<p>It&rsquo;s Giving&hellip; Tuesday!</p> | December 2, 2024

Fresh & Local:

It’s Giving… Tuesday!

Black Friday, Cyber Monday… Looking for a more meaningful way to give this season? This #GivingTuesday, consider supporting Market Umbrella, an organization fighting food insecurity across New Orleans and Louisiana. Giving Tuesday inspires radical generosity:

“Radical generosity creates a world in which the collective recognition of humanity fundamentally respects what each of us can give, receive, and learn from one another. Generosity is uplifting, generative, equalizing, and connecting.” – Giving Tuesday

With programs like Market Match, which doubles SNAP benefits at markets and partner locations, Market Umbrella helps put fresh produce on family tables. Your gift supports healthier, more equitable food systems and makes a world of difference.

To participate in #GivingTuesday this year, you can make a donation to Market Umbrella on our website or by texting ‘CCFM’ to 44-321. Thank you for your support!

Picks of the Week:

I Spy With My Little Eye… Strawberries!

Sweet news! We're thrilled to welcome an early strawberry season, thanks to Johndales Farms. Fresh, juicy strawberries are now at the market and will stick around until Mother's Day-ish, with peak abundance arriving in the spring. Stop by any of our three weekly markets to brighten these chilly days with nature’s candy. Add strawberries to your holiday pies, cakes, or simply enjoy them as they are—oh my!

BYOBag

Shopping locally for groceries brings the freshest food to your table and helps the planet. Keep the eco-friendly momentum going by bringing your own bag to the market. Forgot yours? No problem! Stop by the welcome tent to pick up a durable CCFM heavy-duty tote or an insulated cool storage bag—both perfect for keeping your items fresh and great for holiday gifts! Some vendors also offer their own bags for sale. Let’s shop smart and sustainably together.

Supernova at the Lafitte Greenway

Experience an enchanting evening of local produce, live music, art, and more!

Mark your calendar for the Greenway Supernova on Thursday, December 12th, at the Mid-City Market, hosted in partnership with Lafitte Greenway Partnership. Shop the market during extended hours from 3–9 pm, then stick around as the magic begins at 5 pm with live music and dazzling art installations. For the full lineup of Supernova events, follow @lafittegreenway. Come enjoy a night of wonder and community under the stars!

Holiday Food Traditions

We all know how much Santa loves his milk and cookies. But there are many holiday food traditions taking place all over the world tied to year-end holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, and Festivus, to name a few. In Colombia, families celebrate Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) with a hearty feast that often includes lechona, a delicious dish of slow-roasted pork stuffed with rice and peas. Sweden’s holiday menu includes potato casserole, a great addition to the traditional smorgasbord. Christmas in Sicily and Southern Italy means the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Traditionally, Roman Catholics in the region fast on Christmas Eve, so a feast of seven (or even more) seafood dishes at the end of the day is a true celebration of the area’s bounty. With the holiday season in full swing, we are happy to share many more holiday food traditions, the ingredients for many of which you can grab at the market in the coming weeks!

Vendor of the Week:

Johndales Farm

Strawberries are BACK! She married into the farming industry, and now all these years later, Heather Robertson is the big boss in town. Johndale Farms started at five thousand plants and has now grown to over 160k, on the same land her father-in-law grew strawberries on as a boy. Currently the farm is twelve strong plus Heather, her four children, and her husband, who helps out when he can. They bring us five fun varieties of sweet strawbs: the Camino Real, San Andreas, Frontera, Radiant, and Heather’s personal favorite--the Festival. Smaller means sweeter, and Festivals pack a saccharine punch come spring. Right now you can enjoy the first Radiants of the winter season as Johndale’s will be at all three of our weekly markets. They also offer an array of produce such as beans and peas, mushrooms, cukes, and tomatoes.

Recipe of the Week:

Strawberry Lemon Bars

Fresh strawberries are here, and these Strawberry Lemon Bars are a perfect way to enjoy them! Bright, zesty, and sweet, they’ll steal the show on any holiday treats table.