In recent years many people have eliminated or reduced the amount of meat they eat. They’ve adopted plant-based diets, focusing more on fresh produce, which is not only good for the environment, but good for your health. If you’re a vegetarian or you’re looking for more vegetable focused dishes on Martha’s Vineyard we have some great suggestions.
On the Island restaurants are slowly tapping into the dietary needs of Islanders and visitors, offering vegetarian meals on a daily basis. Chefs are putting together creative plant-based meals with a variety of flavors and textures.
In Vineyard Haven, at the Not Your Sugar Mamas Organic Cafe, you can order a Mexican Rice Bowl ($12) for either lunch or dinner, and it might just be the best “fast food” your body can get. The serving is generous and consists of basmati brown rice that is cooked with anti-inflammatory turmeric and paprika, slow-simmered black beans, fresh guacamole, tomato salsa, and a housemade cashew sour cream that rounds it all out.
If you’re craving comfort food, stop into Slice of Life in Oak Bluffs for their Fried Green Tomato Pasta ($25), because what they do with green tomatoes is always magical. Green tomatoes are fried to a crisp and tossed with garlic, caramelized onions, pesto, and goat cheese, then added to pasta and finished with a sweet balsamic reduction.
Looking for a more ethnic feel? Little House Cafe serves up an Indonesian Gado Gado
Salad. “Gado-gado” in Indonesian literally translates to “mix-mix” because it is essentially a rich mixture of vegetables, tofu, and more, all served with local microgreens, rice, and a rich peanut sauce. Or stop by Copper Wok for Moo Shu Tofu Vegetables ($13) with steamed pancakes and hoisin sauce. This is one of my favorite meals because you can fill up your pancakes with veggies and dunk them in hoisin sauce.
For a hearty choice, the Farmer’s Plate ($25) at Henry’s at the Harbor View Hotel is a chef-inspired special of vegetables and whole grains that Chef Richard Doucette dreams up daily. Ask your server what’s on the plate that day, as they tend to change the ingredients to showcase the season.