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Martha's Vineyard -- Gardens, Fish, Markets
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Down island ("down" here means east) at his aquaculture operation in the choppy waters of Katama Bay, Scott Castro checks his oysters, sorting them by size and evaluating their appearance. "For a raw bar," he explains, "you want oysters that are attractive as well as flavorful." A few families dig for quahogs in the nearby shallows while an osprey hovers, in search of supper, too. And at The Net Result fish market in Vineyard Haven, Louis Larsen restocks an array of some of the island's summer ocean offerings: tuna, flounder, halibut, swordfish, striped bass, bluefish, and more. "My family has been fishing on the island for four generations now," Larsen says, arranging the fillets on ice while customers eye lobsters swimming in the saltwater tanks behind him.
Many Vineyard chefs have perfected the art of blending island ingredients and culinary traditions with contemporary haute-cuisine techniques. "People love ordering a fish dinner that was swimming in the water that morning," says Doug Hewson, chef and owner of Mediterranean, with a view over Sylvia State Beach to Nantucket Sound beyond. "Especially when the fish is paired with island vegetables." Hewson prepares rustic, flavorful meals, such as pesto-crusted bluefish with home-grown tomato vinaigrette, and pan-seared almond-coated fluke with a creamy fresh-leek fondue. "Summer fluke is the sweetest," he says.
Michael Brisson, chef and owner of L'Étoile in downtown Edgartown, offers elegant dining featuring native seafood, lamb, and produce, including dishes such as grilled striped bass with Morning Glory Farm vegetable ratatouille and fava-bean pesto, and a classic lobster etuvee with a serving of more provincial--but no less delicious--clam fritters. "Formal dining should be celebratory as well as appetizing," Brisson notes.
Sometimes, however, simplest is best: like sampling the raw bar at Coop de Ville while sitting outdoors overlooking Oak Bluffs Harbor, as you sip cold beer and watch the boats and the water going by. Life doesn't get much better than that.
Read more: Cookbooks from Martha's Vineyard
RECIPES
Reader Comments
Comment from Susan Cole on July 26, 2009
While our home base has been Ft Lauderdale, FL, for many years, my spouse and I would take our 54' motoryacht north to Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard and of course Nantucket.
Our favorite harbor on the Vineyard has always been the fishing village of Menemsha where we would dock for as long as the local authorities would allow....usually 2 weeks at a stretch, before we would have to surrender our slip and provide another family an opportunity to tie up. But we always came back as soon as we could.
Our favorite fish market was The Menemsha Fish Market, owned by Stanley Larsen, located at 54 Basin Road, Menemsha....right on the dock where we tied up. There was always a variety of fresh fish every day and Stanley cooked up a fantastic fish chowder which we could never get enough of. Besides his lobsters, we lived for his harpooned (as opposed to line-caught) sword fish steaks...cut to whatever thickness you wish. This special treat was brought back to the boat and grilled aboard up on the fly bridge.
My spouse has since passed away and the boat has been sold....but I can still close my eyes and immagine the taste of those magnificent swordfish steaks.
Susan
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