No. 298: Lobster Cobb Salad from The (New!) Martha's Vineyard Cookbook
Plus: More recipes from Island authors and a look back at Vineyard cookbooks
📚A Love Letter to the Island ❤️
It’s been a while (quite a while!) since we’ve had a new Martha’s Vineyard cookbook — 20 years since Tina Miller wrote Vineyard Harvest, and 17 years since the fourth and final edition of the old Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook by Jean Wexler and Louise Tate King came out. Dr. Jessica B. Harris wrote The Martha’s Vineyard Table all the way back in 2007. But thanks to Vineyarder Julia Blanter, we now have a brand new, absolutely beautiful and heartfelt homage to the Island’s rich bounty and culinary diversity.
Photographed by Jocelyn Filley and with a forward by Juli Vanderhoop, The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook: 100 Recipes from the Island’s Restaurants, Farmers, Fishermen & Food Artisans was published by Rizzoli on March 11 and is already selling briskly at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore and in shops and farm stands all around the Island (and of course, off-Island as well).
Julia’s unbounded enthusiasm for everything to do with Island food led her to seek out recipes from 100 different chefs, farmers, food artisans, and other Vineyard food folks. (Yes, there’s even a sidebar about yours truly.)
Recipes range from iconic (Hot Lobster Rolls, Fish & Chips, Stuffed Quahogs) to uber-fresh (Summer Farm Salad, Radicchio Panzanella, Corn Risotto with Scallops) to dishes brought to the Island over the years from far away (Portuguese Holy Ghost Soup, Pão de Queijo, Kimchi, Muhammara with Homemade Pita, Halibut Aguachile).
Recipes range in difficulty, too, from simple (Lamb & Feta Meatballs) to something more like a fun weekend project (Strawberry Sourdough Bread, Homemade Orecchiette with Lamb Ragu). The notes and stories Julia provides with each recipe – along with Jocelyn’s gorgeous photos – make you feel like you’ve been dropped down right into the best summer day on the Vineyard.
🦞Recipe Excerpt
We’re grateful to Julia and Rizzoli for letting us share an excerpt today: the Lobster Cobb Salad recipe from Waterside Market by chef Bill Hart. You might want to make it right now – or hold on to it for summer. But it’s easy and beautiful and definitely one for the repertoire. 🦞
📚 Book Events
We’re excited that we’ll be doing a special summer Cook the Vineyard event in August with Julia (more details in an upcoming newsletter), but in the mean time, you can catch up with her at three book events this spring:
A kimchi-making demo with Jeisook Thayer from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on April 5 at The Farm Institute.
A brunch featuring recipes from the book and a book signing at S&S Kitchenette in Vineyard Haven on May 3.
A book signing at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore on May 10 from 1 to 3 p.m.
👩🏽🍳 📖 Growing an Island Cookbook Collection
I looked over at my collection of old Vineyard cookbooks this morning and traveled down memory lane. This shelf is evidence of just how much we love cooking on this Island — and it doesn’t even include all of the non-Vineyard themed cookbooks from Vineyarders like Theresa Culletto, Chris Fischer, Joan Nathan, Dan Pashman, Steven Raichlen, Sarah Waldman, Cathy Walthers and me! They are shelved all over the place.
And I realized that we have contributions from almost all of these authors — and many recipe excerpts from their books — on Cook the Vineyard, and I thought it might be fun to feature a few this week. Maybe you’ll be inspired to order one of the books or track one down if it is out of print. Please shop local if you can or order online from bookshop.org to benefit your favorite independent bookstore.
Asparagus and Fingerling Potatoes with Salsa Verde from Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha’s Vineyard, by Tina Miller.
