Moving Beyond Cancer in NOLA: 2021: Taking us from Bad to Rad

2021: Taking us from Bad to Rad | January 11, 2021

FRESH & LOCAL:

2021: Taking us from Bad to Rad

While the promise of the end of the pandemic that 2021 brings is exciting, we are now entering a very challenging period. Crescent City Farmers Markets have been operating in accordance with the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines on outdoor markets, and we are ready for a return to Phase One of COVID reopening. 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 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. Stay safe NOLA, we’re almost there!

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.

good food concept

Days to Harvest

This week’s Good Food Concept is Days to Harvest – an agricultural term that refers to the time between planting and when a crop can be harvested. As a shopper, you can see the product at market, but so much is going on leading up to market day. So when we refer to being in between seasons - when variety and volume is lower than usual - farmers are hard at work planting and caring for young plants, and fields are filled with green, just not with mature produce. The amazing radish is a super star and if conditions are right, can come to maturity in less than a month! When you consider that artichokes or garlic take almost half a year from seed to harvest, and even the brassicas like cabbage or broccoli can take 80-180 days, the radish performs an especially impressive feat.

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

The Radish

The radish is a root vegetable that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw as a crunchy salad vegetable with a spicy pungent flavor. Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, folate and riboflavin (vitamin B2) and they contain minerals such as potassium and calcium - perfect for getting your immune system in tip-top shape. And now, an ode to the radish:

One bite of radish,
Your taste buds will dance and sing.
Zesty, spicy, sweet!

- Cristina Berthelot, Market Manager

pick of the week

The Hipster of Root Veg

No stranger to the cooler-month markets, radishes are in peak season now. Crunchy and slightly spicy, the radish comes in a myriad of colors, shapes, sizes and flavor profiles. At markets now, you can find lovely green luobo, the slightly sweet and vibrant pink daikon, watermelon radish with their pale green outside and striated pink interior, nero tondo with the black exterior, and French breakfast the classic mild red cylinder with a white tip, just to name a few. With all these rad roots around, here are five fresh ways to cook radishes that are more than just salad fodder. Perfect pickled or fermented, roasted is never wrong, mellow them out with a braise, and don’t forget to use the greens. Still not sold? Break out the paring knife and carve them into a beautiful rose!

Thanks for rooting for us!

Market Umbrella would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the rad supporters that contributed to our end of year fundraising campaign. We are so grateful to have so many of you rooting for our work that connects our community with Louisiana’s best fresh food! Your investments will support Market Umbrella programs and operations throughout 2021 from food access for vulnerable community members to vendor technical support to nutrition education and much more!

Didn’t have a chance to give yet? You can make donations all year long - including sustaining, recurring monthly gifts - by visiting our website or texting CCFM to 44-321!

pick of the week

vendor of the week

VENDOR OF THE WEEK:

Plume Algiers

After a two month journey through 10 regions of India, partners Merritt Coscia and Tyler Stuart brought back what they learned there from friends and locals and put it to use here in Southeast Louisiana. With a desire to recreate the cuisine they love and bring some culinary diversity to the city, Thaili Llama was born. Using local, seasonal ingredients and scratch-cooking ideals they create their own garam masala, yoghurt and ghee to add authenticity to dishes. What started as a pop-up grew into Plume Algiers, a Westbank brick-and-mortar. You can also find Plume Algiers at our Tuesday and Thursday markets offering up housemade chai, saag and other delights for your grab-n-go enjoyment, just follow the aroma of fresh-cooked naan to find their tent.

*Friendly reminder that all Crescent City Farmers Markets require masking at all times and on-site consumption is not allowed. While we want you to enjoy the deliciousness, we also want to protect our staff, vendors and shoppers so please wait until you’ve left the market area to enjoy your selections. Thank you for helping us keep the community safe and healthy.*

RECIPES OF THE WEEK:

Roasted Radishes by friend of the market and local chef Anne Churchill

Roasted radishes are a great low carb substitute for potatoes and packed with vitamins and nutrients

Place pan or cast iron skillet in oven to 400F. Clean and trim the radishes then halve them. Toss in a bowl with good quality oil, just enough to coat. Sprinkle a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. When oven is hot, pour radishes into the hot pan or skillet. Check 15 minutes and give them a shake. Continue to check every 10 minutes or so until they begin to brown. Grate a bit of Parmesan of extra flavor. Maybe even grate a bit of fresh garlic over the top as well.

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!