Green Country Living — Spring Edition 2023

Step inside local homes to admire personal touches

Explore the French-inspired features of stunning home

Get an inside look at the artistic process of portrait painter Chandra Faulk

Savor the flavors of the season with local producers at the Farmers Market

PubliShEr/Editor Ed Choate

Contributing Editor Angela Jackson

layout & dESign Joshua Cagle

WritErS Cathy Spaulding

PhotograPhErS Mandy Corbell, Von Castor, Cliff Moore, Cathy Spaulding

adVErtiSing dirECtor Joe Mack

adVErtiSing SalES Kris Hight, Angela Jackson, Therese Lewis

Green Country Living is published by the Muskogee Phoenix. Contents of the magazine are by the Muskogee Phoenix. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the Muskogee Phoenix. Green Country Living, P.O. Box 1968, Muskogee OK 74402. email publisher@muskogeephoenix.com - Editorial: (918) 684-2929

Advertising and distribution: (918) 684-2804

Wood fence slats, cowhide seat covers, an antler lamp and art of a cowboy add a rustic elegance to Anita Jones’ dining area.

Photo by Von Castor

Beauty surrounds us, share it

Green Country Living is dedicated to showcasing the beauty in our community.

The magazine has sought the most beautiful homes for close to 20 years.

From the Editor

Ed Choate

We’ve used professional photographers to ensure these homes are represented at its best.

We’ve expanded along the way to include other sections, including area artists. This is another attempt to showcase the beauty within Green Country.

We publish GCL four times per year, including a magazine dedicated to the holiday season.

There is so much more beauty surrounding us.

Muskogee, for instance, has been lucky to have numerous pieces of art around our city.

There are statues of the first sale of Girl Scout cookies, the doughboy at the VA Regional Medical Center and soon, hopefully, of Merle Haggard downtown.

There are more than 30 specially

decorated guitars that show artists’ creativity.

There are multiple murals around, too.

Honor Heights Park is nature at its best year-round. Honor Heights Park is especially beautiful twice per year. Our park shines during the Azalea Festival. Our holiday lights display is one of the best around.

The Renaissance Festival, which opens in May, has a particular kind of beauty.

Our people show the everyday beauty of our community.

When we smile, we show off our inner beauty and make our area a better place.

I am sure I am forgetting many examples. That is not meant to slight anyone or any thing.

This also may become a great exercise.

Please go to your social media and gives us your examples of the beauty within Green Country.

Remember and appreciate what you know as beautiful in your life. It may be your child’s smile. It may be the way a local shop owner greets you when you enter the store. It may be the trees, the lakes, a freshly mown lawn.

Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder.

This not just for ourselves. We know there is beauty all around.

We need to share this positive attitude throughout Oklahoma and beyond.

Outsiders don’t know our treasures. They may only know us by the way we portray ourselves. If we spread ugliness through negativity, that’s how we will be known outside Muskogee. People are willing to believe what you tell them.

Try spending some time telling others of our beauty.

And, as always, please enjoy this edition of Green Country Living!

VintaGe family

Eufaula rent home filled with family touches

Visitors to Campbell Cottage near Lake Eufaula

are made to feel just like family.

Owner Connie Campbell filled the two-bedroom rent house with all sorts of family heirlooms, including hutches, cabinets, tables and dressers.

A black Lab sculpture, which belonged to Campbell’s mother, sits on the

front porch. In one bedroom, China plates have delicate flowers painted by a great aunt in 1965. Five floral China plates belonging to Campbell’s grandmother surround a bedroom vanity. Campbell said her uncle made several items, including a bed table and a step stool back when he was in high school.

“I have lots of family pieces I wanted to use,” Campbell said.

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos by Mandy Corbell

to inquire about renting Campbell Cottage, contact Campbell at (918) 232-2091.

It took a lot of love and effort to convert a tired 1940s house (inset) into the warm and welcoming Campbell Cottage, located a short walk from Lake Eufaula.

The house itself is vintage, dating to 1940, Campbell said.

“A customer called me to list it and asked me to give him a price, I gave him a price for what I thought it was worth, and he said why don’t you buy it,” she said.

But it was in bad shape.

“The poor garage door was just hanging,” she said. “It had these old wooden windows.”

