Food

The Moran Prairie Farmers' Market has closed for the season. Market manager Holli Parker said the market closed because there weren't enough customers to support the farmers who were coming each week. It was also difficult to get farmers to come to a Sunday market, she says.

Washington Spokane Farmers' Market – Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 28 and Wednesdays 8 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 25, Second Avenue, between Division and Browne streets. (509) 455-4266.

Need some inspiration for creating a winning fair recipe? Here are a few winners from last year's competition to give you a place to start.

McDonald's Corp. has admitted that the country's tastes are not as adventurous as it thought and said last week that it is pulling the Hot 'n' Spicy McChicken sandwich from the menu board. Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's introduced the sandwich with great fanfare in January as part of the largest menu expansion in decades. At the time, the hamburger giant's move to add the peppery sandwich was a sign that American palates were growing to regularly include more intense flavors found in Mexican, Thai and other ethnic foods.

It's déjÀ vu all over again, just like Yogi Berra said. I like to report on what's up in my garden now and then, and last July I wrote: "I could have gotten my tomato starts in early. By which I mean I should have gotten them in early. Then May's wet, cool weather made that a moot point."

Along with blue-ribbon bragging rights, there's some cash at stake at this year's Spokane County Interstate Fair. Hidden Valley Ranch, Ghirardelli, Fleischmann's Yeast and Spam are sponsoring recipe contests with money prizes in addition to the traditional fair categories. The deadline for entries is Aug. 8.

If a dessert tastes delectable we'll eat it any time of year, but when temperatures begin to soar, icy options become irresistible. That consideration opens up the wide range of frozen treats we have to choose from, and a great one to start with is a sorbet. So easy to make, minimal time over a hot stove – and the bonus is that as seasonal fruits become plentiful you can take advantage of them at their peak.

Since cucumbers are mostly made of water, they are refreshing served cold in salads or on sandwiches. It also means they don't contain a whole lot of nutrition. There are about 3 to 5 milligrams of vitamin C in a 3-ounce serving, according to the University of California at Berkeley's "The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition."

Community Cookout - Presented by the East Central Senior Center. Enjoy barbecue hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans, veggies, potato chips, watermelon and ice cream while listening to bluegrass music. The Just Friends bluegrass band performs at 1:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the low-cost senior activities at the center. Thursday. 1 p.m., East Central Senior Center, 500 S. Stone St. $5 (donations are appreciated). (509) 625-6693. Rockin' B Ranch Cowboy Supper Show - Thursdays-Saturdays, 5:45-9 p.m., through September. Fun-filled family atmosphere with fiddlers, a cowboy shoot-out, a kids posse and, on the main stage after dinner, boot-tappin' western music by the Riders of the Rockin' B. Reservations required. 3912 Spokane Bridge Road, Liberty Lake. (509) 891-9016.

Washington Spokane Farmers' Market – Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 28 and Wednesdays 8 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 25, Second Avenue, between Division and Browne streets. (509) 455-4266.

At the outset of Bill Buford's engaging new book, "Heat," he tells of a friend who was fed a marathon six-hour meal by celebrity chef Mario Batali. "This guy knows no middle ground," says the friend, who spent the next several days on a detox diet of fruit and water. "It's just excess on a level I've never known before – it's food and drink, food and drink, food and drink, until you feel you're on drugs."

Cucumbers Look for: Rich green skin free of yellowing, bruises or dark spots. Pickling cucumbers are smaller with bumpy lighter green skin.

Taste Everything Once blogger Jennifer Olsen is handing over the keyboard this week. Olsen, who writes about food, cooking and local restaurants at www.tasteeverythingonce.com, has invited local chefs and foodies to take over her blog this week.

Another neighborhood farmers' market has opened in North Spokane. The North Spokane Farmers' Market will operate from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturdays in the parking lot at the Aslin-Finch Feed and Seed Supply, 10505 N. Newport Highway.

The recent blast of hot weather reminded Mardy Roseborough of the Watermelon Pickles her mother used to make. She called to ask for the Dorothy Dean recipe. "My mother made these for years, and talk about delicious," Roseborough said.

It's a dieter's dream dressing. No more guessing when it comes to the number of calories drizzled on salad. Simply count the times you press the pump. Wishbone's new Salad Spritzers vinaigrettes have a single calorie in each spray.