Mid-summer. This is when the summer vegetables longed for by many come into full production. Summer squash and cucumbers have been available for several weeks, sweet corn was available for the first time last week, and the first of the garden grown tomatoes are on the stands. Now come the peppers, sweet and hot, eggplant for grilling, and of course the onions and garlic endure.
There are amazing recipes for using multiple summer vegetables in a single, wonderful dish, such as ratatoulle, which features eggplant, onion, sweet peppers, zucchini, garlic, and tomatoes. These same vegetables are excellent roasted on the grill, either in a basket or in bigger slices directly over the coals or skewered for “shish kabob,” with or without a protein. But of course, some vegetables are at their best prepared in the simplest fashion. Not much beats a simple tomato salad with fresh torn basil, some red or sweet onion thinly sliced, and good quality vinegar (i.e., balsamic) and olive oil. Fresh mozzarella or goat cheese makes an excellent addition.
Sweet corn is best eaten fresh, ideally the same day as it is picked. If you have more than you can eat immediately, freezing is always a solution. But have you ever made corn cakes? Andrea Chesman provides a recipe which calls for 1 1/3 cups grated fresh corn (about 6 ears—with a notation that the grating is messy, so do it in a sink or outside!), 2/3 cup milk added to corn. To prepare, she calls for 1 ¼ cup flour, 1 cup stone ground cornmeal, 2 Tbl sugar, 1 Tbl baking powder, 1 tsp each soda and salt. After these dry ingredients are stirred together, add to a “well” in the center, 2 large eggs slightly beaten and 3 Tbl oil, and the corn and milk mixture. Cook as for any pancake on a griddle. Chesman recommends the typical maple syrup, but I think fresh honey can’t be beat as a topping.
Art on the Square (AOTS), an annual art event held in downtown Washington C.H., will join the market again this week. With them, they plan to bring paint and canvas to demonstrate technique and let market visitors try their hand at painting. They will also have t-shirts for sale and information on the event and how to sign up. This year’s event will take place on August 10th and artists will spend the day painting on 4’x4’ mural style canvases, which are later sealed and displayed downtown. Paintings from the last two events are hung at The Salty Broads Patio, 216 Court St.
The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well.
Persinger Produce & Cottage Foods (David Persinger and Julie Mosny): The Jam Man will bring assorted jams and jellies including black currant jam, red currant jam, red raspberry jalapeno, peach habanero, peach jalapeno, and mango habanero, Texas sheet cakes. The Pie Lady will have local honey, cinnamon rolls, cherry, strawberry rhubarb, blackberry, blackraspberry, peach and apple pies. Oatmeal raisin cookies, bun’s bars, cherry cobbler and cinni mini’s.
Tom’s Tool Shed (Tom McMurray): Low priced sharpening of garden tools and blades.
Wood Designed by DW (Debbie Welch): Handmade, unusual wood crafts. Hand made crocheted dishtowels, clothes, potholders, pocket books and baby booties. Special orders welcome. Cookies, fudge.
Bellafield Flowers (Brooke Waddell): Fresh bouquets including a mix of sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and other seasonal flowers.
B.Y.E Gardens (Brian and Elaine Yoder): Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, candy onions, cinnamon rolls, raspberry, lemon and strawberry rolls, sweet breads, raisin pie, blackberry pie, cherry pie, sugar-free pies, peanut butter cookies, butterscotch cookies, brownies.
Chilcote Farm (Bruce & Marlene Chilcote): Honey (spring and summer), and cookies.
Engedi (Beth Day, Alana Walters, Janet Bick): Assorted home baked goods (cinnamon rolls, bread, yeast rolls, cookies, pies) and a special children’s activity.
Forgotten Way Organic Farm (Cathy Ludi): doTERRA essential oils, wooden signs, and homemade all natural soap.
Greens & Greenery (Katrina Bush): Natural insect repellent. Beeswax hand creams and salves and luffa sponges. Seasonal produce – fresh basil, eggplant, sorrel, garlic, and Jerusalem artichokes. Milkweed plants. Texas “sheet” bundt cakes, mini-pecan pies. Candy including fudge.
Jones Farm Fresh Produce (Jon & Taylor Jones): Sweet corn, green beans, red potatoes, candy onions, garlic, squash, cucumbers, radishes, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, turkey- ground, turkey breast, wings, drums, chicken- patties, chicken breast, wings, chorizo links, hamburger- patties, ground, pork- chops, sausage, sweet Italian and jalapeño links and eggs.
Kelsie’s K-9 Creations (Jennifer Anderson): Limited ingredient, purposeful cookies and treats for dogs.
King Farms (Jeff & Sandi King): Super sweet white corn, bi-color corn, green beans, new red and Yukon potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, iced sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, fruit pies.
Margaret’s Memories (Sharon Fulkerson): Hand made items: dryer balls, baby and children hats, wash cloths, towels and dish cloths sets, scrubbies.
