Tag: Wine Pairings

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Hello, Sweater Weather: Fabulous Fall Turkey & Veggie Soup for Changing Seasons

Maybe it didn’t fail. Maybe it was just a season.

There’s always that one night in September when you walk outside and think:

Ohhhh. There it is. Fall. 🍂

Maybe you’re still wearing sandals. There are still tomatoes and zucchini piled on the kitchen counter, sweet corn at the farm stands and basil growing outside like it has absolutely no intention of calling it quits.

But the sun goes down a little earlier. The breeze feels different. You reach for a sweater.

And suddenly…soup sounds really good.

Not the heavy, stick-to-your-ribs January kind of soup. We’re definitely not there yet.

I’m talking about something colorful, fresh and cozy that still tastes a little like summer but gives you just enough of that hello, sweater weather feeling.

That’s exactly where my Fabulous Fall Turkey & Veggie Soup comes in.

It’s packed with ground turkey, cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini, sweet corn, green beans, carrots, celery, onions and garlic, all simmered together in chicken stock with savory seasonings.

Then I pile on fresh basil and grated Parmesan at the end, because cheese makes almost everything better.

Obviously.

It’s hearty but not heavy. Healthy without tasting like you’re trying very hard to be healthy. And when you add some crispy Parmesan-garlic toast and a glass of wine?

Now we’re talking.

That In-Between September Feeling

Labor Day weekend has always felt like summer’s unofficial closing party.

And I’m never completely ready for it.

I love fall—especially here in Upstate New York—but there’s something bittersweet about packing away another summer.

You want just one more long evening outside.

One more dinner on the patio.

One more lake or beach day.

One more ridiculously juicy peach over the kitchen sink.

But September has its own kind of magic.

Around the Finger Lakes, everything slowly starts changing. The green hills begin picking up little flashes of yellow, gold and orange. Vineyards stretch along the lakes.

Farm stands somehow have tomatoes, corn, apples and squash all sitting together.

And then there are those September drives when the windows are down, the music is up and you start seeing the first colorful leaves along the road.

It’s not full-on fall yet.

It’s the preview.

And I kind of love that.

Summer Meets Fall—in a Soup Pot

This soup tastes exactly like that moment to me.

There’s plenty of summer still hanging around in the zucchini, tomatoes, corn, green beans and fresh basil.

Then the ground turkey, white cannellini beans, chicken stock, garlic and Parmesan start nudging everything toward fall.

It’s basically September in a bowl.

And it’s also one of those forgiving recipes you can play around with depending on what you’ve got.

Fresh corn? Fantastic.

Half a zucchini sitting in the refrigerator? Throw it in.

Extra green beans from the farmers market? Yep.

A handful of spinach that needs to be used before it goes rogue in the produce drawer? In it goes.

That’s one of my favorite things about soup. It doesn’t need to be precious.

Sometimes the best dinners happen because you looked in the refrigerator and thought, Okay guys, what are we doing with all of you?

Maybe We’re All a Little Like September

The funny thing is, while I was thinking about changing seasons and making this soup, I started thinking about how much our lives work the same way.

We have seasons.

Some are exciting.

Some are comfortable.

Some are messy.

Some seem to end before we’re ready.

And some seasons change whether we want them to or not.

I’ve always loved this line from Alan Watts:

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

That’s much easier to put on an inspirational quote card than it is to actually do, of course.

Because when life changes unexpectedly, most of us don’t immediately think:

Wonderful! What an exciting opportunity for personal growth! 😂

We think:

WAIT. WHAT IS HAPPENING?

We want to hold onto what we know.

The job.

The place.

The relationship.

The routine.

The plan.

The version of ourselves we’ve gotten comfortable being.

And sometimes we need to hold on for a little while.

But eventually, we also have to make room for what’s next.

A Personal Note About Changing Seasons

I’ve been thinking about seasons a lot lately—not just the ones outside my window.

