BEACHES: SUMMER'S END

After being confined in the dense, unrelenting heat in NYC, for most of the summer, the last three weeks of August found us spending time at three distinct beach locations on the East Coast. Each experience was shared with different friends yet the theme that ran through was farmer's markets, what's for dinner, the beach, and shedding the accumulated stress from spending most of the summer in NYC.

First Stop: Martha's Vineyard- Chilmark

Up Island on Martha's Vineyard is one of the most magical places for me. Vast expanses of beach, rough-hewn terrain, the clay bluffs at Aquinnah and, of course, the produce grown and foraged here is vibrant. We drove up with a cooler stocked with certain things, but saved the best part for last: shopping at the West Tisbury farmer's market and Ally's Farm Stand just behind Ally's General Store. Highlights were rainbow chard, tender haricot verts, slender yellow wax beans, abundant fresh herbs, foraged rose hips and beach plums, raisins on the vine.  I turned the tiny sweet-tart beach plums and the raisins into an impromptu compote that we served with grilled duck breast and rainbow chard.  The meal was fitting for the rainy days we had and the almost autumnal feeling in the air.

BEACH PLUM and "RAISIN ON THE VINE" COMPOTE
This recipe would also work well with the beautiful plums available at farm stands this time of year

about 1 cup beach plums or black plums, pitted and chopped, if using larger plums

1/3 cup raisins, coarsely chopped

1/2c red wine

2T raw sugar

rind from 1 orange

a few spring of thyme

a pinch of sea salt-to taste

In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, and orange rind and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Add the plums and raisins and the thyme. Bring the poaching liquid back to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the plums are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Next- Rhodes Island, Matunuck Beach at the Willow Dell Beach Club

We traveled lightest to Rhodes Island to visit our dear friends, Thom and Catherine at her family home in Kingston, Rhodes Island. Rest assured though, our first stop was a fish market out on Point Judith. we gathered up scallops, lobster, and swordfish all fresh from the dock.  Lunch on Saturday consisted of simply grilled scallops and an impromptu yellow watermelon salad and red onion salad with a touch of cayenne for heat and some cilantro to balance.  Sunday lunch found me finally trying my hand at crab cakes.

CRAB CAKES

Finally- The Springs and Hither Hills State Park

We landed on Thursday to lovely day. After stocking up the fridge with fantastic local produce from my personal temple: the Green Thumb Farm in Watermill, we spent the day relaxing at the pool, reading, talking and of course sharing good food.  Hurricane Earl rolled in on Friday, to much fanfare, but really not much more than big wave and heavy, at times, rain. we ventured to Hither Hills to watch the waves and made our way back to a warm supper.  The next few days were glorious, pitch perfect unofficial end of summer days.  Grilling everything including mussels

GRILLED MUSSELS