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Create Your Own Wobegon Meal

Rick Bonino Food Editor

What could be better than settling down to the news from Lake Wobegon with a nice tuna hot dish?

That’s what some folks just might be doing at potluck parties across the Inland Northwest when Garrison Keillor brings his popular public radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” to the Spokane Opera House for a live broadcast the afternoon of June 27.

And in honor of the occasion, KPBX-FM public radio is sponsoring a potluck recipe contest. Four winners will receive pairs of tickets to a second “Prairie Home” performance that evening (which will be taped for possible broadcast at a later date).

Entrants should bring their prepared dish, along with a typed copy of the recipe, to KPBX studios at 2319 N. Monroe the morning of May 12. Judging begins at noon. For more details, call the station at 328-5729.

Hero worship

Congratulations to Scott Hanson, the cook for the Isabella House drug treatment center for women, whose Sesame Hero Sausage Roll was the winner at this year’s Spokane Food Bank cook-off for social service agencies at Clinkerdagger last week.

Hanson, who grew up in a restaurant family in Alaska, says the sandwich recipe made with frozen bread dough was handed down by his mother. Not only does the Isabella House receive a $1,000 cook-off prize donated by Prudential Securities, the sandwich will be among the goodies served at the fourth annual “Taking a Bite Out of Hunger” fund-raiser for the Food Bank on May 20.

This year’s event, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Spokane Arena, will feature food and drink from more than 40 restaurants, wineries and breweries. There also will be live and silent auctions.

Tickets are $35, or $60 per couple. Don’t delay; the event sells out every year. For information or reservations, call 534-6678.

Market report

Those early signs of summer continue with the blossoming of farmer’s markets around the area.

The Kootenai County Farmer’s Market will be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting this week and running into October, at Highway 95 and Prairie Avenue. The market also makes midweek visits to Rathdrum, Tuesdays from 3:30 to 7 p.m., at the City Park.

The Spokane MarketPlace, which has been open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is now operating on Wednesdays (same hours) and Sundays (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as well at First and Jefferson downtown.

While produce is scarce in the early going (greens are about all we’ll see for a while), now is a great time to pick up bedding plants for your own garden.