Julia Blanter’s “The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook” is a scrumptious love letter to our Island community and all who bring its flavors to life. With its mouthwatering recipes and glorious photographs, the book is an armchair journey through the Vineyard’s culinary delights.
Blanter, who moved to the Vineyard full-time five years ago with an impressive career in recipe design and the food industry, has gathered 100 recipes from Island chefs, farmers, fishermen, and food artisans: “My mission was not to ask for recipes that I love or know are bestsellers, but those that mean something to the chefs or the farmers, that they’re excited to cook. I wanted to represent our diverse community. It’s not just New England cuisine. There’s Portuguese, Brazilian, and Middle Eastern. We are the United Nations here.”
Blanter also treasures, and thus highlights, local produce and ingredients that span the seasons. She says in her introduction to the recipe for North Tisbury Farm’s Butternut Squash Quick Bread: “[It is] quick to make for (almost) instant gratification, deliciously moist, and fragrant with autumnal spices.” For the Strawberry Sourdough Bread, Blanter writes, “Few things are as sublime as a Morning Glory Farm strawberry. The date of the first harvest is as highly anticipated as summer ferry reservations.”
The above are just two examples from the breakfast section of the book. The recipes for lunch are equally enticing. The Nutty Brown-Butter Lobster Rolls on brioche, paired with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette touched with sumac, honey, garlic, and avocado oil from the Katama General Store, sound divine. Blanter shares Aalia’s Foul Moudammas, an Egyptian staple of fava beans flavored with scallions, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley, which can be scooped up with warm pita. Blanter also has the Pawnee House’s Vegan Lobster Rolls. I can’t wait to try this version, made with hearts of palm, smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning, capers, celery seed, chives, garlic powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice. The Shrimp and Cheesy Grits from Biscuits that include blackened seasoning and roasted red peppers look spectacular.
In the appetizer offerings, Blackwater Farm’s Chicken and Deviled Egg recipe, accented with a few shakes of hot sauce and a choice of apple cider vinegar, pickle juice, or kimchi juice, is an intriguing twist on an old favorite. I’m a huge fan of Catboat Coffee Co.’s Lebanese Muhammara, so I was thrilled to see the recipe, which includes red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, and sumac. The Pork and Chicken Liver Pâté from the Swimming Pig, dotted with pistachios and golden raisins, intriguingly contains clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
I eagerly turned the pages of the recipes for sides and vegetables, since I tend to live on the latter. The Basil and Feta Summer Squash Stew from Ghost Island Farm, which has mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and green bell pepper, will be on the menu in my house. Fresh Corn Polenta with Tomato Jam, from Black Joy MVY, as Blanter states, “highlights the Island’s prized summer produce,” which Chef Ting describes as “ripe red tomatoes bursting with sunshine, the sweet corn picked hours before eating, [and] the basil that grows as high and strong as a baby dinosaur.” I’m also eager to try making Sweet Bite’s Pão de Queijo — small, round, gluten-free Brazilian cheese bread made with tapioca flour, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Chef Deon, who champions all things conch, contributed his Empress and Conch Salad, which includes Empress 1908 indigo gin, Scotch bonnet pepper, cilantro, fresh pineapple, and sweet onion — a fascinating and enticing combination. There is also Jamaican Fried Chicken from Vineyard Caribbean Cuisine, which incorporates Jamaican curry powder as one of the spices mixed with the flour.
A sucker for all things sweet, I will be making the Fig and Honey Tart from Orange Peel Bakery as soon as the fruit arrives. Owner Juli Vanderhoop fills the puff pastry with a mixture of goat cheese, mascarpone, thyme leaves, and my favorite, fig jam, which you top off with quartered fresh figs and bake until the cheese is light brown in spots, then finish with more thyme and a drizzle of honey. There is a simple recipe for Floaters’ Espresso Float: Add espresso to a tumbler with vanilla ice cream, sprinkle it with amaretti crumbs and cinnamon, drizzle on chocolate syrup, and top with whipped cream. Count me in.
The list of must-try recipes continues, and Jocelyn Filley’s spectacular photographs make every dish look irresistible.
Blanter eloquently writes in her introduction, “‘The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook’ is an invitation to hop, skip, and jump over to a magical Island, one that may be new to you, on your bucket list, or deeply rooted in your family’s DNA, and take a mouthwatering journey around its six towns. I hope this inspires delicious adventures, and sustains you until you return.”
She said when we spoke, “I knew I wanted to work on a project that was all about this incredible food community.” And indeed, her book is a gift for all who want to relish the Island’s bounty.
“The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook: 100 Recipes from the Island’s Restaurants, Farmers, Fishermen & Food Artisans,” by Julia Blanter. Available at Edgartown Road, Bunch of Grapes, and Portobello Road.
