Priya Krishna, plus a gardening crash course and fresh food in Hartford

We begin the show by talking with (pinch us!) food writer and reporter Priya Krishna of the New York Times. She shares some of the stories behind her new book, Priya’s Kitchen Adventures. It’s a cookbook for kids! And, Priya talks about some of her most meaningful reporting for the Times to date: her video series On the Job, where she shines a light on the unseen workers of New York City’s food scene.

Priya also previews Chefs!, the Connecticut Forum’s live, unscripted panel discussion taking place at The Bushnell on Tuesday, May 21 at 7:30 PM. Priya’s fellow panelists are Marcus Samuelsson and Gail Simmons, and the event is moderated by Sam Sifton.

1 of 4  — More than 98 percent of Connecticut’s farmers are white, despite more one-third of state residents identifying as people of color. All season long, Connecticut Public Radio is bringing you voices from the state’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people o

Sarah Rose Kareem washes the harvest on the Windsor Locks farm she managed with her husband Azeem Zakir Kareem, who is known as "Blessings." Sarah Rose and Azeem also run Samad Gardens Initiative, a farm and urban garden enterprise, where they teach people how to grow their own food, as well as other practical agricultural skills. They hold classes at Auerfarm in Bloomfield.

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

2 of 4  — More than 98 percent of Connecticut’s farmers are white, despite more one-third of state residents identifying as people of color. All season long, Connecticut Public Radio is bringing you voices from the state’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people o

Azeem Zakir Kareem, or "Blessings," aligns irrigation pipes on land he farmed with his wife Sarah Rose Kareem in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The couple now farm land at Auerfarm in Bloomfield.

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

3 of 4  — More than 98 percent of Connecticut’s farmers are white, despite more one-third of state residents identifying as people of color. All season long, Connecticut Public Radio is bringing you voices from the state’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people o

Azeem Zakir Kareem brushes gently past his wife, Sarah Rose Kareem while the two tended to lettuce rows at a Windsor Locks farm. “How I got started with agriculture,” said Kareem, “That was my wife.” Now, they both teach classes as part of their agricultural business, Samad Gardens Initiative. ". . .give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime," he said on Connecticut Public's Seasoned, "And we need a lot of fishes to really sustain ourselves."

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

4 of 4  — More than 98 percent of Connecticut’s farmers are white, despite more one-third of state residents identifying as people of color. All season long, Connecticut Public Radio is bringing you voices from the state’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people o

Azeem Zakir Kareem, known as "Blessings," jumps a sprinkle pipe junction while preparing fields for irrigation. “You start working in that soil, and there's things – there's biology inside the soil – that sends a light signal through your nervous system that hits your brain, that has your brain release, beautiful, joyous chemistry that makes you feel good,” said Kareem.

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

Also this hour, Azeem (Blessings) Kareem and Sarah Rose Kareem of Samad Gardens Initiative describe how they teach newbie gardeners and farmers how to grow food for themselves and their communities. Their classes take place at Auerfarm in Bloomfield. You’ll learn how to connect with Nature by growing vegetables, greens, and herbs in recycled egg cartons, milk jugs or buckets.

Plus, you’ve heard of CSAs. What does it mean to be a “CSA grocery store?” We talk with Jocelyn Cerda (below), founder of Mercado Popular. Jocelyn is on a mission to work with BIPOC growers and makers to connect the Hartford community with fresh, healthy, local food.

1 of 4  — May 03, 2024 - Jocelyn Cerda

Jocelyn Cerda examines the interior of a building on Orange Street in Hartford that she is planning to turn into a fresh food market called Mercado Popular. She's working with farmers from Hartford and surrounding towns to bring fresh, locally-grown produce to the city. "I loved the work," she says of the non-profit internship that turned her on to farmer's markets. "I didn't know there were farmer's markets in Hartford! I didn't know there were farmers in Hartford, growing food five miles away from where I lived."

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

2 of 4  — May 03, 2024 - Jocelyn Cerda

Outside an empty Orange street building in Hartford, Hartford-based contractor Jorge Calderon (left to right) meets with Jocelyn Cerda to discuss necessary renovations to create a community supported grocery at the site. While meeting with Calderon, Hartford Community Service Officer Miguel Varela and HPD officer Joel Otero, stopped by to offer their support for Cerda's plans to create the market. "The mission, ya know, or the value of Mercado. . .it reminds me to be rooted in community," Cerda said recently on an episode of Seasoned.

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

3 of 4  — May 03, 2024 - Jocelyn Cerda

Jocelyn Cerda displays a case used to hold re-usable plastic cutlery she uses to promote her efforts to provide fresh, locally-sourced food to residents of Hartford. Cerda is planning to turn an empty building on Orange Street in Hartford into a community-supported grocery store. Some of her collaborators around the state are Samad Gardens Initiative, Park City Harvest, Runit Organics Farm, Aasaaska Foundation, herbalist Teri Sol, Fire Ring Farm, Shaggy Coos Farm and Sea Marron Farmstead. Baked goods may come from The Craft Bakery.

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

4 of 4  — May 03, 2024 - Jocelyn Cerda

A school bus passes the front of an empty Orange Street building Jocelyn Cerda is planning to turn into a community-supported grocery store providing locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

Mark Mirko / Connecticut Public

GUESTS:

• Priya Krishna: Food writer and contributor to the New York Times. She’s the author or co-author of several books, including Cooking at Home (with David Chang) and Indian-ish with her mother, Ritu. Her latest book is Priya’s Kitchen Adventures. (@priyakrishna) on Instagram
• Azeem (Blessings) Kareem and Sarah Rose Kareem: Founders of Samad Gardens Initiative, Bloomfield, Conn. (@samadgardensinitiative) on Facebook and (@samadgardensinitiative) on Instagram
• Jocelyn Cerda: Owner of Mercado Popular, Hartford, Conn. (@mercadopopct) on Facebook and (@mercadopopct) on Instagram

FEATURED RECIPES:
Watermelon Agua Fresca
Dahi Bahalla, Nana-Style

LEARN MORE:

• Read/Listen: Azeem (Blessings) and Sarah Rose Kareem were profiled in Connecticut Public’s series: BIPOC farmers in Conn. may be small in number, but they have plenty of stories to tell
• Watch: Sarah Rose Kareem demo: How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar Extract
• Watch: Sarah Rose and Azeem (Blessings) Kareem demo: How to Make Fermented Plant Juice
• Learn: Sign up for a Samad Gardens Initiative gardening class or find teas
• Learn: Fruition Seeds - Free Container Gardening Course (and many other resources on their website for new and seasoned growers)
• Learn: Sarah Rose and Azeem (Blessings) recommend Nigel Palmers book The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments to new and aspiring growers
• Plan: Consult a Biodynamic Calendar to learn which tasks to do when and how to sync your growing with lunar and planetary influences.

This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, Tagan Engel, Katrice Claudio, Stephanie Stender, and Meg Fitzgerald. Our Social team includes Sabrina Herrera, Francesca Fontanez, Martha Castillo, Katherine Jimenez and Janae Spinato.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email: seasoned@ctpublic.org.

Seasoned is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.