What we’re eating right now
(all local, all summer)
Here we go, neighbors! Straight into another perfect Maine summer weekend. I don’t know about you all, but we’re basically obsessed with anything that involves a day by the water and a potluck dinner with friends. The amount of fresh local produce in our markets right now is almost overwhelming. This is the season we wait all year for, and it keeps getting better. Our recommendation: make as much salad, pasta salad, and grilled meat as you can between now and October. Also, sandwiches. It’s officially the sandwich days of summer.
Alright, let’s get into some of our favorite local items right now and how we’re eating them. Everything below is on our shelves this week.
Watermelon — okay, starting off with something NOT local, yikes. BUT, nothing has ever paired better with our seedless mini watermelons than the Bumbleroot Herby Mix and goat cheese. See, that redeems it right there. Our head buyer Kimberly has been talking about this salad non-stop and even admits to making it multiple times a week. It’s divine and full of fresh summer flavors (plus it takes zero effort, and on a hot night that’s all we can ask for).
Finn (newsletter writer) side note about watermelon: this is my and my husband’s summer obsession. We spent time with his grandparents during that stretch of really hot days, and every night, instead of ice cream, she’d bring us a giant plate of ice-cold watermelon. I can’t describe how heavenly it was. It’s our summer tradition now.
Eggplant — let me give a shoutout to eggplant. I think it’s a wholly underutilized veggie in American cuisine. It gets a bad rap for being watery, maybe chewy or stringy, but it’s my favorite flavor sponge around. My in-laws are all Turkish, and eggplant is a huge part of their cuisine. My favorite is blistered on the grill, mixed with plain yogurt, and served with smoky meats. My mouth is watering as I type.
For something equally delicious but a little less daunting, try this recipe for eggplant parm on the grill. It’s such a fun way to eat eggplant and a total crowd pleaser. I’m pretty sure even kids will go for it.
Tomatoes — I don’t think we need to tell you how to use summer’s favorite fruit (vegetable?), but in case you were curious, we add it to everything. Current favorite? A sandwich, of course. We took a float down the Saco River last weekend, and this is what I packed: Rosemont-made multigrain bread, Rosemont-made cheddar scallion dip, tomato. That’s it. And frankly, it doesn’t get better. Well… a little smoked turkey on there is also insane. This might just replace the BLT as my top summer sando. The bread and the dip are both made in-house, so you can build it start to finish with Rosemont-made goods.
More of a salad person? Don’t fret. This Panzanella Salad recipe from Trent Pheifer is the best crowd pleaser.
Corn — we shared a bunch of corn recipes a few weeks back (go find it on our website!), but a favorite is these corn and cheddar fritters. They aren’t hard to make and they’re unbelievably tasty. I think these would make anyone happy. Don’t like corn? (Um, weird.) Try zucchini!! Bring a zucchini fritter to a party and you’ll be hero status.
Blueberries — you guys, don’t sleep on blueberry season. This is the magic. We’re here, we’re in it. Grab a pint to eat on the car ride home; we promise it’s worth it. Our wild Maine blueberries come from Brodis Farm in Hope. A blueberry crisp or shortcake never misses (with a Rosemont biscuit, yum!).
