Beat the Heat! | May 21, 2018
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FRESH & LOCAL:Beat the Heat!
If you’re an avid reader of this newsletter, or a regular market shopper, not only are you probably familiar with the annual Eat Local Challenge, but eating local is to some extent already a part of your life. Whether you make your groceries local because you like high quality produce in varieties you can’t find in conventional grocery stores, because you want to support small farmers and the local economy, because you want to make an effort to cut down on the carbon footprint of your food or the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, because you value humane and hormone-free animal husbandry, or for the myriad of other reasons local food is superior, the entire month of June is a month to reflect on and learn about where our food comes from, and challenge ourselves to eat only what is grown, caught, raised or foraged within 200 miles. Through the challenge and its lineup of fun events, we get an opportunity to put our local sourcing to the test along with hundreds of other people. With local teas offered by Pearl River Tea Company providing our caffeine, and Mayhew Bakery’s breads made from locally sourced and milled wheat, each year brings new local goods to our table. Come join us every Saturday in June at the CBD market for fun and interesting demos, and check out other workshops, events and panels throughout the challenge.
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PICKS OF THE WEEK:P-p-peaches!
Last year was a dismal year for peaches as we all recall, and this year was shaping up to more than make up for that, but that last cold snap took a toll. The Chilton County peaches way over in Alabama were largely unaffected by that cold and will return to market Tuesday May 29th with long-time vendors the Durhams. Sadly though, Cherry Creek Orchards located up at the northern end of Mississippi in Pontotoc lost their entire crop. We’ll appreciate what we get, as we think about the elements of nature that our farmers battle every day to coax harvests to bring to our table.
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 | Battle of the Best Croissant
Yesterday at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans, in front of a panel of professional chefs and celebrity guests, the finest bakeries in the area competed to be the Best Croissant in New Orleans. Our very own Kelly Mayhew of Mayhew Bakery went face to face against four other bakeries and came out on top! Hear thee, hear thee! The Best Croissant in NOLA belongs to Mr. Mayhew! Find his sourdough bread, swirls, and more at all five of our weekly markets.
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Soft shell shrimp
Keep your eyes peeled for fresh soft shell shrimp at the market! Soft shell shrimp are a delicacy here in New Orleans and are rather hard to come across. Our very own fisherwoman, Kay of Four Winds Seafood, has been spotted with these beauties at the Saturday Market in the CBD.
The soft shell crustaceans are harvested at the peek of their molting phase - just like softshell blue crabs - while they are nice and soft. Fry them up, and just like you might guess, you can eat the whole thing - even the head! Grab them when you see them, they will be gone soon!
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 | VENDOR OF THE WEEK:T&R Dairy Farm
We are so excited to welcome to the market T&R Dairy from Liberty, Mississippi. A fourth generation family dairy farm, at the Tuesday market, you’ll find Mary and maybe one of her three sisters with a variety of aged cheeses including gouda and havarti, and fresh or cultured butter. Check out this article about the history and decline of small dairy in Mississippi or this article to learn about the effect of globalization on dairy to learn about how special this vendor is to our market. When you buy cheeses from T&R or milk, meat or cheese from Country Girls Creamery (at Tuesday and CBD Saturday markets), not only are you getting incomparable top-notch dairy, but you’re keeping these generational farms viable. Win win!
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TUESDAY’S GREEN PLATE SPECIAL:La Monita
Delicious Colombian-inspired food made from locally sourced ingredients, La Monita (Colombian slang for blond girl) returns to the market for another stint as the Green Plate Special on Tuesdays. Inspired by her travels through South and Central America, Tracey Armitage is preparing for us this month incredible arepas, tropical salads, and a Colombian goodness bowl amongst a weekly changing cast of other dishes. Come grab plantains for breakfast or a fish stew for lunch. It’s all delicious!
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 | RECIPE OF THE WEEK:Summer Squash Gratin
Hot dang! This squash dish on the menu this week features yummy summer squash, gooey cheese, and melty goodness ready for my tummy. This recipe is super easy and you can find next to ALL of the ingredients at the market, and kid friendly. Can’t wait!
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