Local chef to put skills on display

Chris Maycumber likes to cook, and this weekend he will get a chance to test his skills in front of a live crowd.

The local resident will offer his services as a guest chef during the Farmer's Market "Fun Day" from 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Skubitz Plaza near the Fort Scott National Historic Site. Maycumber will give cooking demonstrations throughout the morning using seasonal fresh produce provided by Fort Scott Farmer's Market vendors.

The purpose of the event, Maycumber said, is "to make people aware of how to use locally-grown produce."

Maycumber said he plans to prepare and cook a variety of dishes during the event, including eggs and vegetables, homemade flatbreads with yogurt cheese, gazpacho (a cold, Spanish-style soup), spicy carrot salad, beet salad with orange vinaigrette, and heirloom tomato bruschetta.

Samples and recipes will be available to attendees throughout the event, Maycumber said.

Maycumber, a 1990 graduate of Fort Scott High School, also attended the University of Kansas and later studied culinary arts at Johnson County Community College while working as a chef apprentice under chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Gold at a restaurant in Overland Park. Maycumber also worked alongside other talented chefs that now work in restaurants across the United States.

"When I went to culinary school for two years, I worked with two great chefs and learned from them," he said.

Some of Maycumber's favorite dishes to prepare involve using items that many people discard -- such as beef and chicken bones -- in cooking stocks that are then used in making soups, gravies and sauces.

Maycumber lives in Fort Scott with his wife, Deidra and son, Will.

The guest chef event is part of other activities taking place Saturday morning at Skubitz Plaza as part of the Bicycle Safety Rodeo that is being sponsored by the Fort Scott Police Department, the Fort Scott Farmer's Market, and Mercy Health Center. That event will include several booths that will focus on bicycle safety topics, such as pre-riding maintenance, basic first aid for bicycle-related injuries, and handouts featuring bicycle safety facts.

The event will also include a bicycle registration booth where riders may register their bikes at no charge, and a free bicycle obstacle course that helps teach bicycle safety procedures. Professionals will be on hand to provide free bicycle safety checks for all children's bicycles, and will also check bicycle helmets and make helmet adjustments free of charge.