The Boil Advisory, Issue #6
Makin' groceries...and ceviche.
Hi friends,
Before moving to New Orleans, I spent a few years in Brooklyn, where this time each year, local chefs, vendors at greenmarkets (what they call farmers markets up there), and cooped-up home cooks start talking a lot about ramps. Ramps, if you haven’t seen them, are a type of wild onion, known to grow in shady, damp soil along the East Coast, but only for a few weeks each year. They’re enjoyable, I suppose, but I never understood the excitement until someone explained to me that ramps, really, are a symbol of spring. More than an allium, they’re a reminder that warmer months and memories are ahead.
Down here, I’d say we feel a similar way about crawfish; yes, they’re tasty, but those first tails of the season are a reminder of what it’s like to gather in the sunshine with our friends, around a fresh boil, with cold beers in hand and music playing loud enough to keep our bodies moving. When we talk about local food here in NOLA, we’re often talking food experiences like those boils, or about our restaurants—and for many, many good reasons. Today, though, we’re talking about local food from the source, and where to find it.
I’m a firm believer that food that’s grown or caught locally simply tastes better. It offers an economic benefit, too: When we support local growers, makers, grocers, etc., we’re supporting our neighbors, and we’re putting more of our money (including taxes) back into the community. It’s not always easy to discern just how to get started, or where to find what we need, so that’s what we’re focusing on today.
First, though: A pandemic love story.
COVID Crush
Rémy and I initially connected online through a mutual friend when I posted that I had sort of spontaneously moved to NOLA, but I had been here almost two years before we met in person. I realized we were flirting right before COVID shut everything down, so I made a move: I asked her dog on a Zoom date. That was one year ago today.
With normal date/activity options off the table due to the pandemic, we eased into things with walks, and outdoor chats, and then by swapping foods we had cooked/caught—I brought Rémy a fresh redfish, for example, and she sent me home with a container overflowing with hogshead cheese and a frozen log of crab fat butter. Once we had cooked together, we started telling friends that we had been breaking quarantine to see each other. We joked early on that we’d eventually run out of things to talk about, and that we’d just make cookies once we did. (We haven’t, though we’ve eaten plenty of baked goods over the last year.)
This story doesn’t really tie in with this week’s theme, but I can’t separate my excitement for spring and for what lies ahead from my continued excitement about the relationship that’s unfurled over these last twelve months. Also, our dogs are really cute together:
Makin’ Groceries
Anywhere else in the U.S., you shop for groceries, but here in NOLA, we make ‘em. I asked a friend—a chef born and raised here—for some historical perspective on the phrase, to which she responded, “it’s just what my maw maw said.” Then she pointed me to this 2013 video from GoNOLA.
Last week, I spoke with Cristina Berthelot, market manager for Crescent City Farmers Markets, about pandemic shifts and about what locals can look forward to seeing at the markets now that weather’s warmed up. “We have done a lot of pivots this year,” Cristina explained, “and have been trying to accommodate everyone—every vendor, every age group, every type of shopper.”
Cristina told me that when CCFM initially closed the markets, “the first thing that we thought of was this box idea,” in partnership with Top Box Foods. “We probably pushed out 300 boxes, which soon grew to twice a week—that was a lot of food.” Then, a few weeks later, CCFM hosted its first drive-through market in the parking lot at Parkway Bakery and Tavern. “We estimate that around 500 cars drove through that day.”
That initial demand caught everyone off guard but it allowed the markets to streamline and it helped grow CCFM’s audience—their email list alone has grown by more than 4,000 subscribers over the last year. “We have people that are coming to the drive-through that never knew we existed before,” Cristina said. That growth has helped bring more money to the markets and to push fresh produce further into the community.
So what’s in season? “You're starting to see a lot of spring greens, spring onions. And fruit—fruit's a big one. Strawberries are loaded right now. Seafood is starting to pick up a bit more, now that the waters aren’t so cold. In the next few weeks, you're going to see a lot more flowers coming into bloom and more produce coming back—lots of tender, leafy goods.” Cristina also noted that two of the market vendors—Schmelly’s Dirt Farm and Hot Plants—can help you with your home garden.
A few disclaimers before we dive in: 1) This list likely misses some options, but I’m hoping to keep adding to it and have been working on an interactive Google map with a more permanent home. I’ll share that here when it’s done, but will also commit to updating the newsletter archives with any corrections/additions y’all send in. 2) The info below builds on resource lists already offered by other organizations, like this one from River Queen Greens and this one from NOLA FPAC, and from spending way too much time on Instagram. 3) There’s only so much info that can be included here for each market.
Here’s my offer, though: If you’re looking for something specific but can’t find it below, reach out directly and I’ll help (to the best of my abilities).