And as some of you may know I’ve been through some enormous changes over the past year and a half—loss, family, career, leaving Texas and coming back to Upstate New York… and it’s all really been a lot.

I lost my beloved Nemo, my best friend, my therapist, my ride or die in late 2024 due to old age and illness and I was absolutely crushed.

Then, a few weeks later in early 2025 I lost my Dad.

Talk about crushed? Absolutely devastated.

He was my hero, my role model, my voice of reason and inspiration.

And I still can’t believe he’s really gone….but I know he’s watching over us from heaven above and I can’t wait to see him again someday.

And then for another unexpected pivot, I lost my full time studio job in Texas due to layoffs and company restructuring from our clients and had to take a step back and really think about where I was at, what I really wanted in my career and where I was going next.

Even though these were some of the hardest moments of my life to bear, those experiences have actually taught me a few things:

life is precious,

time matters,

people matter,

creativity matters,

and sometimes losing the certainty of one path makes you reconsider where you really want to go.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m still figuring things out. And if you are too, that’s totally fine.

You don’t have to have every answer or your next move completely planned out today.

And perhaps now, throughout the losses and major changes, I have more clarity about what I really value most —and more faith that the next chapter might contain things I can’t see yet.

And it’s all going to be OK.

Maybe It Was Just a Season

Here’s an idea I’ve been carrying around lately:

Maybe it didn’t fail.

Maybe it was just a season.

I really love that.

We don’t look at August becoming September and say, Well, summer really blew it this year.

Summer did exactly what summer was supposed to do.

It arrived.

It gave us something.

And then it moved on.

Maybe we can give ourselves the same grace.

A career chapter can end without everything you accomplished there becoming meaningless.

A relationship can change without every moment you shared becoming unimportant.

You can leave a place you loved and still carry it with you.

You can miss an old version of your life without needing to recreate it.

You can even miss an old version of yourself while being curious about the person you’re becoming.

Summer doesn’t become less beautiful because it ends. And fall isn’t beautiful because summer failed.

There’s room to appreciate both.

Don’t Miss the Life That’s Happening Now

Change also has a funny way of sharpening your focus.

It makes you notice things.

Dinner with someone you love.

A friend calling at exactly the right time.

A gorgeous sunset when you weren’t looking for one.

A random roadtrip off the beaten path to a newly discovered place.

Your favorite song coming on while you’re driving.

A glass of wine while you’re cooking dinner.

Laughing until your stomach hurts.

The first cool night when you open the windows and sleep under an actual blanket again.

Soup bubbling on the stove while you’re still barefoot in the kitchen.

Those moments can seem incredibly ordinary.

But that’s the thing.

That’s your life.

Not only the big vacation or dream job or perfect house or huge opportunity you’re waiting for.

This Tuesday night.

This dinner.

This conversation.

This drive around the lake.

This ridiculous amount of Parmesan you’re grating over your soup.

All of it.

And I think I’m becoming much more interested in noticing those things.

So, speaking of Parmesan…

Let’s make soup.

Fabulous Fall Turkey & Veggie Soup

This is one of my favorite kinds of early-fall dinners: warm and comforting without being heavy.

Ground turkey and cannellini beans make it filling, while tomatoes, zucchini, corn, carrots, celery and green beans keep it colorful and fresh.

The basil and Parmesan at the end give the soup a little Italian personality, and the whole thing comes together easily in one big soup pot.

Even better? It tastes fantastic the next day.

Make a big batch and consider tomorrow’s lunch handled.

Fabulous Fall Turkey and Veggie Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for serving

1 pound ground turkey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning

½ teaspoon Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend

2–3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, finely diced, or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion

2 stalks celery, sliced into ¼-inch pieces

8 ounces carrots, about 3–4, cut into bite-size pieces

1 medium zucchini, cut into quartered half-moons

1 can sweet corn, drained, or kernels from 1 fresh ear of corn

1 can green beans, drained, or 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into smaller pieces

1 can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed

Fresh basil, for serving

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat into small crumbles, until cooked through and lightly browned. Drain extra fat and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini. Season lightly with salt and pepper, Tony Chachere’s and Nature’s Seasons. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.

