Click here for a slide show or check the photo gallery to the left!

Thanks to everyone who came out and showed support yesterday for our Cotuit Center for the Arts benefit show!  Despite some last minute confusion about the order of bands, things went off without a hitch, and a couple hundred people cycled through.  We would like to apologize for the flip flop on the lineup, but everyone was incredibly understanding and recognized that the focus of this event was to do some good and have a good time, which I think it’s safe to say most everyone did!  The Casuals opened things up and played an amazing set, getting people on the dance floor almost immediately.  Amy had her hands full out in the art area, where she hosted a huge amount of kids of all ages who were painting and doing different crafts, between sessions on the giant moonwalk outside.  The artists came through in spades, and Kelly Provo and her posse stayed for the entire event, start to finish…  She said it was her first showing in a gallery environment, but judging from peoples reactions to her work you can bet it won’t be the last.  Ben and Erica made it out, as did Andrew Jacob and his friends with some incredible surf influenced pieces.  Keep an eye out for his special hand painted newspaper box, it’s the first of several that will house the new issues of C.O.D.  Wendy from the Black Crow Gallery was there, rushing in and out so she could mind her gallery.  Cape Cod Beer hooked up two kegs, which kept everyone loose through an amazing OSB set and well into the final act, Spiritual Rez.  Featuring an amazing horn section, the Rez tore things up with their funky reggae jams, and I don’t think there were too many people that could avoid getting there groove on.

Special thanks to Murphy’s for the wine and cigar tent, Chris, Patrick and Jamie for having us, Ben and Billy on the Burrito Bus, Brian for handling the beer, Suzanne, Amy and Erin for all the help, and Pizza One Subs Two for their generous support!  Keep your eyes here for a VERY SPECIAL show coming up in November.  You have to see it to believe it, but man, this is gonna be huge!

See you there!

I know, I should write a dissertation about why eating locally is better for the environment, supports local business, and is less (globally and personally) toxic, but really, I was just there for the food. The delicious, fresh, flavorful, immaculately crafted food.

I just spent the last few days visiting CLASH events from Hyannis to Wareham (there are more, farther out on the Cape, but who do you think I am? Wonder Woman?) and I have finally gotten to the point where I seriously cannot eat another bite. And that’s saying something.

Thursday we went to the gala opening at CLASH headquarters - a tent behind the Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis. There were people offering us food and drinks that they had made right here on the Cape.

I spent most of the time talking to people about food I had never heard of and asking them to spell things. They’re throwing around farm names and horticulture terms like it’s no big thing and I’m nodding and smiling like I’m some sort of food critic and of course I know what they’re talking about. It was like when I started waitressing and fumbled every single cocktail order. You want a what? Laphroaig? Are you kidding me?

Wianno Grille had these little caponata on brioche thingies made with buttercup squash. I had several. And Brewster Fish House had a local salad with some kind of soft cheese from Shy Brothers Farm in Westport. They’re called Hannahbells and are the most delicious thing ever. You can buy it off their website.

On Friday there were talks on growing what you eat. Here’s Sarah Swain after her talk on raising backyard chickens:

She was swamped with people asking for more information. I think there may be a drop in commercial egg consumption next year.

There was also a talk by the East Dennis Oyster Farm guy, John Lowell. One thing he recommended was asking where the oysters come from when you order them in restaurants. If they don’t know, he suggests you get the burger. He also explained that it’s not okay to take oysters from one town and replant them in another. So if any of you Oysters Have Feelings, Too people are reading this stop releasing oysters back into the wild.

At the end of his talk he asked if anyone would like some free oysters and let me tell you, it was as if Sarah was out there calling her flock of chickens. I have never seen people move so fast in my life.

On Saturday, CLASHists had many choices. It was sort of a Cape-wide Open Studio of food. I headed up to Falmouth to watch a clam digging demonstration, and got there in time to not watch the demonstration. It didn’t happen because of rain that also wasn’t happening but probably did happen on Sunday, the rain date. And if you think that was confusing? You should have read the directions to get to Bournes Pond. It said to turn right on Menahaunt, but what it should have said was “turn left on the big street that has absolutely no sign whatsoever.” I love New England. If a street is important enough, no sign is necessary.

I was sorry to miss the demonstration, as it involved a plunger.

From there I went across the bridge to Wareham for a cranberry bog tour. I followed the directions and was met with a very difficult choice: turn left for the bog tour, or turn right to bail on the whole afternoon and go to Target. I could use some cork shelf liners.

I went on the tour. And here’s what I found out.
1) cranberries are vines
2) some of these bogs are 100 years old and have not been replanted - making for some serious heirlooms
3) bogs that are all sandy have not been punked by competing bogs. Dumping sand on your bog every three years helps the plants grow.

