Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com

The Madison County Recycling Program is hard at work again helping everyone stay safe and green.

if you have household hazardous waste, it can be turned in on Saturday, September 27 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Just take your items to the Madison County Wood River Facility at 101 E. Edwardsville Road in Wood River. (That's the former Wood River Hospital.)

You will be asked to show proof of Madison County residency to participate.

If you have questions, call the Madison County Recycling Hotline at 618-296-6647 or click on www.madisoncountyrecycles.com.

(Car lovers can be environmentally responsible too by taking part in the Used Tire Collection event on October 3 and 4. Your worn tires can be turned in on October 3 & 4 at the Nike Base Storage Facility on Fruit Road north of Marine, IL.)

Those of us who enjoy Japanese food know that a little wasabi -- that firey green horseradish-based condiment that comes with sushi -- goes a long, long way.

That's not the case with the restaurant called Wasabi -- with popular outposts located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis and in Clayton's central business district. Just a little bite there leaves you happily wanting more and visiting again and again.

The Goshen Gourmet is happy to report that Wasabi will be opening a restaurant in Edwardsville, Illinois in October. (Note the photographic evidence from the Goshen Gourmet's spy satellite on this page.)

The sign is on the door of the new plaza at the corner of Buchanan and Vandalia, across from the Library and park on the west and St. Boniface on the north. CVS and Buffet City are neighbors in the plaza.

Those who don't embrace sushi (yet) will enjoy the restaurant's Bento Boxes -- little trays that offer beef, chicken or shrimp with rice and sauteed vegetables. Tempura, tasty fried tidbits of meat and vegetables, also is available.

Wasabi has been named St. Louis' favorite sushi bar by the readers of Sauce Magazine. Learn more here.

Get up early next Saturday morning and check out the freshest weekly event in Edwardsville -- the Land of Goshen Community Market.

This is where savvy locals go from 7 a.m. until noon to buy some of the best vegetables and fruits in Madison County. The market is open throughout the growing season, so you have plenty of time between now and late October to enjoy the experience.

In addition to summer's best produce, many of Madison County's finest cooks bring their baked goods and canned items to the market site just south of the Madison County Courthouse.

Fresh flowers raised in local gardens are joined by homemade doggie treats, frozen lemonade slushes and the tastiest flax seed cookies ever baked (from Mills Apple Farm). These are just some of the items shoppers can snag at the weekly market.

Artists, like Jim and Christee Cook of Collinsville (pictured left) bring their works to display and sell at the market too. This week, your secret shopper (that's me) also found retro-style aprons just like Grandma used to wear, lunch and wine bags made from sturdy and attractive tapestry materials, canine couture (yes, scarves for dogs) and lovely hand-made pottery.

Friendly ladies demonstrate the ancient art of basket weaving at the market and you can buy the results. Another artist will create a watercolor version of your home, which would make a perfect closing gift for a new home owner. Precious stones are used in hand-crafted jewelry for sale on site.

You can have a chat with a Master Gardener or learn more about your own growing efforts from the University of Illinois extension office. Musicians sing on the courthouse steps during the morning with a heavy emphasis on blues, folk and bluegrass.

Be sure to stop at the Biver Farms tent. They supply organic produce to many of the finest restaurants in the St. Louis region, but you can get the same sharp and nutty arugula or tender squash for your own home gourmet concoctions.

If you live anywhere in or near Madison County, Illinois, come out to the market on Saturday. Bring your own shopping bags and plan to spend some time just enjoying the ambience. We'll all be waiting for you.

Glen Carbon, Illinois is beautiful anyway, but the G.L.E.N. (Gardening,Landscaping,Enhancing Nature) Committee is working to make it look even better.

They're hosting a special meeting at the Glen Carbon Community Center on August 13, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

The committee will be viewing plans for the new village limits welcome signs and discussing landscaping ideas for these sites.

The public -- and that means you -- is invited.

For more news about Glen Carbon, visit http://www.glen-carbon.il.us.

If you're new to my territory, St. Louis' Illinois suburbs including Madison County and surrounding areas, you might not know about one of the most beautiful places on Earth -- the stretch of highway called the Great River Road between Alton and Grafton, Illinois.

The scenic drive along the Mississippi River also goes by the grand name of Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. This is where the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers come together, giving those of us lucky enough to live here stunning views and amazing recreational opportunities.

Describing everything to see and do from Alton to Grafton and beyond will take many blog posts, so for this virtual outing, I am going to concentrate on tonight's quick trip along the river to a favorite dining spot -- The Finn Inn in Grafton, Illinois

Did you know that Buffalo can swim? In these parts, Buffalo is a river-dwelling fish, not a slow-moving wooly Bison. It's usually served deep fried with tartar sauce and a side of hush puppies (fried corn meal and onion dough balls). Some fries and cole slaw complete the meal.

If you're a squeamish diner, you'll want to be forewarned that The Finn Inn is an aquarium restaurant. You'll see some of the tasty menu items swimming past your booth in the large aquariums that ring the restaurant. (The fish tank residents are not selected and eaten like a lobster at Morton's -- but there are many of the same species in residence.) The friendly wait staff can usually tell you the types of the fish that are swimming by if you're curious.

Menu highlights include the aforementioned Buffalo, Catfish (both river and pond-raised varieties), clam strips served mixed with popcorn shrimp and the ubiquitous chicken strips for those who can't watch fish while they eat fish. Lasagne, spaghetti and a steak offering also are given a landlubber nod on the menu although I have never seen them plated and delivered to anyone in the dining room where fish is king.

Cod makes an appearance on the table as a fillet or fritters and it can be deep fried or broiled. Even Tilapia -- which is becoming as common as catfish in Midwestern restaurants -- has made its way to the banks of the Mississippi from its native North Africa.

Dinner guests are urged to save room for Berry Cobbler or other desserts.

Next door to The Finn Inn is the venerable Beasly's Fish Stand and across the street is another long-time Grafton favorite, the Wild Goose, a restaurant that touts its chili. I'll let you ponder who exactly is in the kitchen whipping up that hot dish by taking a look at the restaurant's sign.

From Alton, Grafton is 12 miles north on the Great River Road. If you're making the trip during the day, stop at the Visitor Center in Alton to pick up some of the helpful information that Alton CVB director Brett Stawar and his staff have created to make your visit more enjoyable. You can learn more at this link to the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.