The Day: Watermelon Radishes, Craft Brews and Health Tips

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It’s looking like Mother Nature will drench the nabe this weekend, perhaps cooling down these summer temperatures. (Photo by Francisco Daum)

Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

We thought fall might finally be on its way, but it seems as though summer is refusing to budge. This weekend we’ll continue to see highs in the 80s and some rain, according to the National Weather Service. Maybe Mother Nature didn’t get the memo that it’s the first weekend of October.

Even if the rain holds up, here’s some weekend events you should check out:

  • This Saturday, get your cooking game on at Fort Greene Park Greenmarket. Every Saturday, there are live cooking demonstrations featuring a different food item. This week’s featured delicacy: Watermelon radishes and turnips. The watermelon radish resembles a parsnip on the outside, but its inside is a bright fuchsia color, which gives it its watermelon look. They’re best eaten raw, but if you come to Washington Park, between DeKalb Avenue and Willoughby Avenue at 11 a.m., you might just snag a few dinner ideas. For those of you looking to just pick up some produce, the market will be open between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • The Wa-Greene Block Association is throwing a block party on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Washington Avenue, between Gates Avenue and Greene Avenue. And if that’s not enough partying for you, stop by Brooklyn Pour, a craft beer tasting event hosted by The Village Voice at Skylight One Hanson, in the former Williamsburg Savings Bank at One Hanson Place, between 3 and 6 p.m. General admission is $50 to sample all you please.
  • The Health Education Partnership (HELP) of the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew is here to help those of you in the nabe who have health concerns. On Saturday, stop by the church at 520 Clinton Avenue, between Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street, for free blood pressure screening, group health education and individual health counseling. There will be games in which you have to name the organs inside the body and dancing for fun and fitness. Nurses will advise those interested on which foods to eat to keep blood pressure low and will give tips on how to manage medications. The clinic runs from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Oct. 19 and Nov. 2, 16 and 30.