Leraine Howard Tolston looks on as Chef Vivian Howard provides ideas on different ways to prepare sweet potatoes. Photo by Catherine Hardee / Neuse News

A dose of authentic November weather didn’t deter the crowds from enjoying a festive Super Saturday at the Lenoir County Farmers Market.

Hundreds gathered for a cooking demonstration from Lenoir County celebrity chef Vivian Howard and her sister, Queen Street Deli owner Leraine Howard Tolston. Attendees received tips on using sweet potatoes in various ways for both savory and sweet dishes. 

Howard also answered questions from the audience, and attendees got the chance to sample Howard’s Party Magnet Cheese Ball, a recipe featured in her award-winning cookbook, Deep Run Roots. 

Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Director Tammy Kelly provided samples of a butternut squash apple soup, while Family and Consumer Sciences Area Agent Kelly Tyndall served up an autumn quinoa salad. Tolston catered to the sweet tooth of those present with a Chambord sweet potato cake.

Kelly said she was very happy to see the turnout for the event, especially given the less than ideal weather. 

“We served more than 200 people. It was a fabulous event, and everyone got some great tips,” Kelly said. 

The Super Saturday at the Farmers Market has taken place for the last twelve years, with Howard in attendance each time, Kelly said. 

The draw of meeting Howard always brings a great crowd, according to Kelly, and brings in vendors to the market who would not normally come out. This year, Social House Vodka and the Beaufort Olive Oil Company were on hand, as well as a group from Kinston High School selling baked goods, in addition to farmers with produce for sale.

Howard said the Farmers Market is the heart of downtown, and she is always happy to see the turnout at events there. 

“This farmers market has become a place that people stop on their way to the beach, it’s not just for locals. I’m proud of it, and I want it to grow more. Events like this get people here who wouldn’t normally come,” Howard said. 

Though many of the attendees were from the local area, folks who had traveled to Kinston from as far away as Michigan were on hand, as well as others from Virginia Beach, Raleigh and Chapel Hill. 

Howard said it is overwhelming to meet those who come from out of town due to her growing fame, but she loves to see their enthusiasm for Kinston, and she hopes that the continued growth of the farmers market and especially the soon-to-be-finished community kitchen will be a magnet that will continue to draw people to the area.