Fresh for the Whole Family | February 25, 2019

Fresh & Local:

Fresh for the Whole Family

We’re all gearing up for Mardi Gras whether we are avid parade-goers or the type that likes to use the time to get out of town. In keeping with traditions and out of respect for all the traffic jams that might happen, some of our markets will be closed for a couple days in March. Three of our markets will take a Mardi Gras break: Downtown and Rivertown Saturday, March 2nd and Uptown Tuesday, March 5th.

If you need some weekend fresh veggies and a break from parade life, visit the Bucktown market on Friday. We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming on Ash Wednesday and ready to help you recover from whatever the Mardi Gras holiday brought your way at our Bywater and Ochsner markets. Have a happy and safe Mardi Gras!

Picks of the Week:

What’s Good?

Don’t let rainy days keep you away from market! Minimize your rainy day shopping time by ordering in advance with vendors like Varino’s Italian Sausage. Place an order for the breakfast, green onion, or traditional Italian sausage while you’re warm and dry, then grab your umbrella for quick pick up at the Ochsner, Bucktown, or Rivertown markets. Download the app on your Android or Apple device and use coupon code “FIRSTORDER” for 25% off your first purchase!

Market+: “It Makes Me Feel Organic!”

We’re in our second round of running our Market+ program, which gives families who receive WIC benefits $48 a month to shop for fresh fruits and veggies at Crescent City Farmers Market. We recently held a focus group with some of our participants to see how the program was working out for them and to see where there was room for improvement. Overall our Market+ shoppers are pretty happy. Having the extra $48 a month to spend on fruits and vegetables at CCFM makes a big difference in how they shop compared to just having the $11 that WIC supplies for fruits and veggies at participating grocery stores. Moms noted that they love bringing their families to the market, and being able to talk to the people who grow the food and take notes on how to prepare and grow their own. While the $48 incentive gives them more flexibility to shop and freedom to let their children eat the healthy produce they want, an important note was that they felt confident knowing they were giving their families the freshest, highest quality food around. When asked how they felt shopping at the market, one mom proclaimed: “It makes me feel organic! I don’t like going to the grocery store anymore; I like the fresh air.” I think this sums up what we all love about CCFM: great food, fresh air, and social connection.

Know anyone who receives WIC that might want to participate in Market+? Give us a call at (504) 861-4485 to find out how to sign-up.

Holy Cow

Got milk? Cow milk can now be found at almost all of our weekly markets. Ultra-rich pasteurized, but not homogenized, whole milk and other dairy products like buttermilk, butter, and chocolate milk are now available at the Uptown, Ochsner, Bucktown, Downtown, and Bywater markets by way of Country Girls Creamery and T&R Dairy – both family-owned and operated in Mississippi! Get your Vitamin D!

Vendor of the Week:

Williams Produce

We’re so happy that Lester of Williams Produce and founder of Pointe Coupee Minority Farmers Cooperative has become a regular fixture at our Downtown Saturday market. Lester has been gardening since he’s been old enough to know how, but has been specializing in commercial farming since 2002. He started by growing food for his mother when she had health concerns that required a wholesome diet that he couldn’t find at his local grocery stores. He grew purple hulled peas, butter beans, mustards, collards, turnips, and okra. His mother shared with her friends and community of the older generation, and soon Lester’s produce became so popular that he decided to expand his operation. Along with his assistant and the occasional presence of one or two of his grandchildren, you’ll find Lester with a table full of colorful produce, which now features mustard greens, turnips, rutabaga, jester squash, red and yellow onions, and a whole lot more. Come late spring and summer, he’ll also have heirloom lemon cucumbers and beans (tiger eye, red beans, and edamame), along with watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

Tuesday’s Green Plate Special:

Paella NOLA

Paella NOLA will be heating things up at the GPS tent at the Tuesday market one last time in February for… PAELLA! Paella is a traditional rice dish from the Valencia region of Spain. With the freshest New Orleans seafood and other local ingredients, Jacob and his team will bring this dish to life every Tuesday for your brunch, lunch, and dinner needs. Vegetarian? No prob. Paella NOLA is making a special veg pan just for the GPS. Come hungry. You can also find Paella NOLA at the Friday Bucktown market if you just can’t get enough!

Recipe of the Week:

Rosemary Lemon Garlic Rutabaga Fries

We’re all about alternative vegetable fries! Toss them with olive oil and salt and bake in the oven to crispy perfection. This recipe calls for rutabaga, which you can pick up from Saturday Downtown vendor Lester Williams, but feel free to experiment with other seasonal produce. We recommend sweet potatoes, turnips, and beets. Let us know your favorites!

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!