Living on Vineyard Sound

We all have our secret spot, the place we go to decompress and feel the weight of the world a little less. A place that puts a smile on our face just knowing it exists, that makes us long for time spent there, if only for a bit.  If you know me, you know that place is Martha’s Vineyard. 

I’m going through some serious Vineyard withdrawal lately, wishing I could escape work and make a getaway up the coast for a few days.  Alas, it doesn’t appear likely right now, but I did have a transporting moment recently while flipping through the February issue of Architectural Digest.
  

One look at this house perched on a bluff at dusk and I knew in an instant where it was.  My secret spot!  The light and landscape along Vineyard Sound is like nowhere else I’ve been.  As soon as I saw this picture, I recognized the coastline as the same one I’ve spent many heavenly days walking and sailing along. 

I would happily live in a shack to have this view! Clearly that is not necessary for the fortunate family that really does live here.  Designed by Ferguson & Shamamian and decorated by Victoria Hagan, the house is grand and formal, not at all what I consider Vineyard characteristics.  Leave that on Nantucket, please!!  But still…the home is an elegant beauty with a mellow Yankee vibe.  Yes, it’s fancy, but it’s New England fancy, not Hamptons fancy, if you know what I mean.
 

What I love most about the interiors is the warm-colored oak wood used throughout and how the rooms all have views of Vineyard Sound.  That is, after all, what I love most about the Vineyard: being surrounded by nature, embracing the water and the woods.

Photographs by Scott Frances

January on Martha's Vineyard...

…is cold. And gorgeous. At least that’s how I would describe it after being there a week ago. The storm that walloped New York City with a foot of snow the day before I left didn’t have the same effect on the Vineyard and instead left a slew of rain with a topcoat of snow. Those several inches of snow quickly froze, turning parts of the island into a skating rink.

The drive up from Manhattan wasn’t bad – about five hours, not including the ferry. For me the ferry doesn’t count as “getting there”; as soon as I’m on board, vacation is on. The sun set while we lumbered to the island and fishermen steamed home for the day.

At this point in the road we’re almost to the house.

This innocent looking hill was our first realization that many of the back roads were sheets of ice. I’m not a fan of SUV’s but I have to say this weekend I was grateful for ours and its four-wheel drive!

While my friend took in the view from the comfort of a heated house (and fantasized about golfing in Florida), I ventured out into the chill to explore. I had woods and beaches and goats to see! In the summer this vista is filled with boats either tethered to moorings or under sail to Vineyard Sound; today it was desolate.

I poked around the yard a bit longer

then slipped down the icy road

through the woods

to the beach.

There are many farms of varying sizes on Martha’s Vineyard. This one, called Pilot Hill, was a working dairy until the 1950’s.

The land was purchased by the Vineyard Open Land Foundation, whose mission is to preserve the rural character of the island, and turned into a low-density housing development with many acres of common space. Part of the land is still farmed and provides fresh produce, cut flowers, and eggs in season to its neighbors as well as island restaurants such as The Scottish Bakehouse on State Road.

Walking towards the farm I engaged in a stare down with their cows

but not with these guys…

Across the road reside two of the friendliest goats you’ll ever meet and were they ever happy to see me! I’m guessing they don’t have many visitors this time of year because their heads and ears were clearly overdue for a good scratch. Their winter coats were so pretty, especially this one.

Who knew goats like to nosh on leftover Christmas trees? With every munch the fragrant, wintry scent of pine wafted through the air.

The ladies in the hen house weren’t dumb; they stayed inside, out of the cold!

I had to agree with them at this point. I’d been outside for a few hours and was starting to look forward to a warm, cozy abode of my own. I made my way home, down the deer path.

What next? Food, of course!  On Friday afternoons during the winter Offshore Ale Co. is the place to be for their homebrewed beers and $1.00 oysters. I learned on this trip that Bob Skydell, owner of one of the best farm shops on the Vineyard, Fiddlehead Farm, was one of the founders and former owners of Offshore Ale. I definitely like Bob’s aesthetic and eye. At both Offshore Ale and Fiddlehead Farm he has captured the essence of New England without resorting to the cliqued and hokey.

The rustic, soaring interior of this mircrobrewery and pub is filled with beautiful small wooden boats hanging from the rafters as well as racing flags and other boating paraphernalia. A huge barrel of peanuts sits by the front door for anyone to partake in and I was encouraged by the bartender to crack my shells onto the floor, not my plate!

This is the spot I had my first taste of the divine Sweet Neck Farm oysters from Katama. Sweet Necks were available for $2.50 a pop (worth every penny, in my opinion) but in the spirit of the moment, we stuck to the dollar specials, which were Blue Points from Long Island and local West Tisbury Wilds. Offshore Ale brews all their lagers, pale ales, IPAs, and stouts from scratch. I had a fantastic rich, smooth winter ale called Miss Behavin’. When life is good, it’s really good…

The next day was our pilgrim moment. Faced with nothing to eat for lunch but hot dogs dug from the depths of the freezer and neither of us anxious to stand outside by the grill, we opted to roast them in the fireplace. Sitting on the floor with a glass of wine, it was the perfect snack before heading to a friend’s house for dinner in Oak Bluffs.

A few hours before getting on the ferry to begin our trip home we did what people have been doing every morning for decades on the Vineyard – eat at the ArtCliff.

The ArtCliff Diner is a Vineyard institution, a local hangout that is always packed. This is the place where Carly Simon is as likely to be at the table next to you (yes – once) as a local carpenter. We got there just in time and didn’t have to wait for a table, a rarity. But if we had to wait, it would have been well worth it. The ArtCliff’s creative spin on classic country breakfasts, more often than not prepared with food grown locally, is out of this world. Both the atmosphere and staff are easy-going and friendly - the Vineyard at its best.

