Great food begins with great ingredients. For that very reason more than 1,500 people wake up early every week to visit the Crescent City Farmer's Market. Area farmers and a host of other vendors continue a tradition that is hundreds of years old by bringing their goods to sell directly to the city-dweller. On Tuesday mornings in historic Uptown New Orleans and on Saturday mornings in the heart of the bustling Warehouse District vendors sell the highest quality ingredients available in the region. Whether you're a full-time chef, searching for fresh ingredients for your family, or a visitor looking to experience the city from the inside out, the vendors at the Crescent City Farmer's Market make it easy to create a full meal with Farmer's Market findings.

Begin your market meal menu with one of many of the available meats. Fisherman bring in drum, catfish, and giant Gulf shrimp. Meat vendors offer free-range chicken, beef, pork, and andouille sausage.

An assortment of the season's freshest produce is always available to compliment whatever meat or fish you may select. In the upcoming weeks, farmers will be featuring tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, snap beans, and hydroponic lettuces as well as a variety of other fresh, and often organic,vegetables and herbs. The Ponchatoula strawberries and navel oranges that are currently in season and available make a great breakfast or dessert! As the months change, so do the pickings. Every visitor is bound to find a new treat with each trip.

In addition to the grown goods, the Markets feature prepared food vendors. Check in with one of the bakers to pick up fresh-baked foccacia, stuffed breads, and hearty muffins. Smith's Creamery can take care of all of your weekly dairy needs with whole, skim, and chocolate milk, butter, and creole cream cheese. A variety of ethnic foods have found their way to the market as well. One vendor features homemade tamales and freshly made salsas at varying levels of heat. Pinnur Foods sells Mediterranean favorites like hummus, red lentil balls, and stuffed grape leaves. If you're looking for a simple way to spice up your cooking, pick up one of the uniquely crafted pestos from Paul's Palate or a savory pepper jelly from White Wood Farms. A sweet treat from Bittersweet Confections is the perfect ending to any market-fresh meal.

After gathering your groceries, select a bundle of fresh-cut flowers to decorate your table. Or pick out a potted plant to begin a garden of your own.

With the vast selection available, there is no excuse to leave the Market without enough ingredients to make an impressive meal for any occasion!

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