Makin’ Groceries with CCFM | June 29, 2020

Fresh & Local:

Makin’ Groceries with CCFM

Summertime, and makin’ groceries is easy! We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we do know where you can find locally grown produce, fresh seafood, dairy, yard eggs, crusty bread, sweet honey, and so so much more. Here are all of the ways you can support local farmers and food producers with CCFM:

1. The CCFM Box - Need fresh produce delivered to your door? Crescent City Farmers Market has partnered with Top Box Foods to create boxes full of CCFM vendor products for home delivery (pickup option available). Now with TWO box sizes available - $25 and $40! As always, both size boxes qualify for our Market Match program for SNAP benefit users, doubling buying power and cutting the price in half! Choose “pay at pickup” and Top Box will contact you directly to process your SNAP payment and apply your dollar for dollar match.

2. Drive Thru Markets - We have two weekly Drive Thru Markets - Sundays at Parkway Bakery and Tavern and Wednesdays at Bucktown Harbor. Drive Thru markets are different from traditional markets, but not complicated! Order and pay in advance (with debit/credit or SNAP). You must place an order in advance to shop at these markets. When you arrive, staff will guide you to enter the market, make sure your placard is complete and in your windshield, and help you pop your trunk if needed. All vendors will be wearing face masks, sanitizing hands between customers, and respecting social distancing guidelines.

3. Modified Walk Up Market starting July 7th - With a growing understanding of the need to keep physical distance and wear masks while in public, we believe we can implement precautions to keep shoppers, vendors and staff safe at a modified outdoor market. It is our great pleasure to open a modified walk up market on Tuesdays beginning July 7th from 8 am – Noon at Uptown Square! We look forward to this return to a new normal. Please note, many of our vendors and shoppers are in a higher risk category for complications from Covid-19. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping these community members safe. For updates, including vendor lineup and expectations, check out our Facebook event.

Please note this reopening is for our Tuesday Uptown location only. All other walkup locations remain temporarily closed. Sunday Parkway Drive Thrus and Wednesday Bucktown Drive Thrus are still operating weekly.

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.

Umami

This week’s Good Food Word is Umami – The human tongue is sensitive to five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Umami means “pleasant savory taste” in Japanese, and its flavor is often described as meaty or brothy. Experiment with umami flavor in the kitchen by incorporating ingredients like pork, poultry, mushrooms, seaweed, anchovies or miso. For more inspiration, check out these umami recipes from Bon Appetit.

Picks of the Week:

Squash

Summer is here and the squash are abundant! Keep your eye out for tender baby squash, just immature versions of the same vegetable, that are not only very beautiful but slightly more dense, with smaller seeds and less watery than the full-sized ones. If you’re growing your own, squash blossoms can be delightful. The trick to getting both squash blossoms and squash is to only pick the male flowers. Yes, squash have gendered flowers! You can tell which ones those are because at the base of a female flower, you’ll see a miniature squash that will grow once pollinated. Pick the other ones to eat in a variety of ways - but this is a substantive flower that is better when cooked. Later in the season when you get overrun, squash are a great substitute for cucumbers in a quick pickle.

FMNP

In an effort to increase access to healthy fresh foods and support local agriculture, the USDA and Louisiana Department of Forestry & Agriculture work together to administer the Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Through this program state agencies distribute a booklet of vouchers worth $20 that can be spent with Louisiana farmers at roadside produce stands, CSAs and area farmers markets including CCFM. These vouchers are good for fresh produce, herbs and honey and can be accepted by any FMNP certified produce vendor, just look for the yellow sign! The FMNP program is available to both low income seniors (over the age of 60) and to families who participate in the WIC program. Vouchers are available for distribution starting in May and valid through November. Follow the link to find out more or to check your eligibility for Senior FMNP or WIC FMNP.

Figs

Those luscious fruits of summer, the figs are here! Delicate things with an almost peachy softness, the Celeste fig is one of the more common varieties you’ll see but brown turkey figs, and LSU gold and purple can also be found in the south and provide a range of textures and flavors. Figs are great sliced and drizzled with honey, served over toast or yogurt, or in cakes, custards or other deserts. But they also pair very well with fresh cheeses and make an excellent addition to a variety of savory dishes. Try them in a grilled cheese, or pickled, or in a relish or chutney or in a salad with a balsamic dressing.

Vendor of the Week:

Figue Envie

Lilly Jane AKA Figue Envie is making their annual market appearance! Mandy and Byron met while serving in Mali as agricultural volunteers in the Peace Corp. Now the husband and wife are teachers in New Orleans, but they spend their summer vacations connecting with their farming roots. After tending to fig trees on family land since 2006, they purchased a new plot which has allowed them to quadruple their production. Be sure to try their fresh figs and delicious preserves before the short and sweet fig season comes to close! Figue Envie will be at both the Parkway and Bucktown drive thru markets until they run out!

Recipe of the Week:

Squash Blossom Salad

‘Tis the season! Squash blossoms, or flores de calabaza, are edible flowers that are delicate and mild in flavor. These farmers market favs are as summer-y as they are versatile, and are beautiful in any dish. If you’ve never cooked with them, don’t let it intimidate you! In this salad they require little preparation and are the star of the show.

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!