Cooking & Conversation: September 2014

We had planned our sightseeing adventures to pack in as many of the sights as we could.

All week long we planned on going to the Cranberry Festival on Cape Cod to see how the cranberries are harvested and to buy some cranberry jellies and other delicacies. We headed to the village of Sandwich expecting to experience touring a cranberry bog.

We arrived in Sandwich, only to discover that the cranberry festival was not being held there.

A local policeman told us that the festival this year was in Harwich. So, we set our GPS, and headed to the eastern elbow of Cape Cod. We arrived there late morning, only to discover that the annual cranberry festival was held two Saturdays previously.

We saw a cranberry bog, but no festival.

We were very close to Chatham and the Chatham Harbor, so we traveled on
another 8 miles from Harwich to Chatham.

Chatham is located on the elbow of Cape Cod, surrounded on three sides by water.
It's land mass extends out to sea as the most easterly point in Massachusetts.
Today, the town is a tourist destination, but was once a quiet farming and fishing community.

Breakfast at the Chatham Bakery.

I did have to try the cranberries... scone & muffin varieties,

especially since I missed the Cranberry Festival.

This is the Chatham Lighthouse.

At one time twin lighthouses were built here in 1808. The northern light was

moved to Eastham in 1923 leaving only one light here.

The views of the harbor were breathtaking.

The history of the Mayflower was posted all along the Cape Cod seashores.

You can see from this map that the Mayflower traveled along this coast,

but was forced to travel back north along the coast until it anchored at Provincetown Harbor.

We stepped into the cold waters of Chatham Harbor.

We journeyed back to Mashpee.

Along the way, stopped for some ice cream.

Enjoying a day on the Cape.

Back to Mashpee to The Raw Bar.

The Lobster Roll here was on our Bucket List.

The Raw Bar at the Popponesset Marketplace

has the reputation for The Cape's Best Lobster Roll.

Let's start with a simple definition.

A lobster roll consists of chunks of tender, sweet, cooked lobster meat barely napped in a thin coating of mayonnaise, all stuffed into a top-split, white-bread hot dog bun lightly toasted in butter.

(http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/06/how-to-make-best-lobster-rolls-new-england-cooking-sandwiches.html )

Here is the Lobster Roll!

We divided into thirds it was so enormous.

(at $25.95!)

The lobster roll featured heaping portions of fresh lobster meat, tossed with a little mayo...

We weren't be disappointed!

We added a couple more menu items.

This is stuffed quahog. Yes, we did go outside our comfort zone,

and, it was delicious.

What is Quahog?

A quahog is a thick-shelled edible clam but a clam isn’t necessarily a quahog.

Stuffed Quahogs on the other hand? People still take pride in their stuffies around here. Traditional Cape Cod stuffed quahogs contain a mix of stuffing, linguica (traditional Portuguese sausage) and chopped quahogs and make for a great appetizer or small meal. Almost every local Cape restaurant still makes their own hogs.

When you have a stuffed quahog on Cape you can rest assured that you are eating something you can’t get anywhere else but here.

(from http://therealcape.com/clam-quahog-real-cape-guide-washashores-tourists/)

We also ordered the homemade snow crab cakes.

We do not live anywhere near the ocean, so it was wonderful to be able to

eat fresh seafood, cooked to perfection!

The conclusion to a trip filled with the natural beauty of the expansive, magnificent beaches, the lighthouses, and stunning views of the ocean.

The cuisine was remarkable. We sampled seafood at each location we traveled.

We explored the Cape, and were taken back to the times of the Pilgrims

and the origins of our nation.

It was an adventure of our lifetime!

Lyndie's lookin' good in her jump suit...

ready to set sail for The Vineyard, Martha's, that is.

We are leaving Woods Hole on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.

But first, we stop at Pie in the Sky Bakery for a little sustenance on the ferry.

Getting ready to board the ship.

A view of the Great Harbor leaving for Martha's Vineyard.

Arriving at Vineyard Haven Harbor.