Stir in the sweet corn, green beans, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes and stewed tomatoes.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaf. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 25–30 minutes.

Add additional stock if you’d like the soup a little brothier. Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning.

Ladle into bowls and top with plenty of fresh basil, grated Parmesan and a little drizzle of good olive oil.

And yes, I’m going to say plenty of Parmesan again.

What Should I Drink With It? 🍷

Because we’re easing into fall—not hibernating—I like a wine that’s fresh and bright rather than big and heavy.

Finger Lakes Dry Riesling

My first pick, especially if we’re keeping things local. A dry Finger Lakes Riesling has bright acidity that works beautifully with the tomatoes and vegetables while keeping the whole meal feeling fresh.

Sauvignon Blanc

Crisp, citrusy and often a little herbaceous, Sauvignon Blanc loves all that basil, zucchini and green vegetable goodness.

Vermentino

Want to lean into the Italian side of the soup? Try a chilled Vermentino. It’s bright and refreshing and feels right at home alongside basil, tomatoes, olive oil and Parmesan.

Barbera or Chianti

Red wine people, I haven’t forgotten you.

Try a bright Barbera or a lighter Chianti/Sangiovese. Their acidity makes them much friendlier with tomatoes than a big, heavily oaked red.

And don’t be afraid to give lighter reds a slight chill.

Trust me.

Parmesan-Garlic Toast

Because dipping crispy garlic bread into tomatoey soup broth is one of life’s tiny pleasures.

Ingredients

½ loaf rustic Italian or sourdough bread

3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Pinch of kosher or flaky salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice the bread into thick pieces and arrange on a baking sheet.

Mix together the butter, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread generously over the bread.

Bake for about 8–10 minutes, until golden and crisp around the edges.

If you want the top extra crispy—and obviously we do—pop it under the broiler for about 30–60 seconds.

Just don’t walk away.

Garlic toast has a remarkable ability to go from perfect to small kitchen fire while you’re answering a text.

Simple Early-Fall Green Salad

You don’t need anything complicated here.

Toss together:

Baby arugula or mixed greens

Thinly sliced crisp apple or pear

Toasted walnuts or pecans

Shaved Parmesan or Ricotta Salata cheese

For the dressing, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, a little honey or maple syrup, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

That’s it.

The apples or pears give you that first little taste of fall while the greens keep dinner light and fresh.

Here’s to the Next Season

Maybe that’s what I want to remember this September.

We don’t have to rush into the next season.

And we don’t have to pretend we aren’t a little sad when the last one ends.

We can still eat tomatoes while buying apples.

We can wear sandals with a sweater.

We can miss what was and still be excited about what’s coming.

We can be grateful for an old chapter without trying to live there forever.

And we definitely don’t have to know exactly what’s next.

Sometimes we just need to keep moving, pay attention and trust that there’s more life ahead of us.

So here’s to the last sweet days of summer.

Here’s to those first cool September nights.

Here’s to soup pots and sweaters and colorful drives around the Finger Lakes.

Here’s to starting over when we need to.

And here’s to remembering that maybe we’re not lost at all.

Maybe we’re simply between seasons. 🍂

Tune In: A New Into Focus episode on The Artful Gourmet Podcast – 🎧

I’m taking this conversation a little deeper in my newest podcast episode of Into Focus:

Between Seasons: Letting Go, Beginning Again & Embracing Change

I talk about life’s unexpected transitions, letting go of old chapters, changing priorities, finding beauty in ordinary moments and learning to stay open to whatever might be waiting around the corner.

Listen on Spotify and The Artful Gourmet Substack, or wherever you get your podcasts. Episode drops in a few hours just in time for Labor Day!

And come tell me what season of life you’re in right now.

And if you make my Fabulous Fall Turkey & Veggie Soup, please comment below and let me know how it came out or tag me with a photo of the soup on social @artfulgourmet.

