The second annual Great Martha’s Vineyard Bake-Off was held this weekend, with bakeries, cafés, and restaurants across the Island creating and serving special treats and donating all proceeds to M.V. Community Services, M.V. Sexual Wellness, and the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and Islands, which funds the Island’s only immigration attorney.
Julia Blanter, author of “The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook,” which features 100 recipes from the Island’s culinary community, organized the event to bring Islanders together through the pleasure of good food.
“I really wanted the community to feel like we have your back,” said Blanter. Last year, the bake-off was held in response to the recent presidential election, and was held again this year in response to recent decisions made by the current administration, she said.
“It was our response to just wanting the community to feel like no matter what happens, what the administration tries to take away from our communities, we always have each other,” Blanter said. “That’s why I wanted to continue supporting those three organizations — they do amazing work, and their services are needed now more than ever, unfortunately.”
Participants received a bake-off “passport,” and as they made their way across the Island picking up treats, they received a stamp at each location. The stamped passport serves not only as a keepsake, but also a reminder of the money raised along the way.
Participating locations included Aquila at the Y, ArtCliff Diner, Beetlebung Farm, Black Joy Kitchen, Black Sheep, Catboat Coffee Co., First Light Café, Mo’s Lunch, Morning Glory Farm, Orange Peel Bakery, and Rosewater. The weekend also featured a cookie bake sale at the Grange Hall on Sunday, which completely sold out, and two afternoon tea seatings at S&S Kitchenette on Saturday.
“The reason I love hosting it in winter is that winter can be a pretty isolating time, and people can feel lonely here on the Island,” said Blanter. “It’s just a reminder that we’re still here. Nothing feels as good as if a neighbor or friend drops off fresh sweets for you. It’s just a reminder that we should just keep checking in on one another, and it doesn’t cost a lot to do.”
The weekend was a sugary scavenger hunt. Morning Glory Farm served walnut thumbprint cookies with passionfruit filling. Further up-Island, Orange Peel Bakery offered a cranberry-pear tart topped with candied orange, and Beetlebung had a fudgy chocolate brownie. Back in Vineyard Haven, Catboat prepared a halva chocolate chip cookie, nutty and rich with tahini, and ArtCliff Diner had blueberry scones, the recipe for which can be found in “The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook.”
Blanter emphasized that good food is best shared, and the bake-off offers the opportunity to check on your neighbors and alleviate loneliness. “We might have our differences, but we’re all one community. We have to look out for each other. We’re small, but really mighty, and food has the power to bring us together, can make us feel closer to our neighbors, especially when it’s baked with love by our hard-working bakers and restaurants on the Island,” said Blanter.
She credits the participating businesses for the success of the event: “It’s a nice reminder that there are still plenty of bakeries and eateries still open, and we should support them, and no better way to do that than stop by, say hello to the baker, and pick up some treats for the week.”
Blanter also highlighted the importance of local services and the work they do year-round. “Community services are needed now more than ever,” said Blanter. “We saw ICE raids on the Island. We’ve seen services for our queer communities falling off all the time, and resources for families as well. We need the support from these organizations more than ever. We’re not just saving money, but we’re shining the light on the great work that they do with very little.”
Whether you were eating a chocolate chip halva cookie from Catboat, a brownie from Beetlebung Farmstand, or a scone from Mo’s Lunch, you were supporting the services that make this Island and the community that lives on it so special.
