Town Column : Edgartown
By Caroline Beetz Fenske
Published: April 9, 2009
With Easter's arrival on Sunday comes a lot of excitement and anticipation in the days ahead. Easter egg hunts are being planned, and Easter baskets are being filled. Crocuses are in full bloom just about everywhere, with daffodils beginning to unfold. People with second homes here will be coming to town for Easter weekend. Hopefully John and Jill Coyle and their three kids will be able to make the trip from Connecticut once again this year.
A nice woman I met in the produce section of Stop & Shop some years ago told me how to naturally dye Easter eggs, and I thought I would share what I learned here. Natural egg dyeing is not only environmentally friendly; it turns the activity into a combination science and art project for the kids. Try using beets for the color pink, red cabbage for blues and purples, blueberries and turmeric for green, and onion skin or paprika for orange. For each dye mixture, you'll need to boil water with the dye ingredients, then cool and strain before submerging the eggs. The eggs take 30 minutes or longer to turn to the desired color - quite a bit longer than the artificial dyes, but it is well worth the extra effort. Use metal wire for dipping and you can dye half the egg one color and the other side another. If you want to save your eggs you can skip the hard boiling, and using a needle, poke a hole in each end, then blow out the insides; the end product is a work of art.
Members of Island Grown Initiative are working hard to help each town on Martha's Vineyard build a school garden. Lucia Hayman, co-chair of the Edgartown School PTO, said "there are so many rewards to reap, lots of math and science, as well as good nutrition to offer." Lucia said that Edgartown Principal John Stevens has been pivotal in getting the teachers on board to incorporate gardening into the school curriculum. Gina DeBettencourt, who does a spectacular job running the school kitchen, is also very supportive of the garden and is anxious to use the vegetables to prepare school lunches. Lucia believes that the success of all the town gardens depends not only on the schools themselves, but also on volunteers in the community. If you are able to help, including through the summer months, please call Lucia at 508-939-4032.
Carol Carrick called me this week to let me know about her son's latest success. Edgartown-raised author Paul Carrick wrote and illustrated the newly-released children's book, "Watch out for Wolfgang." His book and original artwork are on display at Featherstone Center for the Arts until April 16. Paul's story is a modern variation of the classic "Three Little Pigs" tale, with three robots brothers on the alert for Wolfgang the recycler. His illustrations are made from wires, pieces of plastics, bits of screen, and other recycled materials. Paul also illustrated two books in collaboration with his mother, Carol, who is a well-known children's book author; these books are also on display at Featherstone.
On Friday, the Edgartown Council on Aging (Anchors) is holding a "huevos rancheros" and sausage breakfast at 8 am. The Anchors also sponsors Friday Café each week at 12 noon (on the menu this week is eggplant parmesan). The cost of either meal is $5. Linda Shreiber told me that more than 30 people came for last week's Friday Café, and that all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The Anchors is also hosting two upcoming bus trips for those 55 and over: Tiverton Four Corners in Rhode Island on May 15, and the North End in Boston on June 12. Please register for the meals and trips by calling 508-627-4368.
Happy Belated Birthday to Alexander Vukota, who turned 12 on March 28.
Make every day special.