By now I was starving - all this talk of clams and cranberries and not a darn thing to eat. So I jetted over to Feast of Falmouth.

What a lark! You get these punch cards and you get to try ten different samples of dishes brought by local restaurants. I stood by the trash cans so I could eat and discard my plates more efficiently. Also, they gave us these little plastic plates to balance all our stuff on, with a corner indentation for a drink. I’m keeping mine in my purse to use at wedding receptions and art openings.

Once I had had my way with Feast of Falmouth, which by the way offered my car the nicest view it’s had in a long time, I headed toward Sandwich to visit Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen.

I have a crush on the jam kitchen, and not just because Thornton Burgess’ Smiling Pool is out back.

On our way east we saw one of the aforemention sanded bogs. It’s like pruning. I know this because now I’m really smart.

And then there was a boy waving at the side of the road with yet another CLASH sign, inviting us to visit Gallery Gourmet on 6A in Sandwich.

They have all kinds of yummy looking things and if I hadn’t just eaten twice my body weight at Feast of Falmouth, I’d have been in big trouble. Go get into some trouble yourself if you’re in the neighborhood. She just opened last spring and would, I’m sure, be delighted to see you.

From there I went home and fell into a food coma.

And when I woke up, I went back to Hyannis for more oysters at the Oyster Festival on Sunday. My new best friends John and Stephanie Lowell were there again, from East Dennis Oyster Farm. They were doling out oysters and offering some with a dash of cranberry pepper jelly. Oh good heavens. Also out of this world was the oyster sashimi from the Oyster Company. It was an oyster on the half shell with yellowfin sashimi, wasabi, cucumbers and citrus-soy vinaigrette. Don’t even try making it yourself because theirs is completely perfect in every way.

And here’s faithful COD reader Craig Poosikian, shucking those Brewster Oysters. I had several. You know, to support our readership.

And the icing on the proverbial cake was when John Rega of “Taste of Cape Cod” chatted with me in a food critic to food critic kind of way.

Obviously he’s never read any of my food reviews.

(Click here for more photos)

-Susan

Last night the Cape Land and Sea Harvest (C.L.A.S.H.) kicked off with a big party in Hyannis featuring amazing local food, wine, and beer from around the Cape.  If you haven’t already heard of it, the CLASH is an annual celebration of all local edible goodies, and for the next few days you can tour farms, learn to shellfish, eat AMAZING food at a variety of local restaurants, and more!  Click here to see the website and learn more…

We went and took picture, ate, drank, and made merry.  Highlights included all the garlic and butter little necks you could handle, organic sliders (mini burgers!) from a farm in Maine made with local cheese and buns, Cape Cod Beer, and a desert table that bowed with the weight of sugary magic.  The Wine List is an amazing little shop in Hyannis, and the owners have taken on the responsibility of making this event happen, if you get the chance stop in and thank them! You couldn’t ask for a better time, or cause.
If you missed the action, click HERE for a slide show!

Tonight we raged it Cape Cod style, heading out on a booze cruise of Falmouth Harbor courtesy of Murphy’s Fine Wines and Cigars. Daniel Byrnes (October’s C.O.D featured musician!) and Captain John rocked the house (literally!), there was free (!) tequila, wine, and cigars, can you imagine it being anything but amazing?  Things started out slow, with our crew lounging around and eating fresh apples instead of hand rolled Cubanos, but by the end of the night everyone, young and old, was puffing down and dancing in the isles!  Thanks to Murphy and everyone who came out, it was a great way to say adieu to summer!  Who was there?  Click here for a lengthy photo gallery…

Looking for something better than the everyday?  Need a little spice in your life?  Well, this Saturday night Murphy’s of Falmouth is hosting a boat cruise on the Island Queen.  Boat leaves at around 6 pm, with cigars, fine liqueurs, wine, more.  Live music?  Of course!  John from the OSB will be jamming with Mr. Daniel Byrnes… Not to be missed!

C.O.D writer Suzanne Carlson has an article in the new Bitch Magazine.  Suzanne pulls from her deep bag  of knowledge on hunting and fishing to discuss the way that companies in those realms market to women.  Pink shotguns anyone?  You know Sarah Palin has one!

Today Ben and Erica had their end of summer / belated birthday shindig.  We met lots of new people, and got to reconnect with some old friends (keep and eye out for some of them writing in the next issue!).

Team Blood even braved the perils of the mid Cape to put in an appearance!

Check the pics here…

We have some pretty exciting stuff coming up, check the events page and clear your calendar!