Pie Chicks

What do pumpkin patches, cups of hot cocoa, and heating bills all have in common? They’re all indicators that yes, the off-season is on the horizon. Even if you’re already longing for beach days, there’s one thing that even the grinchiest among us can look forward to when the days get chilly.

That’s right, it’s pie season. Though isn’t it always? That’s the philosophy over at the Island’s very own Pie Chicks, where pie-making is a year-round gig. The team has maintained a substantial lineup of baked goods throughout the summer, including pies, scones, cookies, and their newly added croissants.

The shop now has a physical location for the first time ever. Located across from The Cove Golf & Grill, customers can stop by to pick up their baked goods at the Pie Chicks window. Orders can be placed at the window, or on their website ahead of time.

Despite a busy pie summer, Pie Chicks “piestress” Chrissy Kinsman claims the busiest days come with the colder months. As the temperature drops, Pie Chicks quickly adapts to supply their loyal customers with the ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin-spiced baked goods they crave. A variety of seasonal items are just around the corner, and a few are already here. The chicken pot pie, made with GOOD Farm chicken, is available now, as is the mushroom pot pie, made with M.V. Mycological mushrooms. Pierogies are also making a reappearance soon.

According to Kinsman, it’s the warming spices of fall that make this season the perfect time to experiment. Kinsman hopes to bring new items to the menu throughout the upcoming months, with an emphasis on savory baked goods and perhaps a couple more pot pies. Seasonal vegetables like carrots, squash, and pumpkins all have a chance at popping up in Pie Chicks products.

Pie Chicks also continues to sell their products through a number of Island vendors, including Cronig’s Market, Tony’s Market, Edgartown Meat & Fish, North Tisbury Farm Market, Alley’s, and the Chilmark General Store. They can also be found at the West Tisbury Farmers Market.

Visit Pie Chicks’ new location at 395 State Road in Vineyard Haven, or visit their website at piechicks.com.

M.V. Glassworks

The stunning, glass-blown wares available at Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks are gifts that keep on giving — whether it’s a vase in autumnal shades, a piece to brighten up the garden, or the decorative pumpkin, a fall favorite.

Founded in 1992, M.V. Glassworks is a longtime Island staple for one-of-a-kind glassware. Each piece is hand-blown in the M.V. Glassworks studio, which is open to visitors Wednesday through Sunday. There, you can watch the artists in action, browse the gallery, or even purchase a piece for someone special. The creative process (and selection that comes from it) will blow you away.

There are two showrooms in the M.V. Glassworks space, each with its own style. On the first floor, visitors will find what M.V. Glassworks artist Wil Sideman calls “production items.” These wares have been perfected over time, and are available for purchase in a variety of colors and sizes. Meanwhile, a trip upstairs will reveal a showroom entirely for one-of-a-kind pieces. These works tend to be more dramatic and sculptural than their production counterparts.

To browse the selection at M.V. Glassworks, stop by their location at 683 State Road in West Tisbury. For more information regarding wares and visiting protocols, visit mvglassworks.com or give the team a call at 508-693-6026.

Not Your Sugar Mamas

It’s the night before the holiday party and you’re stressing over what to give that distant relative. Or maybe you can’t decide what to bring to your coworker’s “White Elephant” gift exchange.

Luckily, there’s one gift that’s stood all tests of time: chocolate. Next time you’re in the market for a bar or two, add the Not Your Sugar Mamas brand to your shopping list.

This Island-based company got its start in 2011, when co-founders Kyleen Keenan and Bennett Coffey crossed paths during a Vineyard vacation. Over the course of the decade that followed, the two built something of a chocolate empire. With their line of signature chocolate and Keenan’s ventures in the café business, the Not Your Sugar Mamas name has become a familiar one.

Not Your Sugar Mamas prides itself on chocolate that will not only taste good, but make you feel good too. It’s something of a “superfood,” packed with organic, nutrient-rich ingredients. The NYSM “Pure and Simple Bar” boasts only four: raw cacao, maple sugar, vanilla bean, and Himalayan sea salt. It’s 81 percent cacao and 100 percent tasty.

For the slightly more adventurous, Not Your Sugar Mamas offers a variety of other chocolate bars. The “Almond Crunch Bar” is boosted by organic coconut flakes and bits of almond, while the “Lavender Sea Salt Bar” incorporates organic lavender powder for a unique flavor profile.

Since Not Your Sugar Mamas products are strictly vegan, you might not expect the company to offer “milk chocolate” products. However, two bars provide the same sweet experience using dairy-free alternatives. The coffee-packed “Mocha Latte” and white-chocolate-inspired “Cookies and Cream” are crafted with coconut butter to create that creamy, sweeter chocolate experience. These and all Not Your Sugar Mamas chocolate bars are vegan, free of gluten and refined sugar, and follow the paleo diet (if you’re into that).

