30+ Summer Recipes to Savor the Season at the Farmers Market

July 26, 2024

July is a seasonal turning point at the farmers market, with summer crops filling the stands. This is the time when heating-loving Solanums (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants) and Cucurbits (cucumbers, melons, and summer squash) get their day in the sun. Peaches, nectarines, and plums are rolling in, and syrupy-sweet figs and plump, juicy blackberries become more abundant as we get deeper into summer. 

Many of summer’s fruits and vegetables are delicious and nutritious eaten raw, but there are also plenty of ways to prepare them in simple, farm-fresh recipes: tossed into in salads, marinated and grilled for succulent appetizers and entrées, chopped finely into salsas, muddled into drinks, or poached and spooned over ice cream for a no-fuss dessert. Summer is also the time to start putting up the harvest, so the bounty can be savored throughout the rest of the year.

The Foodwise staff dug into our archives to share some of their favorite summer recipes to inspire your farmers market explorations—all of them farm-fresh, plant-forward, and provided from our Foodwise Demos and friends of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Summer Peach “Burrata” Caprese with Harissa from Linda Shiue, MD, Spicebox Kitchen

It’s hard to go wrong pairing any fresh summer produce with burrata. A physician, chef, and director of culinary medicine at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Linda Shiue provides this sweet and spicy spin on caprese salad, using peaches in place of tomatoes. You can pick up fresh burrata from Ramini Mozzarella, or for the vegan version, seek out Hodo’s creamy kumiage yuba at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays. (Brie Mazurek)

Taiwanese-Style Eggplant from Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s

Asian eggplant in the summertime? Yes, please! I love the stunning variety of eggplant that graces our markets this time of year. If you can’t find the Chinese ones, don’t hesitate to substitute any others, like the Fairy Tale or Black Beauty. Even though I’m an omnivore, I have a soft spot for this nightshade, which satisfies my meaty cravings especially prepared this way. Pair it with steamed Massa Organics brown rice and any stir fried greens from the market, and you’ve got dinner. Plus Chef Brandon Jew is a regular at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. What’s not to love? (Cindy Mendoza)

Armenian Summer Salad from Kate Leahy, John Lee, and Ara Zada, Lavash

When tomatoes and cucumbers are abundant in the summer farmers market, this recipe is a simple and tasty way to enjoy them! It’s quick to put together, makes a great lunch, and is easy to riff on—I like to substitute basil or whatever summer herbs I have on hand. Learn more about Balakian Farms and why they recommend using delicious Armenian cucumbers in this fun video! (Rebecca Crawbuck)

Elote Roasted Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Sprouts, and Seeds from Brandon Rice, chef

Summer is my favorite season not only because it is one of the greatest seasons, but because of  all the wonderful summer produce that we get. Of course stone fruit is so delicious during the summer, but corn has to be the produce I get the most excited about. There’s so much that you could do with corn. Elote has always been one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. This recipe is so delicious and is a nice twist to the regular Mexican street corn. This recipe is so great to make for gatherings or if you’re simply craving Elote with a little bit of a twist. You can find a lot of the ingredients at the market, which makes it a great one-stop recipe. You can also adjust it to your liking if you don’t want to include the various seeds or sprouts. I like this recipe a lot because it allows you to pair different ingredients together that you wouldn’t have necessarily included. (Deven Okry)

Ezme (Turkish Roasted Tomato Relish) from Joyce Goldstein, author and chef

I love simple and flavorful recipes that help me use up ripe and ready tomatoes, since I always buy way too many when they are in season. Joyce Goldstein’s recipes are some that I go back to again and again, and this is one I got the pleasure of watching her make in our kitchen many years ago. It’s so good on its own as a side, and doubles as a condiment—which I firmly believe you can never have too many of! (Lulu Meyer)

