Edible Vineyard 41- 2021 by Kristofer Rabasca

No. 41

Early Summer 2021

OUR FOOD, OUR STORIES, OUR COMMUNITY

Member of Edible Communities

EARLY SUMMER 2021

SEAWEED’S, WEED, HOOP HOUSES, MYSTERY CHEFS, NATURAL WINE, GIRLS + HORSES

TINA’S TURNIPS

RUBY DIX TALKS TO CHRIS FISCHER

THE BLACK DOG TURNS 50

Rolling, rolling on to summer

About North Tabor Farm

It all started with a cannon

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Publishers Peter and Barbara Oberfest Editors Tina Miller and Jamie Kageleiry tina@mvtimes.com jamie@mvtimes.com Art director Kristófer Rabasca Designers Dave Plath and Nicole Jackson Proofreaders Barbara Dudley Davis and Irene Ziebarth Ad sales Jenna Lambert • jenna@mvtimes.com Alessandra Hagerty • alessandra@mvtimes.com Founding editors/publishers Ali and Sam Berlow ediblevineyard.com

Edible Vineyard magazine is published by The Martha’s Vineyard Times, publishers of The Martha’s Vineyard Times weekly newspaper, Martha’s Vineyard Arts & Ideas Magazine, Bluedot Living Magazine, The Local, The Minute daily newsletter, Vineyard Visitor, and the websites MVTimes.com, bluedotliving.com, VineyardVisitor.com, and MVArtsandIdeas.com. You can see the digital version of this magazine at ediblevineyard.com. EV is available at newsstands, select retail locations, inns, hotels, and bookstores, free of charge. Past issues are available for $5 per issue. Find Edible Vineyard on Instagram and Facebook @ediblevineyard Subscribe Please inquire at mvtsubscriptions@mvtimes.com about subscriptions by mail.

Contact Edible Vineyard The Martha’s Vineyard Times P.O. Box 518, 30 Beach Rd. Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 508-693-6100

section DEPARTMENT

early summer 2021 3

DEPARTMENT section

Dishing 8 Finds: Cool culinary things for your tables or your tummies. By Gwyn McAllister

Features

20 Seaweed’s

37 It’s Not You, It’s Me

On the Farm

Mystery recipes: Can she figure out the chef by their food? By Mollie Doyle

Incubating By Kate Athearn

By Chris Fischer

In the Weeds

The cannabis industry takes root on Martha’s Vineyard. By Brittany Bowker

Creating a space at the table: all natural wine, locally sourced food, and a beacon for the queer community. By Gavin Smith

34 Girls and Horses

24 The Black Dog Turns 50

A horse changes that girl forever. By Tina Miller

It all began with a cannon. By Geoff Currier

Hoop Houses A cool, gray Martha’s Vineyard spring produces a summer’s bounty. Photo essay by Molly Glasgow

Essay

Sip

48 Organic-Plus

The quest to reinvent responsibly made wine. By Sam Decker

58 Passing the Torch In Season

Fried Clams Because they’re only good at the restaurant.

56 Hakurei Turnip The silver platter turnip. By Tina Miller

Done ! 64 Back to Normal: One bite at a time. By Rebecca Haag

Cover photo & Image on this page by Tina Miller.

6 edible Vineyard 4

Editor’s Letter

y early May many of us on the Island had been vaccinated and could finally drop our shoulders with a sigh of relief that maybe life could start to return to … life. All of a sudden, we had to jump feet-first into summer planning. We started to see friends again, and boy did we miss them! Island businesses pivoted from caution to preparing for a full-fledged season ahead, masks off, ready or not. This was a life-changing year one way or another for each of us. We discovered what mattered — friends and family — and what didn’t. We’ve seen lots of people who changed their lives dramatically: moving, quitting corporate life, ending a long-term relationship, or finding new magic with the one they loved. It was a year to create a new business or change how you ran your business. The restaurant business was gutted worldwide and is probably undeniably one of the most dramatically changed industries. Many are gone forever, and the ones that held on are marching full steam ahead with new ways of doing things. Cities and towns everywhere, including here on the Island, relaxed what now seem like archaic rules — allowing outdoor dining wherever possible. (What a great idea, right? It is beautiful here, why not eat under the stars? We even realized we could do it in the cold.) Our former reluctance to drive all … the … way … to … town for takeout evaporated during the pandemic as we looked for ways to support restaurants run by our friends and family. This year altered our routines and opened our eyes to what is real hardship and what might be instead our own self-imposed limitations. We craved “normal” or what we thought was normal, but even that changed. Our Island farms have continued to be remarkably industrious and have expanded, creating a more sustainable food chain, encouraging open land, local food, clean live soil, and an extra-long growing season. Check out Molly Glassgow’s photos of hoop hous-

es — those structures that support a longer season. There’s more: Geoff Currier’s tale of the Black Dog’s founding 50 years ago, a visit to Seaweed’s on Kennebec Ave., a self-imposed “Guess the Chef’’ game from Molly Doyle, and Done!, where IGI’s Rebecca Haag celebrates all we have to be grateful for here on Martha’s Vineyard — dinner from Larsen’s while watching a Menemsha sunset, enjoying Manhattans with friends at Beach Road, and all the incredible people who work hard to make sure all Islanders eat well. Bon appetit, and happy summer.

— Tina Miller and Jamie Kageleiry

CONTRIBUTORS

Geoff Currier

Chris Fischer

Mollie Doyle

Brittany Bowker

Jeremy Driesen

Rebecca Haag

Gavin Smith

Tara Reynolds

KATE ATHEARN

(“On the Farm,” page 52) Kate Tvelia Athearn writes about agriculture, community, and life on Martha’s Vineyard. She lives on a small farm with her family and an ever- changing menagerie of livestock and rescue pets in West Tisbury.

BRITTANY BOWKER

(“In the Weeds,” page 44) is a news producer for the Boston Globe. She is a proud UMass alum and a former reporter and editor for the Martha’s Vineyard Times. She swears she can still hear the ferry whistle from her Somerville apartment. Her favorite kitchen tool is her vegetable peeler. She’s most happy about eating oysters in 6 edible vineyard

the summer (Island oysters, not Somerville oysters).

daughters. His favorite kitchen tool is his Marimekko teapot.

GEOFF CURRIER

SADIE DIX

(“The Black Dog’s 50th,” page 24) is associate editor of the MV TImes and a frequent contributor to Edible Vineyard. Geoff’s favorite kitchen tool is his Zeroll aluminum ice cream scoop. Cuts through ice cream like a hot knife through butter.

SAM DECKER

(“Sip,” page 48) a native of West Tisbury, is a writer, certified sommelier, and co-founder of Wine+Peace, a direct-to-consumer marketplace for handmade American wine. He currently lives in Montreal with his wife and two

(“Passing the Torch at North Tabor Farm,” page 58) grew up on North Tabor Farm, attending both the Charter School and regional high school, before heading to the Cambridge School of Weston to finish high school. She has always loved photography and does all the social media for her parents’ farm. She is currently completing her masters degree at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and works for Island Grown Initiative in their Food Equity programs.

MOLLIE DOYLE

(“It’s Not You, It’s Me,” page 37)

is a writer, yoga teacher, and head chef of her Chilmark household. Her Wusthof 7 inch hollow-edge Santoku knife is her go-to kitchen tool. And sungold tomatoes are the timeless summer food for her meals.

JEREMY DRIESEN

(“Seaweed’s,” page 19, “It’s Not You, It’s Me,” page 37) is a photographer based in Oak Bluffs. He has shot events for Vogue, Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and many others, and is a frequent contributor to all of the MVTimes publications.

CHRIS FISCHER

(“Passing the Torch at North Tabor Farm,” page 58) was born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard and now lives in

CONTRIBUTORS

New York City. He is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author who has worked in the food industry for the last twenty years.

equitable food system on Martha’s Vineyard. Her favorite kitchen tool is her food waste bucket — all food scraps, peelings, and coffee grounds are diverted to making rich compost. Her favorite summer food? Fresh strawberries from IGI’s Farm: sweet, juicy and delicious.

MOLLY GLASGOW

(“Hoop Houses,” page 30) is a fine art photographer, born and raised in Texas. She attended Pratt Institute and eventually settled on Martha’s Vineyard. She and her family live, own, and operate The Grey Barn, a year round, certified organic, diversified farm. Her favorite kitchen tool is “any sharp knife. I seriously hate dull knives.”

FAE KONTJE-GIBBS

REBECCA HAAG

(“Done!” page 64) is the executive director of Island Grown Initiative. Along with her staff and board, she is committed to building and maintaining a regenerative and

(“On the Farm,” page 52) said that dwelling on Martha’s vineyard in her twenties, she had had a dream of home, garden, children, and studio. She is a lucky woman. All those dreams have come true. Her favorite kitchen tool is her Vitamix, and her favorite summer food is fresh borage from her garden.

KAREN BLACKERBY LOGAN

(“On the Farm,” page 52) is a freelance designer, interior

architect, and artist, living on the coast of Maine with her husband and three children.

GWYN MCALLISTER

(“Dishing,” page 8) is a playwright and freelance journalist who has contributed to a number of local, as well as national publications including Men’s Health, PBS Parents, Highlights for Children, and A&E Asterisk. Gwyn’s play “Passionate” was produced by the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse in 2018. “When local corn becomes available I make a point of eating it every day.”

TARA REYNOLDS

(“Farm Map,” page 28) is a collage artist living and working on the Island. She shows and sells her cut paper art at local stores, on Etsy, and at many of the Island art festivals. Her favorite kitchen tool

is her Kitchen Aid blender. “I love making soups, sauces, and my favorite homemade pesto in it! I’m looking forward to local clams with lots of white wine, garlic, butter and crusty bread for dipping.”

GAVIN SMITH

(“Seaweed’s,” page 19) is the chef/owner of Food Minded Fellow, a Martha’s Vineyard based private chef service, and the creator of the Food Minded Fellow Podcast. His passion is all things food; if he is not in the kitchen you can find him fishing, gardening or foraging for ingredients. He said it is “very hard to pick just one favorite summer food, but if I must, I suppose the thing I look forward to the most each summer is probably MVM wild harvest shiitake mushrooms. They are one of the finest ingredients I have the good fortune to work with.”

