The Indomitable Leah Chase | March 21, 2022

Fresh & Local:

The Indomitable Leah Chase

This week’s Women’s History Month spotlight is on the indomitable Leah Chase. She is known for her legendary New Orleans restaurant Dooky Chase’s, and was dubbed by The New York Times as the “nation’s preeminent Creole chef.” At a time when restaurants were still segregated, Dooky Chase’s was the city’s only fine dining restaurant to welcome African-American diners. She was a host to many luminaries of the civil rights movement, providing space for Freedom Riders and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to hold meetings, and fed key figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Baldwin. She was also a major supporter of the arts, becoming a collector later in life and featuring many prominent African-American artists in her restaurant and hosting renowned musicians like Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole as customers. She is quoted as regularly saying “In my dining room, we changed the course of America over a bowl of gumbo and some fried chicken.” Throughout her long career, she helped raise the profile of New Orleans food and culture through her cookbooks and many media appearances, and while she passed away in 2019 at the age of 96, her legacy and impact on the food system can still be keenly felt throughout the New Orleans community.

Picks of the Week:

CCFM Sunday Market at Great Lawn March 27th

Life is full of surprises! Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be holding the Sunday farmers market at the Great Lawn in City Park this coming Sunday the 27th. Please view this handy map for more information! If you're interested in helping our vendors set up beforehand or breakdown after, please sign up to volunteer. Your assistance will be much appreciated!

$160k more in funding to CCFM vendors

Thanks to the generous support of community members, Market Umbrella has now granted a second round of funding from the Crescent Fund totaling almost $160,000. Grants were provided to 18 CCFM farmers, ranchers, fishers and food producers to assist them in rebuilding their businesses and purchasing essential equipment damaged as a result of Hurricane Ida. This round of funding is in addition to $22,000 provided to 45 vendors immediately after Hurricane Ida in the first round of Crescent Fund grants. A special thank you to major donors to the Crescent Fund campaign: The Greater New Orleans Foundation, Resy American Express, Emily & Alon Shaya, Nina Compton, Fidelity Bank, JV Foods, Commander’s Palace, and the Andes Hotel.

T Marie and Bayou Juju Performing
at the Thursday Mid-City Market

Let's welcome back T Marie and Bayou Juju! Playing traditional and new original Louisiana music, T Marie and Bayou Juju bring together the sound of friends gathering at fires, suppers, porches, and levees and jam, blending together Cajun, Creole, Swamp Pop, Country, New Orleans, and original tunes, just like how the band began. Put on your dancing shoes and shrimp boots, and join in on the festivities from 4:30 - 6:30 pm at the Thursday Mid-City Market.

Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America

Are you interested in understanding the intersectionality of gender, immigration, and the histories of food? Taste Makers explores the influence of seven immigrant women who have shaped the American appetite for global cuisine. The book is written from the dynamic perspective of author Mayukh Sen, who is a queer, brown child of immigrants. Sen dares to ask questions about these culturally diverse women’s influence in food from their era to the present day.

Vendor of the Week:

Ollie’s Hot Tamales

Jonesing for Ollie’s Hot Tamales? Wondering where you can find her NOLA-style pork and veggie tamales? Swing by all three of our weekly markets to find Claire Wahl and her assortment of cakes and pies, pickled items, stuffed peppers, and of course her famous hand-rolled hot tamales. These started as a holiday family tradition, then became the key to a roadside food cart and evolved into the thriving local business it is now! An insider tip: Check our website to see Who's at Market.

Recipes of the Week:

Chef Harveen Khera’s Raw Slaw

Chef Harveen Khera, the founder of Hippie Kitchen, is a 30-year service industry pioneer specializing in the creation and growth of innovative food service businesses. She's created a community through food by partnering with farmers, universities, students, and neighbors. As of 2021 Harveen has pioneered and is debuting the Hippie Kitchen Good Food Stand providing real time, thoughtfully curated and uplifting meals made by hand daily using local, organic, premium, non-gmo ingredients. As an impactful member of the CCFM community, Harveen sources her ingredients from the very local producers you find at market and will now be at Thursday market regularly with Hippie Kitchen’s freshest take away meals! We are excited to share with you her recipe for raw slaw.

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

Interviews with Women Leaders
of the NOLA Food System:

Kelly Haggerty
Food Rescue US - New Orleans

Provide a brief about your organization or business:

We aim to bridge the gap between food waste and food insecurity by redistributing food surplus from food serving businesses to hunger relief organizations in New Orleans.

One thing you're passionate about in the food system?

I am passionate about making sure food gets used properly and that it is nourishing something (whether that is for humans, animals, or making soil) rather than getting tossed in the landfill.

One proud accomplishment, related to your food system work?

I was nominated for the Waste360 40 under 40 recognition award in 2022.