Blueberry Basil Shrub from Michael Carlisi, Barrio

This blueberry basil shrub is the perfect summer drink and a great way to take advantage of the bounty of summer berries. You can use any type of fruit and herb that’s on hand and with just a few ingredients and a bit of time, you’ll have the perfect accompaniment to all your summertime meals. (Tiffany Chung)

Seasonal Spring Rolls from Cindy Mendoza, Foodwise

These spring rolls are hands-down top 5 on my list of spring rolls. The greatest thing about them is you find 90% of the ingredients at the market, and they’re easy to make. The freshness of the herbs and the savoriness of the colorful veggies make them different and pop. It’s not often you find ginger in spring rolls. To me, that’s top tier cause I love ginger. It gives it a kick and it all comes together so well. My colleague, Cindy Mendoza, makes them the best in my opinion. I’m always excited and grateful when she brings some to share with the staff. She also made a video on YouTube during the pandemic on how to make them, using a recipe from 101cookbooks.com. (Andrea Akers)

Summer Blueberry and Stone Fruit Crostini from Amanda Cihlar, Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm

In the summertime I find my cooking style is more of an assemblage than actual cooking. There is just so much that is delicious fresh and raw, and I don’t always want to turn on my stove. But this recipe makes good use of a little heat, as it coaxes even more flavor from the fruit by grilling it. I like that it is versatile—any stone fruit will work, and you can also vary the cheese if you don’t have goat cheese at home. It’s got a combo of textures and flavors that has me making a full meal out of what is probably supposed to be an appetizer! (Christine Farren)

More Summer Recipes

Simple Salads

• Smashed Cucumber Dill Salad from Micah Siva, NOSH
• Tomato and Peach Salad with Okra, Radishes, and Benne Seed Dressing from Marcus Samuelsson, The Rise
• Little Gem Salad with Corn and Jimmy Nardello Peppers from Pam Mazzola, Prospect
• Ensalada de Lechuga Con Mazana (Little Gem Salad with Apples and Jalapeño Vinaigrette) from Gonzalo Guzmán, Nopalito
• Watermelon and Tomato Salad from Chris Cosentino, Cockscomb and Boccalone
• Ensaladang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Salad) from Aileen Suzara, Sariwa

Meatless Mains

• Loubieh from Reem Assil, Arabiyya
• Zucchini Cakes with a Cilantro Avocado Sauce from Maria Gonzalez, Green Thumb Organics
• Gnocchetti Sardi with Crushed Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, Pine Nuts and Ricotta Salata from Fernanda Baggio, Acquerello
• Gordita de Calabaza, Epazote y Queso from Emmanuel Galvan, Bolita
• Baked Feta and Peperonata from Katie Reicher, Greens Restaurant

Savory Sides

• Bhindi Nu Shaak (Spiced Home-style Okra) from Sana Javeri Kadri, Diaspora Co. 
• Buffalo Corn with Point Reyes Original Blue from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company
• Charred Red Cabbage with Spiced Tomato Relish from Gregory Gourdet, BLACK FOOD
• Blistered Shishitos with Furikake Ranch and Crispy Quinoa from Sheldon Simeon, Cook Real Hawai’i
• Bruschetta with Stracciatella, Pesto, and Tomatoes from Audrey Hitchcock, Ramini Mozzarella
• Salt-Brined Cucumber Pickles from Kate Leahy, John Lee, and Ara Zada, Lavash

Summery Sweets

• Pavlova de Fresas con Pepitas (Crisp Meringue with Strawberries and Pumpkin Seeds) from Gabriela Cámara, My Mexico City Kitchen
• Mexican-Inspired Galette from Raquel Goldman, Norte54
• Summer Fruit Cobbler from Anna Derivi-Castellanos, Three Babes Bakeshop

Refreshing Drinks

• Melon Sa Malamig (Filipino Melon Drink) from Aileen Suzara, Sariwa
• Strawberry Ginger Mint Shrub from Michael Carlisi, Barrio
• Strawberry Agua Fresca from Maria Gonzalez, Green Thumb Organics

Topics: Culinary, Seasonal