No. 308: Summer Sauces; Strawberry Shortcake; Garlic Scape-Cilantro Hummus
Plus: Anh Phan Ho, Chef Ting, market finds, Dad's day ideas
👨🏼🌾 Market Finds
My favorite find from the first West Tisbury Farmers’ Market on Saturday was a chili crisp from Anh Phan Ho, proprietor of Khen’s Little Kitchen. Anh has won my admiration not only by continuing the popular market booth his grandmother started in 1986 (those egg rolls!), but also by becoming a passionate dahlia grower. He told me on Saturday that he started growing with 10 dahlia plants during the pandemic; now he has an acre and a half of dahlias in West Tisbury!
You can find Anh’s dahlias and flower bouquets at Cronig’s later this summer. But on Saturday I was focused on the little jars of chili crisp; I only wish I had bought more than one. I love it! We had it on grilled chicken last night, but Anh said some of his customers are putting it on vanilla ice cream. Haven’t tried that yet.
I also picked up Japanese turnips from North Tabor Farm and garlic scapes from Milkweed Farm. I think these are the same things I bought at the first market last year! I always pounce on garlic scapes (when I’m not growing my own garlic), because they’re fragrant and versatile. But also, I just find their curly shape charming. Garlic scapes are the tops of hardneck garlic; growers cut them off this time of year so that the plant can direct all of its energy down to the bulb. Morning Glory and Beetlebung are also selling scapes.
Last year I turned my garlic scapes into Garlic Scape-Cilantro Pesto, since I had a lot of volunteer cilantro in my garden (as I do again this year). I used it on roasted cod and on a sauté of – you guessed it – Japanese turnips (and their greens).
I liked the garlic scape-cilantro pesto so much that I decided to take it one step further this year and make hummus. I started with the three ingredients from the pesto – garlic scapes, cilantro leaves, and olive oil – and added chickpeas, lemon juice, and a bit of tahini at the end. And salt along the way. The recipe for Garlic Scape Cilantro Hummus is plenty versatile, and you can vary amounts as you please (and leave the tahini out if you want). You could also replace the cilantro with any other tender herb. Serve the hummus with pita crisps or grilled or toasted bread.
🍯 Get Saucy
Anh’s chili crisp and the garlic scape sauces reminded me that we’re getting into the season when having a few homemade sauces and condiments in the fridge can be the ticket to big flavor on a weeknight – or to easier entertaining. (See photo at top of newsletter.) Make one or more on a Sunday afternoon and you can have them throughout the week. Here are some of my suggestions:
🍓 Is it time for shortcake?
We’re continuing with our full-steam-ahead approach to strawberry desserts, so yes, it’s time for Abby Dodge’s Strawberry Shortcake recipe. Buttery biscuits, whipped mascarpone cream – it’s all good. When strawberry season is over, you can make these with blueberries or peaches. This would be nice to make for Dad for Father’s Day!
🏌🏿♂️Cooking for Dad
I won’t get to see my Dad until July, when we’ll celebrate our birthdays together. He’ll be turning 95! But I’m sure my sister will be cooking something delicious for him on Father’s Day. They’re in Delaware, so maybe Crab-Stuffed Shrimp? If they were here, I might make Fluke Roll-Ups With Sundried Tomato Filling. (But our seafood stores have top quality canned backfin lump crabmeat, so you can make that stuffed shrimp here, too.)
Or maybe Grilled Chicken with Bibb Lettuce Wraps and Thai dipping sauce. Come to think of it, I might make those anyway!
My husband’s going to be on a golf trip with his brother this weekend, so my stepsons and I will have to wait to celebrate his awesome Dad-ness until he gets back. That will very likely involve steak and chocolate and red wine (for him).
Perhaps the menu will feature Grilled Chimichurri Flank Steak with Grill-Roasted Lunchbox Peppers and Onions Agrodolce on the side.
And maybe Abby’s Irresistible Ice Cream Sandwiches for dessert. I love making those and having them in the freezer.
🍍 Around the world in one meal
Last week, I had a delicious and relaxing dinner at Black Joy Kitchen, the new restaurant from Chef Ting that has opened up in the former Bombay Kitchen/Sea Smoke spot. Chef Ting cooks from the African diaspora and beyond, and her flavors are like nothing else you’ll have on the Vineyard – so refreshing and invigorating. We’ll be back again soon!
This morning I’m picking up my CSF share at the Wednesday West Tisbury Farmers’ Market (open 9 to noon). Can’t wait to see what fish we’ll be cooking and eating!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend. As always, if you have a question, 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
📆 News & Events
The first Wednesday West Tisbury Farmers’ Market is happening this morning (Wednesday, June 11), 9 a.m. to noon.
S&S Kitchenette has created a special Fourth of July menu for takeout or delivery. Preorder by Monday, June 30 at noon.
The Edgartown Village Market returns Tuesday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will run every Tuesday through August. Parking is limited. Take the VTA, walk, or bike to the Dr. Daniel Fisher House lawn.
🥕 Farm Stands, Early Summer Schedules
Ghost Island Farm is open every day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
North Tabor Farm is open daily, dawn to dusk.
Beetlebung Farm is open Wednesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Morning Glory Farm is open daily, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Grey Barn’s farm stand is open Thursday to Monday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mermaid Farm is always open!
🐟 Seafood Markets
The Fish House at the airport is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Net Result in Vineyard Haven is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Menemsha Fish Market is open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Edgartown Seafood is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
🎧 Listen to On the Vineyard from the Vineyard Gazette
The new On the Vineyard podcast from the Vineyard Gazette is deeply rooted in the sense of place the Vineyard evokes, with reports on local happenings, events large and small, and, of course, food and restaurants. The weekly podcast has sounds from the Island both present (i.e. Memorial Day celebrations) and past (archival voices). Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Photos: Grilled chicken with Bibb lettuce, Alexandra Grablewski; ice cream sandwiches, Abby Dodge; Island Bee Company, Jonathan Fleischmann; all others, Susie Middleton.
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