The Heat of Summer
“Once a song’s out there, it’s no longer mine. And that’s the whole purpose of music: to belong to people.”
We always have local honey at the market information tent! It is SNAP eligible. The 8 oz is $12, the 16 oz is $22, and the 32 oz is $30. All proceeds go back into the running of Napier Heights Food Co-op!
Happy Wednesday!
Hurricane season is upon us! That brings a bit of unpredictable weather. Please make sure that you are following our social media! Facebook Instagram
This month is African-American Music Appreciation Month! I didn’t want to let June pass without acknowledging how African American music has influenced all our lives. President Jimmy Carter officially named June Black Music Month in 1979 and President Barack Obama renamed it to its current name.
“The observance was created to recognize and celebrate the historical influence African-Americans have had on the music industry and is intended to pay homage to the many artists, writers, songs and albums that have inspired music lovers and shaped American pop culture,” says The Black Women’s Agenda.
This year’s White House Proclamation: “During Black Music Month, we pay homage to legends of American music, who have composed the soundtrack of American life. Their creativity has given rise to distinctly American art forms that influence contemporary music worldwide and sing to the soul of the American experience.
Much of Black music is rooted in African rhythms, coupled with the experience of slavery and struggle in America. Barred from expressing themselves in their native tongues, enslaved people developed a language to articulate their hopes, dreams, sense of loss, and tenacity to overcome the harrowing nature of their lives. They used music to strategically and creatively voice their most deeply held feelings. Today, the creative ways that Black music tells stories of trial and triumph in American life continue to move us all to understand the common struggles of humanity. Spirituals, gospel, the blues, R&B, rock and roll, jazz, pop, rap, hip-hop, and more have molded American culture and given rise to new American art forms emulated around the globe.”
The music we listen to daily has been influenced in some way by Black musicians. Whether you heard Nina Simone sing Sinnerman in person or recognize her work from the end credits of the show Lucifer. Jill Scott’s Golden is another perfect example of Black music in our everyday lives, we have heard this song in so much of our pop culture! How about Erykah Badu infusing our daily lives with her music? I could go on for pages and pages about how Little Richard, Otis Redding, and many of the Black churches here in Macon have paved the way for not just blues, soul, and R&B, but rock and roll and pop and even heavy metal! Our lives are so much richer because of this musical heritage. I hope you explore some new music today!
Loy, Mitchell, Mr. Porter, Ms Eva, and Amanda all have a wonderful selection of produce for us this week!
Ms. Eva has a wonderful selection of yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and possibly okra and purple hull peas! (The rain can sometimes be tricky with harvest.) She will also have dried herbs and spice blends. Mr. Porter’s garden is coming in as well! He has some broccoli, tomatoes, mustard greens, various summer squashes, eggplant, and possibly cabbage. Amanda has tomato plants and sunflowers and herbs all ready for you to nurture and harvest when it’s time. Mitchell has his wonderful microgreens available as well! If you are unsure how to use them, they are amazing in a smoothie, adding a little pop of goodness to any dish, or as a salad mix! Loy has some really great produce as well! He is bringing Georgia peaches, cucumbers, green and red tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, lemons, mangoes, and plums along with some watermelon lemonade.
Thank you so much to everyone who supports this market! We are so incredibly grateful for all of you! Whether you are coming in the rain or the shine or both, we are thankful for the support you show us each week! Whether you have yet to make it to the market, but are sharing our information with others, thank you! We could not do this market without you, our community! We really do love to see each and everyone of you each week! We hope to see you tomorrow! Don’t let the skies fool you into not coming out! Please watch our social media for weather cancellations, we aim for the safety of you and our vendors, so if there is severe weather, we will make an announcement on our Instagram and Facebook pages.
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is peak summer in my opinion! We love the flavors of all the wonderful summer produce in a simple dish like this! You can pop it in your crock pot or on the stove, or even stick it in the oven! I prefer my crock pot because it doesn’t heat up my house!
1 large (1¼ lbs) eggplant, cut into ⅓-inch cubes
Salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), cut into ⅓-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
5 large vine-ripened tomatoes (1¾ lbs), cut into ⅓-inch cubes, with their juices
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
In a Dutch oven on medium heat, soften the onions and add all your seasonings, add in your other vegetables and let simmer, adjust your salt and pepper and add in your fresh herbs and let simmer until desired thickness. I like mine a bit soupy, so I add in about a cup of stock if I have it on hand, but you don’t have to. Serve with bread or top with cheese you like. I like a soft cheese like Boursin and Parmesan on mine.
We are proud to support the Macon Mental Health Matters Initiative coming up! They are having it at the South Bibb Rec Center this time, and it’s a great way to access no cost mental healthcare, get healthcare for you and your pets, and there’s breakfast provided by Commissioner Bill Howell’s Breakfast Club! We’ll be there with some free vegetables as well!
We are a partner market with Wholesome Wave Georgia to help make your dollars go further at our market!
Bring your SNAP/EBT card to the market tent to double your spending power!
Where to find us:
We are always looking for more people to join our fun! If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a vendor at our market, follow the link below for our vendor application!
Just a hint of all the fun we have to offer! Come join us!