So, we're not supposed to have favorite members at Family Dinner. We're supposed to love and appreciate you all the same. That said, my absolute favorite member is Janet. Janet is 99 years young and a retired social worker. This week she recalled a vegetable that showed up in her share: "all spindly and curly, it looked like abstract art!" Janet is, of course, regaling the beauty of the garlic scapes.
A few weeks ago the Boston Globe ran a piece called Saving Chelsea about the devastating effects that COVID-19 is having on the Chelsea community and surrounding area. It laid bare the truths of how this pandemic is disproportionately effecting communities of color and exacerbating the difficulties for low-income families.
Basil and Bunny sounds like a delicious dish I would hunt in my back yard and serve up over some homemade tagliatelle and a glass of Chianti while cranking Pavarotti's Greatest Hits, but no! It's incredibly delicious vegan fair made by husband and wife team Lyslie and Mathiew Medeiros. "Basil & Bunny is comfort food inspired by multicultural flavors and entirely plant-based. Center-of-the-plate, mouthwatering dishes that you crave."
I asked a few friends for suggestions around a food pun for the week and Kirstie at Clark Farm was quick to the draw with this visual gem. Rich, a friend and Family Dinner member, suggested I go with "There's asparagus in this week's share, urine for a surprise!" (You're welcome. We decided to forgo the visual on that one.)
We are so excited to partner with A&J King Bakery in Salem, MA for this week's grain and treats. Owners Andy and Jackie King have been at the helm of this incredible bakery since 2006. Jackie and I go even further back, all the way to Masconomet High School, to these ridiculously baggy track uniforms and Erin's awful DIY haircut. (brutal, Baumgartner, just brutal!)
Is an allium! Onions and these beautiful scallions from Clark Farm are both a part of the Allium family, from the latin allium meaning "garlic." (Nothing like some culinary etymology to start your day off, am I right??). Scallions are brighter and sweeter than onions. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and will store for a good while if you wrap them in a damp paper towel and store in a plastic bag.
CHEESE TREES
When I hear the words "Farmer's Cheese" it has always made me laugh. Like, aren't all cheeses the product of farmers in one way or another, why does this one earn that moniker?
Or is there some plant that magically sprouts cheese in a perennial fashion?
And if there is some mythical cheese that actually grows on trees, where the hell do I find these guys to plant all over my yard? Because if that exists, I could die happy.
Farmer's cheese is like fresh pressed cheese with the consistency of dense ricotta. It is wonderfully versatile and ready for your tacos, veggie pasta dishes or just slathered on toast (we know you've been baking bread, people!) with a touch of honey.
When Luke and Catarina from Brookford Farm suggested it for the shares this week, we jumped at the chance to introduce it to the shares. We hope you enjoy!
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
Author and Poet Anita Kizzan once said : "Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer."
We think that's a nice thing to keep in mind. It's even nicer to see it when the sun begrudgingly peeks it head out and we can soak up some Vitamin D. The farms and growers are feeling that love too, as Spring finally starts to ramp up like someone's grumpy kid that doesn't want to get out of bed.
The fields at Clark Farm (pictured on Wednesday), and all the farms we work with are coming to life too. Tractors are vrooming through the dirt, starter plants are being plunked into the ground. The time for Spring veggies is around the corner, we just need a few more weeks of patience, and potatoes.
While we wait, there are some really wonderful daily recipes coming out of the New York Times. There is a referendum on soup that is really awesome ( Cliff Notes, almost anything can be a soup). If you are not a member/subscriber - we totally recommend it. Their recent recipes have not been recipes at all, more mash-ups if you will. They sing the praises of all the blank canvas foods we love here; frittata, fried rice, pizza, soup. Check it out it's worth the small investment and its nice to follow along, or just drool over the pretty pictures.
BABY COWS, FOR THE WIN
Guys, every time I tried to type "For the Win" on this email it came out as " For the Wine" - coincidence? I think not, these are crazy times.
Which is why you need baby cows, piglets and sheep in your life. Meet "Finnish" one of the calves born at Brookford Farm this Spring. Brookford is home to your produce, yogurt and some of the delicious meat that comes into your shares. Each year the dairy "girls" have about 50 calves, there are about 15 nurse cows that birth another 15 calves and 10 or so newbie young cows who show up to the dairy.
I've seen these ladies many times; walking out to pasture, basking in the sun, caring for their young and living their Best Cow Life. I can tell you it brings me pride to bring you their product. It's farming as it should be.
And Spring means babies all over the farms; piglets, lambs, kids and calves. Follow our farmers on IG to see keep an eye on these beauties and to yell I LOVE YOU SO MUCH into your phone at a photo of an animal (is that just me?)
Brookford Farm: @brookfordfarm
Feather Brook Farms: @featherbrookfarms
Clark Farm: @clarkfarmcarlisle
Good Morning!
It's been another busy week here at Family Dinner and the weekend will be even busier. We are happy to be open and thriving, but the increased volume of demand and our heightened sense of precaution has led to a few changes in our procedures and we wanted to share some updates with you:
Thank you for your support and patience as we go through this process together.
Please know that we are proud to be here for you during these tough times, and will continue to do so for as long as we can.
Much Love,
Erin, Tim and the Family Dinner Team
NEW FARMER IN THE HOUSE!
We are really excited to be working with Drumlin Farm this week to bring greens into your shares! Ok, so maybe the title is misleading. Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA isn't "new", they've been part of the Mass Audubon Society for a long time as a wildlife sanctuary and a working farm all in one. But this is the first time we have worked with them and we want to share the news.
(And if we want to get technical; there is no "house" either so the title is doubly misleading. But I hope you'll forgive us because the alternative "Experienced Farmers Join a Food Start Up on a Virtual E-Commerce Platform For the First Time" was a mouthful.)
Drumlin is a beautiful space; 4 miles of trails and plenty of peace and quiet. There are pigs, sheep, chickens, and cows on the working farm and big, bright greenhouse housing this field of verdant deliciousness. They reached out to us this week to see if we had room in our shares for their crops and we always love to say yes to that! We hope you enjoy and that they brighten up your plates!
Also for some inspiration this week check out this wonderful series: "What's Eating Dan" from our friend Dan Souza from America's Test Kitchen. We're gonna dive into the episode on mushrooms for ideas for this week's goodies from Fat Moon Mushrooms.
Dear Family Dinner Members:
Good Morning!
The most amazing part about Family Dinner isn't the logo, it isn't the weekly treats or the terrible jokes from the staff. It's the folks in this amazing community, all of you, that make this so special. Over 350 members in 50 towns all loving on local food and the folks who grow it.
We wanted to make more of an effort to connect you to each other (no we're not gathering in the parking lot for trust falls) and highlight some of the incredible things you're doing. Maybe we learn something from each other, maybe we find a little inspiration. Or maybe the world can seem like a dumpster fire and it's nice to be more and not less connected to interesting people doing good things.
We hope you enjoy :)
Erin + Tim
