Good morning. By the time you read this, I'll be eating popovers with my 89-year-old Dad, who's been making them every Christmas morning for 65 years. We'll be at my sister's house. There will be Delaware scrapple in the frying pan, too. And two dogs standing by for scraps. We will be in our pajamas, and it will be a lovely, relaxing morning. I hope, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, that this is a peaceful day for you.
To keep things simple but fun today, I thought I'd share with you the most popular recipes we've posted since we launched Cook the Vineyard on July 3. This is actually newsletter No. 26, so in just six months, we've cooked a lot of delicious food. (So posting the top 13 — a cook's dozen — somehow also made sense!)
It always tickles me to see top ten lists and year-end "best" lists, so I couldn't resist. Plus, when I looked at the "most visited" recipes (thank you, Google Analytics), I got a smile on my face: There's a bit of everything (soups, main dishes, side dishes, pasta, desserts, seafood) and there are recipes from Island chefs, Island food writers, off-Island cookbook authors, and long-time Martha's Vineyard magazine contributors. A great mix! So here goes (number one is a kick!):
#1 Crispy Pan Seared Scup The little fish also known as porgy makes good eating, especially when pan-seared in this recipe by Cathy Walthers.
#2 Island Fresca Chef Ben deForest's tomato and corn soup is the essence of summer.
#3 Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Two Sauces Need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser? Look no further.
#4 Dorie Greenspan’s Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good It's all that.
#5 Baked Pasta with Roasted Eggplant, Tomato Cream, and Parmigiano Use any combo of roasted vegetables (or even sausage) in this versatile baked pasta.
#6 Seared Sea Scallops with Tomato Butter Perfectly delicious.
#7 Rustic Tarts with Sweet or Savory Fillings One buttery, flaky dough; one great technique. Your choice of sweet or savory fillings.
#8 Roasted Turkey with Apple-Cider Thyme Gravy Tips from chef Michael Brisson make this a moist and delicious turkey.
#9 Vineyard Salted Cranberry Bar Much to love: A buttery crust, a tangy cranberry layer, sliced almonds, chocolate chips, and a crumb topping.
#10 Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Sarah Waldman's warming chicken dinner tastes exotic but has a short list of easy-to-find ingredients.
#11 Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge Brownies A swirl of vanilla cream cheese provides a perfect contrast in Abby Dodge's deeply chocolatey fudge brownie.
#12 Beef Stew with Carrots, Green Beans, and Potatoes Two tricks to great flavor: start with a chuck roast, then cook the veggies on the side.
#13 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart with Crushed Pretzel Crust Three make-ahead components; one luscious tart. And white chocolate whipped cream on top!
We'll be writing to you again on New Year's Eve, but in the meantime, hang with us on Instagram and Facebook, and of course, check out all of our recipes on Cook the Vineyard.