This Week's Food

The idea of Martha’s Vineyard Smokehouse started with fishing buddies Gus Leaf and Nathan Gould (former head Chef at O Ya, which is heaven on earth).  As the two thought about different ways to use their fish they began experimenting with wet and dry brines, different smoking temperatures, and using different woods. Eventually they explored a dry brine hot hickory smoked product that makes the Bluefish Filet and Bluefish Spread, which have become their signature products.

Janet Brown, pictured above, is 100% our favorite customer and I refuse to apologize about it. She also turns 100 years old today and we are dedicating this little newsletter as a birthday card to her.

And to the many voices who have called out asking for more treats as add-ons - we hear you and we are working on it! Your emails, IG messages, carrier pigeons, and spray painted messages across our driveway (looking at you, Michelle) have not gone unnoticed. We are actively working to build out our add-on sections and to improve the weekly "shopping" experience.  Our website team is toiling furiously in the background to roll this out to you in the coming weeks - stay tuned!

Starting a business is harder than talking a dog off a meat truck, but it was really wonderful to have a friend like Dave at our side to do the hard work, make improvements and lovingly mock each other along the way. That last part is mission critical. 

September is an interesting time in the fields and in life. It's a time when we are coming off of our summer vegetable high, and start to burrow into the fall vegetables - as the air gets brisker and sweaters come out. This time poses an opportunity in the kitchen where the last of the fresh field tomatoes can make it into a pot (before the heavy frosts take them away), and can be combined with some of the delicious offerings that those frosts bring, like our brassica buddies! Basically, in one pot we can both be looking back on the past season as well as looking forward to changes that will be brought about in the new autumnal season starting on Tuesday. 

It's not what you think. We have not ventured way off course in the proteins department to bring you a series of mystery meats like Guinea Pig breasts and Hamster Confit (could be tasty but is there really enough thigh meat? Doubtful.)

It's far better than making dinner from domesticated pets. This is about BEING a Guinea Pig. Being a beta tester, in the best possible way. 

I'm talking cookies, people.

This sauce is locally made with a lot of love, we are proud to have it in your shares this week and we hope it spices up your Labor Day plates.

More than half a dozen of our customers have said to us "Have you ever heard of Sophia's Greek Yogurt out of Belmont?" They then extoll the various virtues of the yogurt like an Elizabethan poet, saying that we simply have to get it for Family Dinner.

In January of 2019 we were invited by the wonderful folks at TEDx Natick to present a talk on our work at Family Dinner; the mission and value of local food.

The TED Research team recently contacted to say that we were in consideration to be on the main page. We had to substantiate the claims we made in the talk, and provide back up. (More barfing? Yup!)

So many of you tell us that your Family Dinner deliveries are like Christmas morning. That it is fun to unpack and discover what's in the shares. We love this comment more than anything! Each week we plan the treat as a moment of fun, and whimsy as you open your shares. To remember that food can be fun, joyful, and sometimes as silly as a Schweineohren.

Yes, folks. He's back. Graham, contender for World's Cutest Baby and the heir apparent of Clark Farm, is back. It's a baby, in a field of carrots. Hence, the title "Baby Carrot". You can see that our wit and general intellect are wilting in the summer heat. Farmer Kirsty is also present is all her awesomeness. Thanks for harvesting all of our carrots this week, friend!

We believe in the power of small businesses, local farms, and artisan purveyors. When you spend your dollars at Family Dinner you are supporting a large network of the little guys.  Like Maine Grains, Clark Farm, Feather Brook Farm, Brookford Farm, A&J King (who use TRUCK LOADS of Maine Grains in their delicious goods) , Red's Best, Forge and on and on. The folks trying to do it right, and be the David to the Industrial Ag Goliath.

In the vegetable world, if you want to talk about a powerhouse family of crops, look no further than Brassicas (Brassicaceae, if you’re feeling fancy and want to use the actual taxonomically correct Family name). With its high water content, Napa Cabbage can take on sweet and juicy flavors when cooked and especially picks up other flavors well too! Add it to stir-fry or soups, eat raw in salads or slaws, or steamed into a cabbage roll, you can’t go wrong with this shining star of the brassica family.