Clay Center Farmers Market

After weeks of preparing, ready or not -- it's Grill-Off time! The pantry and spice cabinet are stocked; supplies prepped; tables and tents reserved. Judges are confirmed ... and hungry. And the contestants -- teams from The Blue Herron, Danny's, Tailgaters, and Twin Valley's Cooking in the Valley -- are ready to cook. How does this all work tomorrow? After introductions, we will introduce the four mystery ingredients that the chefs must include in their dishes. The participants then have until 9:20 a.m. to shop the market and select what market offerings they want to include, in addition to the mystery ingredients. They will also have access to a fully stocked pantry -- thanks to Ray's Applemarket -- and spice rack -- thanks to Clay Gourmet. (Those spices are currently sitting in my house, and my goodness do they smell great!) At 9:30, the clock starts. The teams have one hour to prepare a meal for the judges. At 10:30, time is up. And the meals are served. From the four dishes, the lucky judges will get to select the 2011 Grill-Off Champion. Just as the contestants are probably getting their stuff in order for tomorrow, so are our market vendors. As with most Friday nights, our vendors are probably picking a few more vegetables, packing up what can be packed the night before, laying out the rest to be loaded in the morning. And what's going to be at market tomorrow? Tomatoes, potatoes, onions, beets, squash, green beans, swiss chard, sweet corn, okra, breads, baked goods, buffalo, flavored vinegars, eggs, milk, cheeses, and jams and jellies. We might even have some bell peppers, leeks, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, and a few other vegetables that are just coming into season. Oh, and we can't forget the crafts that come, too.