“Summertime and the livin' is easy.”
Summer in the Midwest summons the onset of all sorts of pleasurable leisure activities – relaxing with friends, being outdoors, grilling and picnicking. It is certainly an ideal time to enjoy life in general, as well as the bounty of food in peak season. Bursting with flavor and tasting oh! so fresh, summer harvests yield more than just the opportunity to eat deliciously. Summertime eating can also imbue patterns of leisure and sustainability.
While every season boasts the benefits of eating locally grown foods, summer is patently ideal. The exceptional number of accessible Northeast Ohio farms and farmers' markets easily allows you to incorporate sustainability into your lifestyle. During most of the year, your food travels an average of 2,000 miles before it reaches your plate. The many consequences of which can be found in the fossil-fuel expenditures, ground water contamination from large-scale corporate farms, shrinking population of local family farms, loss of income for the local economy and an inferior product when it comes to taste and the nutritional value of your food. However, summers here in the Midwest offer us ample opportunities to relax, savor our leisure time and enjoy the plethora of available foods – corn, melons, cucumbers, squash, green beans, tomatoes and peaches, to name a few.
When you visit your local farmers' market or farm stands, allow impulsiveness. Buy whatever looks and smells best to you at that moment. Summer is the time to eat and live simply, but it is also the time to be adventurous and soak in the true flavors of the season. Keep in mind that foods grown in the same season tend to taste delicious together. If you are at a loss on how to store or prepare a food, simply ask the farmer. You will likely be made privy to a few recipe secrets, too.
During the summer, I eagerly await the ripening of melons. All winter long I mull over new culinary applications, and the first melon of the season is, for me, the height of summer flavors. While nothing beats cutting one open and devouring it in a single sitting, putting some aside allows for experimentation with fun new recipes. One of my favorites is below. Corn is, of course, another of the Midwest's great jewels. You can use it in every course and never tire of it. An idea for this simple and ideal summertime food is shared below.
The key to summer cooking, as always, is in the freshness. Enjoy the simplicity of the following recipes and really try to use the seasonal foods as your time to experiment with your own ideas. Before long, you will be able to maximize your favorite summer flavors like a pro.
Jonathan Grumbles, recently of The Candle 79 in New York City, is a personal chef and caterer in Cleveland, Ohio. He specializes in plant-based, organic cuisine, as well as special diets. He is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School and has been the Executive Chef at numerous organic-oriented restaurants. He can be contacted at (216) 320-0288 or chefboyjbg@hotmail.com.
