Market Match Cooking Class | May 22, 2023

Fresh & Local:

Market Match Cooking Class

The first Market Match cooking class was a success! The kitchen bustled as the class was at full capacity with solo chefs, cooking duos and family acts all gathered to improve their culinary skills. The classes feature local, in-season produce from market that week, like kale, mint, and blackberries. All of this produce can be bought using the Market Match program, where shoppers who use EBT at market receive a dollar-for-dollar match for fresh fruits, vegetables, and edible plants.

The participants baked a lemon and pepper salmon served with a fresh kale salad and a sparkling blackberry lemonade to top it all off. We are grateful to our partners at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine for making this opportunity possible. These classes are free and open to the public but registration is required. There are three more opportunities to get involved in this hands-on cooking series. Fill out this interest form to learn more about the class and reserve your spot on your preferred date.

Picks of the Week:

Greaux the Good Advocacy Update

Greaux the Good, Louisiana’s new statewide nutrition program operated by Market Umbrella, is in the midst of a busy legislative session advocating for continued support for the 2023 - 2024 fiscal year. Greaux the Good provides funding to Louisiana’s farmers markets and produce stands to create or expand nutrition incentive programs for customers who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) and/or the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and currently has 12 market partners. This program supports farmers and Louisiana agriculture by increasing their sales, growing the local agriculture industry and incentivizing shoppers to spend SNAP dollars locally. Greaux the Good increases access to healthier food options for families and assists Louisiana communities to lower diet-related diseases as a result of these healthier options. Learn more about the program and stay connected with legislative updates by visiting the Greaux the Good website. To voice your support for Greaux the Good during this legislative session, email greauxthegood@marketumbrella.org for details.

New Orleans Public Library Seed Libraries!

Did you see the New Orleans Public Library tabling at market last week? They shared information and resources about the expansion of their free seed libraries and summer programs. They have seed sharing services for library cardholders available at five libraries: Alvar Library, Cita Dennis Hubbell Library, Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, Mid-City Library, and Milton H. Latter Memorial Library. Library cardholders may borrow three packets per day, available first-come, first-served and do not need to be returned. Visit a library location with a Seed Library for current information on seed offerings and check out the LSU Ag Center Vegetable Planting Guide for an idea of what to plant when - it’s warming up but it’s not too hot to get sweet potatoes, watermelon, okra and a few other hardy summer crops in the ground.

Recirculating Farms on Queer Eye

Michael Richard II, Farms Director at Recirculating Farms, recently underwent a very public transformation as a contestant or “hero” on the Netflix show Queer Eye. Michael agreed to have five men give him tips on everything from his style and hair to his self-esteem. You’ll want to watch the episode to hear Michael’s story, learn how much he has overcome and see just how much he grows over the week. Plus, see the beautiful appetizers they craft from edible flowers and microgreens harvested from Recirculating Farms’ gardens. The entire seventh season of Queer Eye was filmed in New Orleans and can be viewed on Netflix. You can find our friends at Recirculating Farms tabling at the Tuesday Uptown Market, stop by to learn how to get involved in urban farming and food justice.

Vendor of the Week:

Pete & Clara’s Seafood

As a founding vendor of the Tuesday market, Pete & Clara’s Seafood is an essential part of the CCFM community! Everything they sell was caught the previous day and is directly delivered to you and local chefs by their own hands — the freshest, healthiest, most local, and sustainable seafood you can get anywhere in New Orleans — some might say it's shrimply the best around! Pete does the fishing, mostly in Lakes Pontchartrain and Borne, while his daughter, Christina, does the processing and selling. Find them both at market Tuesdays and Thursdays and make sure you're swinging by early to ensure you get the freshest whole shrimp, finfish fillets including catfish, drum and sheephead, picked crab and frozen peeled and deveined shrimp - super convenient for quick weeknight meals.

Recipe of the Week:

Leah Chase's Shrimp Clemenceau

This recipe is sourced from the New Orleans’ classic, “The Dooky Chase Cookbook.” This hearty dish can be assembled fairly easily. The potatoes are roasted before the mushrooms which helps them both to maintain their unique earthy flavors. Use the new potatoes now in season for a special, creamy treat. This dish is more than a meal, it holds a very special place in our history. Host of Louisiana Eats and longtime friend of CCFM, Poppy Tooker cooked Shrimp Clemenceau alongside Leah Chase at the reopening of the market after Hurricane Katrina.

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!