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DISHING DISHING finds

FINDS

Cool culinary things to eat and use in your kitchen Story by Gwyn McAllister

Chappy Chips Which came first, the cookie or the egg? During pandemic times, a lot of folks coped with the challenges of isolation by 8 edible vineyard

either welcoming new animals into their lives or baking up a storm. Alessandra Hagerty did both, and even managed to parlay a business out of her new hobbies. Last summer,

Hagerty brought home eight chicks to raise for eggs. Right about then, she set out to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie. The one thing she knew for sure was that she would use

the eggs plucked daily from the family's backyard. From there, she experimented with a multitude of recipes, using various combinations, different brands of ingredients, modifying her

finds DISHING

methods as she went along (room-temperature versus cold butter, etc). Many trials later, she finally came up with the ultimate cookie, and the business Chappy Chips was born. “I've always wanted to do

something on my own,” says Hagerty, who has forged a successful career in ad sales ( she is the ad sales manager for the MVTimes company). “And I've always loved baking. Although there are many bakeries on the Island, there's no

actual cookie place.” Chappy Chips cookies are large — about three inches across — and combine a soft, chewy center with a crispy exterior. Hagerty has found that it's hard to please everyone, but so far she's had very enthusiastic feedback, and has developed a repeat customer base. The former summer kid has lived full-time in Edgartown with her husband James Hagerty, a Vineyard native, and their two kids since 2013. Having created her masterpiece, Hagerty has decided to focus solely on chocolate chip cookies. The only option customers have to consider is whether to have sea salt sprinkled on top. Eventually, the self-taught baker plans to add more varieties, such as a gluten-free version, and one with nuts, although she intends to stick with what she's spent almost a year developing — the perfect choc-

olate chip cookie. And why not? When you do something really well, you may as well specialize. Plus, as Hagerty notes, “I think everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. They're a nostalgic, classic American dessert — something of a comfort food. I just want to keep the focus on this quality cookie.” Right now, Chappy Chips are only available by advance order. Hagerty hand-delivers the cookies, fresh from the oven, on weekends. She also hopes to sell at events and popups this summer, and eventually she plans to expand to a wholesale business so she can offer her treats at local outlets. Chappy Chips are available as a bag of six or a box of 12, as well as in custom orders of individually wrapped cookies for weddings and other events. To get order information, visit her website, chappychips.com, or follow along on Instagram @ chappychips.

DISHING finds

Get fresh fruit from your own backyard!

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finds DISHING

Fantzye Bagels

Photos by Elizabeth Cecil

As the name implies, Fantzye Bagels are pretty special. The Island-made sourdough bagels are produced by a natural fermentation process, as opposed to adding commercial yeast. Still, the flavor and texture are classic New York bagel. “They have just a bit of that sourdough flavor,” says owner Elana Carlson. “They’re really light and airy, with this beautiful tunneling throughout.” What makes Fantzye Bagels extra-fancy are the spreads and sides that accompany them. The Fantzye Bagel kit includes a half-dozen bagels (four different varieties), a seasonal smoked fish salad, homemade schmear in a rotating variety of interesting flavors, and locally grown mixed pickled vegetables. Carlson and her teammates, Gina Citarella and Nina Krane, started the business last year with a mission to create not only

the freshest Island-made bagels, but also to provide customers with sides and spreads made from as many locally grown and sourced ingredients as possible. Each week’s selection is based on what’s currently available. Locally caught fish varieties have included whitefish, bluefish, and bonito, all smoked on-Island by Nate Gould of M.V. Smokehouse. Fantzye uses the smoked fish to make salads — some dairy-based, with crȅme fraîche and Mermaid Farm yogurt, and others with olive oil, fresh herbs, and crunchy vegetables. Some of the past schmear varieties include beet and dill, roasted leek, and even a lacto-fermented chili pepper schmear. Kits also feature seasonal mixed pickled vegetables — anything from radishes and onions to turnips and beets. “Every element of the bagel kits is thoughtfully considered,” says Carlson. “We want to offer the makings of a really

Nantucket

Martha’s Vineyard

White Plains

NYC

DISHING finds

delicious, fun, bright, and colorful sandwich.” Eye-catching platters, replete with fresh veggies, local eggs, and gravlax are also available for larger gatherings. Carlson first came to the Vineyard from New York City in 2014. She spent three years working at Behind the Bookstore, serving as general manager, before embarking on a successful career in the restaurant business in Los Angeles. A nod to Carlson’s grandmother, who spoke Yiddish, Fantzye is a variation of the word “fantazye” which, of course, means fancy. Carlson’s mother is from Brooklyn, and her father is from Long Island, so the Vineyard transplant knows from bagels. When Carlson returned to the Vineyard last year, she sorely missed the availability of handmade bagels, so she got together with Citarella and Krane, her co-workers at Seaweeds restaurant in Oak

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12 edible vineyard

They went on to offer their Starling Studios unique bagel kits through popup events at various locations Suzy Zell, owner of Starling around the Island. Fantzye uses Studios, is fortunate in that a deck oven, which Carlson she is able to indulge both of her passions with her two calls the “ideal bagel vehicle.” jobs. During the spring and The three-part process is comsummer months, Zell works plex and exacting, requiring as a gardener — designing, infermentation, boiling, and then GROW LOCAL stalling, and maintaining plots baking on presoaked, hand-cut PLANT IT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD and landscaping for Vineyard cedar boards with burlap. clients. During the off-season, Carlson notes that there is currently a boom of artisan ba- she spends her time weaving beautiful towels, napkins, rugs, gel makers across the country, scarves, table runners, and which has really exploded on baby blankets, which she sells the West Coast in particular. at the Vineyard Artisans FestiAs a matter of fact, an article val and, more recently, through in the New York Times this her online store. past March was titled “The Zell finds some crossover beBest Bagels Are in California tween her two occupations in the (Sorry New York).” The story way that both skill sets require describes a handful of young an eye for color and texture, bakers who have each attractsomething she has always valed a loyal following at their ued. Her woven designs feature respective bagel shops around a variety of color combinations the state. Carlson and team from cool blues and whites, are already experiencing a which she says are very popular similar dedicated clientele for their product, and they hope to on the Island, to warm, vibrant hues — her personal favorites. expand the business. Starling Studios' designs Under the name Fantze Suppers, the three women also benefit from a rustic simplicity, as well as a nice, slightly nubby, prepare and serve catered, homespun feel. Unlike storeseasonally inspired dinners bought linens, the handwoven paired with natural wines.

Bluffs, and embarked on a mission to bring fresh, Island-made bagels to the Vineyard, perfecting their recipe in the fall.

finds DISHING

designs hold up and wash very well, according to Zell's repeat customers. That's very important to the designer, who says that she never buys paper towels, preferring the eco-friendly practice of reusing her sturdy towels for spills. Zell uses a number of different traditional patterns in her weaving. The names are helpfully descriptive — Pinwheel, Ms and Os, Diamonds and Circles, Herringbone. One of the most popular of Zell's designs, Cat Tracks and Snail Trails, adds a nice whimsical touch for animal lovers (the design could also be interpreted as a dog paw). Starling designs are made using all-natural fibers, including cotton and linen blends, bamboo, Tencel (made from wood pulp), and hemp. All of the products are prewashed before hemming and finishing, to avoid shrinkage. Zell studied botany in college before moving to the Island in 1979. For 27 years, she worked

alongside Polly Hill, before the renowned horticulturalist’s property became a public arboretum. “I loved her dedication, her stepby-step process,” says Zell of her former employer. “Today people want instant gardens. With Polly, we started out from seeds or very small plants, and watched them grow. I like to think that I take a similar approach to my craft.” Zell considered going to art school before she chose to study botany and propagation. She has always been an avid spinner and knitter, and at one point, a friend gave her a loom, which she said sat around unused for a long time until one long, unproductive winter, when she decided to give it a try, and got hooked on weaving. Zell still loves to garden, but she finds the meditative aspect of weaving a nice counterpoint to her busy summer work. She named her business after her dog Starling, who, she says, “would be so patient and just watch me weave.”

Tigerhawk Sandwich Co. You may not think of the words “healthy” and “conscientiously sourced” when you picture fast food, but that's exactly what Nathaniel Wade and Jimmy Al-

varado have set out to provide with their new takeout-only restaurant, TigerHawk Sandwich Co. “Groovy fast food” is a term that Wade throws out when describing the fare that the two awardwinning veteran chefs will be offering visitors

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DISHING finds

You've heard of the Nantucket “lightship” basket, a classic woven cane purse with a lid often adorned with a scrimshaw carving. Now the Vineyard has its own signature basket, thanks to artist M-C Lamarre. Last winter Lamarre started experimenting with constructing baskets out of rope, and eventually came up

some products, she has made the effort to feature nautical touches, like handles attached with sailor's knots and hardware that reflects the longstanding fishing and sailing traditions of the Vineyard. The baskets and totes have a fresh, clean, contemporary look, and simple lines that harken to Lamarre's days as a ceramicist. She says that the sewing presented the biggest learning curve. She went through five sewing machines looking for an efficient way to stitch the rope together with nylon thread before settling on a commercial machine. Some of the pieces have hand-painted outlines of the Island. The large totes feature color-coordinated rope handles. Any one of the BasketCase designs would make a great

with a handful of designs. These include tabletop baskets in various sizes and shapes, larger catchalls for magazines, towels, etc., a coaster set, and even a couple of portable options in the form of two styles of tote bags. For her line, BasketCase, Lamarre uses all American-made products (her rope comes from two small distributors), and with

hostess or bridesmaid gift, a receptacle for a Vineyard-themed goodie basket, or simply a nice accent piece for an Island home (or home away from home). The BasketCase line is available exclusively at the Night Heron Gallery in Vineyard Haven, or it can be ordered through Lamarre's online store, basketcasemv.com.

to grab something and walk over to Ocean Park [a few steps away from the restaurant] and have a picnic. Think of La Rambla in Barcelona, or Peruvian street food.” In today's climate, with people seeking healthy, sustainably sourced food while maintaining an on-the-go lifestyle, TigerHawk is bound to soar (and roar).

