Produce guide

Summer's best vegetables

Bell peppers

Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are citrusy and a little sweet.  Green bell peppers can be bitter, balancing out fatty meats & cheeses.

Sweet onions

Sweet onions make great onion rings, grilled onions for burgers, and french onion dips. They are actually not sweeter, they just have less 'bite.'

Corn

Corn turns sugar into starch after it's harvested.  Buy the freshest corn possible for the sweetest flavor.

Spicy peppers

Spicy flavors balance out sweetness, and visa versa.  Try pairing them with peaches for a spicy kick.

Peas

Like corn, peas convert their sugar to starch after harvest. So if you find them at the farmers market, they'll taste better!

Cucumbers

Cucumbers have a chemical that causes a cooling effect on your tongue, perfect for hot summer days. Some varieties can be bitter.

Tomatoes

The color of tomato affects the flavor, from bright & acidic to mild and full of umami. As you cook tomatoes, they lose some of their flavor.

Summer squash

Cheap & abundant, a great summer staple that holds up on the grill or a quick pan-fry. Shred zucchini for quick breads or quiches too.

Green beans

While often thought of as a Thanksgiving vegetable, they are actually abundant in summer. Perfect for a 5-minute pan fry with a splash of lemon on a hot summer day.

Eggplant

Eggplant flesh acts like a sponge, often turning people off when cooked poorly. But when cooked well, they soak up a ton of flavor!

Produce

Guides for each month's fruit & vegetables include tips and recipes to help you make the most of summer's bounty.