Grist for the Mill
This winter issue marks our fifth year at the helm of this wonderful publication. Five years and thousands of words later, my long-held (albeit unproven) belief that the “shop local” movement started on Cape Cod, continues to ring true with me. It’s more than that, however – Cape Codders “support local”. We learn time and again within these pages how we lift one another up both financially and spiritually when our friends, family and those we haven’t even met need it most.
While some businesses shutter for the winter, the “off-season” is merely a down shift to a more manageable tempo, but the beat goes on for many. People like Seth and Megan Burdick and their staff continue to supply their customers with necessary provisions to make meals at home or something freshly prepared at Cotuit Fresh Market and the new Mashpee Fresh Market for those too busy to cook. In “Cornering the Markets”, Bill O’Neill met up with the couple about their growing business, where the number of employees tops out over one hundred in the summer months, and the Burdicks never seem to stop.
The quieter winter months bring with them a chance to reconnect with friends and loved ones. It’s vital for our collective mental health to stay engaged with our social network (the old-fashioned kind) during a time when isolation can be a real concern. On the islands it can be a particular worry, which makes communal meals essential. Leah Mojer returns with fond reminiscences of potlucks past in “A Nantucket Pot of Gold”. She also adds a tasty recipe for Madaket Quahog and Corn Chowder to our little potluck of stories in this issue.
A bit farther out to sea than Madaket harbor, the hunt for sea clams is a year-round endeavor, as this abundant source of protein is in near-constant demand. Jesse Rose and the folks at Midnight Our Seafood have built a Chatham-based processing facility to guarantee the freshest clams available. “From Seabed to Stovetop” is an account of just how surprisingly fast the turnaround time is to prepare the clams for the chowder pot, sauté pan, or deep fryer.
Maybe other types of seafood are to your liking. John Carafoli’s recurring column “Cooking with Carafoli” has a directive: Go Fish! He offers three recipes for fish lovers, featuring halibut, monkfish, and skate wings.
If you’re looking for others to do the cooking, Chef Maria Pollio, her brothers Adam and Andrew, and the rest of the team at Del Mar in Chatham are waiting. Vanessa Stewart is back and sat down with owner John Zartarian and Chef Pollio to learn all about the wildly popular eatery and to sample some delightful items from the seasonal menu. As she’ll tell you, now is the time to get in and experience it for yourself before the summer crowds return.
It’s the holidays, a time for friends and family to gather more frequently and strengthen the bonds between us. Yet, it’s just as important to come together during the quieter months of January and February and March here on our special peninsula and the adjacent islands. Until we come together again with you, our dedicated readers, when we bring you our spring issue in late April, enjoy your winter and quality time with your loved ones. If you’re half as thankful to have them as we are to have you, then you’re doing OK.
Stay toasty, Larry