BasketCase

to their Circuit Ave. shop this summer. “Groovy fast food,” as he describes it, is “chef-driven, quality, really flavorful sandwiches and snacks.” “We'll be sourcing as locally as possible,” says Wade. “We're going to make sure we're conscious of everything we sell — how it's raised, what type of practices a farm engages in, how far away it’s coming from.” Wade knows a lot about the food business. The restaurant in Vermont that he co-owned with his brother-in-law was nominated for a number of awards from the James Beard Foundation, including Best Chef two years running. The restaurant Misery Loves Co, based in Winooski, Vt., is still run by Wade's sister and her husband. His partner, Peruvian-born Jimmy Alvarado, is no less accomplished. He attended the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) before moving to the Vineyard in 2011. Here he has worked at Lambert’s Cove Inn, the Beach Plum Inn, the Harbor View Hotel, and Isola, where he served as executive chef. In 2016, Alvarado won the grand prize in the M.V. Wild Food Challenge for his juniper-cured venison with foraged mushrooms, Russian olives, watercress, and wild edible 14 edible vineyard

flowers. His prize was a trip to Italy, where he got to experience truffle-hunting, among other food-related activities. It was the perfect reward for a seasoned traveler like Alvarado, who has spent time in Southeast Asia, Mexico, and elsewhere. “Most of the food I do comes from all of my travels, and also the influences from my childhood,” he says. “Traveling helped me develop my flavors, and find new techniques and a style of cooking that I'll be bringing to the Vineyard. I love traveling and learning the cultures and foods from around the world, especially Southeast Asia. It's very similar to the food in Peru, very spicy, southern, sweet, lots of textures.” The co-owners will be experimenting with a wide range of options, from New Orleans–style po’boy sandwiches to banh mi (a Vietnamese sandwich), fusions of Thai and Peruvian cuisine, various salads, and seviches. “We want to expand the restaurant scene on Circuit Ave.,” says Wade. “The one thing that's lacking is that sort of locally sourced presence in a non-sit-down environment. We want to champion the whole food-truck vibe while working with locally sourced work within the confines of seasonality. We want to encourage people

finds: cool culinary things to eat and use in your kitchen DISHING

early summer 2021 15

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18 edible vineyard

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FEATURE

S E AW E Creating a space a Story by Gavin Smith Photos by Jeremy Driesen

20 edible vineyard

pening a restaurant under the best of circumstances can be difficult, let alone during a global pandemic. Imagine signing a lease for a new restaurant, in a seasonal vacation town, during the first days of an indefinite worldwide lockdown? Even as someone with years of industry experience you’d still be in uncharted waters. Fortunately, Danielle Pattavina and their team (Danielle prefers the pronouns they/them) at Seaweed’s were approaching the endeavor with a mindset radically different from the standards most restaurants use, and their innovative approach served them well in these unprecedented times. Danielle is a seasoned industry vet, starting with their first job at a lobster shack at 16 years old and later moving to New York City where they were immersed in food culture — books, and chefs; and had a budding passion for natural wine. It was in New York work-

seaweed’s FEATURE been dreaming of their whole career. That dream meant a restaurant space that serves natural wine, and locally sourced delicious food, but most importantly a workplace that is respectful, professional, and provides appropriate compensation. “I don’t want to be a millionaire,” they said. “I want to create a place where I want to work, and a place where I feel safe.” The restaurant industry is notorious for difficult and at times downright abusive working conditions. In the early years of their career, Danielle experienced some of the ugly side of the restaurant industry, including hazing, body shaming, and worse. Seaweed’s is not the first restaurant to push back against this toxic culture, but they have taken thoughtful steps to cultivate a most positive place. “Seaweed’s exists in part to have a queer space on Martha’s Vineyard,” Danielle told me. It is easy to take for granted one’s feeling of safety or comfort in any given situation, especially here on idyllic Martha’s Vineyard. But it is important to remem-

We E E D ’S : at the table for all Natural wine, locally sourced food, and a beacon for the queer community.

ing at Savoy, under chef Peter Hoffman, that Danielle became “totally charmed by food.” “That place was like school,” they said, “a cool learning kitchen. It set the tone for the [kind of] restaurants I would work in.” Danielle spent time in Brooklyn and on the Cape before coming to Martha’s Vineyard to work at the Beach Plum Inn. Working in a kitchen that procured its food almost exclusively from the Island gave them a look into what locally sourced, “farm-to-table” dishes could be. “I wasn’t planning on opening a restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard; I thought that chapter was over,” Danielle said. But an opportunity to rent a small space on Kennebec Avenue from some very cooperative landlords (due to the pandemic), presented itself. To Danielle, it was an opportunity to try something that they had

ber that there are many who live in daily discomfort or even fear. A statement from their employee handbook sums it up appropriately. “Seaweed’s is an anti-racist, gender-affirming, safe organization. In our work to create a diverse and just food system on Martha’s Vineyard, we will intentionally embrace and uplift people who have historically not had a seat at the table.” Creating this space is not with the intention to alienate, but rather with the intention to welcome. Seaweed’s is a place of respect, and inclusion first and foremost. In year one, there was no playbook to break down and rethink. “This was not a pivot; this was a complete business plan change,” Danielle said. Seaweed’s started with a very small team. At first they offered dinners to go, but the razor thin margins on locally sourced food in an environment where employees are receiving fair pay, would certainly not sustain their new business. Seaweed’s was fortunate to inherit a small patio with seating, a much desired feature, especially during the pandemic. “Our most coveted thing was our tables outside,” they told me. As the pandemic rolled on, the state eased restrictions on alcohol sales, allowing restaurants to sell beer and wine to go with the purchase of food, which helped tremendously. They started a weekly wine club, which will continue this year from June to October. The club features two bottles of natural wine a week, with the option to opt in or out at any time. As the summer of 2020 flew by, they found that they had gotten more comfortable rolling with the

early summer 2021 21

FEATURE seaweed’s

It is easy to take for granted one’s feeling of safety or comfort in any given situation, especially here on idyllic Martha’s Vineyard. But it is important to remember that there are many who live in daily discomfort.

punches, their team worked hard to keep things moving, and their place in the community began to take shape. Some customers come in with questions that Danielle points out are easily answered with a quick Google search. Questions about respectful pronoun use, or “Is it ok to say the word queer?” To Danielle this was not why they created this space, but they are happy to be a part of a respectful conversation. More importantly they have had tremendous support from the community they intended to protect and support. Although Martha’s Vineyard is a diverse place, Seaweed’s stands as a beacon for the queer community, and hopes to be a bigger part of the community as Covid restrictions are lifted. Danielle’s intention is to “create equity for queer people.” As this spring turns into summer, and the pandemic restrictions begin to ease, there is a sense of excitement and hope for some normalcy on the Island. This year, Seaweed’s will be welcoming not one, but two new chefs. Talia Weingarten, and Jam Joseph, are both joining the team from off-Island as “co-chefs.” Knowing that this was totally uncharted water, Danielle wanted the two chefs to be a part of defining their roles. Talia and Jam were given the opportunity to create their menu, their work schedule, and even define their position, together. Most restaurants operate with a top-down mentality, with the chef having

Ali Robinson

Paolo Wilton

Jam Joseph

22 edible vineyard

Talia Weingarten

seaweed’s FEATURE supreme rule over the kitchen. By having two chefs, Danielle hopes to create a healthier work environment for each of them. Giving the two chefs time to enjoy the Island and decompress will allow them to connect with the Island, and to come to work with the kind of positive energy needed to drive this one-of-a-kind concept. “It’s a tough business and I see how people wash out,” Danielle said. They’re hoping that the two-chef system will encourage more creativity, and knowledge sharing: “I’ve been able to shake things up more than I thought I could.” Seaweed’s is now open for the 2021 season seven nights a week for dinner, and Wednesday through Sunday for take-out lunch. Located on Kennebec avenue in Oak Bluffs, they feature a frequently changing menu of locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared food, natural wines, and cocktails, with indoor and outdoor seating. Seaweed’s also offers natural wine catering through their event company Tiny Shell Natural Wine catering. If you find yourself in Cambridge, look out for their new shop “Momma’s Wine and Grocery.” It’s a “neighborhood convenience store” featuring snacks, beer, and of course, natural wine. Find out more about Seeweed’s Seaweedsmv.com; 508-338-7954

Danielle Pattavina.

early summer 2021 23

FEATURE the black dog turns 50

THE BLACK DOG TURNS It all began 50 with a cannon.

Story by Geoff Currier

24 edible vineyard

the black dog turns 50 FEATURES

nine-inch muzzle-loading Dahlgren cannon that weighed nearly 10,000 pounds, to be precise. Captain Bob Douglas, founder of the Black Dog Tavern, spotted the cannon at the Boston Navy Yard, and decided he had to have it to add to his collection of marine memorabilia. “A nine-inch Dahlgren is very unusual,” Captain Douglas told me. “There are very few of those cannons around. This one was from the steam frigate Wabash, and it was built in 1855.” The cannon had been claimed by a salvage company on the South Shore, and they told Douglas that they could deliver it to Martha’s Vineyard, except that the truck they needed to use was already loaded with 6,000 pounds of yellow pine. Douglas agreed to buy the pine, thinking he could perhaps use it on his ship, the Shenandoah, and so purchased both the wood and the cannon, and had them delivered to the lot behind where the Black Dog Tavern stands today. “The yellow pine timbers were saplings long before Columbus; they were some of the oldest timbers on the Island,” said Allan Miller, father of Edible Vineyard editor Tina Miller, and the man who would become the builder of the Black Dog Tavern. Miller had a long history of summering on the Island as a kid, and moved here in the ’60s after dropping out of prep school, and worked with Daniel

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY ALLAN MILLER EXCEPT AS NOTED

Allan Miller's kids outside the Black Dog in 1972.

The Tavern was designed to use up 6,000 pounds of yellow pine Bob Douglas got when he bought the cannon.

