is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.

• Mermaid Farm is always open!

🐟 Seafood Market Schedules

• The Fish House is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The takeout area is due to open today - Wednesday, May 6.

• The Net Result in Vineyard Haven is closed for renovations. Opening soon.

• Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha is opening on Thursday, May 7.

• Menemsha Fish Market hours vary. Check the website for specifics.

• Edgartown Seafood will be opening for the spring soon.

• Edgartown Meat & Fish Market is open daily, 7 a.m to 6 p.m.

Photos: Menemsha, Tim Johnson; salmon and asparagus, Randi Baird; all others Susie Middleton.

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🌳 Spring Springing

Where I live on the Island, the scrub oaks are still stubbornly withholding their leaves. But just a couple miles away in North Tisbury, the cherries and maples and shadbush and all kinds of flowery, leafy things have appeared along State road. What a sight for sore eyes. I drove from Ghost Island Farm to Mermaid Farm Monday morning and enjoyed every minute of the sunshine and spring vibes.

At Mermaid, I ogled all the delicious dairy products that I can’t have. (But hopefully you can!) I was especially craving a cool lassi and would love to try that Wasque Washashore cheese.

Of course I checked on the mermaids, as well, to make sure they were enjoying the sunshine.

At Ghost Island, I picked up some of those beautiful meaty shiitakes that Rusty gets in from Pennsylvania. And there were lovely little heads of farm-grown bok choy and a beautiful bag of spinach.

I had a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer and sugar snap peas in the fridge, so along with my Ghost Island Farm veggies, I knew just what I would make for dinner.

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