BEFORE THE GATHERING

Stewart and Darlene strolled through the Edgartown Farmer’s Market on a clear September morn. They wanted to stock their larder before their guests arrived. Here we go! Fresh produce from the gardens and fields of their island. More produce that farmers had loaded on small boats and brought from Long Island and nearby Connecticut. Carrots! Artichokes! Fresh fruit harvested from orchards on the mainland. Celery. Oh, look! A boatload of potatoes from Maine had arrived this morning! Garlic, scallions, leeks, and onions! Mushrooms grown in abandoned barns. Asparagus. The shoppers paid special attention to the selection of fresh herbs, many of which had been grown in local greenhouses. They picked up some marjoram, yarrow, and tarragon. They couldn’t do without parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Wait! Are we going to Scarborough Fair?

With their baskets full, Stewart and Darlene returned to the large house they had rented for the season. The 19th century house, which they called a manse, sat on The Boulevard, overlooking the sparkling waters of Sengekontacket Pond, about a mile west of the center of Edgartown. After a light lunch, they walked back downtown to do some more shopping. Near the fish market at Martha’s Wharf, they stopped at a coffee cart for one-dollar-350ml cups of a steamy dark roast. Then they headed toward a grocery store to buy meat, macaroni, vinegar, canned goods, mustard, cheddar, sugar, and other items that weren’t available at the Farmer’s Market. On their way, they passed Raymond’s Hardware & Chandler’s Shop, where they admired the window display of spar varnish, harpoons, and marlinspikes. Oh, hey, this is a good place to get charcoal and lighter fluid that we’ll need for a barbeque!