#TheArtfulGourmet #FallRecipes #TurkeySoup #VegetableSoup #HealthyRecipes #SoupSeason #SweaterWeather #SeasonalCooking #FallCooking #ComfortFood #HealthyComfortFood #FingerLakes #UpstateNY #SeptemberRecipes #WinePairing #IntoFocus

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The Black Dog Tavern Quahog Chowder: A Taste of Martha’s Vineyard

There are some places you visit once and somehow carry with you forever.

For me, Martha’s Vineyard is one of them.

One Labor Day weekend in 2011, I stepped off the ferry and promptly fell in love —

with the salty air, weathered shingles, hydrangeas spilling over fences,

sailboats bobbing in the harbor and that wonderful feeling that life moves at a slightly different speed once you arrive on an island.

And then there was the chowder.

Not just any clam chowder, but a steaming bowl of Quahog Chowder from The Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven — rich and creamy with potatoes, smoky salt pork, onion and celery and, of course, plenty of briny New England quahogs.

One spoonful and it tasted like New England.

Years later, it’s still one of those recipes that immediately transports me back to Martha’s Vineyard.

The New England Charm of Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard has a wonderful ability to feel both glamorous and wonderfully unpolished.

There are six distinctive towns across the island, each with its own personality — from the historic sea-captain houses and white clapboard architecture of Edgartown

to the colorful gingerbread cottages of Oak Bluffs, the fishing village of Menemsha and the rural lanes, farms and stone walls of West Tisbury.

Then there’s Vineyard Haven.

Part of the town of Tisbury, Vineyard Haven is a working harbor and the island’s primary year-round port.

Ferries glide in and out alongside sailboats and working vessels, while shops, galleries and restaurants line the streets beyond the waterfront.

And sitting right on that harbor is one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most recognizable landmarks: The Black Dog Tavern.

The Story Behind The Black Dog Tavern

Long before that familiar black-dog silhouette appeared on T-shirts across America, there was Captain Robert Douglas,

his sailing vessel Shenandoah and an actual black dog.

Douglas sailed Shenandoah to Martha’s Vineyard in 1964. A Black Lab–Boxer mix named Black Dog eventually became his almost constant companion.

The idea for The Black Dog Tavern began in 1969 when Douglas imagined a welcoming year-round restaurant where islanders and visitors could gather over good food and conversation.

The Tavern opened in Vineyard Haven in 1971, and chowder was part of the story from the beginning.

More than half a century later, The Black Dog has become synonymous with Martha’s Vineyard, but I still love the simplicity of its origin: a sailor, his dog, the sea and the desire to create a welcoming place to feed people.

Which brings us to that chowder.

What Is a Quahog?

If you didn’t grow up around coastal New England, you may be wondering:

What exactly is a quahog?

Pronounced roughly KO-hog, a quahog is the Northern hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), a thick-shelled clam native to the Atlantic coast.

Unlike the thin-shelled soft clams New Englanders commonly call steamers, quahogs have sturdy shells and firmer, flavorful meat.

Hard clams are often named according to size. Smaller specimens are commonly sold as littlenecks and cherrystones, while larger hard clams are often referred to as quahogs or chowder clams.

And there’s a reason for that name.

Their larger, firmer meat is perfect for chopping into chowder, where its distinctly briny flavor can stand up to potatoes, cream, herbs and smoky pork.

It’s difficult to imagine a more quintessentially New England ingredient.

The Black Dog Tavern’s Quahog Chowder Recipe

This recipe is from The Black Dog: Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook, which I bought during that memorable Martha’s Vineyard trip in 2011.

