UNUSUALLY the first market after the August bank holiday, normally a signal of the end of the school holidays and a sense of ‘getting back to it,’ was still in August.

As a fifth Saturday, it provided an unusual mix of stalls in the way only a fifth Saturday can when most of the stall-holder matrix revolves around stall-holders coming on the first and third or second and fourth Saturdays.

The big news for this week was that the nut roast specialist, The Fab Food Company, made a welcome return after a lengthy absence, just in time for the onset of autumn and winter and roast dinners.

Also back to full strength, with the big double stall, was Newark Farm, which now has its great variety of potatoes coming through as well as a wide selection of vegetables.

Other excitement was to be found at Coleshill Organics, where the sweet and chilli peppers are absolutely gorgeous and at Hotch Potch and Over Farm where the sweetcorn is ripe and ready.

There is nothing quite like corn on the cob with butter.

Corn should be boiled for about five minutes and can also be grilled or steamed; even barbecued.

Although butter is a lovely compliment to the sweet taste of the kernels, if you are trying to avoid fats you could try sprinkling with some herbs or seasoning; corn is a dieter’s dream weight loss food, with high levels of very hard to digest fibres which are great for digestive ailments and high levels of folic acid, niacin and vitamin C.

Over Farm recommends you remove the silky tops of the corn by pulling or cutting it off.

Take off the outer few layers of the husk (green leaves) leaving two or three layers around the cob.

Microwave the cob for around three minutes.

Remove the remaining husk and add butter and pepper to taste.

Other highlights this weekend included The Cotswold Curer, double goat’s cheese delight with White Lake Cheeses and Windrush Valley Goat Dairy, Phoenix Free Range Turkey eggs, new stall Kin Juicery, Liz Dart Stained Glass and, alas, the last appearance at the market for Cullimore Organic beef and lamb who have decided to leave the market and concentrate on the wholesale side of the business.

Adieu mes amis.