Manter, an old-time Island carpenter. But Miller wanted to learn more, and eventually went on to work with David Douglas, Bob Douglas’ brother. “I got a full tutorship between working for David, who taught me about old houses, and Bob, who filled me in on boats,” Miller said. One day while Douglas and Miller were having breakfast at the ArtCliff Diner, the two talked about how great it would be to have their own nu. e M Dog k c restaurant that served food la B you’d actually look forward to eating. Douglas had the land — he owned a site on the shore of Vineyard Haven Harbor, occupied by a dilapidated boat shed called Captain Clem Cleveland’s Hickory Hall. And Douglas had the timbers he had acquired with the purchase of the cannon. “Douglas’ vision was to build a new building that looked old, and that’s where I came in,” Miller said. “I had learned much of that from working with David Douglas.” “I sketched out the design for the building on the back of a napkin,” Douglas said. “It wasn’t very complicated; it had to be this long, this wide, and this high because that’s how much lumber we had. And you didn’t have to worry much about permits in those days. I don’t think they even had a building inspector in Vineyard Haven.” Miller held tightly onto the sketch on the back of the napkin — it would serve as the blueprint for the new restaurant. Miller and his crew started building on July 13, 1970. “You have to understand that it was a whole different time for building

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FEATURE the black dog turns 50

The building in progress, 1970.

on the Vineyard 50 years ago,” Miller said. “We didn’t spend a lot of time getting permits and that kind of stuff in those days.” Miller's crew consisted of a nucleus of several people. “We had Roy Hayes, who was already a contractor, so he had the most skills,” Miller said. “There were Jack Mayhew, Lisa Fisher, and Tommy Reynolds, and Doug Higham, who was a boat builder, and he helped me out with the timbers.” Nobody was getting rich on the job; back then carpenters were making about $3 an hour, but Miller considered himself lucky to have assembled such a fine group. “The crew we put together had a lot of enthusiasm,” he said, “they backed each other up, helped each other out — it was a high-energy period.” Jack Mayhew had met Miller when Miller was building a barn not far from Jack’s parents’ house in West Tisbury and Mayhew went to check it out, and discovered, much to his fascination, that Miller was building a wooden car. “He took an old ’50s truck frame that had an old flathead V-8,” Mayhew said, “and stripped everything else away and built a wooden car on top of it.” Miller would later take the wooden car to California and back, accompanied by his partner Nancy Safford, who would go on to make major contributions to the running of the Black Dog. When he came back, Miller hired Mayhew as a carpenter. Mayhew had nothing but praise for Miller’s skills as a builder and his easygoing, pragmatic style. “‘Don’t worry about it,’ Mayhew said Miller would say. “‘It’s

26 edible vineyard

just wood. If it’s not right, you can take it apart and do it again’ — that was his whole attitude.” “Having all the beams was wonderful,” Mayhew said of the yellow pine beams, “but they were enormous, and moving them around proved to be a problem.” But the ever-resourceful Miller had a workaround that made moving the beams manageable. He went to the Vineyard Haven dump and found an old Buick lying upside down. He cut off the rear axle with the two wheels and tires on it, and brought it back. “We’d jack up one of the beams,” Mayhew said, “lash it onto the axle, and walk it over to the building site. When we had to get a beam over to the site, we’d say, ‘Time to get the Buick.’” It took roughly six months to build the Black Dog, an enviable time even by today’s standards. It opened its doors on Jan. 11, 1971. The Vineyard Gazette published an article iller in September 1970, describing the building as M n Alla ew it neared completion: “The building, which in a N s ime includes a variety of architectural designs in York T icle. art tasteful combination, will probably be the most ruggedly built wooden structure on the Island today,” the article read. “Its lower story [will] contain a spacious dining room, with a huge fireplace.” “The fireplace was nine feet, two inches,” Miller said. “David Douglas had a house in Essex with a nine-foot fireplace, and I suspect Capt. Bob made ours nine feet, two inches, just so it was bigger than his brother’s.” “The interior is especially interesting,” the Gazette article went on, “for the main timbers are from old mill

Black Dog chefs enjoy a ride in Miller’s wooden car.

the black dog turns 50 FEATURES

“I sketched out the design for the building on the back of a napkin,” Douglas said. “It wasn’t very complicated; it had to be this long, this wide, and this high because that’s how much lumber we had. And you didn’t have to worry much about permits in those days.

The c inclu rew, ding Allan his s and o And n, rew.

In addition to building the restaurant, Miller agreed to run it for the first year.

buildings. Dating from before the War of the Rebellion, they are 10- by 10-inch hard pine.” The article quotes Miller as saying, “The specialty of the place will be its chowder. The recipe will be that of Mrs. Sally Knight of Vineyard Haven, whose culinary skill is widely known.” The reason that Miller, the builder of the Black Dog, is the one commenting on the cuisine is that he had an unusual arrangement with Bob Douglas. In addition to building the Black Dog, he agreed to run the restaurant for the first year. Choosing Miller to run the restaurant might not have seemed like the obvious choice. As a teenager he had worked at the Edgartown Kafe, starting as a dishwasher and working his way up in the kitchen. He had also worked briefly in a restaurant in Santa Barbara, but going from having summer jobs to opening up a new restaurant was a bit of a stretch. “There were a lot of people who didn’t know what they were doing,” Miller said, “myself included — I was terrified. I’d just wake up in the morning and try to figure out the best I could do — everyone was in the same boat.” Miller would have to draw on every resource he had, and that included relying on the kindness of strangers, “People would come out of the woodwork and do the nicest things,” Miller said. Soon after the restaurant opened, an elderly woman came up to Miller and

early summer 2021 27

FEATURE the black dog turns 50

gave him a little box with a handle that held a 12-piece silverware setting. “She was so sweet,” Miller said, “she said, ‘I just want to be part of the Black Dog, I want you to have this silverware caddy so you’ll have a place to put your silverware.’” And of course there was the redoubtable Sally Knight, she of the fabulous chowder, who worked as a cashier at the Black Dog, and made chowder at home and lugged it down to the restaurant in a jug. And refused to take a penny for her efforts. But perhaps one of Miller’s greatest strengths was that he wasn’t afraid to break some rules. For instance, there was no charge for a second cup of coffee — he encouraged staff to give customers as much coffee as they wanted, on the house. In addition, everyone got a demi-loaf of homemade bread when they sat down to dinner. “That was a huge idea at the time — earthshattering!” Miller said. “The bread was baked using honey instead of butter, and it was delicious.” Jack Mayhew, who went on to become the baker at the Black Dog, said that Black Dog bread and desserts became so popular with customers that Douglas bought the old fire truck garage on Water Street in Vineyard Haven and converted it to a bakery, which is still operational today. In another break with tradition, Miller allowed the waitresses to wear whatever they Dinn er c hec were comfortable with on the job, k from

Cap

in stark contrast to most restaurants which required waitresses to wear “uni’s.” “Remember, it was the ’70s, and the no-bra look was in,” Miller said, “and that wasn’t exactly bad for business.” Deborah Mayhew, Jack’s sister, worked as a waitress in those early days, and described the scene as “loosey-goosey and crazy.” “We were a happy family of partying hippies,” she said, “and Allan set the tone.” She recalled an incident when one of the waitresses dropped a tray of dishes in the middle of the dining room, and Miller berated her loudly. “We all had to laugh because he was just putting her on, he had that kind of rapport with the staff,” Mayhew said, “but the customers weren’t in on the joke, and they were pretty shocked — which made it even funnier.” And then there was Frieda Florintine. One night over drinks, Miller mentioned to Island artist Stanley Murphy that he would love to have a great nude painting of a voluptuous woman, the kind that hung over the bars of fancy men’s saloons in the good old days. Murphy loved the idea and created the painting, dubbing the lady “Frieda Florintine.” There was, of course, one small detail. The Black Dog didn’t have a bar over which to hang the painting, but the painting found a place on the wall in the kitchen, which because it was open to the dining room was in full view of customers. “Captain Bob wasn’t crazy about Frieda,” Miller said. “His taste in art tended to lean more toward nautical prints, but I loved it, and when I left to go to open a restaurant in Florida, I took her with me.” As anyone who has worked in a restaurant can attest, it’s even more than a full-time

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28 edible vineyard

BLACK DOG PHOTO BY KRISTOFER RABASCA

Deborah Mayhew, Jack’s sister, worked as a waitress in those early days, and described the scene as “loosey-goosey and crazy.”

The Black Dog Tavern today.

the black dog turns 50 FEATURE

Gourmet.

S Flor tan Mu enti r ne in phy’s p a the Blac inting o fF k Do job. Nonetheless, Miller and g Ki reda tche Mayhew and a few of their pals wanted to keep n.

up goes se Kale So Portugue g o D k c la B

their hand in carpentry, and started a small company called the Lazy Brothers. Miller even wrote up what he called a Constitution for the Lazy Brothers. Because they still had their day jobs, they had to limit their hours to about 16 a week. ”Thus the Lazy Brothers,” Mayhew said. Every month on a full moon they would have a business meeting at either the Lampost or the Ritz Bar in Oak Bluffs. The Lazy Brothers would not work on anything built after 1880. And they never did estimates, because “you never know what you’re going to find,” Mayhew said. “We’d just tell customers,

as.

e Kristidim Chef Georg

‘Don’t worry, we’ll do it if it takes every penny you’ve got.’” Bob Douglas had originally asked that Allan Miller stay on as manager of the Black Dog for one year, but after five years, Miller decided it was time to call it quits. The restaurant was in good hands, and Miller headed to Key West, where he ran a restaurant called Pepe’s Cafe, which he sold in 2017. Today Miller is happily retired and living in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. And the Black Dog? It’s doing just fine, as well.

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FEATURES section

HOOP HOUSES How a cool, gray Martha’s Vineyard spring produces a summer’s bounty. Photo essay by Molly Glasgow

riving around, you might notice the Island is heavily populated with farm stands overflowing with gorgeous vegetables and fruits, grown right in the Island soil. This was not always the case — with a growing season typically held hostage to an often cool, gray spring, crops could be slow to grow, and Islanders ended up with farm-fresh Vineyard produce sometime in late June (if we were lucky). In the past, farmers had open fields just waiting for the perfect temperature to warm the soil enough to drop fragile seedlings into the cool earth. Over the past few years, Island farmers, like farmers around the country, are looking at their farmland acreage and their growing season differently. Many are using hoop houses to extend the season by several months, basically adding an additional growing and harvesting season starting in April — with lettuces, kale, pea shoots, hakurei turnips, carrots, bok choy, arugula, and more being harvested from the shelters you see on these pages, and ending up on your dinner table. Many farm stands may also be loaded up with young plants like tomatoes, herbs, chard, kale, celery, and others ready for outdoor planting, long before they traditionally ever were. How lucky are we? So, what are hoop houses? A hoop house, also known as a polyhouse, hoop greenhouse, or hoophouse, grow tunnel, polytunnel, or high tunnel, is as defined by Wikipedia as “a tunnel typically made from steel and covered in polyethylene, usually semicircular, square, or elongated in shape.” The interior heats up with incoming solar radiation from the sun warming the plants, soil, and other things inside the building faster than heat can escape the structure. And what is the difference between a hoop house and a greenhouse? Greenhouses are a permanent structure on your farmland, made of glass and steel, sealed tight, with heat and fans for temperature control. Greenhouses are not cheap to design and install. A hoop house works as a combination of greenhouse and open field production, basically a hybrid. So go enjoy your June turnips.

