fruits for the last 40 years. This was the sweetest, juiciest tomato I have had in a long time. I will be heading directly for the heir- loom tomatoes on future trips to the market. A few things I have learned about shopping are how to pick out certain vegetables. On a cantaloupe, find the “belly button” and press the flesh around it. It should be softer than the rest of the melon, but still firm. Smell end of it and if it smells like cantaloupe it is probably ripe and ready to be cut. I have not learned how to tell which cantaloupe is the sweetest. If anyone knows, please share with us! When purchasing tomatoes, smell the tomato – the stronger the tomato smell, but better the taste. Check for soft spots as they will de- teriorate quickly. The tomato rule applies to peaches as well. Okra should felt before buying. Large pods that are hard will be tough and unusable. Choose smaller pods that are still rather soft. These should be prepared within a day of picking or they will turn dark and get tough. When buying yellow squash, look for the medium-sized ones that are not spongy to the
Roxanne Lark Photo
feel. The straight-neck is easier to cut into slices than a crook-neck squash but there is no difference in taste. To cook yellow squash or okra, put about ½ an inch of canola oil in a black iron skillet and get it hot so if you drop a bit of cornmeal into the pan it sizzles. Slice the squash into slices about ¼ inch thick. If cooking okra, slice it into ½ inch slices, being careful to cut off the tough stem end. Pour white corn meal (about a cup) into a gal- lon sized Ziploc bag. Add salt and pepper and shake the mixture. Add the squash (or okra) in small amounts and shake till coated with the mixture. Fry in the hot oil, turning once until brown on both sides. Be careful the oil does not become hot enough to smoke. As a rule, okra generally takes much longer to cook than squash so if you are serving both, you may want to have two pans going. So you can start the okra, then start the squash so they finish together. •
Get more information on the Charlotte Farmer’s Market at:
www.ncagr.gov/mar- kets/facilities/markets/charlotte/
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