When thinking about what defines Edgartown — or any town for that matter — some of us might think about the big things: the large-scale events, the parades, the markets. When in reality, it comes down to the small things: the chatter of friends running into each other at Stop & Stop, the way the church bells mark the passing of time, and the glow of shops at sunset on a quiet winter afternoon. Edgartown has its share of large events, but it’s the small moments that make it feel like home. As a new writer to this column, it feels like I’m walking through someone else’s Edgartown home that I’m about to move-in to; a home that feels oddly familiar, where I know where each turn will take me. This upcoming week feels familiar in a way as well, with a focus on food events around town that will keep your hands busy and your stomach satisfied.
First up (and if you read this in time), register at the Edgartown Library for a 2 pm class on Feb. 27 on how to make what Chef Look claims to be the “Island’s Best” clam chowder. He’ll be working with freshly harvested quahogs from the Edgartown Shellfish Department, and teaching the secret to this classic soup. I’ve tasted (and made) many chowders in the past 15 years of living on the Island, and my secret to clam chowder? Keep it as simple as possible! If you attend, let me know what his secret is. I’m curious to find out.
Mark your calendar that Morning Glory Farm reopens on Feb. 28 after their short closure to deep clean. As a seasonal chef in what we considered to be the cleanest kitchen on-Island, I would always tell my summer cooks that cooking needs to be taken seriously — people were putting our food in their bodies, and this food we cooked nourished their deepest cells. Thus, cleanliness was quite literally the most important thing — wash your hands, wash your produce, keep your space clean. So, props to MoGlo for keeping their spaces clean while feeding us endless loaves of banana bread, freshly made soups, a vibrant salad bar, and everything in between. Make sure to head over and shop.
On March 1, the Trustees’ Farm Institute is partnering with Teri Culetto, the Vineyard Baker, for a hands-on workshop to learn the art of bagel making. Each participant will take home half a dozen bagels. Pre-registration is required for all Farm Institute cooking classes, so head to their website to register. Learning to make bagels is truly the best way to start the month, in my opinion.
I didn’t mean to make this week’s column all about food, but somehow the events for this week were all foodie-focused, so blame the town events, not me. And on the foodie subject, let’s wish some of the Island’s food lovers a happy birthday: happy belated to Cathy Walthers (Feb. 25), cookbook author extraordinaire; on the 26th to Betsi Convery Luce, creator of the most gorgeous floral cupcakes on this Island, and Mikhail Sebastian-Okunuga, director of all things coffee at Behind the Bookstore; Laura Beckman on the 27th, the pastry chef to blame for one of my favorite chocolate cakes on island: the Black Out cake from The Black Dog Cafe; and on March 1st, happy birthday to my neighbor, Jenna DelSapio, who loves food so much, she named her dog “Olive”!
With that, I leave you with a Julia Child quote: “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.” Go forth and shop for ingredients at Morning Glory Farm, learn to make clam chowder at the Edgartown Library, and bake bagels at the Farm Institute. Like Julia said, the more you know, the more you can create!
If you have any Edgartown Town Column suggestions, email Marnely Murray, marnely@gmail.com.
