By Doug Walton
Local growers and other vendors will be working the Muskogee Farmers’ Market on Saturday, so you can pick up homegrown fixings for the holiday weekend.
Summer produce now available includes sweet corn, vine-ripe and green tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, blackberries, blueberries, cucumbers and squash in all shapes and sizes, zucchini, green beans, beets, bell and banana peppers, jalapenos, carrots, garlic, cabbage, new potatoes, green and bulb onions, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes and more.
Besides the fresh produce, market growers will also have fresh-cut-flower bouquets; bedding plants, water plants, flowers and hanging baskets for the porch, yard or garden.
Other goods at the market this week include grass-fed lamb and beef; free-range eggs; authentic Mexican tamales, burritos and breads; natural soaps and lotions; jewelry, aprons, birdfeeders and other hand-crafted items.
And most Wednesdays, Michelle Carter-Brown and Shirley Cooper, nutrition education assistants with OSU County Extension, prepare and serve free samples of simple seasonal recipes featuring fresh market produce. Stop by between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. to watch the cooking demonstration, try a sample, and ask questions.
The Muskogee Farmers’ Market is now open from 8 a.m. until noon Wednesday and Saturday under the pavilions in front of Muskogee Civic Center, Fifth Street and Okmulgee Avenue. Not all items listed above are available at market on Wednesdays.
Visit the market to see what’s there or call Doug Walton: 686-6939.
GRILLED IN THE HUSK SWEET CORN
1 to 2 ears per person
1 to 2 teaspoons butter per ear
Salt and pepper
1. Soak ears in water for 15 to 20 minutes
2. Pull silks just from end of ear, but don't unwrap husks
3. Remove from water, let drain from tip briefly
4. Place ears over medium temperature coals or burner
5. Rotate 1/4 turn every four to five minutes, until husk is evenly light brown
6. Remove from grill, allow to cool slightly and shuck
7. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste (all optional, home-grown sweet corn doesn't need much seasoning)
