In the Spotlight!

Good morning friends!

I hope you are enjoying the sunshine! A few notes this morning:

We have removed electronic Tips for the Team from the website, and from any of your subscriptions. Thank you for all of your support! Tips are, of course, not required but if you want to leave something for your driver at your door, this is always welcome! Thank you from all of us!

Also, Shannon got beautiful mushrooms from Fat Moon this week and wanted to ask you all a question:

How much room is needed for fungi to grow?

As mushroom as possible.

You're welcome, and have a great day,
Erin and the Dad Jokes Squad at Family Dinner

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

At Family Dinner, we're not too shy or humble to openly brag about how great our members are.  You are a wonderfully supportive, fun community of folks that we are extremely grateful to serve. We dream about the day we can throw a big party and bring everyone together to experience this community in person. (With near 700 weekly deliveries, that would be a VERY big party, like one of the ones in all the 1980's movies that didn't age well. Count. Me. In.)

Since we can't throw an epic local food rager (yet), we thought it would be fun to introduce you to some of your fellow members, learn about them, what they're cooking and what they can't wait to receive in their shares.

We're starting with Mel, pictured. Mel has been with Family Dinner since the beginning when Tim and I were begging our friends to go on this weird little local food journey with us.  She's a Family Dinner OG, a Boston Renegades Super Fan and has the greatest, most infectious laugh you have ever heard. Here is our conversation with Mel:

Tell us a little bit about you:

"I work in early intervention (helping parents help their babies) as an occupational therapist and supervisor. I live in Waltham. I am a proud new cat mom (and no longer think people who call themselves "cat moms" are a little silly). I am pretty active -- softball, flag football, pickleball (shout out to the Hawks Landing Gay Pickleball League), riding my bike -- especially along the Charles. I love games and puzzles of all sorts."

How long have you been with Family Dinner?

"Since 2017 -- Founding Member, thank you very much!"

How has your approach to cooking changed since being a part of Family Dinner?

"I could go on about this for a long time, and if you have ever talked to me about food, you know that. I had always wanted to be better about cooking for myself, and using more local food, and avoiding processed foods, but it was all theoretical for me. I grew up without good models for food -- Hungry Man dinners, frozen spinach, and Burger King were the big treats when I was a kid. In my 20s, I put a head of lettuce in the freezer thinking that would preserve it. (Editor's Note: this is 100% believable, and 1000% amazing.)

Then, I decided to try to get serious about it and posted on facebook asking for CSA recommendations. Erin responded saying I should give her new curated CSA a try, and I was sold. Early on, she recommended How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (as a true novice I got, "How to Cook Everything (the Basics)"). Four years later, Mark Bittman's "The Food Matters" cookbook is my bible, and I do not know how to meal plan without my weekly Family Dinner delivery. I love my ritual of sitting down on Saturday or Sunday and building my meal plan for the week, taking account for which foods need to be used first, and what I have from the previous week. I get almost all of my groceries from Family Dinner, spending as little as $15 to supplement, and I only eat out or order take out as an indulgence, rather than a necessity. I love how easy Family Dinner makes it for me to adhere to my values with my spending. My orientation to food is radically different and I 100% have Erin and Family Dinner to thank for that." 

All time favorite item, if you had to choose one? (and you do.)

"Oh my goodness. I CANNOT get enough of the Lark Fine Foods Cookies -- salted rosemary shortbread? Yes please! Salted caramel? Amazing! Mexican Chocolate Cha Chas? What!?! Seriously, so good. I always try to save some to share, but it's so hard! "

WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

Delivery dates: Saturday, 4/3 and Tuesday, 4/6

Note: If you order a "Meat and Fish Share" you will just receive the meats listed, not the "dairy" items (eggs, yogurt, etc). If you order a "Fish and Seafood Share" you will receive the fish listed, and not the dairy items.