Beetlebung Farm

Beetlebung Farm 30 edible vineyard

–Tina Miller

hoop houses FEATURE

Ghost Island Farm

FEATURE hoop houses

Island Grown Intitiative

Grey Barn

Slip Away Farm

Island Grown Intitiative

Morning Glory

early summer 2021 33

ESSAY

Girls and Story By Tina Miller

was introduced to horses at 6, when my father’s girlfriend at the time, Nancy Safford, took me to Nip ’n’ Tuck Farm for lessons. I rode a rowdy Shetland pony named Roxy. Roxy was smart and athletic, and promptly scraped me off his back by slipping under a fence, then proudly trotted back to the barn. I have no doubt I was just another conquest for this clever, sassy pony. A few years later, I met my soon-tobe best friend Beach Phillipps, who had just moved with her family to the Island from New York City. I introduced Beach to horses when we were 9; we’d hitchhike to

excited about the next Saturday. As we got comfortable at the farm, Saturdays became longer, and we stretched our time out learning horsemanship. We learned to brush and groom the horses, lift their heavy hooves, and pick out the dirt. We learned how to tack up — putting on a bridle and saddle. And after our ride, we learned to untack, brush the horses down, and return them to their stalls. There were other horses on the farm we got to know. Mr. Fisher had a team of chestnut-colored draft horses named Bob and Barney. Frosty was a skittish ex-racehorse we were a bit afraid of; we learned it was

his workshop for Lady, and put fencing around the field below our house. Beach had an old shed that was converted for Sundance, and they also were able to fence in a pasture area. We were inseparable, the four of us. If I slept over at Beach’s house, which I did quite often, Lady slept there too. After school, we would go to our homes, tack up, and meet for a ride. We lived about half a mile from each other, me on Music Street, Beach behind the gas station. We would meet in the middle, and head into our special world in the woods. Even with cold, snowy days, there was no stopping us. We would put

Often a girl’s first love, a horse will quickly become a best friend, a confidant that encourages independence, strength, imagination, and self-determination. A horse changes that girl forever. Nip ’n’ Tuck Farm in West Tisbury on Saturdays with five bucks so we could take a trail ride with a young Freddy Fisher. It was the ’70s, and the Island wasn’t quite so precious. We could ride pretty much anywhere without the fear of being called trespassers. My pony was named Lady, a pony you might expect to see out West in the Plains, herding cattle. Lady was dun-colored — a warm, dark tan with dark brown mane and tail. Beach rode Sundance, a beautiful palomino who was a former parade horse with a flowing mane and a tail that matched Beach’s blond locks. Freddy led us on our rides on his strikingly beautiful, very well-trained, light gray Arabian named Muffet Kusna. Those Saturdays were filled with unfettered happiness and fantasy as we rode through the backwoods and fields of West Tisbury. Time just disappeared, and by the end of our ride, we were already 34 edible vineyard

best to observe his nervous energy from afar. There was Freddy’s magical horse, Kusna, whose stall was at the open door to the lower level of horse stalls. She seemed in charge of the whole group. Upstairs with the cows were the smaller ponies, a chocolate brown Shetland pony named Gemini, and of course the infamous Roxy. By the time summer came, we had worked our way into the farm system, and spent days riding and helping out at the barn. We helped mostly with trail rides, tacking horses up, and riding at the back of the group as people were led out through the woods on horseback. At the end of the summer, Mr. Fisher — Fred — offered Beach and me the opportunity for a free winter lease with Lady and Sundance. This was a win-win; Mr. Fisher would not have to feed the horses all winter, and we got to have Lady and Sundance at our homes and ride every day, which we did. My father created a small stall in

Vaseline on Lady’s and Sundance’s hooves to prevent snow from balling up in them; we would ride bareback to stay warm. Lady preferred to be with Sundance, and eventually learned how to stretch our fencing by leaning her body on the wire until it became loose. Then she could slip out and escape to see her best friend. When we got off the school bus near Alley’s Store, an adult would often tell us they saw Lady running down Music Street heading toward the gas station. It wasn’t ideal, but Lady was a pony — smart and willful. After another summer at Nip ’n’ Tuck, Beach and I were official barn rats, riding in exchange for taking out trail rides, grooming, and mucking stalls. We would spend full days on the farms. By summer’s end, Mr. Fischer offered to sell Sundance to Beach for $250, and Beach accepted the deal. Sundance had issues: He was often lame, and not always

Horses Photo courtesy Alison Shaw

section FEATURES

offered to sell Sundance to Beach for $250, and Beach accepted the deal. Sundance had issues: He was often lame, and not always a reliable trail horse. Lady was very sturdy, and was not offered for sale. The bright side was I got to have Lady at my house again, and our riding adventures continued. The following summer Beach and I were no longer riding together, as my only chance to ride Lady was to ride at Nip ’n’ Tuck on my own, continuing as a barn rat. It was lonely. That winter was seventh grade and my life changed when my father began working and living in Key West. My brother and I joined my father, and in addition to all the obvious changes, there were no horses. When we returned to the Vineyard in the spring, every girl I knew was riding horses. Our horse gang in West Tisbury all moved to Pond View Farm, off New

Lane on the Tisbury Great Pond. We had gone from being trail riders to serious riders, taking lessons, learning true equitation and skilled horsemanship, and competing in local horse shows. The land that Pond View Farm is on was owned by Daniel Manter, known as “Dan’l” — an Island builder who built and founded the Manter Memorial Hostel with his wife Lillian in 1955. Dan’l’s daughter, Marjorie Manter Rogers, was an avid horsewoman, and ran the old riding stable for years in the mid-’70s before passing the reins of daily operations over to her niece, Martha Kenniston. I remember Martha doing a fine job of balancing being a boss, teaching riding, being a 4-H leader, a mentor, and creating a fun, casual environment where she was just one of the girls who loved horses. Pond View had many horses, ponies, and many girls of all ages, and I remem-

ber just one boy who hung out at the farm. We taught riding lessons, and took customers out on trail rides as part of our work. And we competed throughout the summer in horse shows. We spent full days at the farm, morning until the evening feeding. There was an hour off for lunch, and if we were able, we would bum a ride with one of the older girls to Alley’s Store to grab a bag of Doritos, a Pepsi, and a Snickers bar. Otherwise, we would hang out in the grain bins, chewing on molasses-covered oats and corn. We worked hard, and by my memory, got along pretty well. Beach had brought Sundance to Pond View for the summer, and I was given a pony named Chocolate Chip to ride and show. He seemed fancy compared to my rustic pony Lady; he was well-trained and a nice mover. It was a fun time. I early summer 2021 35

ESSAY girls and horses rode him English, Western, jumped him, and even showed him sidesaddle. He was a pony who could do anything. I always did well competing on him. By the next season, after outgrowing Chocolate Chip (or maybe my turn with a perfect pony was up), I was offered a skittish new pony Marjorie brought to the farm. He was a large Appaloosa pony named Raisin. Raisin must have been abused in some way — he had serious trust issues. Though I was still small and scrawny for my age, I was also very strong, and able to handle most complicated ponies. I was happy for the challenge of earning Raisin’s trust. Raisin was large, and had a little rat tail and shaggy, fuzzy feet, which he hated to have touched, another sign he had probably been abused. He was athletic and fast, and could jump. He wasn’t fancy at all, but he was fun and very sweet. I loved him. Horses have a doglike bond with their people, and can be affectionate and sweet, responding with visible happiness the way a dog does, but with different gestures — maybe shaking their head, twitching their ears, and giving a sweet whinny when they see you. They lean into a good brushing or scratching. They nuzzle their soft, velvet noses on their people, they playfully rub their faces on your back. Horses are partners in sync with their person, whether working on a farm or range, show jumping in a ring, pirouetting in a dressage arena, or cantering through an open field. Horses can also feel our fear and anger. Horses become damaged when

abused, and like a dog, can become defensive, distrustful, and appear to be mean. After a time, Raisin trusted me, and others too. He finally had well-groomed feet, and relaxed, knowing he was safe and cherished. When I was 15, Raisin’s owner, Marjorie, asked me to race Raisin in the Thanks-

“It was the ’70s, and the Island wasn’t quite so precious. We could ride pretty much anywhere without the fear of trespassing.” giving weekend horse race. The Thanksgiving weekend horse race was started back in 1971 by John and Kappy Hall at their property in West Tisbury. It was a hodgepodge of horses, riders, families, and fun seekers. This was a homespun Vineyard event: no worries; just food, drinks, and friends. Fred Fisher was there with draft horses Bob and Barney pulling his hay cart,

loaded with screaming, happy, not heavily supervised kids. The actual race was just a sprint from one end of the field to the other, not a classic race around a track. Cars and people lined the field, and a group of riders held their excited horses as much as possible at a starting line, and then galloped to the other end. After several years, the race had moved near Scrubby Neck Farm — perhaps the risk became too much for the Halls to keep hosting such a loose event, which was mostly a big party with horses running at full speed. (What could go wrong?) When the chance came to ride Raisin in the race, I was excited to take my spotted pony to compete in an event that I had first watched on my father’s shoulders when I was 7 years old. I knew Raisin was fast, and I trusted his surefootedness. I knew he would not fall. I knew he would keep me safe. On the morning of the race, Beach’s sister Christy and I rode from Pond View Farm along Edgartown–West Tisbury Road the few miles to the racing field. Christy would be riding her chestnut mare named Chyenne in the race. There was a good crowd; the November air was cold. Ten horses were entered in the race, or should I say nine horses and Raisin, who was actually a large pony.(Horses are measured in “hands,” which are equivalent to four inches. Ponies measure under 14.2 hands.) Most riders who compete will tell you: You may have nerves, but you cannot afford to be fearful on the back of a large, strong, and psychic beast. Adrenaline Continued on page 51

Beach and Sundance at our first horse show 1974.

Lady and Sundance.

36 edible vineyard

FEATURE

It’s Not You, It’s Me An Island cook attempts a blind tasting of local chefs’ recipes. Can she figure out the chef by their food? Story by Mollie Doyle

Mollie Doyle enlisted the help of her husband and mother to prep the Date Night Bouillabaisse. Photo by Mollie Doyle.

ruth: It is nearly impossible for me to follow a recipe. I generally use recipes and cookbooks more as inspiration boards than as specific directions to get to a certain place and flavor. I will try techniques and general portioning, but rarely adhere to the whole formula. This is especially true when it comes to spices. If a teaspoon of cumin is called for, I’ll add a tablespoon. And I am particularly reckless when I’m baking, and the chemistry of a cake or loaf of bread could go completely awry — too much fat, not enough liquid — but I still tweak it. I just can’t help myself. And, for the past few years, this approach has been encouraged by New York Times food critic early summer 2021 37

The salad is a tribute to the beauty that surrounds us in the spring. The bright greens of new leaves, the white lily of the valley, and the purple crocuses.

The Shaved Asparagus Salad with lemon-thyme vinaigrette and lavender honey.

