Grist for the Mill

Summer 2025

Massachusetts may be a small state, but its coastline with inlets and coves covers approximately 1,500 miles. Lucky us! Exploration isn’t only for coastal residents—most inland communities are still just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic. Sometimes, when something so predominant is so close we forget about all its glory—take whale watching for example. To that end, we at eSEMA wanted to educate ourselves and our readers on some of the hidden and not so hidden gems at our fingertips.

Our taste buds will take a culinary journey along our coastal water as we experiment with transforming ugly fish into a delectable treat, using Irish sea moss to create a refreshing libation, and cooking up invasive green crabs to make the base for a tasty broth. We trace the history of quahogs from their traditional Native American uses to their modern incarnation as the local favorite appetizer “stuffies,” aka stuffed quahogs. You’ll also learn how to make honey-butter fish molds.

Off the plate, we discover the traditions, history, and value of wampum, and learn how the turf… er… harbor war between Scituate and Cohasset is progressing in the name of oysters. In addition, exploring the depths of the ocean and its inhabitants through the eyes of chef Barton Seaver teaches us that seafood is the dinner option we didn’t know we were missing. (Read: serve more than just once or twice a week.)

There are as many nuances to our aquatic landscape as there are miles of shoreline. By pushing our comfort zone a bit, we can learn to fully embrace the abundance of the Atlantic that is our backyard. It truly is amazing—aquaculture feeds so many and provides so many jobs. Again, we are lucky to live in Southeastern Massachusetts, and the mighty Atlantic with all its coastal nooks and crannies is worth exploring by land… and by sea.

Eat Thoughtfully,