There was a bird’s nest in a kitchen cabinet. A bedroom ceiling had remnants of a vine that had grown through the window. It had outdated, unsafe knob and tube wiring — copper wires through porcelain knobs.

Over the next two years, Campbell and carpenter Randy Gulley ripped out the Sheetrock and had the electricity and plumbing redone.

Campbell added a wooden front porch and bought wicker furniture from a neighbor.

A front porch with wood floors was added to the old house.

Connie Campbell created a warm rental space in an old home.

TOP THEN CLOCKWISE: The kitchen features stainless steel appliances and a wall of display shelves.

A cute bird cage and boxes top an armoire.

Blue bedding and window trim accent a Campbell Cottage bedroom.

Inside, she refinished and restained the original wood floors, which she said had never been refinished.

“In all of the house, everything is oak except the kitchen, which is pine,” she said. “In 1940, it had a really cool linoleum art deco floor. They would have done it because pine was cheaper.”

The living room, kitchen and both bedrooms have vaulted ceilings, making small rooms seem spacious. Many of the hanging lamps were ordered online from Lamps Plus.

The kitchen features all new white cabinets, crafted by Quality Cabinets from Quinton.

“Quality Cabinets made it really nice for me,” she said. “They did all the drawers with soft close.”

Table linens, potholders or big utensils fit into little square drawers.

Shelves shallow enough to display mugs, glassware or upright plates were built into one kitchen wall.

ABOVE: The back yard, a work in progress, features a cozy fire pit and a shed.

BELOW: Original oak and pine flooring is throughout the cottage.

TOP THEN CLOCKWISE: A drop leaf desk and shelves offers a writing space.

The main bathroom features vintage-looking floor tile.

A blue end table is by a corner window.

A cabinet with a mirror came from a grandpa’s machine shop.

“There is not enough space in here to do some kind of a hutch for display,” she said. “So my carpenter and I had this idea. He was pretty cool about it.”

Red and white enamelware pots, kettles and lids are lined atop cabinets over the range.

“They’re all family things from our old camp box,” Campbell said. “Everything except the ceramic rooster is just old stuff.”

The laundry room beside the kitchen has plenty of storage in cabinets and shelves.

A bathroom with a walk-in tile shower is on the other side of the

laundry room. The original exterior siding can be seen on one laundry room wall.

Campbell said a cabinet with a mirror and towel rack came from her grandpa’s mechanic shop.

“I just thought it was kind of cute,” she said.

The bathroom and laundry room were built in the original garage. The remaining garage has enough space for a visitor’s golf cart or motorcycle, Campbell said.

Most of the plumbing fixtures and stainless steel kitchen appliances came from Lowe’s, she said.

Campbell put pocket doors throughout the house.

One bedroom features a drop leaf desk with notepads and a cupful of pens.

The bathroom has what’s left of a white porcelain gas heater.

“In 1940, it had a really cool linoleum art deco floor. They would have done it because pine was cheaper.”

— Connie Campbell

RIGHT: New cabinetry can be found in bathrooms and the kitchen.

BELOW: One of two bedrooms in the Campbell Cottage.

“I had it rewired, it has a little nightlight in there,” she said. “I just wanted to keep some of the old stuff.”

She also had the original white tub reglazed and redone. New white subway tile surrounds the tub. The tile floor, with black hexagons surrounded by white, looks like it’s from the 1940s, but is new.

A hall cabinet with half-moon drawers is original, but repainted.

Campbell said the house has “plenty of back yard.”

A concrete path, which Campbell laid out herself, leads to a fire pit and a cute storage shed. She plans to build a covered patio in a raised concrete space.

Campbell’s Cottage is in a prime location.

Renters can see the lake from the front porch and front bedroom.

Eufaula Wetland Park, an educational interpretive space, is just down the road.

Campbell said the area also has a disc golf course and a walking trail around the cove. Just beyond the park is the Eufaula pavilion and a swimming beach.

Downtown Eufaula shopping and dining are nearby.

“It’s close enough to walk to the restaurants, a block or so,” she said. “There’s E’s Hideaway. Belt 40 has a water view. Captain John’s is on the water. We also have Tulip and Table, which has a wonderful Sunday brunch.”

Five floral China plates surround a vanity in a cottage bedroom.

Connie Campbell’s great aunt painted delicate flowers on these plates, displayed in a bedroom.

