VINEYARD HARVEST: A Year of Good Food on Martha's Vineyard

A Martha's Vineyard native of the old school—daughter of Black Dog Tavern proprietor Allan Miller, and herself chef/owner of the much-missed Roadhouse Café and Café Moxie—Miller celebrates the fishing and farming traditions that thrive on the island, far from the ferry-hopping day trippers and glamorous summer residents. The best of her 100-plus recipes give her signature modern twist to New England classics—from simple dishes like Grilled Bluefish and Quahog Chowder to more complicated fare such as Stonewall Beach Clambake; Lobster Pot Pie with Early Peas; and Heritage Breed Roast Turkey with Linguica Stuffing. The recipe instructions are disappointingly perfunctory, lacking the more personal stamp that brings to life Miller's short essays on seasonal cooking or her affectionate homages to individual producers, like Alan Whiting and his West Tisbury sheep farm; Caitlin Jones, who grows organic vegetables in Chilmark; and Jack Blake, oyster farmer of Sweet Neck. And it seems strange that a New England island chef like Miller would say, "I don't like raw shellfish." But overall, Miller's text and Shaw's photographs make this work an inviting, seasonal guide to modern New England cuisine, an insider's guide not just to cooking, but also to buying the best local food on the island. Agent, Stacey Glick and Jane Dystel. (May 10)