By Sue Davis

For Farm Carolina

The colors at the Salisbury Farmers market changed this week from the rich greens of spring to the bright colors of summer. Squash is the most colorful, and there is a wide variety of traditional summer squashes.

On display are the traditional zucchini, which are dark green and show little or no taper along their length, cocozelle and other heirloom varieties that have stripes of lighter green and are usually longer and thinner than zucchini and have a richer flavor than zucchini. Yellow squash is available in crook neck and straight neck. A local favorite white squash is scallop squash which, depending on where your food roots are, you may also know as “patty pan,” sunburst or button squash. These are small, round and shallow-shaped with scalloped edges. Adding to the colors at the market are okra, green beans and eggplant. Eagle Farm and Bostian Farm have Derby or stringless beans.

Several vendors have early field-ripened tomatoes. Eagle Farms has blackberries and peaches. There are clingstone peaches from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Miller Farms still had strawberries last week, which may continue to be available if the weather stays dry. Correll Farms, Country Gardens and Bostian Farm have peppers, sweet onions, cabbage and cucumbers. Last Saturday, David Correll had his potato varieties displayed in red, purple and white in order to make your shopping fun and easy. Lee Ly has Asian Greens, spinach, carrots and flowers. Lee’s Sunflowers are sturdy four inch blooms.

Carla Anne’s Cookies has a special treat for our local high school graduates, Cheerwine Truffles, gift boxed and ready to give. She also makes delicious homemade peanut butter and a new bite-sized Margarita Cookie with a rich citrus taste.

Wild Turkey Farms will have chicken Saturday. You should contact them on their webpage to reserve your chickens. They are low on beef but have plenty of sausages, pork chops and roasts.

The Salisbury Farmers Market is open Wednesday and Saturday from 7 a.m. until noon at the corner of Bank Street and South Main Street in downtown Salisbury. You can learn more about the market on its new website www.salisburyfarmersmarket.com. While you are there, subscribe to the weekly newsletter.

Sue Davis is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer with Cooperative Extension in Rowan County.