Friends’ Marketplace sells a lot of Eastham turnips — more than you might imagine for a humble root vegetable. “They’re starting to go through over 200 pounds of our turnips […]
Visual Stories
THE BASICS
Liquid Gold
Cooked on Thanksgiving Day or made ahead, homemade gravy is like money in the bank
When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal, there is no such thing as too much gravy. It’s a saving grace for any bird that gets too dry, an indulgent complement […]
EAT YOUR FEELINGS
This Year’s Pie Fest Bests the Rest
Spirits were high, and so was the bidding, at Provincetown’s third annual Pie Fest
Downstairs at the Commons, three celebrity judges and two hosts eyed 14 slices of pie. One slice was naught more than a sliver; another bulged precariously. One spilled meat and […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 19 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
HOLIDAY SIDES
A Dressing From Down South
In this herb-heavy cornbread version, stuffing the bird isn’t required — just add gravy
People tend to be extremely biased about their Thanksgiving stuffings. They may try an unusual side vegetable or add a new pie recipe beyond the usual pumpkin and pecan (for […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Long Island Sound Lost Its Lobster Fishery. Is Cape Cod Bay Next?
With warmer water and a steeper thermocline, it’s hard to know where the lobsters will go
Cape Cod and lobster are as much a match as peanut butter and jelly. It’s hard to imagine a summer without lobster rolls or that quintessential Cape Cod food adventure, […]
A SHRUB LAUREATE
Pretty in Evergreen
Sheep laurel, one of several broad-leaved evergreen shrubs in the local understory, is prone to wilting — a defense mechanism that helps it conserve water during droughts and cold weather. […]
CHARACTER STUDIES
Mary Beck Has Seen It All
A lifelong Provincetowner who raised a town at Veterans Memorial Elementary
Mary Beck is sitting on the couch in the living room of her corner house in the West End. She’s a little hidden behind her oversize rectangular sunglasses. Beck is […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
A Balance of Fire and Air
As you seek a better world, pay attention to people’s motivations
This week the Sun moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius, the sign of the archer. This welcome transition acknowledges the importance of visionaries and seers, those who have the ability to […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
Immersed in a Sea of Little Bluestem
Looking at the subtle beauty of a native grass becomes a form of meditation
There is a meadow in Eastham just off the side of the highway that pulls my attention every time I pass by. The field is the site of the old […]
CHARACTER STUDIES
Mary Beck Has Seen It All
A lifelong Provincetowner who raised a town at Veterans Memorial Elementary
Mary Beck is sitting on the couch in the living room of her corner house in the West End. She’s a little hidden behind her oversize rectangular sunglasses. Beck is […]
PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTEBOOK
Treasure Hunting for Rubies in the Bog
An Outer Cape tradition provides a bountiful cranberry harvest and an after-school treasure hunt
There is something wonderfully primitive about foraging food. It feels like the way it should always be. There are no signs or sounds of civilization out in the dunes. Just […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Look at a New Kind of Ark
Maybe floating open-water fish farming will take the pressure off wild stocks
It’s hard for me to wrap my head around fish farming. I grew up commercial fishing the old-fashioned way, for one thing. Besides, it seems to me fish farming produces […]
THE WHOLE TABLE
A Cake to Please Every Type of Eater
Sometimes being good to your body means baking a (healthier) cake
A few years back, I figured out that I had a slew of dietary sensitivities. But since I really do love food, I have been on a quest to discover […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Scoping Out Holiday Gifts
Heavenly ideas for the astronomical enthusiast in your life
My first telescope was a surprise Christmas gift. I’ll never forget my delight and also my frustration with early attempts to use it. It took time to acquire the knowledge […]
