Sundays, Castro 10th Street  Park, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Special  Event:  In honor of Independence Day there will be a Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest with prizes offered as well as live music.  

Backyard Growers:  Calling all backyard growers with fresh produce.  Bring a card table for a spot in the shade to sell extra veggies and fruit from your trees at just $2! Check in at the market’s information booth to find out where to set up.

In season: Sweet corn from Willcox, strawberries, watermelons, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, red and white sweet onions, lettuce & greens, new crop of garlic (purple, white and elephant), green beans, cucumbers, fresh basil and other herbs, summer squash, eggplants, green onions & “nopalitos.” Shelled pecans in halves or pieces and roasted pistachios.

Farm Eggs: Taste the difference of just-laid, fresh-farm eggs from chickens eating a natural diet of grass, bugs and worms in addition to a corn ration and humanely raised outdoors.  Lab tests have shown that eggs from hens raised in moveable pens on pasture are far more nutritious than eggs from confined hens in factory farms. Results confirm 4 to 6 times more vitamin D, 1/3 less cholesterol, ? less saturated fat, 2/3’s more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E and 7 times more beta carotene.   Eggs raised the old fashioned way even look very different with deep yellow yolks that stand up firmly when fried. Store bought eggs can be sold as “fresh” up to 200 day

Arts & Crafts: Local and handmade arts and crafts will now be for sale at the farmers market through the Douglas Arts Association. For more information and a vendor application please contact Cathy Keiser at 805.0496 and luckycmk@yahoo.com. This week look for handmade natural candles, beadwork, clothing with beadwork, leather pouches and scabbards.  

Also available:  Locally roasted coffee beans including Arabica, Robusta, Decaf & premium, larger, chocolatey Marago, fresh handmade pasta in whole wheat, semolina and spinach (cooks in 2 to 3 minutes), rubs (blends of herbs, spices and other seasonings for meat, poultry and fish to enhance flavors, handmade locally using sea salt and natural spices with no additives, preservatives or MSG),  white and brown Sonoran Desert tepary beans and desert heritage health foods, including prickly pear nectar & fruit leather used to lower blood sugar and cholesterol naturally & chia, ancient food of the Aztecs, with more omega 3’s than flax good for stamina and keeping hydrated in the summer. Just Coffee t-shirts, mugs and books “Just Coffee, Caffeine with a Conscience” will also be available.

Information:  Contact Lea Dodge at 805-0086 (leadodge@gamil.com) or Kathleen Gomez at 805-5938 (kgomez@samcaz.org)

Summer Squash Skillet

4 cups sliced summer squash (zucchini, yellow or patty pan)

1 cup sweet onion, diced

1 tblsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 jalapeno or other hot pepper, diced

2 tblsp or more fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese

Saute squash and onion in oil until tender, adding herbs and seasoning towards end.  Top with shredded cheese and place skillet under broiler for a few minutes to melt and brown cheese.  Serve with fresh salsa and corn, flour or mesquite tortillas.

Nathan’s Tomato Pie

1 single pie crust

4 medium vine ripe tomatoes, sliced

Green onions & fresh basil (5 or more leaves), chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 to 1 lb. browned Italian sausage (optional)

2 cups shredded mozzarella or Colby/Jack cheese

1/2 c mayonnaise

Drain cut tomatoes in colander for 10 minutes and arrange in layer in crust in 9 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with onions and basil, seasoning and Italian sausage. Mix mayonnaise with shredded cheese and spread on top.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes until top is light brown. 

Green Beans Sides

1 pound green beans

Cut in one inch pieces.  Cook in small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Drain and add one of the options below.

Parsley-Lemon Option

Sauté 2 cloves of garlic in1 tblsp butter or olive oil.  Add 2 tblsp finely chopped fresh parsley.  Add cooked beans, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently and heat through. Sprinkle with juice of 1 lemon.

Basil-Tomato Option

Sauté 1/2 cup minced onion and 1 cove minced garlic in 1 tblsp oil.  Add 2 tblsp minced fresh basil, 1 cup chopped tomatoes and cooked beans.  Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Season to taste.