Cookin' the Market

DO YOU RECEIVE SSI? Don’t Miss Out On Food Benefits that started June 1, 2019! SSI recipients may be eligible for CalFresh Food benefits. There is NO CHANGE or reduction to SSI/SSP amounts. http://calfresh.dss.ca.gov/food/

What a season for these superstars! What’s your favorite type of cherry? No filter needed on these Rainier cherries Golden yellow with a red blush and crisp bite!

CalFresh + Market Match means more greens! Market Match enables healthy food choices for low-income shoppers. 73% of customers surveyed reported that they were able to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables they were buying each week. 85% reported that they were buying different kinds of fruits and vegetables, and 71% said that their family’s health improved as a result of Market Match #ChooseCalFresh #CalFresh2019 #CalFreshAwareness #CalFreshFood #CalFreshHealthyLiving #CalFreshExpansion

Market Match means more money, healthful food on the table! In 2017 alone, the program enabled low-income shoppers to purchase an estimated 9.5 million servings of fresh, farm-direct, fruits and vegetables, putting nearly $4 million into the pockets of California farmers. http://ow.ly/4F2u30oEAZJ

Have you heard of Good and Cheap: A Healthy Cookbook for Food Stamp Budgets ? It's a fantastic cookbook by Leanne Brown for people with limited income, particularly on a $4/day CalFresh budget. We love her Spicy Panzanella recipe so we're excited to try Strawberry Panzanella! YUM! We'll be sharing budget friendly recipes all month in celebration of CalFresh Awareness Month #choosecalfresh http://ow.ly/C5Km30oEwdH

CalFresh stretches the food budget for low-income families and individuals. CalFresh + Market Match stretches it even further! Here’s how CalFresh and Market Match worked at the Pittsburg Farmers' Market this morning: baskets of organic strawberries became baskets of organic strawberries for a family of 5! Delicious and nutritious Market Match

Hey, hey, it's MAY! May is CalFresh Awareness Month. CalFresh is California’s food stamps (SNAP) program. CalFresh helps to improve the health and well-being of qualified households and individuals by providing improved access to healthy and nutritious foods. Many are unaware they are eligible to receive benefits. https://www.getcalfresh.org/

"Our favorite Spring dish starts at the farmers market" The Kitchn Most of our favorite dishes also start at the farmers market! "Tender asparagus, green peas, and just-wilted arugula, all of which get tossed in garlic butter spiked with lemon..." We know what we're making for dinner. YUM! https://www.thekitchn.com/garlic-butter-pasta-267634

A great read from the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association for a Sunday afternoon! https://www.pcfma.org//cultivating-seeds-change-farmers%E2

In March we’ll be talking all about cheese, meat, poultry and FISH from the farmers market! Chef Marisa can’t wait to share her salt baked fish recipe with you

What fruit or veggies recharge your batteries?

In the first installment of this two-part article series, you read about the basic Who, What, Where, When, and Why of the Farm Bill. In this second article, you’ll read about how the legislation impacts farmers’ markets, and major critiques of the bill’s framework and content. https://www.pcfma.org/blog/new-year-new-farm-bill-part-2

Barbara Cecchini’s beet salad is a delicious root to stem recipe! So easy and so good Cecchini & Cecchini Asparagus Farm INGREDIENTS... 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 6 beets - 3 medium red and 3 medium gold Fresh beet tops from the beets Garlic salt or a fresh garlic clove Freshly ground black pepper PREPARATION Thoroughly wash beets and greens. Cut off beet tops and set aside to cook later. Cook beets in boiling water until a knife easily passes through the beets. With a slotted spoon remove beets from boiling water and set aside to cool. Place beet tops in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. When the beets are cool enough, remove outer layer. The skin will remove easily if you squeeze the beet slightly with your hand. Quarter and slice the beets into a serving bowl. Thoroughly drain the greens, and squeeze them a little to remove excess moisture. Chop the beet greens and place them with the beets. Season the salad with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt and fresh ground pepper and serve. If you find yourself without garlic salt, pulverize one small clove of fresh garlic and mix with oil and vinegar to evenly distribute. Recipe: Barbara Cecchini, First Generation Farms, Brentwood

We you, our customers! Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association farmers and producers are lucky to have the support of customers like you!