Brrr! It’s Cold Out Here! | January 18, 2021

Fresh & Local:

Brrr! It’s Cold Out Here!

It’s time to say farewell to the beloved satsuma, the tiny tangy fruit we’ve been consuming by the dozen since October. While the season is not entirely over, peak season is definitely behind us, and you’ll see fewer and fewer of these sweet, snackable, easy-to-peel fruits at market over the coming weeks.

But fear not, because citrus options still abound at the market with Star Nursery, Graham’s Harvest, and others still hauling in loads of navel oranges, lemons, grapefruit, mandarins and more. Contrary to popular belief, January is a great season for produce here in New Orleans, with countless colorful crops for sale across all of our markets and delivery options.

The wintry weather may have put a temporary damper on the abundance of offerings at market, but we have a ton to look forward to! You’ll find all the colors of the rainbow on display - pink radishes, red strawberries, orange carrots, yellow lemons, green kale, purple cauliflower, and so much more. Root veggies are strong and hardy, holding up against the coldest of temperatures and perfect for your juicing resolutions or souping needs. Lest we not forget the strawberries, which are just starting to ramp up, as well as hydroponic tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.

As you say your goodbyes to this year’s satsuma season, make room in your fridge for all the goodies you’ll be finding at the markets and in the home delivery box in the weeks to come!

Good Food Concept of the Week:

In addition to running farmers markets, a critical component of Market Umbrella’s work is to enhance food and nutrition access and awareness in our community. The Good Food Concept of the Week seeks to shed some light on this part of our work and also to demystify the jargon.

Food Justice

This week’s Good Food Concept is Food Justice – There are many injustices within our food system which often mirror other forms of inequality and oppression within our society, many of which have been exacerbated during the pandemic. The movement for food justice seeks to solve these inequities through systemic changes in the way we grow and distribute food. Achieving food justice would mean creating a world where everyone has fair access to nutritious food that is grown sustainably under just work conditions. See how activists across the country are working toward food justice in the short film Food (Justice) for All, part of the PBS documentary series Food Forward.

Picks of the Week:

Back to Phase One

Crescent City Farmers Markets have been operating in accordance with the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines on outdoor markets, and NOLA’s Phase One of COVID reopening guidelines. Our walk-up markets feature fresh air and sunlight, as well as many safety practices, now ingrained amongst our staff and vendors.

Our markets require masking by all, and have new layouts that increase space between vendors and allow for spacing between customers in lines. We limit crowd sizes within the market space and have introduced many other COVID adaptations. We will continue to offer contactless options like home delivery offered through partners Top Box Foods, the Sunday pre-order contactless drive thru market, and we now offer pre-order curbside pickup at our Tuesday, Thursday and Friday walk-up markets so you can pull up to market and we’ll bring your entire order to you.

Even More Ways to Use SNAP

Now extended through March 2021, Market Umbrella will continue offering unlimited dollar-for-dollar Market Match for SNAP shoppers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, thanks to a $500,000 USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) award, Market Umbrella will expand Market Match beyond all CCFM market locations to also be available at:

• Top Box Foods - on ALL SNAP eligible purchases, plus free home delivery
• ReFresh Farmers Market on Monday evenings on the Lafitte Greenway
• Grow Dat Youth Farm for 50% off seasonal CSA subscriptions
• River Queen Greens for half price farm shares
• Stay tuned for new nutrition classes and programs supporting Market Match at Tulane’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine

How did the chicken feel after a long day on the farm?

Eggs-hausted! Eggs can be in short supply at this time of year, and that cold weather is the culprit again. Many of our vendors keep chickens and bring eggs and generally you’ll be able to find farm fresh eggs with rich sunny yolks at any of our markets. Weather extremes, like cold winters as well as hot summers, cause chickens to molt or lose and regrow feathers, much like a dog or cat sheds its undercoat to grow a new coat appropriate for that season. With energy focused on new feather production, this can be a stressful time for chickens, and egg production drops. Our farmers come to us from climate zones 7-9 so there’s considerable variation in cold experiences. Anticipate different producers coming online with eggs as it warms in their area. And for the time being, come early or pre-order ahead - the early bird gets the egg!

Volunteer with Crescent City Farmers Market

Vendor of the Week:

Indian Springs Farmers Association

Indian Springs Farmers Association has been a cornerstone vendor at our Tuesday market since CCFM’s inception in 1995. And while Mr. Ben and Terrance have been regular participants at our flagship markets, you might not be as familiar with Mr. Byron Travis, the cooperative president. Cultivating and hauling in a delightful array of seasonal produce like mustards, turnips, and sweet potatoes from Petal, MS straight to CCFM’s Thursday Mid-City market for your enjoyment. Always smiling, even under his mask, be sure to stop by his stall, say hi and see what he has in store.

Recipes of the Week:

Parmesan-crusted Crushed Turnips

Turnip for what?! Oh, yeah, we went there. Turnips might seem like an old school root veggie but in fact they are in the cruciferous family, closely related to kale, broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Chalk full vitamins, minerals and fiber making them a nutritional powerhouse. Here’s a new spin on a familiar potato recipe using turnips instead, this parmesan-crusted crushed turnip recipe from a Chef’s Kitchen is sure to have your taste buds doing a happy dance. You get a two-fer with turnips - don’t forget to eat the greens too!

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!