Cook(book)ing in Celebration of Black History Month | February 20, 2023

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Cook(book)ing in Celebration of Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, we're sharing our favorite books related to race, food, and agriculture each week. Of course, our Black History book list wouldn't be complete without a few good cookbooks! Celebrate Black history and culture in the kitchen by trying your hand at recipes created and curated by Black chefs and authors.

• Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora by Bryant Terry is a vibrant collection of poetry, essays, recipes from various chefs, and more. Treat yourself to this beautifully-curated cookbook and the recipes within, which range from classics such as buttermilk fried chicken to innovative dishes like lentil, okra, and coconut stew.
• If I Can Cook/You Know God Can: African American Food Memories, Meditations, and Recipes by Ntozake Shange blends personal memories and historical insight with lip-smacking recipes. With titles such as "Collard Greens to Bring You Money" and "Catfish / The Way Albert Liked It" each recipe feels like a cherished gift.
• Rufus Estes' Good Things to Eat: The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef is our pick for all the history buffs out there! Rufus Estes was a Pullman porter turned top chef, and this first-of-its-kind cookbook, which was originally published in 1911, includes well over 500 recipes. Add this one to your repertoire and you'll never run out of ideas to impress your dinner guests.

Picks of the Week:

Mardi Gras Market Schedule

Happy Mardi Gras from Crescent City Farmers Market! The Tuesday Uptown Market will be closed tomorrow, February 21 so that vendors and staff have a chance to celebrate Fat Tuesday! We wish all members of the CCFM community a festive, fun, and safe Mardi Gras! Markets will open again on a regular schedule beginning Thursday, February 23. See you then!

A Word From Market Umbrella’s Co-Founder Richard McCarthy!

Market Umbrella co-founder Richard McCarthy will speak at Octavia Books on Wednesday, March 1 (518 Octavia Street) at 6 pm about the new book he co-wrote with rural development leader Tsuyoshi Sekihara. Kuni: A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection sheds light on the extraordinary and creative efforts underway in Japan to reshape rural life around shared cultural and natural assets, including food. Kuni offers a compelling vision of regenerative relationships that can take root in the United States–and anywhere. The event is free and open to the public. There will be books on hand and saké on the menu!

Parking at Market

At Crescent City Farmers Market, we are excited to welcome visitors to our markets! We want to create a safe and seamless experience for market participants and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods! We encourage visitors to observe the parking options and restrictions of each market. At our Thursday Mid-City Market, this includes no parking on the uptown side of Lafitte Avenue. For our Sunday City Park Market, no parking on Marconi Drive in areas with diagonal white parking lines. Finally, at our Tuesday Uptown Market, customers may enter the Tulane parking lot from Broadway or Leake Ave. When parking at any market, please pay attention to any nearby street signs!

Vendor of the Week:

Pickled NOLA

The New Orleans-based company Pickled NOLA LLC specializes in delicious homemade pickles. Jeremy Oatis, the founder of Pickled NOLA, is a teacher, a Mardi Gras Indian, and a serious pickler. He first started making pickles four years ago to use up a surplus of home-grown cucumbers! Two years later, with the encouragement of friends and family, Pickled NOLA was born. Since then, Jeremy and Kimberly Oatis have expanded the offerings of Pickled NOLA to include an array of seasonal and locally-sourced pickled vegetables, including dill cucumber pickles, pickled green beans, and pickled garlic. Pickled NOLA provides a fresh, natural alternative to store-bought pickled products. Stop by the Pickled NOLA table at the Sunday City Park market or check out their website: they’re a big dill!

Recipe of the Week:

Louisiana Style Collard Greens

This month, staff are celebrating Black History Month by sharing their favorite recipes with connections to Black history and culture. You can’t go wrong with traditional Southern collard greens using local produce from the market! Keep reading if you're interested in trying this delicious soul food classic.

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!