When it comes to buying Not Your Sugar Mamas products, there are plenty of choices. Their website is a consistent and convenient option — each flavor is available for purchase as a single bar or in a pack of twelve. Shoppers can also opt for the “Immunity Pack,” which offers a sampling of each bar, plus a “Salted Caramel” flavor. The single pack comes with one of each, or you can find two of each in the “Double Immunity Pack.”

Not Your Sugar Mamas products can also be found at vendors around the Island, including Keenan’s recent project, Frankie’s Market in Vineyard Haven. There you’ll find not only chocolate, but vegan eats of all kinds. Away for the day (or maybe even the season)? Don’t fret. Not Your Sugar Mamas chocolate is now available at Whole Foods nationwide.

Flatpoint Farm

‘Tis the season to be safe and healthy! Soap is one of the most in-demand products today, right up there with paper towels and sanitizing wipes. Why not take a break from the grocery store shelves and shop for a local alternative?

Flatpoint Farm has been around since 1939, originally functioning as a dairy farm. The farm recovered from a devastating barn fire last year, with the help of huge support from the community.

Emily Fischer, a third generation farmer at Flatpoint, had long had an interest in soap-making, and eventually turned her hobby into a business of its own.

The classic Goat Milk Soap is a Flatpoint Farm bestseller, coming in 2.5 oz. and 4 oz. sizes. Each bar is crafted with Flatpoint Farm’s raw goat milk, organic palm shortening, and a combination of organic oils. With varied scents such as Rose Geranium, Lemon Verbena, and Oatmeal Honey, you’re sure to find something that suits you.

A “Palm Free” option of this soap is also available, free of palm shortening. Go with this one, and you’ll find a new selection of scents including Cardamom Coco Butter and Rosemary Lavender. Or, opt for the Felted Goat Milk Soap for a soft (and relaxing) lather experience. This variation on the classic Goat Milk Soap comes wrapped in Flatpoint Farm sheep’s wool.

According to Fischer, one of Flatpoint Farm’s most popular products this season is the liquid hand soap. In six variations, each scented with essential oils, this 8 oz. squirt bottle can sit right on your kitchen sink. The bottle is made of glass, acting as an environmentally friendly alternative to your average plastic soap dispenser.

Flatpoint Farm’s products can be found all over the Island, sold through your favorite vendors. Fischer recommends checking out Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown for a wide selection, while Morrice Florist in Vineyard Haven is the place to go for a liquid hand soap refill. Information for these locations and more can be found on the Flatpoint Farm website.

This website is also where you can find Fischer’s Etsy shop — the place to go if you’re looking to order soap online. Here you can select the product, scent, and quantity you’d like, before entering your shipping information.

While the majority of Flatpoint Farm’s products are available online, there’s one item you won’t find just anywhere. The Foaming Hand Soap is currently available only at the West Tisbury Farmers Market. Fischer uses this one in her own home — it’s her favorite of the bunch.

Check out Flatpoint Farm at their website, flatpointfarm.com.

“Gather” (film)

A good movie is a movie that challenges you — one that forces you to examine your ideas and preceding beliefs. It’s a movie that teaches you something new and stays with you indefinitely.

This challenge comes in the form of “Gather,” a feature-length documentary from director Sanjay Rawal. This is Rawal’s fourth feature film. His 2014 documentary “Food Chains” and subsequent documentary “3100: Run and Become” each won numerous awards and received critical acclaim. Now the director returns with another.

“Gather” follows members of four Native American tribes as they work to reclaim their cultures, traditions, and identities through food sovereignty. Rawal juxtaposes these personal accounts with contextual footage, which details the lengthy history of violence against Native Americans.

“Gather” not only illuminates these underrepresented issues, but offers education on the very cultures and practices at risk. For Nephi Craig, chef and member of the White Mountain Apache tribe, reclaiming tradition comes in the form of utilizing Apache-grown ingredients in his restaurant, Café Gozhóó. Meanwhile, Cheyenne River Sioux Nation member Elsie Dubray studies the benefits of the tribe’s traditional diet, which emphasizes the consumption of buffalo meat rather than beef.

Each story told in “Gather” creates its own unique picture of what culture reclamation and food sovereignty can look like. The film is both visually and narratively stunning, offering a genuine look at the rich, nuanced cultures of Native American tribes and the struggles they still face today. This isn’t one to miss.

“Gather” is available for purchase or rent, online through iTunes, Amazon, and Vimeo-on-Demand. For information regarding the film, visit gather.film.