I had Swiss cheese and ham French toast with poached eggs (I know, I know – but I was starving!)

and my friend had a tomato, cheddar, and spinach frittata on top of home fries.

We shared the best short stack of buttermilk pancakes I’ve ever had. Really.

I’ve never gotten to the end of a stay on the Vineyard and not been sad to go.  This trip was no exception.  It’s true that most of the shops are closed for the winter so if your idea of fun is shopping, Martha’s Vineyard in January might not be for you.  Nor is it for you if you long to be on a beach or a boat in a bathing suit.  But if you’re the sort that doesn’t mind dreaming up your own adventures and hanging with the locals – in many layers of clothing! - it could not be more perfect than this time of year.

Memorial Day Weekend on the Vineyard – Mermaid Farm Hamburgers and Hot Dogs

I must have done something right in a previous life because I have been blessed in this one with many trips to Martha’s Vineyard.  I never take a single visit for granted including my most recent over Memorial Day weekend.  I was staying just outside of Vineyard Haven on Lake Tashmoo with my great friend, Larry, who happens to live next door to my great friends, Natalie and Curt.  Another friend (this one Larry’s) generously flew me up from the city with a few others, including a big, sweet dog named Jackson.

First things first, I always take a walk when I get on the island.  Many of the homes on the Vineyard can be found down country roads like this one.  

There is plenty to see on my walks, especially if I take the time to really look around.

I pass a few farms on my way to and from the beach, one of which I mentioned in a post this past Easter.  

Back then we saw piglets that weren’t even 24 hours old.  Those same little ones are not so little any more and getting bigger by the day!

These cows belong to Liz Thompson, another farmer on the road.  

I’m not sure what breed they are, I just know they are beauties, especially with the sunlight dappling through the trees and hitting them just so.

After my walk and some sort of food consumption, it’s off to one of the many other island farms (add in a boat ride and that’s pretty much my routine while I’m there).  Larry is my partner in crime for farm hopping; we both love to stop and chat with the farmers.

 

One of my favorites is Mermaid Farm and Dairy on Middle Road in Chilmark. The 36-acre farm, owned by husband and wife Allen Healy and Caitlin Jones, is the only dairy on MV.  Larry and I first visited them about a year ago; I had heard they sold raw milk and coming from a state (New York) where its sale is illegal, I wanted to get some.  We stopped for a minute and ended up staying an hour.

Caitlin and Allen are typical Vineyard farmers:  laid-back, smart, and as nice as can be.  They took the time to talk to us about everything from farming to dairying to local gossip about cell phone towers (We quickly found out the latter is a topic near and dear to Caitlin’s heart.  She’s quite passionate and outspoken about her desire not to have radio frequency emissions anywhere near her kids or her organic farm!)

In addition to unpasteurized, unprocessed milk from grass-fed cows, Mermaid also offers yogurt (they just got approval from the state to sell it), grass-fed beef and lamb, nitrate and MSG-free hot dogs, flowers, herbs, and all kinds of amazing, chemical-free produce.   

On Saturday we swung by to pick up the main course for dinner that night. The house on Tashmoo was filled with a bunch of newly graduated high school boys having fun as well as Larry’s sister, Randy, who did an admirable job of keeping some sense of order.  Add in Curt and Natalie (who is eating for two nowadays) and we had a hungry crowd awaiting.

Like most farms on the island, Mermaid is self-serve.  There is a small shed just as you turn into the drive where Caitlin’s gorgeous fruits and veggies can be found.  We groaned when we heard she had sold out of her strawberries by the time we got there.  But after picking up ground beef and hot dogs from the freezers in the barn, Caitlin met us at the car with a pint of just-picked strawberries.  She is the best!  And so were the strawberries….

The weather was terrific all weekend long – except the night of our locavore barbeque.  Not to be deterred by the lousy weather, Larry donned foul weather gear to man the grill, Curt supervised (sort of), Natalie supervised Curt (definitely) and a feast was soon on the table.  

The hot dogs were unbelievable and Larry’s hamburgers so full of flavor they didn’t need any dressing up. 

We drank wine from a barrel Larry made himself at City Winery in New York City.  The labels weren’t ready yet so with a bit of improvisation with a wax pencil we had one of the first tastes of 2008 Tashmoo.  

His cabernet, made with grapes from Napa’s Bettinelli Vineyards, was still young and oaky but had wonderful structure and was quite delicious.  We toasted to the prospect of experiencing this lovely wine mature over the coming years…and to Caitlin and Allen for their hard work and exceptional food.

Larry’s Pasture-Raised, Grass-Fed, MV Locavore Burgers

Recipe courtesy of Larry 

2 pounds Mermaid Farm ground beef
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl mix beef, shallots, green peppers, Worcestershire, and Tabasco with hands until everything is neatly blended.

Form burger patties by hand, making sure patties aren’t too thick or they won’t cook correctly.

Preheat grill to high.  On both sides, lightly brush burgers with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Once grill is heated, cook until burgers are just barely medium-rare.  The idea is to quickly sear them but not overcook.  With the low fat content of grass-fed beef this is critical, as they will very easily dry out.

Place burgers on a plate and let stand two minutes while toasting buns on grill until slightly blackened.

Serve burgers with lettuce and tomato and nothing else or you won’t taste the wonderful meat.

Before eating remember to give thanks to the beautiful animal that gave his or her life for your pleasure.

Makes 6 burgers