Featured Home Jones

This three bedroom townhouse packs memories of life on a 20-acre ranch Anita and Clyde Jones shared near Porter.

Recreating ranch life

Anita Jones moved from 20-acre ranch and took 30 years of memories with her

Anita Jones packed 30 years of ranch memories in her three-bedroom townhouse.

Jones and her husband, Clyde, raised horses and cattle on a 20-acre ranch north of Muskogee on Old Porter Road. Clyde passed a couple of years ago.

“It got too much for me to handle by myself, so the kids encouraged me to move into town or close

into town,” Jones said. “We moved out of our ranch, and I just brought it all with me.”

She found the best of both worlds at Stony Brook Town Houses in the northeast part of Muskogee.

“It’s in town but not in town, it’s in the country, sort of,” she said.

The townhouse has three bedrooms and two and a half baths.

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos by Von CaStor

“When I first saw this, I wasn’t two sure our furniture would fit in this from my ranch house,” she said. “The only thing that did not fit in here was the big bar that I had bought my husband as a gift.”

She bought nearly all her furniture from Mathis Brothers. She put her own touches on some items.

“When I bought the dining room table and chairs, the chairs were solid white, so I bought cow hides to have them covered,” Jones said. “They just slip down over the seats.”

Even the formal dining ware has a western theme. Plates, bowls and saucers have cowboy boots, hats and lariats.

A wall made of old wood fence slats makes a rustic backdrop to the table. Jones said Anthony Hollifield of Muskogee did the wall and several other projects for her. A massive photo of a roper silhouette hangs on the wall.

“It reminds me of my husband,” Jones said. “An old cowboy, and he did some rodeoing.”

Anita Jones offers a welcome at the entry of her townhouse in Stony Brook.

A second-floor space honors the legacy of cowman Clyde Jones and features saddles and leather goods he helped create.

Wood fence slats, cowhide seat covers, an antler lamp and art of a cowboy add a rustic elegance to the dining area.

TOP THEN CLOCKWISE: Cowhides cover the floor of Anita Jones’ kitchen and window-side snack spot.

Two cow skulls hang by the living room. Jones said one of her friends decorated the skulls with lace and needlework.

The living room features three cowhide rugs on the wood floor. Horse blankets drape over leather seats and stools.

Sketches by Cherokee artist Willard Stone hang in various places in the home.

“These were given to me by my dad and my mom,” she said.

Other art includes Jim Miller’s “Oklahoma Twister,” a tabletop bronze sculpture that Clyde received from a friend.

Kitchen shelves display more western things, including a vintage enamelware pitcher, sugar bowl and platter with lassos and ranch brands.

“You don’t find those little western enamelware items anymore,” Jones

LEFT: Lace and embroidery acorn a couple of cow skulls in the living room.

BELOW: Piney furniture and an iron bed contribute to the western motif in a bedroom.

A second-floor bedroom can double as an office.

LEFT THEN BELOW: Wooden shelves hold years of family memories for Anita Jones.

A sliding barn door opens onto one of Anita Jones bedrooms.

said. “A friend of mine is a junk dealer and she found those for me.”

Upstairs rooms are all done with a western motif.

Bathroom towels and even washrags feature embroidered bronc busters — a different color in each bathroom. Rusty looking faucets adorn liquid soap dispensers and towel bins. Jones said she got those and other accessories at the former Drysdale’s Western Wear.

A pine bench, armoire and bed -

steads in the master bedroom came from a furniture store in Dallas. The bed has pillows with horse needlework.

Mementoes of Jones’ husband occupy a special place upstairs. An easel supports his portrait, hard hat and rope. There are two saddles she said her husband helped make with a friend.

“He had a job and he wanted to get us matching saddles,” Jones said. “He surprised me at Christmastime with my saddle and he finished his up.”

She said his saddle has a higher back than hers.

“We trail rode a lot,” she said. “We team penned together, made quite a few trips.”

Jones said her husband also made a leather suit case and grooming bag.

“He called it his dob kit,” she said,

“He surprised me at Christmastime with my saddle and he finished his up.”

— Anita Jones

adding that her husband also made a table lamp from a wagon wheel hub.

A largemouth bass Jones caught at a ranch pond hangs in the third bedroom, which serves as Jones’ office.