West Tisbury Carrot Cake from Mostly Plants: 101 Delicious Flexitarian Recipes from the Pollan Family, by Tracy, Corky, Dana, and Lori Pollan
Pasta with Almond Pesto, Green Beans, Eggplant, and Cherry Tomatoes from My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories, by Joan Nathan
Kale Pineapple Smoothie from Kale, Glorious Kale: 100 Recipes for Nature’s Healthiest Green, by Cathy Walthers
Cavatelli With Roasted Artichokes and Preserved Lemon from Anything’s Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipes For Saucy People, by Dan Pashman
Spicy Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, adapted from A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook: Celebrating the Holiday with Family, Community, and Tradition, By Dr. Jessica B. Harris
🐷 🐔 Most Excellent Farm Stroll
Last Friday, I didn’t head to the office for the weekly news meeting – my colleagues were in Portland, Maine for the New England Better Newspaper Competition awards, where we (the Vineyard Gazette Media Group) picked up 28 (!) awards. So I had time for a nice leisurely farm stand stroll, starting at Grey Barn, heading to Beetlebung and North Tabor, and winding up at Mermaid Farm.
I had such a lovely time chatting with Beetlebung manager Mara Flanagan, North Tabor farm founder Rebecca Miller, and Mermaid Farm’s own Caitlin Jones. It was good to see everybody out and about, furiously diving into spring farm work. I even got to say hello to mama pig at North Tabor. Mermaid had willow branches; I now have a willow tree that I rooted from a Mermaid farm willow branch three years ago!
I picked up rye flour at Beetlebung to play around with (will let you know what I come up with) – and some free vegetable seeds. And, as always, a Farmer’s Loaf for my husband. At Grey Barn – pork loin bacon and amazing chocolate rye sablé cookies. (Love that rye flour!) Arugula from North Tabor.
We already had some arugula at home (I forgot), so we’ve been piling the arugula in, under, or over everything, in the style of this Local Greens Salad with Grilled Steak, Shallots and Blue Cheese.
And we added arugula to this Bluebird Salad and ate it with roasted chicken thighs.
Lastly, for veg night, we made a riff on this Quick-Roasted Beet and Berry Salad with Goat Cheese and Local Greens with chickpeas and of course, arugula.
I hope your week will be filled with delicious flavors — and plenty of arugula. As always, if you have a question, leave a comment here or feel free to email us at cookthevineyard@vineyardgazette.com.
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— Susie Middleton, editor
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🥗 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.
🍽️ What’s Happening Around the Island
☕️ Restaurant Openings
Ben and Bill’s ice cream in Oak Bluffs opens for the season on Friday, April 4.
The Red Cat Kitchen opens for the season on Thursday, April 3 at 5 p.m. They will also start serving Sunday brunch on April 6, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
La Strada Restaurant (deli, charcuterie, wine bar, coffee and more!) has reopened on Main Street in Vineyard Haven.
19 Raw Oyster Bar in Edgartown opened yesterday for the season.
State Road restaurant in West Tisbury reopens tonight. Tuesday burger nights begin April 15. Beach Road restaurant in Vineyard Haven reopens Thursday, April 3.
🥕 Farm Stands, Spring Schedules
Ghost Island Farm is open every day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beetlebung Farm is open Thursday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Morning Glory Farm is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Grey Barn’s farm stand is open Thursday to Monday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
North Tabor Farm’s farm stand is open daily, dawn to dusk.
Mermaid Farm is always open!
🐟 Seafood Markets
The Fish House is closed for the season.
The Net Result is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Larsen’s is closed for the season.
Menemsha Fish Market closed for a few weeks break on Feb. 17.
Photos: Lobster Cobb Salad, Julia Blanter author photo, book cover, book interior shot - Jocelyn Filley; Vineyard Harvest Cover - Alison Shaw; Pollan Family - courtesy Tracy Pollan; book, Nicole Franzen; Joan Nathan - Gabriela Herman; Cathy Walthers - Alison Shaw; Dan Pashman, Dan Liberti; Dr. Jessica Harris, Elizabeth Cecil; popcorn, Ray Ewing; all others Susie Middleton.
🥕🥕🥕
Shellfish galore.
https://open.substack.com/pub/abforbes/p/shellfish-galore?r=yn8c0&utm_medium=ios