How on earth did we get here? Eighty days of cooking, serving up goodness, delivering all over the Bay Area. Eighty days of negotiating our relationship, household chores, grocery store lines, the emotional roller-coaster of Covid and the upheaval and rethinking of civil rights and how we are complicit even as we strive to be good people. Eighty days of figuring out where to get supplies, how to manage different sleeping schedules, laundry, gnocchi, mushroom hunting, disappointments, fears, worries, hopes dashed, horrors uncovered, dreams postponed. Eighty days of physically distanced delivery visits, pretending to little kids that this is all pretty ordinary or a big lark, not the really frustrating thing it is, when you can't hug the toddler, or hold the baby, or hug your mom. Eighty days of managing emotions and depression and ridiculous laughter and dumb jokes and falling asleep in the hammock. Eighty days of figuring out how to be a couple while starting a business. Eighty days of being gentle on each other, and being strong when we need to. Eighty days of cooking and planning and shopping and packaging and cleaning the damn kitchen. Eighty days of reassuring each other and calming fears. Eighty days of eating too much good food and not getting nearly enough exercise. Eighty days of getting to know each other really, really well. And still, miraculously, liking each other. Still glad to have be weathering this crazy time together. Still happy to have this person to talk to, to laugh with, to be driven crazy by, to hold when we need to cry or rage or sleep.
This morning I started at the grocery store, then had a great session with my coaching group. Such lovely, beautiful women led by Angie. I feel so grateful to have them in my life and to get to be a part of this group. Today I felt their support and love and reassurance so strongly.
The rest of the day was spent working on the Strawberry Tartes, Stone Fruit Cobbler, Apple Crumble and making a quadruple batch of Lemon Curd to go with our Buttermilk Biscuits. It was a pretty good day... productive, but not without good laughs.
Tonight, we got to be co-interviewees on 42nd Street Moon's Talks Over The Moon program, live on FB, with Hugh Groman from Greenleaf Provisions and Hugh Groman Catering, as well as with Moon's original founding Artistic Directors, Stephanie Rhoads-Bickham and Greg MacKellan. We had such a lovely time talking with Daren and Daniel about how and why we started this endeavor, our favorite late-night, post-theatre snacks and what it's like to make a hard pivot into a new adventure in response to "plan-killer Covid". There's also an amazing section of interview with Greg and Steph about the origins of Moon and all the fantastic work they have done all through the years they were at the helm.You can catch the replay here if you are interested!
https://www.facebook.com/42ndStreetMoon/videos/1859927180809636/
Friday is the event at SF Oasis for which we are providing a special menu... Meals on Heels. They are taking orders until tomorrow afternoon, so if you want to support Oasis and try this special menu Willi has created, check out their website: sfoasis.com
Thank you all for being with us, with me, on this journey for the last 80 days. It has been a good exercise for me to write almost every day. It has long been an intention of mine to write more, to explore what its like to process my thoughts and the ups and downs in life, through a more dedicated writing practice. I have so many things that I intend to write about, but never before had been able to be devoted to a practice. This process has been very useful to me, and I appreciate so much knowing that it resonates with, and is comforting to, so many of you.
Thank you for continuing to enjoy our food, and for your love and support! We look forward to serving up the deliciousness for a good long while. Look for a few new offerings in the coming weeks as we take advantage of the changing seasons and get to wallow in all the great farmer's market goodies. For now, the newest offering is the Summer Stone Fruit Cobbler... piles of summer stone fruits, including peaches, nectarines and apricots topped with a part-cornmeal cobbler biscuit to soak up all the delightful juices. Excellent warm with ice cream, or served up for breakfast with or without a dollop of Greek yogurt. Delish!
Menu below is for Friday (SF pick-up and delivery.) You are also welcome to order ahead for next week (Monday is North Bay delivery, Wednesday is East Bay). If you happen to live in the South Bay and want to order, reach out. I am sure we can figure something out! www.marthaavenuefood.com
Until then, take good care. Eat well, get lots of sleep. Find things to enjoy in this time away from "reality". Find things to be grateful for as we unpack our uncomfortable cultural past and create a new way of being. Take a moment to appreciate this momentous time, and the magic that put you here in this place and time. Send love out into the world. Reach out to someone who might be having a hard time as this pandemic grinds on. Share your love... it's infinite. Wear your masks. If you don't have one, reach out. Wash your hands. Drink lots of water, and revel in the fact that we have fresh water easily. Love your people. Let yourself rest when you need to. Hug yourselves for me. xoxo