How many people live on Martha’s Vineyard?
The Vineyard is home to 15,000 year-round residents. During the summer months the population increases to 115,000. Sixty-three percent of the homes on the Vineyard belong to seasonal residents.
(See more at: http://www.mvy.com/stay-here/frequently-asked-questions.aspx#sthash.69i94ig8.dpuf)

Everyone asked me how Martha's Vineyard got its name. Is it a vineyard?

Well, here is the origin:

Martha’s Vineyard got its name from its discoverer, Bartholomew Gosnold, who gave it the name of his wife, Martha, and also commemorated the abundant growth of wild vines on the land.

Now, you know.

(from Junior's Book.com tell me why http://www.juniorsbook.com/activity_workshop.asp?aid=5181)

Is Martha’s Vineyard one big town?
No, in fact there are 6 distinctive towns on the Vineyard, each with its own character, flare, attractions, dining, lodging and more. Tisbury, (which includes the year-round harbor port of Vineyard Haven), Oak Bluffs and Edgartown are vibrant port communities, very unique from one another, very easy to walk around and very easy to get between There are three rural towns, West Tisbury, Chilmark (including the fishing village of Menemsha) and Aquinnah, offer a more pastoral landscape, dotted with small farms, cozy shopping and galleries in a rural environment.

This is a map of the layout of Martha's Vineyard.
As you can see, it is an island.
We took a bus to two of the six towns on the Vineyard.
We landed in Vineyard Haven and looked around there.
Then we visited Oak Bluffs and Edgartown.
There was too much to see to make it to all the towns even though the Island is small.

How large is Martha’s Vineyard?
Martha’s Vineyard is approximately 96 square miles, roughly triangular in shape, 25 miles (42k) at it’s longest point east to west, and 9 miles (12.8k) at the longest point north to south.
(same reference: www.mvy.com/stay-here/frequently-asked-questions)

When ships were powered by wind and canvas,
Vineyard Haven was one of New England's busiest ports.
Today, it is the primary point of entry for visitors to the Island by ferry.

We rode the bus to our first stop, Oak Bluffs.

There are many shops lining the streets of Oak Bluffs.

Doug is like a kid in a candy store. Oh, wait, it is a candy store!

In 1835 this community, originally known as Wesleyan Grace, served as the site for annual Methodist Church camp meetings, drawing congregations of more than 12,000 people.

They came for the sermons and stayed for the sunshine.

Attendees camped in the family-sized tents that evolved into wooden cottages.

As the cottages multiplied, each family tried to outdo each other

and "Cottage City" was born.

The Martha's Vineyard

Camp Meeting Association Tabernacle

erected 1879

One of the signs read,

"The Best of All is God is with Us"

John Wesley

"Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place."

Today there are more than 300 gingerbread Cottages in this one-of-a-kind village

that draws visitors from around the world.

The first cottage on Martha's Vineyard Methodist Camp Ground, 1864.

Within 40 years of the first camp meeting here, there were crowds of 30,000

attending the Illumination night- a stunning display of Japanese lanterns-

to mark the end of the summer season.

This Vineyard tradition continues to this day.

Finding more interesting places in Oak Bluffs.

It is time for lunch at Linda Jean's Restaurant.

We ordered more great seafood.

Then we boarded the bus to Edgartown.

One of New England's most elegant communities, Edgartown was the Island's

first colonial settlement.

The Captain Warren House, circa 1850.

The stately white Greek Revival houses built by the whaling captains have been

carefully maintained to this day.

For the past hundred years Edgartown has been one of the world's great
yachting centers.

The houses make the town a museum-piece community, a seaport village preserved from
the early 19th century.

The Harbor View Hotel

The Edgartown Lighthouse

Yes, this is the Court House.

The Old Whaling Church on Main Street is Edgartown's icon. Built in 1843 at the height
of the whaling industry, the church has been transformed into a performing
arts center and is one of the island's most popular wedding venues.

Receptions are held in the Dr. Daniel Fisher House next door to the church.
It was a former private residence built three years before the Old Whaling Church.