Donna King (right) won first place at the 2012 cook-off with her greens and cornbread.

The Southeast Area Farmer’s Market hosts its annual Greens Cook-off and Fried Green Tomato Festival from 12 to 2 p.m.  Saturday October 12 at Gerald R Ford School, Madison Avenue just south of Franklin Street. Do you have a delicious family collard or turnip greens recipe? Are your fried green tomatoes as good as your granny’s? Enter to win! Our local celebrity judges will taste and evaluate the dishes for taste, texture, nutritional content, presentation and wow factor.

You don’t have to register ahead of time. Simply bring your dish to the designated table at the farmers’ market and register on site. Our Kitchen Table (OKT) will present prizes for first place, second place and honorable mention in two categories, greens and green tomatoes, at the market on Saturday October 19.

Even if you don’t enter the contest, stop by to watch cooking demos and sample delicious greens and green tomato dishes. In addition, OKT will hand out free green tomato cookbooks and recipe cards. For information on the Greens Cook-off and Fried Green Tomato Festival, email oktable1@gmail.com or call 616-206-3641.

The Southeast Area Farmers’ Market is open Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. at Garfield Park, Madison Avenue and Burton Street, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays at Gerald R Ford School, Madison Avenue and Franklin Street.