The harvests are coming in strong and there’s a little bit of everything from fresh tomatoes and carrots to herbs and alliums. The summer growing season is an amazing time to eat and share a special meal with the ones you love. Here at High Mowing, eating is a big deal. Most of our staff have farms and gardens of their own and when we come together to celebrate, we can be found gathered around a potluck table of homemade dishes. Below we share some of our Commercial Grower Sales Representative's favorite recipes for the summer eating season. Got a go-to summer recipe of your own to share? Post below in the comments!   PAUL FEENAN @paulfeenan_hmos Paul serves commercial growers in the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Wisconsin.  
Dressed Up Summer Tomato Slices
Ingredients:
  • Tomatoes ripened to perfection (any size or type of tomato will do but I say the larger, the better)
  • Basil leaves (1 full size leaf for every 2 tomato slices)
  • Olive oil
  • Vinegar (type is totally up to you.)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Slice tomato and arrange on a large serving plate. Thickness is a personal preference, we like them as thick as ½ inch or a little more. Drizzle olive oil on tomato slices. Drizzle lightly with vinegar (careful here, as this is not a major ingredient but offers a good contrasting flavor.) Spoon dollops of mayo on each tomato and lightly press with spoon to flatten (don’t try and spread perfectly or you will make a mess and get frustrated.) Sprinkle with chiffonade of basil leaves. Salt and pepper to taste (I am liberal with the pepper.) This is a simple and common dish that fits in so many summer menus and always seems to please.   AARON VARADI @aaron_varadi Aaron serves commercial growers in California and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan, as well as the territories of Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.  
Tzatziki

One of the hardest parts for me in transitioning from commercial farming to gardening for a family of four is the crop planning – it’s very different scales. Suffice it to say that I have way more cucumbers than I expected to.

Tzatziki is a great and really versatile way to utilize those extra cucumbers in a delicious snack that can go on just about anything.

While this recipe is a good baseline, you can be flexible in the proportions of yogurt to cucumber, and can put any combination of acids and garden herbs in it that you like.

Ingredients:

  • 32 ounces of plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ to 1 large cucumber, grated
  • 1 clove (or more) garlic
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 Tbs chopped dill
  • 1 Tbs salt, to taste
  • 1 Tbs black pepper, to taste

You can grate the cucumber and immediately complete the recipe, and everything will be delicious.  Or, if you’d like your tzatziki a little thicker, you can grate the cucumber and leave it in a colander inside a large bowl for a few hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator. This will allow much of the water in the cucumber to drain out, and will result in a thicker, more flavorful tzatziki.

However you decide to treat the cucumber, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, and it’s ready to go. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week and enjoy it on whatever you like. I find it’s a nice way to dress up all the other produce coming out of the garden this time of year – dip carrot sticks or sliced peppers in it, dollop some on tomato slices, anything you like.

  ADA SNYDER @adasnyder Ada serves commercial growers in the U.S. states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas.  
Hummus Heaped with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen, a 14 year old blog celebrating unfussy foods. Ingredients:
  • 4 large pitas, toasted, cut into wedges (My family loves pita chips)
  • 2 cups prepared hummus (from this recipe, your favorite recipe, or your favorite brand)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups (8 ounces or 225 grams) cherry tomatoes, chopped small, plus more to taste
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) small cucumbers, washed, unpeeled, chopped small
  • 1/4 medium red onion, chopped small
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Sumac and/or za’atar (optional) We always do Sumac- it is just so good!
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, or a mix of parsley, mint, and chives, plus more for garnish
Spread hummus on a large plate with the back of a spoon, creating swirls and cavities. I don’t put any additional oil on the hummus and this can either be omitted or say I usually skip this part since we are adapting it. Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, lemon, garlic, about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. If you have sumac, add about 1/4 teaspoon. Stir in herbs. Heap salad on hummus, arrange pita wedges or pita chips all around. Finish with additional za’atar, sumac, and/or fresh herbs.   MICHELLE HOCHKEPPEL @michelle_highmowing Michelle serves commercial growers in the U.S. states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.  
Smoky Eggplant Dip
Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen, a 14 year old blog celebrating unfussy foods.
Makes about 2 cups
  • 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, or to taste
  • 6 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste), well-stirred if a new container
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
  • Juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste, if desired
  • Pinch of cayenne or aleppo pepper
  • Pinch or two of ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons well-chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
  • Toasted sesame seeds or za’atar for garnish
Heat oven to 375°F. Brush a baking sheet or roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Prick eggplants a few times with a fork or tip of a knife. Over a gas flame, grill or under a broiler, evenly char the skin of your eggplants. I like mine quite smoky and like to leave no purple visible. Transfer to a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, trim off stem and cut lengthwise. Place cut side down on prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until very, very tender when pressed. Let cool to room temperature. In a blender or food processor: Scrape eggplant flesh from skin and into the work bowl. Add tahini, garlic, lemon, cayenne, cumin and 1 tablespoon parsley. Blend in short bursts (pulses) until combined but still coarsely chopped. By hand: Scrape eggplant flesh from skin and onto a cutting board. Finely chop the eggplant, leaving some bits closer to pea-sized. In a bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon, cayenne, cumin and half the parsley. Add chopped eggplant and stir to combine. Both methods: Taste and adjust ingredients if needed. I usually need more salt and lemon. To serve: Spoon into a bowl and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Scatter with second tablespoon of parsley, and some toasted sesame seeds or za’atar, if desired. Serve with pita wedges. For a big delicious summer meal, you could serve this with a tomato-cucumber salad, ethereally smooth hummus and pita wedges. If you’d like to be fancy, grilled or pan-roasted lamb chops are wonderful here too. (I use this method, but just season them with salt, pepper, lemon zest and dried oregano these days. I finish them with a squeeze of lemon juice.)  
PAUL BETZ @paul_betz Paul is the sales manager for High Mowing Organic Seeds.  
High Summer Gazpacho
Original recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Makes 4 Servings

  • ½ English cucumber, peeled, seeded
  • ½ large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded
  • 2 lb. very ripe red tomatoes, preferably heirloom, cut into ½" wedges, 3 Tbsp. seeds reserved
  • ½ large shallot, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • 2 Tbsp. (or more) sherry or red wine vinegar
  • Flaky sea salt
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped chives, and grilled or toasted country-style bread (for serving)
Cut 2" of the cucumber into ¼" pieces and set aside for serving; coarsely chop remaining cucumber and place in a large bowl. Cut one quarter of the bell pepper into ¼" pieces and set aside for serving; coarsely chop remaining bell pepper and add to bowl with chopped cucumber. Add tomatoes to bowl and toss with shallot, garlic, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. salt. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to let flavors meld. Transfer tomato mixture along with any accumulated juices to a blender. Add 3 Tbsp. oil and purée on medium speed until smooth; season with salt and vinegar, if desired. Strain through a coarse-mesh sieve into a large bowl or pitcher and chill until cool, about 1 hour. Divide gazpacho among bowls. Top with cherry tomatoes, chives, reserved cucumber and red pepper pieces, and tomato seeds; drizzle with oil and season with salt. Serve with bread alongside. Do Ahead: Gazpacho can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.