Get thee to a farmers market while everything is ripe and tasty
It’s peak summertime when it comes to produce. Everything is available (with the exception of winter squash, but we’ll have plenty of time for them). And I mean everything.
Perky sweet and chile peppers, tomatoes so ripe and delicate farmers feel compelled to post signs saying “do not squeeze,” crisp cucumbers, sugar-sweet corn and a bejeweled rainbow of stone fruits.
Enjoy them all while you can, as the summer growing season in Wisconsin is fleeting. And while you can get a watermelon from a grocery store bin in February, it doesn’t mean you should.
I like to switch up classic preparations with more unusual recipes — mostly so I can eat as much locally grown fruits and vegetables as possible without getting bored.
Don’t miss caprese salad — juicy tomatoes, emerald basil, pillow-y mozzarella and olive oil — but try a tomato cobbler, too. And speaking of cobblers, you can’t miss with a peach one. But try throwing those peaches on the grill and adding them to a pizza with prosciutto.
Slice up those oh-so-fresh cukes to make crunchy refrigerator pickles and a smashed spicy cucumber salad, but try blending them up with lime juice and honey for a twist on an agua fresca. Corn-on-the-cob is a summer classic with salted butter, but turn it into dessert in a sweet corn ice cream with blackberry sauce.
Watermelon might be the essence of summer: red, sweet and delectably soft. It’s perfect sliced, eaten in the backyard with juices dripping down your chin.
My dad always sprinkles it with salt first, and it’s true, the juxtaposition of sweet and salty make a satisfying snack. And it’s also why it makes such a fun salad when paired with savory ingredients.
Here, sweet melon is tossed with briney olives and feta in a bright lemon-y dressing with just a kiss of spice and mint. It’s super-fast to make and is equally good for lunch as it is for a potluck.
Whether you’re going to cook something classic or unusual, get yourself to a farmers market before summer ends.