Rowan Cooperative Extension

Do you have a passion for grilling? Are you an aspiring Bobby Flay? Do you want to cook more natural, with wholesome local foods? Then, come out to the Salisbury Farmers’ Market on June 27 for the Caveman and Cavewoman Grill-Off.

You will be tested to see how successfully you can create a meal that a caveman/cavewoman would enjoy by using only fresh ingredients provided by the Salisbury Farmers’ Market and 10 ingredients/condiments/seasonings of your choosing that you will bring from home.

You may be wondering how our cave dwelling ancestors ate. Fried chicken is far from the answer.  Their diet was made up of foods that you find in the wild, including fresh meat, berries, edible plants and wild eggs.  Processed food was a dream saved for a few million years in the future. We still enjoy the flavor and health benefits of fresh food and want your help displaying our local farmers’ hard work in this grill-off.

You must supply your own grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, utensils, and up to 10 ingredients that you wish to use in the contest.  To enter the competition, please register online at www.salisburyfarmersmarket.com , or stop by Rowan County Cooperative Extension by Friday, June 26.  The cost of the competition is $10, which should be turned in with your application.

When you register, please also bring your utensils (spatula, tongs, etc.) to Rowan County Cooperative Extension by June 26; they will be sanitized and returned to you on the day of competition.  A tent and table will be provided for you.

The ingredients you will be cooking with will be a surprise but if you are wondering what some of them might be, there is fresh produce coming into the market that includes tomatoes, onions, squash, zucchini, sweet corn, and many other flavor-packed goodies.  Some of the possible meats are duck, guinea, Cornish hen, beef, seafood, pork and chicken. Be sure to bring your best recipes, and channel your inner caveman/cavewoman for this exciting competition.

For more information, please call your local Cooperative Extension agents, Danelle Cutting or Toi Degree, at 704-216-8970.

Cooperative Extension interns Jordan Shipton, Jade Lomax, Monica Miller and Cathy Young collaborated on this article.