The ranch decor reflects her upbringing, as well.

“I was raised on a ranch,” the Porum native said. “I love the outdoor, I love horses. I love cattle. I just love the ranch

life.”

She said some of her fondest memories include family gatherings.

“That was something my mom and dad always did,” she said. “All the family would come together and eat. We would have a big, huge fishing pond next to the house.”

Jones is building her backyard space with a wood privacy fence, pergola, deck

and a hot tub. Trees reach high over the fence.

“It makes it really nice, really cool,” she said.

Outside the fence, a porch swing hangs from a steel frame. The Jones’ brand, Rocking J, is on top.

“That was made by a friend of ours and given to my husband,” she said.

A furry throw drapes on a footboard featuring horseshoes in one of the bedrooms.

FEATURES

» ADDRESS: 3 Spring Creek Road, Muskogee.

» ASKING PRICE: $985,000.

» SQUARE FOOTAGE: 6,898.

» PROPERTY SIZE: 3.94 acres.

» BEDROOMS: Five.

» BATHROOMS: Four full, three half.

» HEATING AND COOLING: Central air conditioning. Gas heat.

» APPLIANCES: Stainless steel dishwasher, Freezer, microwave,

refrigerator, freezer, range.

» FLOORS: Marble, wood, carpet, tile.

» SCHOOL DISTRICT: Muskogee Public Schools.

» OTHER FEATURES: Pullman bath, security system, wet bar, swimming pool, four fireplaces, outdoor kitchen, cabana, hot tub and spa.

» CONTACT: Linda Hughes, Elite One Realty, (918) 698-3214.

Charles Faudree designed this French Provincial home that graces nearly four acres near Honor Heights.

Country chateau

Home displays many features to remind potential new owners of French living

uskogee has its own country chateau, gracing nearly four rambling acres near Honor Heights.

The yellow French Provincial house was custom designed by famed interior designer Charles Faudree and built in 1966.

By Cathy Spaulding •

MThe long driveway circles in front of the house and leads to the garage.

“It’s a great house for entertaining,” referral partner Linda Ann Ehrle said.

“All the downstairs is entertaining space.”

The entry hall sweeps across the front of the interior and has a parquet floor.

hugheS

Photos submitted by linda

Immediately seen upon entry, the formal living room features an Italian marble floor and a chandelier from France. Three windows along the back wall offer an outdoor panorama. Four columns frame the scene.

The living room fireplace — one of four in the house — has gold trim and gold inlay.

A half bath off the formal living room has a toilet that looks like a royal throne, Ehrle said.

“The fixtures are gold, and there’s gold inlay in the sink,” she said.

Wood floors mark the “informal” part of the first story.

A large office with wood paneling is off the living room. It is the command center for the surround sound system that goes throughout the house. A second fireplace has a wood mantle that blends with the paneling. A secret door opens, almost James Bond style, to reveal

ABOVE THEN CLOCKWISE: Simplicity equals elegance in the front exterior entry. A country chateau with a circular driveway lies hidden in the woods.

A colorful cabana by the swimming pool features a kitchen and shower.

ABOVE THEN BELOW: White columns frame the formal living room, which features an Italian floor, a chandelier from France and gold inlay around the fireplace.

Wood columns, wood floors, wood beams and wood trim surrounds the informal living room.

a wet bar.

The paneling hides plenty of storage.

Listing agent Linda Hughes said the house even has a dumbwaiter, a small elevator used for food or other small items.

“There is so much storage in this house, it’s crazy,” Hughes said.

The informal living room has skylights and wood beams across the

ceiling. French doors leading outside frame the house’s third fireplace.

A wide entrance, accented by square wood columns opens onto an informal dining area.

“It could be a game room area, a sitting room, a reading room, whatever,” Hughes said. “It could be another breakfast room.”

The galley kitchen has wood paneling

and a stainless steel sink. Stainless steel appliances include an oversized subzero refrigerator, double oven cooktop stove. The kitchen has a roomy pantry.

A brick wall at the end of the kitchen has storage and a smokeless grill.

The kitchen has a pass-through window to what Hughes called the wwwbutler’s kitchen. It features a brick floor.

“You can make this a breakfast area,

RIGHT: A butler’s kitchen features a pass-through to the main kitchen and can serve as a breakfast area.

