SUMMER RECIPES FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOURS

Looking for fresh inspiration for the warm months ahead? Summer is the perfect season to enjoy light, fresh, and flavorful meals that celebrate the vibrant bounty of garden-fresh vegetables. We've gathered a few of our Chef-favorite Summer recipes to make planning effortless.

These recipes are simple, bold, and packed with the kind of flavor that makes you come back for seconds. They're the ones you keep in your back pocket all season long, whether you're feeding a crowd or just tossing something together on a weeknight.

Grilled Sweet Corn Pico de Gallo
from Executive Chef William Seitzinger
This recipe is really fresh with the most iconic (and most versatile) Summer vegetable. It's super refreshing & goes with everything - chicken, beef, pork, swordfish, salmon & soft shell crabs, or just enjoy it on its own. Add a little extra lime & some crunchy sweet watermelon for something different, this really works well with soft shell crabs.

Ingredients
3 ears sweet corn, shucked, silk removed
1 jalapeno, brunoise
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 green bell pepper, small dice
1-2 scallions, cut on the bias
2 limes, juice & zest
1 roasted garlic cloves, mashed
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 tomatillo, small dice
¼ cup cilantro, rough chop (very rough chop)
½ chipotle pepper, seeds removed, minced (optional)
¼ tsp. adobo sauce (optional)
¼ tsp. brown sugar, to taste / as needed (sub with preferred sweetener, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.)
Salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Lightly rub the corn with olive oil, season lightly with salt & pepper. Grill lightly on preheated grill, over charcoal for best flavor, only grilling long enough so the corn is no longer raw with a light char on the outside. You do not want to dry it out. Allow to cool & remove kernels from the cobb. Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel mixing bowl, gently toss to combine, be careful not to mix too aggressively & bruise the delicate tomatoes. Adjust the seasoning with sugar, salt, pepper, & adobo (if you want it a little spicy & smoky up the amount of adobo & chipotle). Adjust seasoning as needed, serve room temperature, refrigerate if not using right away.

Sweet & Sour Radishes
from Special Events Chef Kate Woehrle
This time of year many gardeners are reaping the benefits of their hard work with radishes being ready, or people with CSAs are about to be inundated with radishes. I genuinely love radishes so I wanted a new way to prepare them as a nice side dish or even a lunch. I found a bunch of different recipes and tweaked it to be what I wanted. I like that it uses the whole plant, since the greens are usually wasted. 

1lb radishes plus their greens
3 Tbsp. tamari soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. vegetable stock
1 tsp. sriracha
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. minced ginger
3 Tbsp. minced shallots
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. white sesame seeds
1/2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds

Remove the tops from the radishes, set aside. Wash radishes and greens thoroughly. Remove the stem and root and cut into quarters or halves depending on the size of your radish. Cut the greens into 1 inch strips. whisk together the tamari, honey, vinegar, sriracha, and vegetable stock. Set aside. Heat sesame oil and enough sauté oil to coat the bottom of a large sauté pan, medium high heat. When the oil is super shiny and almost smoking, add in the radishes. Let them sit for a minute or two, allow them to start to brown. Then stir to allow them to evenly cook. Once the radishes have started to soften, turn the heat down to medium low. Add in the ginger, garlic, and shallot. Stir quickly to prevent them from burning. Once they become aromatic, add the cleaned radish greens. Again, stir quickly! Once they are half wilted, pour in the tamari mix. Turn the heat back up to medium high. Cook till the sauce is thick and coating the radishes. Add in the sesame seeds.


Pork Bahn Mi Kohlrabi Tacos
from Demo Chef Scott Jones
This Pork Banh Mi Taco was created to celebrate the crisp, vibrant produce Summer brings—kohlrabi, cucumbers, and fresh cilantro at their peak. This combo pairs perfectly with savory pork, house-pickled diakons & carrots, while a touch of sriracha mayo brings it home with a creamy and spicy accent. This dish has bold flavors and bright textures, while also being light and refreshing from the first bite to the last.

Pork Banh Mi
1 lb. pork shoulder or pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hoisin
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 Tbsp. sesame oil

Marinate pork with soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil for 20–30 minutes. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork until browned and caramelized (about 5–7 minutes). Set aside.

Pickled Vegetables
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 cup cucumber, julienned or sliced thin
1/2 cup daikon radish, shaved or julienned
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Mix vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a bowl until dissolved. Add carrots, cucumber, and daikon. Let sit at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).

Sriracha Aioli
1/2 cup mayo
1–2 Tbsp. Sriracha (to taste)
1 tsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced (optional) or 1 Tbsp. roasted garlic oil

Whisk together mayo, Sriracha, lime juice, and garlic. Adjust heat to taste.

Kohlrabi "Taco Shells"
1–2 large kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (use a mandolin if possible)

Garnishes: Fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced jalapeños (optional), lime wedges