Sam Sifton’s “No-Recipe Recipes,” which are a list of suggested ingredients that a cook can then freestyle with. This style of cooking was particularly well-suited to the last year when not all ingredients were readily available and ingredient swapping and riffing had to happen. But then food writer Genevieve Ko wrote an article for the New York Times called “A Kitchen Resolution Worth Making: Follow the Recipe Exactly.” Her point? “Home cooks often tweak dishes, but hewing tightly to instructions can help us better understand others and their cuisines and cultures.” I know Genevieve Ko is right without even cooking a single recipe, but I wanted to test the theory. So I asked my editor, Tina Miller, if she’d indulge me and send me a few blind (no author revealed) recipes from local chefs. Could I identify the chef by just the recipe? What would these recipes tell me about our food and our culture that I don’t know? The first recipe to arrive was for a Shaved Asparagus Salad. I liked it immediately, mainly because it appeals to my sensibility and palate: seasonal vegetables paired with the sharp acids of shallots and vinegar, and then balanced by Burrata and honey. Cheese is my weakness. So I was in and excited. But I had to wait. The asparagus at Stop & Shop and at Cronig’s was dried out and tired-looking. Ghost Island’s 38 edible vineyard

asparagus was beautiful, but too thin to shave. And Morning Glory was closed. While I was waiting, two more recipes arrived. A Spring Radish Spread and a Spring Pea Pesto. Now, while there are still no fresh peas on the Island as I write this, Ghost Island Farm had a great stash of red radishes, and I felt I could make the pesto and still get a sense of the chef. These recipes draw on seasonal vegetables, but they were also efficient. Once I have all the ingredients, the pea pesto takes maybe seven minutes to whir up in my Cuisinart. And the radish butter takes maybe 20 minutes. But if you are making both at the same time, as I was, you can chop and process the radishes first, and make the pea pesto while you soak the radishes in the tarragon vinegar. I tasted the pesto. If I was not writing an article about following recipes, I probably would have added a bit more lemon to the pea pesto to give it more tang, but I also wondered if this was because I was using defrosted frozen peas rather than fresh ones, which would have less sweetness and more snap to them. As I cooked and then sampled the vittles, I admired the practicality of this chef. One can make either recipe a day or even two before you need it, and yet they immediately up the game. When I pair the pesto with a simple roasted salmon, it adds

a nutty freshness to the bite. Crusty bread with the radish butter now has crunch and a wonderful peppery sharpness. These two recipes are not condiments per se, but friends in the fridge. I imagine this chef having a full life. They cook, but do other things. Maybe they have young children? Do they also work at the Island Food Pantry? Maybe it is a she? Maybe she appreciates time in her garden as much as in the kitchen. So maybe one quality of Vineyard food is that while fresh, excellent food is a priority, so are our lives away from the stove? Fantastic, but not fussy. Morning Glory finally reopens, and they have some gorgeous asparagus. Time to make the Shaved Asparagus Salad. I immediately began to wonder about this chef. What kind of amazing vegetable peeler do they have that can create ribbons with it? My peeler just mashes the asparagus stems. Mandolin to the rescue! Crap. I’m already off-piste. And as I move further into the process, I feel another swerve coming. I am reluctant to use canola oil in a salad dressing. Why? I am an olive oil junkie. I buy six or seven gallons at a time. For real. So, dear Chef, it’s not you, it’s me. “OK,” I think, “this is not about me. I will try the canola, but only for the sake of this article.” A few minutes later, “Wow.” I say to myself, “Pretty good. Yummy, actually. The mildness of the canola lets the other flavors shine.” Lesson

it’s not you, it’s me FEATURE learned. I like the lavender honey and it is beautiful, but I feel more resistance. I’m so sorry, Chef. I worry the honey is going to make the salad too sweet. While I love nothing more than chocolate cake, I want a salad to feel savory. I don’t use an entire cup of honey. It just feels like too much. I make ¼ cup, and drizzle it as instructed with a small spoon. The salad looks stunning. Instagram-ready. I taste. Terrific. It is elegant, artful, and really pretty simple to make. Ingredients I use all the time, but up a notch. The salad is a tribute to the beauty that surrounds us in the spring. The bright greens of new leaves, the white lily of the valley, and the purple crocuses. This appreciation of beauty is not a small thing for us Vineyarders. It’s a core thread and value woven into the fabric of our life — from our strict building codes to the many organizations and folks working hard to preserve our extraordinary land, wildlife, and water. The final recipe arrives. Tina’s subject line reads, “Last recipe … It’s a doozy.” She’s right. The chef’s Date Night Bouillabaisse is a three-page, single-spaced project. The chef writes to us, “It’s my little secret to impressing a date that leaves you with some great leftover items.” OK, so clearly this is a single person with a love for food and time on their hands. Homemade harissa? Challenge accepted! I have everything but the seafood, fennel, and baguette on hand. I order the shellfish, pick up some fennel, and my husband gets bread from the Grey Barn. Phase one accomplished. But before we go further, let me pause here and say that I deeply appreciate the time and thought the chef gave to writing this recipe down. They even wrote a cooking and cleaning break time into the recipe. Respect! And gratitude. I also love that the chef gave a rationale for their approach educating me as a cook. It’s this work and thinking that makes me know this person has a cookbook in their future. OK, enough procrastinating. To the recipe!

econd truth: I really don’t like killing lobsters with a knife through the head. I called my friend and private chef Gail Arnold. She wisely said, “Just ask Net Result to do it.” They did. Thank you again, Net Result! I also called for chopping help. At 3 pm on a Friday, my mom and husband arrived ready for tasks. Per instructions, I had already trimmed the lobster’s gills out,

and had begun the stock. For the next hour, we chopped, stirred, and chatted. After 21 years of creating, programming, fundraising, and pouring his heart into the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, it was my husband Thomas Bena’s last day. We three agreed that for some reason, cooking this special meal together felt like the perfect way to mark the moment. As instructed, harissa in the oven, broth simmering, we took a break and cleaned. The kitchen smelled fabulous. Back to work. Aioli done. Harissa blended. Harissa and aioli combined. Delicious. This Date Night Bouillabaisse is not for every date. But a special one. Broth strained. Veg gets sweated. Broth introduced to the veg. More cooking. Finally, it is time to add the clams and then mussels and lobster. Around 5:30, we’re done. We tear a piece of bread and dip it into the broth. Phenomenal. Amazing. A total celebration in the mouth. Later, belly full, I reflected on the process and person who wrote this recipe. First, nothing was wasted. Every part of the lobster was used. This was also true for the fennel and its stems and fronds, which gave the lobster broth a whole other place to go. Then there was the exuberant writing and cooking instructions — not everyone wants to take this much time making a meal, never mind writing a recipe. This person is clearly passionate about food. And with the seafood, they also show a deep appreciation for what

and where they are cooking. But they did not just present a good version of moules marinière or even bouillabaisse, which we see on many menus around the Island. This person has the skills to bring North African flavors together with classic French cooking. Honestly, I’m not surprised. This Island, while small in stature in some ways, also attracts the occasional globetrotting chef. I think back to a line from Genivieve Ko’s article that still resonates. She wrote, “I reflected on how unconscious bias can creep into the kitchen. I realized that I should start cooking by considering what the recipe creator is offering — not by imposing myself on the recipe. By inserting my own likes and dislikes, I miss the opportunity to get to know another person, to see (and taste) her history and culture through her perspective.” I agree. This experience has given me a deeper appreciation for the Island’s food culture. And in one way or another, I also feel like I’ve made some new friends.

Date Night Bouillabaisse This is my recipe for an all-shellfish bouillabaisse. It’s my little secret to impressing a date that leaves you with some great leftover items. In my opinion, having extra aioli and harissa paste in the fridge for a couple of days

Doyle’s Date Night Bouillabaisse was a success. But guessing who created the recipe was tricky.

The Spring FEATURES section Radish Spread is best served with crostini. Or, if you want, straight out of the bowl.

after is never a problem! This recipe can be taken in many different directions, but what I love about an all-shellfish bouillabaisse is that these ingredients are always fresh, locally sourced, and available at the fish market, and also surprisingly affordable. You can certainly add fish or scallops, or even shrimp if you want, but unless there is an allergy looming, never leave out the clams and mussels because they enhance the broth so much. This recipe may seem like a little much for the novice in the kitchen, but it’s made to impress by the fragrances in the kitchen and the delicious and outstanding presentation.

1 1-lb. 2 1 4-5 2 1 2 2 1 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 3 cups

lobster Spanish onions large bulb fennel carrots, depending on size (about 1 lb.) red bell peppers jalapeño stalks celery heads garlic cumin seed coriander seed paprika salt neutral oil (light olive oil or canola)

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1 28-oz. 2 2 1 1 lb. 1 lb.

can whole peeled tomato Yukon Gold potatoes egg yolks lemon littleneck clams mussels

1 baguette

Preheat oven to 375° F. To start, break down the lobster by putting the tip of a knife directly through its head, then removing the tail by twisting, and removing each claw and knuckle (as a whole) from the body. Set these aside in a bowl in the fridge for a bit. Now pull the body in half, and scrape the tomalley and head matter out and discard (or save the tomalley, if you’re into that kinda thing). Using scissors, cut away the gills, the spongy part above the legs. Do not skip removing the gills. This is the difference between a lobster stock tasting aromatic and delicious or like a wet, fishy sponge. Add the body and legs to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with a bit of oil on medium heat, cover and slightly cook for 5-10 minutes. Basically for this recipe, I like to have three things going at once. The lobster broth base cooking, a harissa paste roasting in the oven, and the vegetables for the final stew prepped in a bowl. While the lobster body parts are starting to cook, rough-chop one of