BELOW: A spacious office features plenty of wood paneling, plus one of four fireplaces in the house.

TOP: The galley kitchen has modern upgrades, including stainless steel appliances.

MIDDLE: The French decor in the dining room complements the home’s exterior.

BOTTOM: A sitting area for the premier suite features a fire place and ample space.

Trees surround the backyard swimming pool, which features a diving board.

make the other room a game room with a pool table,” Hughes said.

Near the kitchen, the formal living room features a swinging door for the butler.

A sweeping staircase winds from the entry to the second floor. It features a stairlift.

The primary bedroom suite has its own sitting area, where the fourth fireplace is found. A kitchenette has a stove, sink and refrigerator. Three picture windows line two walls of the bedroom.

The suite also has his and hers bathrooms. His bathroom has mauve tile, wood cabinetry, a shower and a walk-in closet with paneling and shelves. Her bathroom has ornate white cabinetry, a vanity, and a tub surrounded by marble. It also has a separate room with a toilet and shower.

Two other bedrooms are linked by a Jack and Jill bathroom. One bedroom has access to a 1,000-square foot attic.

Bathrooms are just as ornate. One has pink cabinetry, pink sinks and a pink bathtub. It also has gold trim and fixtures. Another has blue sinks.

A breezeway links the main house and the garage. The laundry room has its own sink, as well as a refrigerator and sub-zero freezer.

In back, paths with inlaid stones lead to the pool and cabana. The pool has its own diving board. The hexagonal cabana features a full kitchen with a refrigerator, stove and grill. A shower is on the cabana’s back side. Light blue wrought iron accents the open space.

Azalea bushes and high trees surround the house.

A stairlift rises alongside a sweeping staircase in the entry.

Trees cover Agency Hill leading from the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center to the Faudree-designed house.

m a l l T o w n W e l c o m e F o r t G i b s o n

Art of The Ma TT er

Chandra Faulk goes over her colored pencil strokes again and again until she gets the color she wants.

Windows to the soul

Artist starts portraits by focusing on eyes

Soulful, mischievous, sparkling eyes draw viewers into Chandra Faulk’s art of animals and people.

“They’re the windows of the soul,” Faulk said. “If you want to capture the personality of a person or animal, you focus on the eyes. Because that’s where the soul is.”

Faulk says she always

starts with the eyes in her paintings or colored pencil drawings.

“If I can see the eyes looking at me, that helps the whole entire piece come together,” she said.

Faulk described her style as photo-realism or hyperrealism. She said she uses several reference photographs as models for her work.

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos by Cliff Moore

“I usually will take several photographs,” she said. “I may like the skin color of one and the eyes of the other. I may like the hair of something else.”

However, she said she seeks to go beyond realism to capture the subject’s soul or essence.

Personality shines through colored pencil drawings of her teenage daughters.

Faulk said Abbey, 19, is “competent, calm, peaceful.”

“She is the most happy and balanced,” Faulk said. “She doesn’t ever get too excited or down.”

The eyes of 17-year-old Grace sparkle.

“She is the free spirit,” Faulk said. “She is funny. Entertaining. She comes up with the wittiest things to say. Her mind moves a mile a minute and I wanted to capture that sparkle.

Faulk said she sought to capture confidence in her painting of Ruth, 15.

“She is the competent leader, she learns quickly,” Faulk said.

The artist now is working on drawing her son, Nathan, 21.

“The thing I’m going to have for him is probably strength and integrity,” she said.

TOP THEN BOTTOM: Chandra Faulk keeps her “studio” in a bedroom corner. She uses several sources of light. A giraffe is one of Faulk’s works in progress. She focuses on the eyes.

TOP LEFT THEN CLOCKWISE:

Chandra Faulk’s husband makes end tables from tree stumps.

Clouds billowing over the hills overlooking the Arkansas River offer inspiration for Chandra Faulk.

A wide bay window with a bench offers a panoramic view of the Arkansas River hills.

Chandra Faulk’s pencil sketches captured the personalities of her daughters — Abbey, top; Ruth, bottom left; Grace, bottom right.

Faulk seeks to capture the same spirit in the eyes of her animals, as well.

A pencil drawing of Ruby, the family’s mastiff, looks wearily from Faulk’s business card. She said Ruby’s eyes show that of “just an old soul.”

