Everyone had a great day at the Market on the Square last Saturday. The sun was shining and although it was a little hot later in the day, shoppers packed the aisles and kept farmers and vendors busy throughout. This coming Saturday looks like great weather again and we can expect plenty of watermelons and cantaloupe as well as all of the great grilling vegetables, including zucchini, peppers and eggplant. Corn, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, beets, potatoes, herbs, onions and garlic will all be in good supply, yet greens and lettuces are slim, so you will have to get there early if you so desire.

Upon returning from a long vacation, I was pleased to find the Market on the Square well into pepper season. Browsing the aisles I noted the stunning number of varieties you can find in our little market.

Peppers are native to America and come in a wide range of colors and flavors from mild and sweet to wickedly hot and spicy. In general, peppers are divided into three categories, and our market well represents.

Urbana's Sweet Corn Festival isn't for another three weeks but that doesn't mean we can't start celebrating. We don't grow much sweet corn here in Illinois; as a matter of fact, of the millions of acres of corn planted on all four sides of Champaign-Urbana, and across the state, only a fraction is suitable for human consumption. So eat all the local corn you can this summer, as it is a precious commodity. If you've never picked up corn from Market at the Square, the Schottman brothers in Effingham or the Kleiss farm in Tuscola grow perfect ears.

Every time I think I know what to expect at Market at the Square, someone shows up with something new. Case in point: early orange plums from Jeff Meyer of Villa Grove. Last Saturday, I bought a quart for five dollars and they were well-worth the cash. Sweet and slightly tart, these little orange beauties made a great little tart perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream — definitely summer at its best.

Last Saturday was the worst weather in current market history. Heavy rains and strong wind gusts made the opening hour of the morning difficult for farmers and vendors who were holding on to their tents and protecting their goods.

The rain didn't end until 8:30 a.m., and several vendors packed it up and headed home calling the day an entire wash. (Pun intended.) Eventually the skies cleared, and patrons showed up in droves turning it into a pretty good day for everyone involved.

I can't tell you how many people in the last several weeks have commented about the organic salad greens from Blue Moon Farm. How much they have come to love and depend on a generous bag every week, how remarkably fresh and interesting they are, how they stay so fresh in the fridge, and how they are such a great deal compared to the lesser quality greens one finds in the grocery store.

Jon Cherniss from Blue Moon takes his salad seriously.

Market at the Square has been shaping up nicely and every week it just gets better and better. Last week brought us fuzzy peaches, beautiful apricots and more cherries, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and blueberries. The folks at First Fruits had a mountainous display of sweet broccoli and cauliflower, along with a gorgeous stack of tri-colored beets that had my mouth watering. This coming Saturday market patrons can expect to find this year's first apples and plums along with more green beans, zucchini, cabbages and potatoes. There are still plenty of greens, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes and radishes.

It couldn't be easier to come up with a simple pasta dish, soup or salad composed exclusively on what the market has to offer.

Truth be told, I didn't make it to the market last week. Only an event such as the marriage of dear friends can keep me away this time of year, and I am thankful to the Common Ground Co-op and a steady supply of goat cheese for getting me through the week.

Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and beets are some of my favorite vegetables — finally in season — and I cannot wait to start eating my fill. But really, right now it is all about the berries, and Market at the Square is due to have quite the supply this coming weekend.

With the fear of sounding redundant, I must say that we had a great market again last Saturday. Beautiful weather, great produce and a ton of patrons — the vendors couldn't have asked for a better day.

This week, visitors to the market can expect to find many of the same vegetables we have seen over the past few weeks as well as raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, blueberries, broccoli, green beans, squash and onions. Make sure to visit all five aisles to really cover what the market has to offer. New vendors are popping up everywhere, and you never know what new treasure is to be found.

Market at the Square was packed last weekend and patrons filled their shopping bags with the largest variety of vegetables we've seen thus far this season. I had the benefit of shopping early and was able to get some gorgeous Red Russian and Lacinato kales, swiss chard, turnips, salad greens, radishes, purple and green asparagus and of course, strawberries.

Cary's Garden of Eatin' had strawberries piled high with crate after crate of the blushing beauties. She was selling them packed in four different sizes suitable for all appetites and canning needs. I'm sure there will be plenty more to be had this coming Saturday, and I've got strawberry daiquiris in mind.

Market at the Square is starting to really get going this Saturday with a larger variety of fresh spring produce due to the warmer conditions. The early bird still gets the worm though; don't sleep too late, or you might miss out on some of the newer items.

We are starting to see a variety of crucifers including cabbages, bok choy, and maybe, we can hope for some kale, broccoli, and cauliflower in the next few weeks. Luckily, we can expect to have asparagus for about two more weeks. Make sure to get your fill — paired with some peppery arugula — asparagus makes an amazing salad. Radishes and rhubarb are still going strong as are the early harvest strawberries.

Now is definitely the time to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie for your honey or buy one for that matter.

We had another beautiful day at the Market last week. The morning clouds parted and gave way to some incredible sunshine along with a little spell of wind. Many of the vendors were holding down their tents to keep them from flying off, and I witnessed a few minor injuries. If you haven't had the chance to check out the market yet this year, Saturday looks like another great opportunity with outstanding weather and more incredible local products.

It was a great day at the Urbana Farmers' Market last week, and customers enjoyed the gorgeous weather, catching up with the local farmers and running in to friends, while exploring all the market had to offer. Although the variety of available produce was less than market goers are accustomed to this time of year, the bounty was plenty. Asparagus was the vegetable-of-the-day, and although I went slightly overboard on my purchases, I have no regrets, and will likely indulge again.

When I first saw the recipe for Creamy Celery-root and Haricot Vert Salad in this month's issue of Gourmet magazine I was reminded of how much I love celery root, particularly in this type of salad. Dressed in a tangy sauce known in French cookery as a remoulade, vegetables transform into something special. Sauce remoulade is a combination of mayonnaise, mustard, capers, chervil, tarragon, parsley, chives, gherkins and a touch of anchovy (optional). A thick creamy sauce, remoulade is traditionally served cold and appears not too different from a tartar sauce — but it’s much better due to all the fresh herbs. Louisianans have their own version of remoulade — "kicked up a notch," of course, with cayenne pepper, and often served alongside shrimp. Celery root, or celeriac, in my opinion, is the perfect foil for remoulade. Crunchy and earthy, it balances the tangy creaminess of the sauce, combining to form a beloved culinary classic known as celeriac remoulade.