Double Your Dollars | July 16, 2018
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FRESH & LOCAL:Double Your Dollars
We believe farmers markets should benefit farmers, shoppers and the wider community. That’s why through our Market Match program, we offer incentives for consumers to eat more fresh, local produce and help stretch the dollar. Market Match was launched by Market Umbrella to increase the spending power of EBT/food stamp card-holders at our farmers markets and bring new customers to farmers markets all while supporting our local farmers.
Right now, folks can come to the market, swipe their EBT/food stamp card at the welcome tent, and CCFM will match dollar for dollar up to $20 per visit – enabling families to double their purchases of fresh, local food! We are paring down during these spicy summer months, but you can still find your favorites at market - Chilton County peaches, tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans and okra as far as the eye can see! Use Market Match at one (or all) of our weekly markets to double your dollars!
And if you’ve heard the hubbub about SNAP processing at farmers markets, don’t be alarmed… CCFM uses a different processor than the one going out of business. We do use Novo Dia’s service as a backup, but it rarely comes into play and we are examining our options with that and in a pinch, can manually process transactions at market.
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PICKS OF THE WEEK:Program Coordinator
Market Umbrella is hiring! This full-time person will support the operation of the Crescent City Farmers Market, manage and conduct nutrition education to school children in the Meet Me at the Market program, conduct shopper tours at the Crescent City Farmers Market to encourage shoppers to try new foods, assist in the implementation of our WIC Cash Value Voucher (CVV) program at farmers markets, and refine an incentive program for mothers enrolled in the WIC program to encourage sustained breastfeeding. Check out the details here. To apply send a cover letter and resume to admin@marketumbrella.org.
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 | French Market Summer Break
The Wednesday Market inside the French Market is officially on a summer break. It will reopen in full swing on Wednesday, October 17th. No worries, we’ll still have our other four markets open regular hours, rain or shine! To see our market locations and times, visit our website.
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Basil
Lush and verdant this time of year, basil is a heat-loving herb you can grow year round in Southeastern Louisiana, if conditions are right. Basil does not tolerate cold weather so if you’re growing it yourself, a pot works best so you can bring it inside or cover it during cold weather. If you haven’t grown it before, it’s also incredibly easy to propagate so even a brown thumb can’t fail. If you purchase a stem of basil at the market, cut off a stem piece toward the end (you’ll want a few leaves on it), trim the leaves down, and then pop the stem in a cup of water on a windowsill. You’ll see roots sprout within days and you can simply transplant it to a pot filled with soil. Do this every time you use or kill the plant and you can have it all summer.
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| It flourishes in the heat of summer which is convenient as it makes a delicious accompaniment to lots of summer items. Add thinly sliced fresh basil to ripe heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella for a perfect Caprese or sprinkle it over a squash gratin or an eggplant parmesan. It also makes a great accompaniment to fruits. Add it to a melon salad, or pair it with frozen blueberries in a cocktail or spritzer. And different varieties lend themselves to different dishes. The common sweet Italian basil is easily identifiable by its rounded leaves and classic basil flavor, but the Thai variety with its more spear-shaped leaves offers a more licorice-y dimension. It also comes in many colors, so have fun experimenting with different flavor and aesthetic choices. |
 | VENDOR OF THE WEEK:Varino’s Italian Sausage
Vendor Michael Varino of Varino’s Italian Sausage learned to make sausage by his Italian father’s side in 1963 and has been doing it ever since. In fact, his vendor stall is a tribute to this italian heritage, and family photos displayed throughout his space let customers take a step back into the old world. With popular flavors like mild, hot and garlic Italian sausage, he also does a more regionally traditional green onion sausage and also a garlic pork sausage. Round out these offerings with a breakfast sausage with a hint of sage and you’re covered for any meal. Find Varino’s Italian Sausage at the Rivertown market on Saturdays and beginning the Tuesday market tomorrow July 17th to pick up some fresh frozen sausage for home preparation. He also does hot lunch specials including sausage sandwiches with grilled onions and peppers, a sausage pasta plate and a grilled sausage on a stick so consider it a lunch option as well.
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TUESDAY’S GREEN PLATE SPECIAL:La Vie en Rose Cafe
Join on on Tuesdays throughout July to experience tasty dishes from La Vie en Rose Cafe. We welcome New Orleans born and raised Chef Kirby Jones from La Vie en Rose and her menu of traditional creole cuisine. She’s bringing all of your favorite classics - shrimp and grits, crawfish gravy and biscuits, and more! Stop by this Tuesday, and every Tuesday during July, to get your fill!
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 | RECIPE OF THE WEEK:Fresh Basil Pesto
While basil is our featured item of the week, we’ll feature a classic basil pesto recipe here, but pesto is one of those highly versatile dishes you can change with the season using any herb or herb combination. You can even make it with greens like collards or kale, it doesn’t even have to be herbs - just combine nuts (if you want to keep it totally local, pecans make an excellent substitute to expensive pine nuts), oil and cheese (or not if you prefer a vegan variety) with a star ingredient of your choice for a sauce you can use not only on pasta, but in soups, in eggs, as a marinade, dabbed on top of a piece of fish, the possibilities are endless. If you’ve ever tried and failed at homemade pesto before, the key to perfect texture is to combine all the dry ingredients, process until smooth, and only then drizzle the oil in. We recommend making a big batch and freezing it in small portions so you can pull some out any time of year to enjoy.
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