“Wisdom. gentleness, kindness,” Faulk aid. “She has a little bit of a sadness, but she’s never had a sad day in her life. She is so loyal and so gentle.”

Expect animals to show a lot of character in her upcoming series “Lovin’ the Farm Life,” which features some of Faulk’s farm animals and their stories.

There’s Minerva, the chicken with an

attitude, drawn with tight-beaked, indignant glare. Faulk said she plans to put Minerva on a T-shirt with the caption “That flaps my wattles.”

There’s also Gus, a goose that was afraid to swim, but thought he was a dog, Faulk said.

Faulk said her artistic journey began when she was 12, when her mother saw a “God-given gift.”

“By the time I was 18-19, I already entered several competitions,” she said. “I did well and ended up going professional.”

She said she put her work on hold

when she began raising her children in her 20s, then resumed her professional work about three years ago.

Over the years, Faulk has painted with oil, watercolor and acrylics. But she called colored pencils “a medium that fits my life.”

“With pencils, I can draw, I can put them down,” she said. “I have four children, I have a lot of things I need to do.”

But it’s a slow process. She said colored pencils are all about layers, going from light to dark. She said she layers and works in all different directions until she gets the right color and texture.

Eyes capture the fierce, focused and gentle souls of a tiger, zebra and the mastiff, Ruby.

“It takes a whole lot of patience and building up of layers,” she said. “On any portrait, animals, whatever it is, it takes a minimum of five layers, and sometimes it takes as many as 15 or 20 layers, because you have to build up the texture and color.”

Faulk said she finds inspiration through three famous artists. Thomas Kinkade is known for painting with light, and making his glow with dips of bright color. Norman Rockwell embodied simple, small town America with realism and humor. Bob Ross brings enjoyment to painting.

Country living also is an inspiration. The family lives on 10 acres overlooking Gooseneck Bend of the Arkansas River.

She said her family dates back many generations in the Muskogee area. Creativity runs in the family. Faulk said her grandmother collected antiques and had an old stagecoach wheel turned into a chandelier. Faulk’s husband made living room end tables from tree stumps and the master bedroom’s headboard from planks.

TOP THEN CLOCKWISE: Expect to find Minerva, the hen, popping up on T-shirts, mugs and other things.

Chandra Faulk painted this dramatic landscape of the American southwest.

A chessboard sits by a window in the Faulk home.

A painting inspired by Thomas Kinkade hangs on the Faulk’s living room wall.

OOn n On TThe he The Menu Menu

G u i d e t o G u i d e t o Guide to A r e a A r e a Area

D i n i n g Dining

D i n i n g

Fresh and healthY

Local producers share options at local Farmers Market

Area growers and producers offer a bounty of freshness every spring, summer and fall.

“Fresh produce is always healthy,” said OSU Extension Family and Consumer Science Educator Tammy Perry said. “Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those grown organically, are full of nutrition.”

Producers sell their fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and other items at area

farmers markets, including Muskogee.

“These fruits, vegetables and herbs are plentiful in vitamins and minerals but also polyphenols which may play a vital role in health through the regulation of metabolism, weight, chronic disease, and cell production,” Perry said.

Perry and other extension educators will present cooking and canning lessons on May 20, June 10 and July 22 at Muskogee Farmers Market.

Story and Photos by Cathy Spaulding

Cassie Herringshaw glances over the produce sold at Peace of Prairie Farm’s booth at Muskogee Farmer’s Market.

If you go

What: Muskogee Farmers Market.

WhEn: 8 a.m to noon Saturdays; 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

WhErE: Covered parking area, Muskogee Civic Center, 425 Boston St.

She said there are many creative ways to make vegetables, such as greens and zucchini yummy and fun.

“For zucchini, use a spiralizer and top with a fresh marinara sauce or slice in half length wise, core the middle out slightly and stuff with cooked beef crumbs, cheese and bake for a healthy zucchini boat,” she said. “For greens, experiment with different fruits and vegetables for flavorful salads. Add beans for protein instead of chicken. Try a light wilt with a warm

bacon vinaigrette on the greens.”

You also can find unique items at farmers markets.

For example, microgreens pack a lot of nutrients in tiny stems.

