Farewell to Satsuma Season | January 21, 2019

Fresh & Local:

Farewell to Satsuma Season

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 the L’Hostes, Star Nursery, and A&K Citrus still hauling in loads of navel oranges, lemons, grapefruit, mandarins and more. Without freezing temperatures that sometimes disrupt blood orange season this time of year, we happily welcome back arguably the most attractive of all the citrus.

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. 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. 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 market in the weeks to come!

Picks of the Week:

Field Trip! Meet Me at the Market

It’s the most wonderful time of the year-- Mardi Gras! But it’s also a great time of year for a visit to the farmers market. Our Tuesday market is where we host our Meet Me at the Market field trip programming for local school children, and now through spring is when we have some of the best variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables for them to try. During a Meet Me at the Market field trip students get to meet our regional food producers, taste local produce, and learn about the importance of eating healthy and supporting our local economy. All Title I schools in Orleans Parish qualify for a discounted field trip rate. If you’re interested in a Meet Me at the Market field trip, contact our program manager at caryn@marketumbrella.org

LAST WEEK! Help River Queen Greens get $10,000!

CCFM vendor River Queen Greens, an urban farm located in the Bywater, has applied for a grant for caterpillar tunnels from Cultivating Change, a grant program that supports local farms with funds to upgrade operations, invest in food safety, and implement sustainable technology. The winners will receive up to $10,000 and are determined based on the number of votes they receive over the one month voting period. That means they need your help! The top five projects receive funding, so let’s make one last push to help them get there! Visit this website and vote for them for the last few days of January.

SNAP Update

Due to the partial government shutdown, people who receive SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) received their February benefits early. It remains to be seen what the three week reopening of the federal government will mean for the SNAP program in terms of March disbursements to recipients. To help keep families eating healthy food, Market Umbrella doubles SNAP purchases up to $20 at all seven of our Crescent City Farmers Markets. Shoppers can swipe their EBT card for $20 and receive $40 in tokens to purchase fresh healthy food. The first $20 can be used on any EBT-allowable item at market and the second $20 can be used on fresh fruits and vegetables only.

Last year, SNAP dollars and our Market Match program put $60,000 into the hands of the local farmers who are vendors at our markets, so this program helps farmers and food producers make ends meet. Market Umbrella is committed to the Market Match program, and we’ll keep you posted on SNAP developments.

Vendor of the Week:

Bua Thai Kitchen

We’re so excited to have Bua Thai Kitchen as a regular prepared food vendor at our new Wednesday Ochsner market. The menu is made up of creative, locally sourced ingredients to inspire people to eat more plant-based meals. Their authentic Thai flavors are inspired by chef Ashley Weinstein-Berner’s experience living in Thailand. Plus, most of their offerings are gluten free. Stop by for grab-n-go items and hot-n-ready meals to eat at the market. Follow them online @buathainola or www.buathainola.com to see what they’re cooking up each week!

Tuesday’s Green Plate Special:

ROOTs

The ROOTs duo will be serving market inspired goods as our GPS one last Tuesday! Their food is local, healthy, all made from scratch often at market from produce purchased that morning, and delicious. Learn more about the pop-up restaurant and their food philosophy on their Facebook page.

Recipe of the Week:

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower

Neon green, spiky, geometrically-intriguing Romanesco. You’ve seen it at the market, but do you know how to cook it? Romanesco, also sometimes called broccoflower, is a cultivar of cauliflower, so a member of the brassica family, along with broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Despite its unusual shape, it can be cooked in the same way you would cook cauliflower - raw, blanched, boiled or roasted. Pick up a head from Perilloux Produce and try this quick and easy recipe with garlic and lemon to bring out all those delicious earthy flavors, and wait for the oohs and aaahs when you bring this remarkable veggie to the table.

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!