Hello, August! The weather is hot, the garden is full, and my little fam has been enjoying some of the best meals I’ve made all year. I’m sharing pics of my favorites today, so look no further for summer meal inspiration!
The Easton Farmer’s Market is our favorite weekly destination to stock up on fresh produce. We could spend hours there, and often do! Summer eating is at its PEAK– and here is what I have on hand every week right now, thanks to the EFM and my own garden:
- Tomatoes— heirloom, cherry, roma, multi-color, any and all… slice, salt and let the water release before tossing them in a salad
- Zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers— large slice & grill, then dice further for a quick grilled veggie salad
- Corn-– did you know, corn is at its sweetest & freshest as soon as it’s removed from the stalk? eat it ASAP when you bring it home. grilled, boiled, raw, so good.
- Basil, parsley, mint— basil vinaigrette, pesto, caprese salad, pizza… I want all of the herbs, all the time
- Beets— roasted, on pizza, on salad, with its bff- goat cheese
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes— roasted and so tasty
- Lettuce— green leaf and romaine are still my favorite, I love a little crunch!
- Watermelon— what a crowd-pleaser!
- Blueberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches— nonstop snacking, lunch packing, favorite fruits to eat always and forever, they are INCREDIBLE right now!
Let’s see these fresh, summer ingredients in action…
Roasted salmon, sweet potatoes, and peach caprese
Tomato basil focaccia sandwich and grilled chicken salad
Sourdough focaccia is completely out-of-this-world delicious, and so is this less-fussy focaccia, too. This meal was day-old bread, toasted and slathered with pesto + mayo, then stuffed with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella. A no-cook meal.
Grill Night- chicken thighs, vegetables, corn, a fresh squeeze of lime, and basil vinaigrette
Fresh tomato pasta
Saute sliced garlic and shallot in a healthy amount of olive oil, add a couple of anchovies and let them melt, cook down 3 cups of diced, fresh tomatoes, be sure to salt! Add al-dente pasta (how cute are these fusilli corti bucati from Trader Joe’s?), a little pasta water, a little butter. Top with a considerable amount of parmesan and fresh basil. Perfection.
Greek Salad
….with no lettuce! Just cucumber, tomato, red onion, Kalamata olives, huge chunks of fresh feta, and a red wine vinaigrette. This recipe came from NYT Cooking.
Fresh corn and pesto pizza
Pizza, pizza, my love. My darling Ooni pizza oven has totally transformed my pizza game since I’ve been cooking with gas this past spring. I will do a longer love letter to my Ooni later, but for now, enjoy this snap of my basil, pesto, corn, ricotta, mozzarella pizza.
More mixed grilled veggies– eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, red onion
I like to slice veggies lengthwise, salt generously and grill, turning until charred. Once slightly cooled, I’ll dice them up and throw them in a bowl with olive oil and garlic vinegar. I top them with freshly crumbled feta and fresh basil and parsley!
Chicken burgers on brioche buns
I can’t get enough of the Mediterranean Chicken Burgers (frozen) from Aldi! They are so good, and so easy to grill and serve up on a weeknight.
Pesto pasta– easy peasy. Pasta + peas+ pesto + sliced tomatoes, cheese of choice (goat, parm, feta, etc.) 15 minutes and done.
Which of these summer meals is your favorite? Let me know what you’ve been cooking up in the heat this season! Happy eating…