the onions, half going in with the lobster, and the other half in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or any pan around that size to roast in. This is going to be the harissa pan. Next, take the bulb of fennel and cut the long stems off, saving a few nice fronds. Cut these stems up and add to the lobster bodies. Cut the fennel in half and cut out the root part and any other stem off the top, and add this to the harissa pan. Cut the remaining fennel in half lengthwise, and then into ½-inch chunks. Add this to your vegetable prep bowl. Peel and chop the carrots into 1-inch chunks, or whatever fun shape you’d like for the finished stew, and put this in your veg prep bowl. Add at least one carrot and whatever scrap cuts are left to each of the stock and harissa pans. Deseed and ½-inch dice one of the bell peppers for the veg prep bowl, and rough-chop the other for the harissa pan. Deseed and rough-chop the jalapeño and add to the harissa pan. Dice celery to the same size as bell peppers, add to the veg prep bowl and set aside for a bit. Separate 8 cloves of garlic from heads, add 5 to the harissa pan, reserve 3 for aioli, and cut the remaining garlic heads in half and add to lobster stock. Add cumin seed, coriander, paprika, 2 tablespoons salt, and about ½ cup oil to the harissa pan. Toss around to coat, and roast in oven for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes to the lobster body, and break apart with a wooden spoon, stirring all the components around to get nice and coated with tomatoes. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Fill the tomato can about ¾ full with water, incorporating the residual juice, and add this to the stock. Let this simmer for 20 minutes. Take a break. This was a lot. Clean up a bit, and think about how impressed your date is going to be when they walk in and smell all of the smells of this cooking. When ready to get back into it, add the lobster tail and claw/knuckles to the stock, cover, and let cook for 7 minutes. While these are cooking, cut potatoes, with skin on, into 1-inch dice, and cover with cold water. Remove the lobster meat parts, and clean the knuckle and claw meat however you see fit. You can use either the back of a knife, a little fancy mallet, or I personally like to use some scissors, especially for the knuckle part. Cut the tail in half lengthwise, with the shell still intact. Add any juices that accumulated to the stock. Strain the stock into a large bowl. I like to use just a colander set into a large bowl to let everything rest, press it real good, discard the shells/veggies and then strain through a finer strainer before

it’s not you, it’s me FEATURE pouring it into the final stew. Wipe out the Dutch oven, and return to stove on medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Add prepped vegetables to pot, covered slightly, and let sweat for 10 min. At this time, the harissa pan should be nice and toasty, and cooled off a little. Add everything in the harissa pan to a blender, and blend. It may need to be wetted with a touch more oil, and will most likely need to be scraped down a couple of times with a spatula. It is a paste, after all. Put the paste away in a jar, leaving a bit in the blender for the aioli. To make aioli: Add egg yolks to blender with the juice of one lemon, 3 cloves garlic, one tablespoon salt, and ¼ cup water. Blend for 2 minutes, and then slowly drizzle in two cups of oil. If the mixture gets too thick, stop the blender, add a few drops of water, scrape down the sides of blender, and then continue drizzling oil. Put some of this aioli in a serving dish with as much harissa as you like stirred into it, and reserve the rest for later use. Add ¼ cup harissa to the sweating

Judy Klumick is a chef at Black Sheep Take-Away and Gourmet.

Hal Reyerson is chef and co-owner of Sweet Life Cafe.

Austin Racine is chef and co-owner of Moe’s Lunch pop-up dinners, too) at the P.A. Club.

vegetables. Stir in drained potatoes, and let cook for 5 minutes with harissa. Add strained broth, and reduce heat to medium. Let this simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are almost cooked all the way through. Add clams and simmer, covered, until open. Stir in mussels, add lobster meat on top, and cover for 2 minutes more, until mussels open. Give it all a good stir, and portion between two bowls with a hefty drizzle of the harissa aioli around, and a few of those reserved fennel fronds scattered on top. Toast up some thick slices of baguette and rub with harissa paste, and serve plenty on the side for sopping up all the delicious broth.

Spring Radish Spread A riff on radishes and butter. 10 oz. radishes, trimmed and quartered 2 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar 5 Tbsp. butter softened (good butter is better) 1 tsp. horseradish 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper Process radishes in a food processor to a fine chop. Soak radishes in vinegar for approximately 15 minutes. Drain well. Discard vinegar. Combine radishes with next four ingredients. Mix well. Serve on toasted crostini!

Spring Pea Pesto Great with salmon, and anywhere you would use pesto. 3 cups fresh or frozen peas (thaw peas if using frozen) 1 cup fresh basil ½ cup fresh mint ½ cup toasted nut of choice 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice ½ cup Parmesan cheese olive oil (start out with a half-cup of olive oil, adding more if needed) salt and pepper to taste Process all ingredients, adding oil while running, to a smooth texture.

Shaved Asparagus Salad 1 bunch 2 Tbsp. 1 bunch ½ cup 4

large asparagus (typically about a pound) fresh, hand-torn mint red radish English peas, blanched and shocked salt to taste medium-size (2-oz.) balls of Burrata

Trim tough bottom part of the asparagus and discard. With a vegetable peeler, peel asparagus from top of the spear to the bottom, getting long, thin ribbons. Rinse and shave radishes on a mandolin at a very thin setting, enough to keep a crispy texture in the salad. Shuck fresh peas to get ½ cup. Have a pot of salted boiling water going, and an ice bath on hand. Blanch peas for about 30-45 seconds, and immediately transfer to ice bath. Tear mint leaves, and toss all ingredients except for the burrata in a bowl.

Lemon-thyme vinaigrette 1¼ cup olive oil ¾ cup canola oil splash white wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. smooth Dijon mustard ¼ cup thyme, picked leaves 2 shallots, fine-diced Add all ingredients to blender except for the olive oil. With the blender running on medium-high, slowly drizzle in olive oil until everything is emulsified. Season to taste with salt.

Lavender honey 1 cup honey ¾ cup dried lavender flowers Mix honey and lavender by hand. Place one ball of burrata in the center of each bowl. Arrange one handful of asparagus salad on top and around the burrata. Drizzle desired amount of lemon-thyme vinaigrette over salad, then with a small spoon, lightly drizzle lavender honey over salad.

early summer 2021 41

IN SEASON fried clams

Salty clams from the Net Result.

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fried clams IN SEASON

Clams at John’s Fish Market are mouthwatering.

Spritz some lemon on clams at Nancy's.

IN SEASON:Fried Clams Oh, Fried Clams, fresh out of molten hot oil, piled together, bellies and all, with a wedge of lemon and tartar sauce. We have missed you!

any of us supported our local restaurants and created a takeout routine last year. And as much as we like to treat ourselves ordering takeout, fried foods are tough. The magic fades by the time you get home in the car. You can reheat fries, but the delicate fried clam cannot be resurrected in any way. Summer is back on the Vineyard — the first real summer in two years — and already we are in full swing, so we decided to get our clam fantasy satisfied now. We made a plan to sample four well-known clam spots on the Island. More than four felt indulgent; this was a good starting point. So with our vaccinated freedom, off we went (over several days) to The Net Result, Giordano’s, Nancy’s, and John’s Fish Market. This wasn’t a contest, and you won’t find the clam shacks ranked here. In fact, it was all bliss — sitting outside, minutes after the clams tumbled out of the fryer and onto their paper containers. We spritzed them with lemon and dragged them through the creamy tartar sauce, and it dawned on us: We are going to be okay. Happy clam eating, Edible readers!

–EdibleVineyard

Get clams to take out from Giordano’s.

early summer 2021 43

FEATURE

The cannabis industry takes root on Martha’s Vineyard.

Story by Brittany Bowker Illustrations by Fae Kontje-Gibbs

44 edible vineyard

ome people diffuse lavender oil. Others might steep chamomile or valerian root tea. For me, cannabis is my ticket to a deep sleep I think I’m allowed to say that here. Nine years after its legalization in Massachusetts, the cannabis industry has yet to fully arrive on Martha’s Vineyard. But after a unique set of obstacles hurdled mostly by Geoff Rose, it looks to be coming soon (and possibly within weeks). We thought it useful to offer this primer on the plant, its benefits, and where the business rollout stands. And because cannabis is still federally illegal, and the Vineyard is only accessible via federal waters and airways, this community is literally and figuratively on an island as far as navigating the twists and turns of the nascent industry. So let’s talk about it. If you’re over 21, the legal age for consumption in Massachusetts, there’s really nothing that should be shameful or stigmatized around using the plant — whether it’s for something specific like sleep, or just because you like the way it makes you feel. Cannabis can alleviate all sorts of ailments: It can help with chronic pain; can serve as a muscle relaxer; can stimulate appetite; reduce inflammation; treat seizures, insomnia, addiction; and help alleviate depression and anxiety. Why? Because of cannabinoids — THC, CBD, etc. — which when activated through heating, vaping, smoking, or cooking, cause a reaction in which the cannabinoid compounds bind to receptors that are already in our bodies, unlocking the plant’s many benefits. Depending on the strain (there are more than 1,000), its subspecies (indica, sativa, or ruderalis), and its array of cannabinoids (there are more than 100), each plant has its own unique makeup. There are also many different ways to consume (inhalation, ingestion, tinctures, oils), with each method providing its own host of particular effects. You can tailor your cannabis experience to whichever therapy, or nontherapy, you’re after. Massachusetts voters came to a consensus on cannabis in 2012, legalizing the plant for medical use, and then for recreational use, or adult use, in 2016. Voters plucked the plant out of the depths of its historically stigmatized, illegal “underground” market, and asserted its place as an everyday commodity that people can buy, gift, grow, and enjoy. Since its legalization, more than 200 medical and recreational dispensaries have begun operating in Massachusetts. It’s a booming business, and last month the Cannabis Control Commission reported that since their debut in 2018, recreational shops have now sold more than $1.5 billion of pot products. If you’re ever set foot in one of these stores, you know it’s a highly regulated experience. You often have to make an appointment ahead

in the weeds FEATURE of time, and must present an ID in sort of a “holding room”-type entrance. You’re buzzed in, and typically paired with an employee or “budtender,” who guides you through what’s available, helping match you to the right product. If you’re after this experience here on Martha’s Vineyard, we’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting close, and the finish line is in sight. There are, of course, mixed reactions about an industry like this finding roots on an Island like this. And like many other communities, the Vineyard can be resistant to change. But at the end of the day, business is business. And when it comes to cannabis, there are not only economic gains to be had for the Island community (towns can receive up to 3 percent in taxes on adult-use purchases), but also added workforce, and — remember, since this stuff is medicine — access to another health option. If you’ve been following this storyline at all, you know it’s a whiplash of a tale. But amid all of the uncertainties, there has been one constant — and that constant is Geoff Rose.

