Happy Challahdays | December 16, 2019

Fresh & Local:

Happy Challahdays

Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days when the Maccabees defeated the Syrian-Greek army and re-dedicated the holy temple in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. Miracles are great and all, but the real reason to get excited that it’s Hanukkah time is for the food. It is traditional to eat foods cooked in oil to celebrate.

Cue the latkes and jelly-filled doughnuts. While we don’t regularly advise it, this is the time of year when it’s perfectly acceptable to eat fried potatoes smothered in applesauce or sour cream eight days in a row. If you find yourself tiring of your bubbe’s recipe, fear not, there are dozens of alternative latkes to try out. What you’ll definitely need are some ingredients from the market to inspire you: sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, beets, and so much more. Happy frying!

We need your help!

Now is the best time to make your year-end gift to Market Umbrella and the Crescent City Farmers Market! We need YOUR support to sustain our markets and programs that promote the benefits of fresh, local food and healthy eating throughout our community. We can’t do it without you! Donate online today or at any market location.

German Stollen

It’s stollen time! Stollen is a german loaf made with spices, nuts, rum-soaked raisins, and coated with powdered sugar or almond paste. It’s traditionally eaten during the Christmas season, and pairs great with a cup of coffee or hot tea. It also makes a lovely holiday gift. Stop by Uptown, Ochsner, Mid-City, and CBD markets to pick up your festive loaf from J&D Blueberry Farm, who use Captain Mueller’s famous recipe.

Eat Fit with Molly Kimball

‘Tis the season to indulge but if you’re trying to avoid that holiday bulge, this debut cookbook from Ochsner Eat Fit guru Molly Kimball might be the gift you are looking for. The Eat Fit Cookbook features more than 125 recipes and wellness tips plus stories from local chefs and foodies. Molly explains, “The Eat Fit Cookbook is the culmination of years of collaboration, research and passion for creating a smarter way to indulge.” Want a copy of your own? You’re in luck. Molly will be at the Uptown market, December 17th, with copies of her new cookbook and signing them too!

Vendor of the Week:

Cajun Growers

Welcome back to the market, Cajun Growers! Vendors at CCFM for the last nine years, Tad and Lillie Ledet join us at the Tuesday and Saturday markets from Cutoff, LA with beautiful fragrant tomatoes, several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, mixed cherry tomatoes, hydroponically grown peppers (sweet and hot), basil and cucumbers throughout the winter, during what would normally be off season for these crops. Come pick up some picture perfect produce, courtesy of the Ledet’s hydroponic prowess and enjoy tomatoes all year long!

Tuesday’s Green Plate Special:

Gabrielle Restaurant

Our good friends Greg and Mary Sonnier of Gabrielle Restaurant will join us under the GPS tent one more week this month to wrap up a year of local chefs committed to cooking with local ingredients at the Uptown Market. Originally located on Esplanade Avenue, Gabrielle Restaurant reopened its doors on Orleans Avenue in September 2017 after a twelve year post-Hurricane Katrina hiatus. Award winning Chef Greg Sonnier serves his take on Cajun food with New Orleans flair and uses seasonal, locally sourced ingredients in every dish! If you enjoyed their crab bisque at our October fundraiser, you’ll love the dishes they’ll be serving up to keep you cozy in this chilly weather!

Recipe of the Week:

Sweet Potato Latkes, 2 Ways

A latke gave his mother a gift.

As he did so, she said to him, “Awww, why are you so sweet?”

He replied, “I guess that’s just the way I yam.”

Here’s Alexandra Caspero’s nutritious take on the classic latke using Vitamin A powerhouse sweet potato along with updated applesauce and sour cream toppings. Chag Urim Sameach!

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!