Farmers/Fresh Markets
CCFM Uptown Market - Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. - Noon, Broadway St. @ the levee
CCFM Mid-City Market - Thursday, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m., Lafitte Greenway @ Bayou St. John
CCFM City Park Drive-Thru - Sunday, 8:00 a.m. - Noon, Tad Gormley Stadium (available for preorders only)
Coffee Science Mid-City Market - Sunday, 9:30 a.m. - Noon, 410 S. Broad Ave.
Sheaux Fresh - Wednesday, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m., Saturday, 9:30 a.m - 2:00 p.m., N. Claiborne at Toulouse
DownRiver Market - currently on pause (as of Monday), but this is a pop-up market offering curated produce boxes and à la carte items
Westwego Shrimp Lot - open daily, 8:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), with several independently owned stalls offering a variety of fresh fish and shellfish
CSAs & Produce Delivery
VEGGI Farmers Cooperative - one-off and subscription CSA boxes delivered weekly to your home or picked up at New Orleans Boulder Lounge on St. Claude.
River Queen Greens - seasonal farm shares delivered weekly to neighborhood hubs
Covey Rise Farms - one-off and subscription CSA boxes delivered to neighborhood businesses for customer pickup
CCFM Home Delivery - one-off home delivery of market preorders via Top Box Foods
Top Box Foods - in addition to the CCFM Home Delivery, Top Box offers several options for produce and proteins
Sheaux Fresh - à la carte produce and pantry items delivered to your home
Gro-Nola - curated CSA boxes offered for pickup twice a month
Superette - one-off CSA boxes for customer pickup up at the market on Saturdays
Growing Local NOLA Garden Box - local produce and goods procured by Recirculating Farms Coalition and delivered by Top Box Foods
Grow Dat Youth Farm - seasonal CSA shares picked up at the farm site in City Park
Local Cooling Farms - à la carte meats, produce, and pantry goods delivered to neighborhood hubs or available for pickup at Laughing Buddha Nursery
Restaurants-turned-Markets
Superette - a neighborhood market from the Coquette team offering local produce, proteins, dairy, and more
Piece of Meat - fresh dairy, produce, and prepared goods in a butcher shop
Church Alley - pantry items and prepared goods in a coffee shop
Bellegarde Bakery - fresh breads, pastas, deli items, and pizza available for curbside pickup
Community Fridges
Several fridges offering free perishable goods and prepared meals have popped up around New Orleans over the last year, supported by mutual aid and organized by New Orleans Community Fridges. A full list of locations, along with tips for helping to support the effort, can be found on NOCF’s website.
Oyster & Strawberry Ceviche
About this time last year, I bought a box of off-bottom oysters from Boris and Elina Guerrero of Grand Isle Sea Farms and played around with a few recipes. In fact, some of those Southern Belles were in the first meal that Rémy and I ever cooked together: cacio e pepe with homemade linguine and grilled oysters. Elina and Boris had recommended making a quick ceviche with some of the oysters, so I tried a recipe from Rifko Meier, making one key addition: strawberries. They were at the peak of season, and I had a flat from Poche Family Farm already sitting on the counter, so I threw some in on a whim. The texture and sweetness played well with the salt from the oysters and the tart citrus from the marinade.
Ingredients:
1 dozen Gulf oysters, shucked, reserving the liquor
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbsps. lemon juice
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, capped and sliced
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
A few dashes of Tabasco
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Aleppo or cayenne pepper, to taste
1 sleeve of saltines
Assembly:
Combine the oysters, oyster liquor, citrus juices, and strawberries in a bowl, and let marinate for five minutes. Gently stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt, pepper and Aleppo. Serve immediately with the saltines.
Lagniappe
In Saints news, Drew Brees announced his retirement, Thomas Morstead got kicked (woof) from the team, and Alvin Kamara bought into a juice business.
Stein’s Deli is hosting a “gourmet garage sale” to clear out some pantry items, beer, and wine. Call 504-527-0771 and set up an appointment to shop.
NOLA Crawfish Festival announced its (scaled back) return next month at The Broadside, April 10-11.
Also announcing a comeback: Hogs for the Cause (June 4-5 in Belle Chasse), Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival (September 23-26 in New Iberia), and Boudin & Bacon Cook-off & Festival (October 16 in Lafayette).
Breaux Mart launched a new cereal: Cajun Toast Crunch. (Check Twitter for the backstory on that joke.)
Matassa’s Market in the French Quarter, which was said to be shuttering in January after a 90-year run, has instead taken on a new partner, renovated, and reopened.
Lastly, Guste Homes Senior Facility, home to more than 400 elderly, disabled, and low-income residents, now includes a small grocery store for residents thanks to a collaboration between Master P and Rouses Markets.
Previously in TBA Lists
Local Cookbooks, from our very first issue back in January.
Thanks for subscribing, y’all, and for taking an interest in shopping and eating locally. Let’s go out and support our local farmers and food makers, and meet back here in two weeks.
