The oak trees have leafed out, leaving only glimpses of sky amid the thick greenery. There is some openness over my drying yard and the gardens, but the dominant view outside our windows is of my rhododendron hedge and the deep woods beyond. It can look like abstract paintings, heavily green, inspiring to brush and imagination.
We had guests for dinner last night, and I made a new recipe that my brother-in-law, Edward Wypychoski, had given me. He and Andy gave it rave reviews, and so did all of us at last night’s table. Edward got the recipe from a New Jersey “culinary superstore” he frequents called the Front Burner. I am printing the recipe here, as it is a perfect summer dinner.
Mediterranean Burgers
Serves 2
Burger
⅓ lb. ground lamb
⅓ lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh mint, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, minced
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Tzatziki Sauce
½ cup Greek yogurt (I used Mermaid Farm yogurt)
¼ cup feta cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¼ English cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh mint, minced
¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Burger Fixings
2 buns
Tzatziki Sauce
Romaine lettuce leaves
Sliced tomatoes
¼ red onion, sliced
No directions. I assume everyone can figure out how to mix the ingredients together, grill burgers, and make the tzatziki salad. It was all delicious, and I am grateful to Ed for the recipe.
I spent a good part of the day shopping for ingredients. Almost everything came from the Island, all from West Tisbury. I started at Mermaid Farm for the ground lamb and beef, yogurt, and feta. Then to Ghost Island Farm for tomatoes, onions, mint, oregano, a lemon, and the ingredients for my potato salad. Just buns and lettuce from Cronig’s, as I didn’t have time to go to Morning Glory for those two items. It always feels special to have my whole meal come from right nearby.
Of course, part of the pleasure is running into friends and the farmers themselves. I was lucky that Caitlin Jones happened by while I was at her Mermaid Farm stand, so we got to visit for a bit, to catch up on each other’s news, especially the news that her and Allen Healy’s son, Everett, is home from school for the summer. Caitlin showed me a beautiful table Everett made. It had an incised design of a schooner (I hope that’s right) in full sail, with all the rigging perfectly drawn. Beneath it was a quote: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Signed F.D.R. The table itself is a simple design with a square top and slightly tapered legs, well-crafted and finished, which is always the best.
The big event in West Tisbury this weekend will be the town picnic, planned for Saturday on the Ag Hall grounds from 1 to 4 pm. Free water and lemonade will be provided, and families are asked to bring their own picnic lunch. If you can, please bring a dessert to share. There will be free souvenir commemorative cups for the drinks, and lots of games and entertainment. I hope we get a perfect day for it, but the committee has planned to move it to Sunday if Saturday is rainy.
Earlier in the day is the Farmers Market at the Grange Hall, from 9 to noon. The Martha’s Vineyard Democratic Council is meeting at the Howes House from 9 to 10:30 am.
At the library, there will be a family craft, sponge painting, in the Children’s Room between 10 am and 3 pm on Saturday. The annual “Remembering the Rosenthals Concert” begins at 4 pm, featuring collaborative pianist Diane Katzenberg Braun with musicians from the New England School of Music. On Monday, June 12, the monthly Writers Read evening begins at 7 pm. Writers of short prose selections, fiction or nonfiction, are invited to read their work in eight-minute segments. Call 508-693-4307 to reserve a time. Interested listeners are welcome, too. A reminder that the afterschool learning lab will continue from 3 to 4:30 pm on weekday afternoons.
The Vineyard Sinfonietta will perform “From Bach to Beatles” on Sunday afternoon, June 11, 3 pm, at the Howes House. Their concerts are wonderful, and feel very intimate in that setting. The concert is free, and refreshments will be provided.
The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury is preparing for its Strawberry Festival, set for Saturday, June 24. Save the date.
Tom Dresser has a new book, “Hidden History of Martha’s Vineyard.” He will be reading and discussing it with the Howes House Conversation Group on Tuesday, June 13, at 9:30 am. Then he will be at our West Tisbury library next Saturday, June 17, at 3:30 pm.
I have been catching up on clipping my old columns from the Times. I had been tossing the weekly papers in a box for quite some time, and was sick of looking at the box, eager to organize the columns by year in an orderly way and place. Some years I do keep them in a file for that year. Obviously not for 2007. I was embarrassed to realize the box has been under my desk for all that time, but it was an entertaining afternoon’s work to go through and reread what was going on, who and what I had written about. Most special was finding old Chilmark columns by my dear friend, Jackie Sexton. I saved those, too.