Craig and Shirley Radick grow microgreens in their Muskogee house. At one recent market, the Radicks offered microgreen versions of wheatgrass sunflowers and peas.

“They’re loaded with vitamins and nutrients, more than you’re going to get

in anything else you’re going to find out there,” Craig Radick said. “And you’re not going to find this in a grocery store.”

The mild and nutty pea microgreens are great in salads and sandwiches, Radick said. Sweet and crunchy sunflower microgreens have calcium, folic acids and proteins.

Justin Sawyer with Ironsaw Farm in Fort Gibson offers farm fresh eggs, as well as microgreens and freeze-dried fruit and candy.

TOP LEFT THEN CLOCKWISE:

Oklahoma State University Extension educator Tammy Perry prepares a salad using a variety of produce. A variety of Mushrooms are available at the JH Fungi boot at Muskogee Farmers Market. Mushroom jerky packs plenty of fiber per bite. Don’t be fooled by different egg colors. They all taste the same.

The different colors of eggs come from different breeds, Sawyer said. French cucko marans lay the deep brown eggs. The light blue and green eggs come from a mixed breed known as an Easter egger. Traditional light brown eggs come from sex link chickens. Buffs lay the creamy white eggs.

The differences end when you crack and eat them.

“They all taste the same,” Sawyer said.

Mushrooms from JH Fungi offer an added taste this year. Jason Gay of Tahlequah said varieties include a pearl oyster, dried blue and dried lion’s mane.

Gay also offers mushroom jerky and lion’s mane extract.

Mushrooms can be used in a variety of ways.

“They’re pretty interchangeable,” he said. “They’re good just breaded and fried. You can sautee them. I put them in burgers and spaghetti. The way you season them has a big effect on the taste.”

Perry said she loves aromatics — vegetables, herbs and spices used to flavor dishes.

“It is such a great way to not only create healthy delicious dishes but also reduce the sodium content in our diets,” she said. “Fresh garlic, herb plants like basil, shallot, chives, etc., are some of my favorites. I use them to make pesto and vinaigrette dressings.”

LEFT THEN BOTTOM: Craig Raddick prepares to cut sunflower microgreens at his Muskogee Farmers Market booth.

Shoppers line up at the Peace of Prairie Organic Farm booth at Muskogee Farmers Market.

ABOVE THEN CLOCKWISE: Greens add colors beyond green to summer salads.

Carolyn Redman packs fresh lettuce at Muskogee Farmers Market.

Blong Vang of Claremore has sold at Muskogee Farmers Market for several years.

Microgreens are a new way to get nutrients in small servings. Pickled produce can last months.

Upcoming sessions

the oSu Extension will offer the following educational sessions at Muskogee Farmers Market.

• May 20th — Food Demonstration, asian Cucumber Salad.

• June 10th — Food Demonstration, Panzanella Salad with an assortment of heirloom tomatoes.

• July 22nd — Canning Demonstration along with gauge testing on-site.

Baby Spinach Salad with Berries, Pecans & Gorgonzola Cheese with a raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Dressing:

2 ½ Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup honey

½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons finely minced shallots

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

6-7 cups of fresh baby spinach

2 cups stemmed and sliced strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

½ cup toasted pecans

4 ounces of gorgonzola cheese

Instructions:

Wash produce, spin spinach in a salad spinner and set all aside. Combine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a pint size canning jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well combined. Pour into a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, berries and pecans. Pour the dressing a little at a time. You might not use all of the dressing, depending on how much you like. Sprinkle on the cheese and serve.

Wheatgrass has a plenty of vitamins

A, C and B complex, as well as minerals. It’s best used in smoothies because of its dense texture.

Trivia Challenge

Teams of contestants had to refresh their knowledge of trivial topics when they competed in the 2023 Trivia Challenge at Hatbox Event Center.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

PrevenTion in Park

Event, held at Robison Park, was a gathering to help people find resources to help prevent child abuse.

eleCTriC vehiCle PurChase

Muskogee County Transit adds all-electric vehicle aiming to offer services more cost-effectively.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

DaDDy DaughTer DanCe

Young ladies 12 and younger enjoyed a night of elegance at Community Keepers Second Chance Daddy and Daughter Dance.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

Mhs real okie

Real Okie Leadership Experience aimed to teach students the importance of communicating and listening.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

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