It’s creamy, comforting and wonderfully satisfying without requiring complicated technique. If you’re working with fresh quahogs, you’ll need a little extra prep time, but the fresh-from-the-sea flavor is absolutely worth it.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8–10 servings

Ingredients

2 ounces salt pork, diced, or 8–10 slices pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced

2 cups diced yellow onion

1 cup diced celery

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups shelled quahogs with reserved juice, roughly chopped, or minced clams

2 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

1½ quarts light cream, or a combination of heavy cream and half-and-half

Paprika, for garnish

Garlic-Herb Butter Croutons, for serving (recipe follows)

How to Make Quahog Chowder

1. Cook the salt pork.

Add the diced salt pork or bacon to a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot and cook until the fat begins to render.

If using bacon, cook until done, drain off most of the fat and leave approximately 2 tablespoons in the pot.

Add the onions and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and aromatic.

2. Add the potatoes.

Pour approximately 1½ cups of reserved clam juice into the pot.

Add the potatoes, thyme and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender.

3. Make the roux.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Once bubbling, whisk in the flour and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently. You want to cook away the raw flour flavor without significantly browning the roux.

4. Add the quahogs.

Roughly chop the quahog meat, if necessary, reserving any additional liquid.

Add the quahogs and sweet corn to the chowder and gently simmer for about 2 minutes.

5. Thicken the chowder.

Stir the prepared roux into the chowder base and continue simmering for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Heat the cream.

In a separate saucepan, heat the cream until small bubbles begin appearing around the edges.

Do not allow it to boil.

7. Finish the chowder.

Slowly stir the hot cream into the chowder base.

Warm everything through, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Remember that the quahogs and salt pork already contribute plenty of salinity, so taste before adding additional salt.

Ladle into warm bowls and finish with paprika and a generous handful of homemade garlic-herb butter croutons.

If you’re feeling particularly indulgent, add a little pat of butter on top and let it melt right into the chowder.

Ways to Customize New England Clam Chowder

One of the wonderful things about chowder is that there’s plenty of room to make it your own.

For an extra-seafood New England chowder, add chunks of cod, haddock or another firm white fish during the final few minutes of cooking.

Scallops or shrimp would also be delicious.

Or take the Vineyard experience north to Maine and fold in generous pieces of lobster meat just before serving.

For a more vegetable-forward late-summer chowder, try adding:

  • Extra fresh sweet corn
  • Diced carrots
  • Leeks
  • Fresh chives
  • Parsley
  • Fresh thyme

If you prefer a lighter chowder, replace some of the cream with whole milk or half-and-half and reduce the amount of roux slightly for a thinner, more broth-forward consistency.

And although bacon is delicious, traditional salt pork gives the chowder a subtler, old-fashioned New England flavor.

Whatever you add, don’t overwhelm the clams.

A great New England chowder should still taste unmistakably of the sea.

Homemade Garlic-Herb Butter Croutons

These may just ruin ordinary oyster crackers for you.

They become golden and crunchy in the oven, then soak up just enough chowder around the edges while remaining crisp in the center.

Ingredients

4 cups rustic sourdough or country bread, cut into approximately ¾-inch cubes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon flaky or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of paprika, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter with the olive oil over low heat.

Add the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic brown.

Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme and parsley.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and toss with the garlic-herb butter, salt, pepper and paprika.

Spread the croutons in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 12–18 minutes, tossing halfway through, until crisp and deeply golden.

Fair warning: make extra. They’re dangerously snackable straight from the sheet pan.

What to Serve with Clam Chowder

Because creamy chowder is rich, I like pairing it with something cool, crunchy and acidic.

Simple Vineyard Summer Salad

Ingredients

5 ounces baby greens, butter lettuce or mixed tender lettuces

½ English cucumber, thinly sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced

¼ small red onion or shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Fresh dill or parsley

Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon honey

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon and honey and season to taste.

Toss lightly with the greens and vegetables immediately before serving.

That’s it.

Keep the salad simple and bright and let the chowder remain the star of the show.

Best Wines to Pair with New England Clam Chowder

Rich, creamy clam chowder calls for a wine with enough acidity to refresh your palate between bites.

A few favorites:

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine — Crisp, mineral and wonderfully seafood-friendly. This would probably be my first choice.

Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc — Citrus, herbs and bright acidity make this especially good with briny shellfish.

Unoaked Chardonnay — A softer pairing whose restrained richness complements the creamy chowder without becoming too heavy.

Albariño — Saline, citrusy and practically begging to be served with shellfish.

Brut sparkling wine — Because bubbles + butter + bacon + seafood + crunchy croutons is a combination I’m never going to argue with.

Serve any of them well chilled and preferably somewhere with a harbor view.

Or at least an open window.

Martha’s Vineyard Beer Pairings

If you’re more of a beer-with-chowder person, keep things refreshing rather than overly heavy.

Offshore Ale Company in Oak Bluffs is Martha’s Vineyard’s year-round brewpub. A crisp golden ale or approachable pale ale is a natural match for creamy seafood chowder.

Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery in Edgartown is another fun island stop, with a brewery and beer garden tucked into a nursery setting that feels particularly Vineyard-ish on a summer afternoon.

Beyond the island, a crisp New England lager, Kölsch-style ale, blonde ale, wheat beer or balanced pale ale would all work beautifully.

Save the monster double IPA for another night. This dinner is about the quahogs.

More New England Chowder Recipes to Try

Once you’ve gone down the chowder rabbit hole, there’s really no reason to stop at one bowl.

Try Ina Garten’s East Hampton Clam Chowder, which incorporates carrots along with onions, celery, potatoes and thyme.

Chef Jasper White, one of the chefs most closely associated with modern New England seafood cooking, offers a traditional New England Fish Chowder using salt pork, potatoes, herbs and fish stock.

For a more contemporary interpretation, chef Michael Anthony’s New England Clam Chowder adds leeks, fennel, shrimp and dashi.

You can also try a classic Food Network New England Clam Chowder made with littleneck clams, bacon, fresh thyme, potatoes and half-and-half.

A Little Martha’s Vineyard Magic at Home

I first shared this recipe back in 2011 after returning from that Labor Day weekend with my Black Dog cookbook,

plenty of photographs and what apparently became a permanent affection for Martha’s Vineyard.

Read the Original post on artful gourmet blog

View my Slideshow of photos from Martha’s Vineyard

Slideshow of photos from Boston

All these years later, I think that’s what I still love about recipes collected while traveling.

They’re souvenirs you can cook.

So make this chowder on one of those late-summer evenings when the sunlight begins changing ever so slightly.

Open the windows.

Put a bottle of white wine on ice.

Toss together the salad.

Toast the croutons until your kitchen smells like garlic and butter.

Then ladle the chowder into big bowls and imagine Vineyard Haven harbor just outside — sailboat masts against the evening sky, ferry horns in the distance, salt in the air and nowhere particularly urgent to be.

Maybe that’s the real taste of Martha’s Vineyard.

Not simply clams, cream and potatoes.

It’s summer slowing down before it slips away.

And if you can’t make it to the island this year, a really good bowl of chowder isn’t a bad place to start.

Want the story behind the story?

I revisited my original Martha’s Vineyard trip in a more personal essay over on The Artful Gourmet Substack, with even more island inspiration and late-summer food storytelling.

Read the Substack essay

And if you’d like to make your own little piece of Martha’s Vineyard at home, look for The Black Dog: Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook, the cookbook that inspired this recipe.

Get the cookbook on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Purchasing through my affiliate link helps support The Artful Gourmet at no additional cost to you.

Until next time — cook something delicious, pour something cold and savor what’s left of summer.

Enjoy!

xo, Kristen

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Autumn Harvest Chicken & Veggies

Amazing Macaroni and Cheese

Irish Stout Beef Stew

Alsace Tarte Flambée

#MarthasVineyard #TheBlackDogTavern #QuahogChowder #NewEnglandClamChowder #ClamChowder #NewEnglandFood #SeafoodRecipes #MarthasVineyardEats #VineyardHaven #NewEnglandRecipes #CoastalCooking #FoodTravel #SummerRecipes #TheArtfulGourmet

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