Spring on Over to CCFM! | March 25, 2019

Fresh & Local:

Spring on Over to CCFM!

There’s nothing more exciting than watching as a shopper tries a new food for the first time. Whether it’s a tangy kumquat or a handful of spicy radish sprouts, witnessing the joy of a food revelation never gets old. While we know that food grown locally and picked fresh tastes better, we love watching our customers come to that realization too. Recently, a new shopper shared that her ten-year old son will only eat kale when it comes from the farmers market--and he can taste the difference.

One way that CCFM attracts new shoppers is through our various incentive programs, including Market Match for SNAP users and Market+ for WIC recipients. The Market Match program doubles food stamp dollars up to $20 per day, and the Market+ program provides WIC recipients in Orleans Parish with $48 per month to spend on fruits and vegetables. These programs increase the purchasing power of individuals and families with limited budgets to shop at our markets, helping them access fresh, locally grown food while also supporting local food producers. All SNAP users can visit our markets with their EBT card to participate in the Market Match program, and Orleans Parish WIC users can enroll in our Market+ program directly at all of our markets.

A Market+ shopper recently remarked on how much she loves coming to the market. Before the program, she had never been to a farmers market, but now she is hooked. She told us that she has tried all kinds of new things--kohlrabi, sunflower sprouts, bok choy, fennel-- and has found lots of her old favorites here too. Now, not only does she shop at the market every week, but she keeps a stack of flyers advertising our programs and market schedule in her car so she can hand them out to her friends and colleagues.

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP! Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry is opening the application process for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Through this program, eligible seniors (age 60+ with income at or below 185% of poverty level) receive $20 in coupons to shop at local farmers markets and roadside farm stands. Coupons are good for fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, and honey, and are a great way to bring new shoppers to the farmers market.

Catholic Charities Food for Families will be accepting applications for Orleans Parish residents from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM at the following locations:

• Thursday, March 28 : Bethel A.M.E. Church, 1437 Caffin Ave.
• Monday, April 1: My Redeemer Baptist Church, 2829 Washington Ave.

For more information, call: (504) 245-7207.

Stop and Smell the Flowers

A seasonally appropriate haiku:

Green, orange, blue, pink
Farm fresh eggs at the market
At last, spring is here!

-Cristina, market manager

Vendor of the Week:

Peeps Farm

Joe and Elda Trombatore know one thing better than anything else - eggs! Peeps Farm has been with the market since 2015 and the Trombatores have been farming on their 25-acre land since 1983. A common misconception is that chickens are vegetarian, and a lot of the feed available is grain based or totally vegetarian. The Trombatores have approximately 500 free-range hens that spend the majority of the day grazing the farm and eating the best grub, which includes grubs, worms and other insects, and enhances the quality and rich taste of the eggs. When Mr. Joe isn’t enjoying his family and friends, you can find him at the Tuesday market shouting “EGGS!” Stop by and say hello on your next market run!

Tuesday’s Green Plate Special:

Max Well Cafe

By way of MiNO Foundation, we welcome Max Well Cafe to the GPS every Tuesday in March. Born and raised in Mid-City and a graduate of Warren Easton High School, Alex Anderson grew up surrounded by the cultural influences that shape New Orleans. Her earliest memories include cooking alongside her grandmother and watching the care that goes into creating a meal. Those experiences in the kitchen with family shaped her passion for cooking and love for serving others.

Alex Anderson is amongst the most recent recipients of the Made in New Orleans scholarship. In 2016, someone Alex credits as “seeing more in me than I ever saw in myself” told her about the scholarship as her desire to learn and grow fueled her passion. While in New York studying at the International Culinary Center, Alex worked at the Michelin Star restaurant NIX, and it was during that time that she made the decision to be a lifelong vegan and devote her culinary career to that practice. Alex graduated in 2018 with honors from the International Culinary Center and is back in New Orleans to fulfill her vocation of serving the New Orleans vegan community. Alex’s culinary focus is centered around health and wellness, and she is currently the head chef at Max Well Cafe on Magazine Street.

Recipe of the Week:

Egg-in-a-Hole

Egg-in-a-hole, toad-in-the-road, bird-in-a-basket… Whatever you call your egg in a hole in a bread, you know the dish and you know it’s darn good. Pick up a country loaf and some fresh eggs from the market and evoke some childhood memories this week. Try this recipe from the NY Times if you don’t know how it’s done.

What’s your favorite dish to make after visiting the Crescent City Farmers Market? Share your recipes with us on Instagram or Facebook or even Twitter and it might be featured in our weekly newsletter!