Add-on Grain of the Week - Herb Pappardelle from Valicenti 
Add-on Bread of the Week - Brioche from Iggy's 
Add-on Pastry of the Week -  Coffee Cake Muffins from A&J King

Pro-tip: you can now add extra treats to your share by adding "treat of the week" or "pastry of the week" to your subscription!

HALF SHARE

Omnivore Protein - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House
Pescatarian Protein - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House
Vegetarian Proteins - Jamaican Curried Chickpeas from Hayley House; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House
Paleo Proteins - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Eggs from Feather Brook Farms
Fruits and Veggies - Mushrooms from Fatmoon; Greens from Generation Farm and LEF Farms; Bunched Spinach from Dog River Farm; Sweet Potatoes from Brookford Farm
Special Treat - Ginger Scone from A&J King

WHOLE SHARE 

Omnivore Protein - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House; Butter from Highlawn Farm and Kreimhild Dairy Farms;
Pescatarian Protein - Sea Bass and Flounder from Red's Best; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House; Butter from Highlawn Farm and Kreimhild Dairy Farms;
Vegetarian Proteins - Jamaican Curried Chickpeas from Hayley House; Loukaniko from Littleburg; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House; Butter from Highlawn Farm and Kreimhild Dairy Farms;
Paleo Proteins - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms; Eggs from Feather Brook Farms
Fruits and Veggies - Mushrooms from Fatmoon; Greens from Generation Farm and LEF Farms; Bunched Spinach from Dog River Farm; Sweet Potatoes from Brookford Farm; Tomatoes from Longwind and Five College Farm; Carrots from Juniper Hill Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from A&J King
Special Treat - Ginger Scones and Chocolate Croissant from A&J King

DOUBLE SHARE

Omnivore Protein - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms; Pork Chops from Longest Acre, Brookford, and Feather Brook Farms; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House; Butter from Highlawn Farm and Kreimhild Dairy Farms; Eggs from Feather Brook Farms
Pescatarian Protein - Sea Bass, Flounder, Scallops from Red's Best; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House; Butter from Highlawn Farm and Kreimhild Dairy Farms; Eggs from Feather Brook Farms
Vegetarian Proteins - Jamaican Curried Chickpeas from Hayley House; Loukaniko from Littleburg; Tamales from TexMex Eats; Mozzarella from Mozzarella House; Butter from Highlawn Farm and Kreimhild Dairy Farms; Eggs from Feather Brook Farms
Paleo Proteins - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms; Pork Chops from Longest Acre, Brookford, and Feather Brook Farms; Eggs from Feather Brook Farms
Fruits and Veggies - Mushrooms from Fatmoon; Greens from Generation Farm and LEF Farms; Bunched Spinach from Dog River Farm; Sweet Potatoes from Brookford Farm; Tomatoes from Longwind and Five College Farm; Carrots from Juniper Hill Farm; Bok Choy from Drumlin Farm; Purple Top Turnips from Juniper Hill Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough and Marble Rye Bread from A&J King
Special Treat - Ginger Scones and Chocolate Croissant from A&J King

RECIPES

(from Shannon)

Roasted Sea Bass with Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, and Salsa Rustica - One tray meal! What else could you want??

Roasted Turnip with Balsamic Vinegar and Thyme - Think hash browns but even better! OR try your turnips on a pizza (just swap spinach for the turnip greens). 

Cheeseburger Pizza - Its a little sloppy and a little out there, but bear with me, ground beef, kimchi pickles, a little lettuce, some sliced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and all that Mozzarella House Mozzarella?! Oh my! 

Citrus Glazed Pork Chop with Ginger Bok Choy - It is 9am, I just ate breakfast and am immediately hungry again looking at this recipe. 

Herbed Focaccia - Not feeling like pizza this week? Well, turn that dough into a focaccia! Bonus points if you do one of the focaccia with a garden scenes with your veggies on it too! 

Want to share with us recipes that wow'ed you or show off something incredible that is just going to make me hungry while checking emails? Drop us a line over at recipes@sharefamilydinner.com. We'll be highlighting your recipes and creations in coming weeks!