High fives to the moms...
Quick note:
We are participating in a fundraiser with our friend (and long time Family Dinner customer!) Tara to support the incredible work of Everytown to end gun violence in the US.
Previously on This Week's Food:
The best damn bread around
This week we have anadama bread from our friends at A&J King. "Anadama bread is a traditional, slightly sweet, and hearty yeast bread from New England made with wheat flour, cornmeal, and molasses. It has a distinctive yellow-brown color, a soft yet slightly chewy texture from the cornmeal porridge added to the dough, and is excellent for toasting." (Thanks oddly human AI explanation!)
To the moon and back.
I have to admit to having gotten a bit obsessed with the Artemis 2 mission at the start of this month. Though they were navigating what seemed like immeasurable blank space they were tethered to us back here by the depth of their curiosity, their bravery and their love for eachother. Beautiful and mesmerizing events were unfolding daily. At one point the astronauts called back to Mission Control with a proposition, to name a feature on the Moon Carroll after the Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, they called her "family" and said this feature was a "bright spot" . After their request the astronauts, these brilliant courageous men and women, embraced each other - suspended in the air floating through that moment. The video is a stunning slice of humanity.
Early Bird Gets the Pastry
Picture it: it’s 6:00 am on a Saturday— no one is awake, but the Family Dinner crew is on their way to our Woburn location to pack out groceries for the day. The smell of freshly baked Kouign Aman from A&J King fills the space. 90s rock plays over the loud speakers.
Team treats await each of the drivers and inside crew to snack on. These usually come from our friends over at Forge, A&J King, Sophia’s Greek Pantry, or one of the many other lovely local businesses we are fortunate to work with.
Open Sesame!
This week we have tahini from Medford based Just Us Foods for your shares and boy oh boy is it amazing.
Tahini is a rich savory spread made from ground up toasted sesame seeds and is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine. And for the word nerds in the room (hello, fellow travelers) the word tahini comes from modern Greek word takhini, based on Arabic ṭaḥana "to crush", which coincidentally is the name of Joe's next band. [🙄 - JG]
Size Matters
Happy Friday All
As you're aware, we hope, we've been busy combing through all your requests for new items and finding the best local goodies to add to our offerings.
One additional thing we'd LOVE to know is if you'd prefer larger volumes of things or smaller.
So bright and shiny!
The winter is dreary and through it we march on in our puffy coats like overworked, underslept little marshmellows.
To brighten your days (and your shares!) we love to turn to the majesty of greenhouses to add a bit of variety and color into your shares. Last week it was the cheeky brightness of beefsteak tomatoes from Backyard Farm, whispering the promises of summer in your ear.
Only the best for you!
To say that the state of the world is frenzied, chaotic and scary is a such an understatement it borders on neglience. While mainlining the news I find myself day dreaming of driving to Canada, taking up knitting and eating poutine until it's 2028.
A shared collective anxiety rumbles thorugh us all, a powerful vibration, knocking us off center over and over. And we can't control it, we're like socks in the dryer, tumbling around.
What's in a Name?
We have a guest writer for this week’s newsletter. This one is from Em, Family Dinner OG driver, packer, customer service guru and all around food nerd. Over to you, Em!
Bavarian Pretzels, Blueberry Muffins, and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies… oh my!!!! This week’s share is full of so many goodies to get you through the last of the snow on the ground and over to daylight savings. I personally cannot wait to turn the clocks forward and start experiencing sunsets past 5:30 because I. have. had. it. With that being said it is still pretty chilly out — you know the old saying about our good buddy March, in like a lion and out like a lamb — so we wanted to get you settled with the essentials to make some hearty dishes.
Say Cheese!
We have ricotta from the Mozzarella House in all shares this week and we could't be happier. And we're going to have a chat about the meaning of the ricotta and its history. Wowee! Our favorite cheese and an opportunity to gab etymology? Thrilling! We're like Kash Patel glomming onto the US Men's hockey team in a pathetic locker room display paid for by tax payers level of excited. (Sit down Kash. None of those boys have any idea who you are.)
Dinner is Ready
Anyone else feeling a little crispy around the edges? A little (extremely) overwhelmed?
While we can't do your laundry, pick your kids up from the 3,275th activity of the week or tell your boss to stop breathing down your neck for just one damn second, we can take care of dinner.
Coupla new items
Joe has a couple new products he's excited to share with you this week. He won't stop jumping around and clapping with glee, it's rather annoying. [LIES - JG]
Says Joe:
Sourdough ancient grains bread! Sliced bread! Cheese! More options for 'rogi and dumplings! Beans! Dried AND canned. (We don't mess around.) And more. Plus? We'll be adding more goodies in the coming weeks so keep an eye out.
Peeling the Garlic
Because I have copious time on my hands, and zero critical stressors that are eating at my brain like some parasitic monster, I have taken to reading a lot of poetry recently.
There is the obvious beauty of "Time is a Mother" by Ocean Vuong, the old reliability of Neruda's odes to simple things. They are tiny moments of escape, inviting wonder, demanding pause.