Meet Me at the Market! | May 8, 2023

Fresh & Local:

Meet Me at the Market!

Our first Meet Me at Market visit since the COVID-19 pandemic such a success! Over 80 Pre-K students from Morris Jeff Community School participated in a classroom lesson on seasonality, then joined us at market for a field trip. The students identified items around market with a scavenger hunt and then got their hands dirty with plant starts. Huckleberry Creamery brought a two-day-old baby goat to market for the students to meet and even try to bottle-feed.

The Meet Me at the Market program introduces New Orleans youth to local food growers and educates students on nutrition and how food is grown. We are excited to bring this program back! If you are an educator or administrator interested in sharing the benefits of local and nutritious food with students grades Pre-K through six, please visit the Meet Me at the Market page on our website.

Picks of the Week:

Celebrate National Shrimp Day with us!

While we may be in the thick of crawfish season, let us not forget about our other favorite Louisiana seafood - shrimp! This Wednesday, May 10th marks National Shrimp Day and you better believe we have a number of suggestions for how you can celebrate. As an important part of our region's cuisine, shrimp is a staple of many Cajun and Creole dishes. They can be boiled, fried, stewed in a Creole sauce or an étouffée, stuffed with breadcrumbs and rice, and found in gumbos and jambalayas.

Shrimping has a long history in South Louisiana and we are proud to offer the “fruit of the sea” at each of our markets, but just like any fruit you’re likely not going to see it all year round. This time of year you’ll find brown shrimp available, as opposed to white shrimp in the fall. Brown shrimp have a strong flavor that goes great with robust dishes like gumbo and jambalaya, whereas white shrimp can be a little sweeter. No matter how you choose to celebrate this special day, just be sure not to skimp on locally caught shrimp, available in various sizes, whole or peeled and deveined at any CCFM!

Mothers Day Bouquets,
the Farmers Market Way

Mother’s Day is later this year, which means you still have plenty of time to shop around market for a beautiful bouquet grown and arranged by local producers. At the Sunday City Park Market, you can find White Oaks Farms. On Thursday at the Mid-City Market, Mike B from Know Dat Grow Dat sells his flowers. The Tuesday Uptown Market will give you the best chance to find a bouquet with Nightshade Farm and Flowers, Mizell’s Farm and Know Dat Grow Dat all selling. Give the gift of sustainably, locally grown flowers to the mother figures in your life and support local farmers!

GiveNOLA Day Thank You

Thank you to everyone that donated to Market Umbrella in celebration of GiveNOLA Day 2023! We are honored to be among the many great nonprofits working to make a difference in New Orleans, and we are grateful to have your support. This GiveNOLA Day, Market Umbrella raised over $6,000 to support our Crescent City Farmers Markets and food access programs. With your support, we continue to cultivate thriving public markets where folks can celebrate our unique Louisiana food culture and enjoy fresh, local food.

Vendor of the Week:

Micro Pharms

Business owner and entrepreneurial mastermind, Christopher Pham founded Micro Pharms back in 2020 when he started growing microgreens in his apartment. Why microgreens? Chris just wanted to develop a healthier lifestyle for himself. When the pandemic hit and many of his restaurant clients stopped taking orders, Chris had to think of a new way to repurpose his microgreens, so he started developing value-added products like micro-kimchi, chili oils, and dried spice and seasoning blends like his Asian Chicken Cajun Fry Mix (also great with fried vegetables!). Chris’s main goal with his value-added products is to uplift his Asian culture and heritage while bringing a fun and playful energy to his brand. You might have even noticed Gazpacho, the red microgreen mascot on all of Chris’ packaging and labels. In the coming months, Chris is looking forward to expanding his offerings to frozen prepared foods like dumplings. Check out Micro Pharms at the Thursday Mid-City Market or the Sunday City Park Market!

Recipe of the Week:

Rosemary Parmesan Potatoes
with Spicy Truffle Dip

This dish brings together parmesan cheese and truffle oil over a crowd pleasing base: potatoes! It’ss simple enough to be a great introduction to truffle oil for those that have yet to try it. Plus, what better way to honor the creativity behind Micro Pharms products than to incorporate it into one of his own recipes? Lightly mashing the potatoes is a fun-looking kitchen technique that may bring some helpers into your kitchen. Micro Pharms truffle oil in the dip makes these potatoes a spotlight-stealing side dish or even a meal on its own!

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!