Bucktown, Baby! | May 18, 2020

Fresh & Local:

Bucktown, Baby!

It has been six weeks since the debut of the CCFM Drive Thru at Parkway Bakery and Tavern which has evolved into a smooth-running weekly event that continues to connect farmers, fishers and food producers to local eaters in the safest way possible during this time of uncertainty. Adapting has been a process, but with the outpouring of customer support, we are excited to announce the addition of a second weekly Drive Thru market!

Beginning Wednesday, May 27th at the beautiful Bucktown Harbor, we’ll host additional vendors coming to town with the bountiful spring harvest from 8am-noon weekly. Serving more customers in more neighborhoods, and providing sales outlets to additional local food producers, you’ll be sure to find the field tomatoes, blueberries, cucumbers and squash that spring brings along with bread and baked goods, dairy, meat and seafood (Kay with Four Winds will soon be making her much anticipated return) - the whole tamale. Oh, and also tamales.

The Drive Thru market is different than the traditional market, but not complicated:

1. Order and pay online during the order window for your selected market (there will now be two to choose from),
2. We’ll email you a placard to print and fill out with your name and the vendors who you’ve shopped from to place in your windshield the day of market (this helps us expedite your visit once at market)
3. Arrive and drive through the market and the vendor will place your order in your trunk
4. Repeat as needed!

Good Food Word of the Week:

While Market Umbrella is known for our farmers markets and fresh food access programs, food systems work touches on many social, economic, and environmental issues. The Good Food Word of the Week seeks to shed some light on these parts of our work and the way we talk - demystifying the jargon.

Food Safety

This week’s Good Food Word is SNAP - SNAP which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, is an anti-hunger program of the federal government that provides on average $1.37 per meal to low-income households. Last year, 1 in 6 Louisiana residents received SNAP benefits, the vast majority (71%) of which were in families with children, many were in families with elderly or disabled members and 38% of recipients are in working families. The full economic impacts of coronavirus remain to be seen but we know there’s record unemployment and a backlog of SNAP applications. CCFM’s Market Match program doubles SNAP purchases up to $20 to increase the purchase power and health and wellness of members of our community.

Picks of the Week:

You are one in a Mirliton!

Farmers, fishers, and food producers? Check! Local produce, seafood, meat, dairy, honey, plants, and artisan goods? Check! Online marketplace and weekly Drive Thru market? Check! Volunteers? We need you! Please lend 2-4 hours of your time by helping us create a resilient food system, connecting farmers to the community, while keeping everyone safe. Rest assured, all CCFM staff and vendors are wearing facial covering, frequent hand washing/sanitation, and practicing 6ft social distancing. We ask that all volunteers do the same.

Check out our calendar of available volunteer opportunities and sign up for a spot directly through SignUp. Check back often as we use this calendar to post volunteer opportunities with drive thru markets and more!

CCFM Box

Crescent City Farmers Market has partnered with Top Box Foods and the Refresh Farmers Market (SPROUT NOLA) to provide you with healthy, local, and affordable food delivered to your home. The $40 CCFM box contains 8-12 items from CCFM vendors, mostly produce, and is now offered once weekly. Ordering starts Tuesday and runs through Friday for a Tuesday or Wednesday delivery on the following week. Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for updates on when sales launch. Order online at Top Box Foods New Orleans. When you get your box, tag us in a pic of all the great dishes you make with it - we love new recipes!

Market Match, our program that doubles SNAP dollars spent, does apply so SNAP users can purchase the box for only $20! Choose “pay at pickup” and Top Box will contact you directly to process your SNAP payment.

Market Umbrella Makes It a SNAP!

GiveNOLA Day is only 2 weeks away!

Schedule your gift now for GiveNOLA Day - the portal is open! Please, join us in this upcoming community giving event which will culminate on June 2. Your support is needed to ensure Market Umbrella has the critical resources to respond to new challenges and new opportunities in our local food system in these unprecedented times. Your gift will not only support the future and growth of the organization and the farmers, fishers, ranchers, and more that we represent, but also will allow us to continue to facilitate aggregated produce box deliveries; organize drive thru, pick up markets; and offer programs like Market Match (which is available for both the delivery box and drive thru markets) that doubles the buying power of vulnerable families in our community.

Vendor of the Week:

J&D Blueberry Farm

Long time CCFM vendor J&D Blueberry Farm is back! We are excited to announce these affable guys will be hopping in rotation for our weekly Sunday Drive Thru market. Jeff and Don, experienced purveyors and producers of food, may be known for their blueberries but did you know that they also grow camellia sinensis, better know as tea? That’s right! Poplarville, Mississippi’s soil is perfect for cultivating those little leaves! So head on over to our online marketplace, check out J&D and see what’s good!

Recipe of the Week:

Over-the-top Cheesy Cabbage Gratin

If you ordered one of our boxes from Top Box recently, you may have been among those comparing the size of one of the most versatile spring brassicas - cabbage - to that of a baby, and not sure which would be bigger - thanks Perilloux Produce! Fortunately, hearty cabbage can last a surprisingly long time in the fridge. If you’ve already made slaw, cut off a hunk for crudite or fermented half a head into a sour kraut and you’re looking for something new to do with cabbage, try this cheesy, shallot-y, caramelized gratin. The cabbage gets toasty, the sauce gets rich and creamy, and the whole thing turns out to be oh so delicious.

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!