THE CANNABIS SHOP T H AT C O U L D Back when marijuana was legalized for medical use in 2012, Rose was the guy who first saw a place for the industry on Martha’s Vineyard. He launched an LLC, Patient Centric of Martha’s Vineyard, with an overarching mission “to bring safe and responsible use of cannabis to the Island community.” The business has been divided into three components: the medical/recreational dispensary at 510 State Road in West Tisbury; the cultivation, processing, and testing site at 90 Dr. Fisher Road in West Tisbury; and the recreational shop at 15 Mechanic St. in Vineyard Haven. We’re in a unique position here on Martha’s Vineyard (and on Nantucket), because the plant is still federally illegal, and it cannot be shipped over federal waters or airways. That means all of the growing and product testing must be contained to the Island, which meant Rose had to build a cultivation site and he had to build a testing site. Rose had to navigate a set of “firsts” that arguably no other cannabis entrepreneur in the state has had to (except for possibly on Nantucket). Rose refers to this business as his 8½-year-old child, and while it’s not yet operational as we go to press with this issue in midJune, we can confidently say it’s getting there. He’s attended the selectmen and zoning board meetings. He’s answered to abutters. He’s solidified host-community agreements. He’s passed inspections. He even pressed the passage of a bylaw with the help of State Representatives Julian Cyr and Dylan Fernandes so product testing could be done on the Island. One step closer, another step closer, just a few more steps … and in March 2021, Rose threw us a curveball. To the surprise of many, Rose decided to sell the West Tisbury portions of his business. In what he calls a “hybrid agreement,” Rose will still maintain ownership of the Vineyard Haven dispensary, he said, but he is handing off the West Tisbury dispensary and processing/cultivation site to a family-owned, Connecticut-based business called Fine Fettle. “They have the same attitude and operating philosophies as I do,” Rose said. “I thought it made sense for all parties.” Fine Fettle owns and operates three medical marijuana dispensaries in Connecticut, one adult-use dispensary and one outdoor grow site in Massachusetts, and a processing site in Rhode Island. early summer 2021 45

FEATURE in the weeds

Voters plucked the plant out of the depths of its historically stigmatized, illegal “underground” market, and asserted its place as an everyday commodity that people can buy, gift, grow, and enjoy. Prior to its work in the marijuana field, the three-generation family firm operated in addiction-treatment services and philanthropy. It expanded itself to the cannabis industry to build on that mission. “We always think about [cannabis] from the standpoint of health and wellness,” CEO Benjamin Zachs said, adding that above all else, the company is “committed to partnering with the community.” “We get it,” Zachs said. “There’s worry about traffic, smell, the changing fabric of a local community. We’re extremely cognizant of this.” Rose and Zachs were introduced around this time last year through a mutual friend. After talking, Zachs said he was fascinated with the idea of operating a business in a seasonal location like the Vineyard. “The more I talked to Geoff, the more I liked Geoff, and when we came to visit, we saw he’d built out just a really great facility,” Zachs said. “And that’s a big deal when you’re acquiring something toward the finish line to begin the race.” Rose said the sale was both financially driven as well as to “lighten the operational responsibilities.” He said he plans to work closely with Fine Fettle, and will be buying wholesale product from them. I asked Rose and Zachs what they thought about some of the community pushback that arose after news broke that a portion of the business was being sold to an off-Island company. Rose played it straight: “I don’t listen to the criticism of the community of my selling the business.” 46 edible vineyard

“You know, I read some of the comments,” Zachs said. “People saying, ‘This big company is coming.’ And I’m like, ‘Are we the big company people are talking about?’” Fine Fettle has about 75 employees across three states, 68 of whom work in the dispensaries and cultivation sites. Zachs anticipates that on the Island, there will be seven to 12 full-time, year-round jobs in cultivation, and six to eight full-time, yearround jobs in the dispensary. He anticipates staffing up a bit more during the summer months to handle traffic. Zachs said he aims to hire as locally as possible, and plans to retain all or as much of Rose’s existing staff as wants to stay onboard. Massachusetts has strict rules around the number of dispensaries that an operator can manage: a company can only have control of three. Since Fine Fettle now has two — in West Tisbury and in Rowley — it can still open one more somewhere in the state, and Zachs said he plans to. “We just haven’t picked out where yet,” he said. And while there are operational challenges to opening a business like this on Martha’s Vineyard, Zachs seems to be focused on the positives. “On the mainland, there can be a backlog on testing. But because our testing is done onsite and our dispensary is [a few miles] down the road, we may be able to have the freshest product available,” Zachs said. “I’m really excited that we can create products people are going to want to come visit for.” As far as opening, the Cannabis Control Commission recently approved the change of ownership from Rose to Zachs. Now, Fine Fettle will have to schedule and pass a post-final license inspection. Zachs hopes the medical dispensary will be open for business by “early summer.” The adult-use side of the dispensary will be a little further down the line, he said, as it still needs to pass other inspections. For Rose and the Vineyard Haven dispensary, which he said will be called “Island Time,” the hope is that the business will be up and running by the first week in August, as it also needs to pass additional inspections and CCC approvals. Looking back at the last near-decade as he’s watched his child grow, Rose said, he’s proud. “Along the way you’re dealt certain cards, and you have to realize you have influences locally and from the state — you just have to continue to reassess how you move forward,” Rose said. “It hasn’t been a straight line, but I’m very pleased with what I’ve accomplished.” “It’s my baby,” he said of the business, “And I’ve found great parents to move it forward.” He gave the journey a few superlatives: “It’s been the most exciting, anxiety-provoking, frustrating, amazing experience in my life.” And arguably, it’s just beginning.

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early summer 2021 47

DEPARTMENT section 1

Organicplus

48 edible vineyard

organic-plus SIP

The quest to reinvent responsibly made wine

Story by Sam Decker

s any produce shopper will tell you, the USDA Organic sticker is hard to miss. In fact, it might be one of the most recognizable brands in the American grocery aisle, right up there with Coke and Cheerios. But this doesn’t even begin to capture the enormity of its impact. The result of a 12-year regulatory effort, beginning in 1990 with the Organic Foods Production Act — which itself was inspired by decades of environmentalism following the release of Rachel Carlson’s Silent Spring in 1962 — this little green and white sticker completely revolutionized the way we eat. What it didn’t do, however, was make even an iota of difference in the way we drink. Which is not to say the USDA didn’t have high hopes. But ask anyone from the wine industry what the USDA Organic symbol represents, and they’re bound to tell you some version of the same thing: Failure. Much of this can be chalked up to timing. When the logo began popping up on bottles around 2002, the wine industry was in peak boomer mode. Consumers wanted comfort and extravagance: Yoo-hoo packaged like Louis Vuitton. And, simply put, these were not flavors or feelings that the producers of organic wine — prohibited from adding sulfites (a key preservative) and Mega Purple (a ubiquitous colorant made from grape syrup) — were equipped to deliver. So even as the farm-totable movement gathered steam, organic wine languished — forever to be regarded by consumers in a quaint, fleeting sort of way, like that neighbor who makes his own honey. But bad timing aside, I see organic wine’s flop as a failure of imagination on the part of the wine industry. When we care about something, we talk about it. We invent myths and argue over semantics. And, culturally speaking, we care a lot about wine. In fact, no other drink inspires such a wide range of responses — from feeling inadequate to feeling Godlike — or is more vital to our social and ceremonial lives. Jesus didn’t turn water into pomegranate juice — and when Biggie was thirsty, he sipped Champagne. So clearly the importance of storytelling was lost on the USDA. However, winemakers took notice: Organic wine was not going to sell itself. And thus began the decades-long saga

Photos Elizabeth Cecil for Wine + Peace

of reinventing organic wine to capture the zeitgeist of the moment and make consumers care. Here is a pocket guide to the most popular organic wine categories that have emerged as a result.

Certified Organic Delineated by the USDA Organic symbol and legally defined as “made from organic grapes without added sulfites.” Unlike its cool-kid alter ego, natural wine, this category failed to catch on among the wine illuminati. However, it’s far from irrelevant. For supermarket wine shoppers — by far in the majority — this should be the most important criterion after price. But keep in mind that certification is prohibitively expensive for most small producers, many of whom far exceed the USDA’s minimum requirements — which is why I’ll always choose handmade over government-approved.

Made from Organic Grapes Welcome back, Mega Purple! While the grapes are USDA Organic, the final wine is not — meaning all those additives and preservatives used in conventional winemaking are back in play. But maybe this is not such a bad thing. If you’re all for organic agriculture, but prefer the predictable flavors of big-business wine, this is the category for you.

Biodynamic Meet organic wine’s first successful rebrand. Largely the story of two evangelical nonfarmers — Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner and French banker turned winemaker Nicolas Joly — biodynamics is a prescientific version of organic farming rooted in the occult. Activities follow a lunar calendar, and vineyards are treated with homeopathic remedies called preparations. Composting is elevated to an art form. But as kooky as it all may sound, biodynamic wines tend to be delicious and graceful. Plus, Demeter — biodynamics’ official certifier — is the oldest organic certification in Europe, and remains the highest grade of organic farming in the world.

Regenerative Pioneered at the Rodale Institute in the 1980s, regenerative agriculture is modern science at its best. But more than that, it’s progressive

idealism translated into agriculture. Rather than a single idea, think of it as a toolbox of principles and practices for rebuilding topsoil and restoring biodiversity. For example, its “no till” policy is a method of carbon sequestration that may prove vital in the fight against climate change.

Natural wine Organic wine with sprezzatura (Italian for hip). No legal definition — yet — but it does have a manifesto: Nothing added, nothing taken away. What began as a back-to-the-basics revolt against Beaujolais Nouveau in the 1970s has now spread across the globe: the farm-to-table movement the wine world never had. It only took 40 years, a revolution in Parisian wine bar culture, and a whole lot of undrinkable pét-nat (a fizzy alternative to Champagne) to get here. It’s, as they say, a vibe.

Clean wine In July 2020, an asteroid the size of Indiana came hurtling toward the natural wine world. No, it was not a literal fireball. It was a light pink rosé called Avaline. Owned by actress Cameron Diaz and beauty entrepreneur Katherine Power, Avaline was not the only “clean wine” brand to splash across Instagram feeds this past summer, but it was far and away the most ambitious, marking wine’s official entrance into the wellness economy. But what makes clean wine clean, exactly? The same thing, it turns out, that makes SoulCycle soulful: Marketing. To compare natural wine and clean wine is to realize that handmade and high-touch mean two very different things. Goodbye, age-old themes like patience and tradition, hello, exuberant commercialism — an industry built overnight to sell you what amounts to pricey wine with unnecessary additives. Pea protein, anyone? Depending on whom you talk to — by which I mean follow on Twitter — clean wine is either the harbinger of doom or the best thing since Goop’s vagina-scented candles. But let’s not lose any sleep over it. What we should be focusing on is what all of these organic categories fail to address: the human component — diversity, inclusion, and social equity. And until these issues are addressed, organic wine will remain just a little green sticker on the back of a bottle.

1. Steve and Jill Matthiasson, owners of Matthiasson Wines in Napa Valley, make wines that are fresh and lively. 2. Winemaker Megan Bell of Margins Wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Margins are “low intervention.” 3. Winemaker James Jelks of Florez Wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains, uses artisinal practices. 4. Winemaker Brent Mayeaux of Stagiaire makes natural wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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