Late summer harvest recipe: Farm-Fresh Tomato Salad
As the late August sun stretches across the golden hills, we find ourselves in the magical transitional window, where summer’s sweetest bounty is at its absolute peak, right before the crisp breeze of autumn starts rolling in.
AI generated image featuring human hands gently tossing the salad in a large bowl.
If there is one recipe that captures the essence of this vibrant moment, it is this crisp, colorful, sweet, and savory summer salad. It brings together crunchy sweet corn fresh off the cob, juicy chilled watermelon, salty crumbled feta, and the freshness of them all, our heirloom tomatoes.
Tomato season at its peak
Right now at our farmstand, our tomato baskets are bursting with color, from deep purple and sweet sungolds to bright red slicers, and rich heirlooms.
The beauty of this salad is how versatile it is with tomato varieties. While sweet cherry tomatoes sliced in half give a burst of acidity in every bite, tossing in a mix of chopped heirloom varieties adds incredible texture and beautiful visual contrast.
Stocking up for your weekend gatherings? You can pick them up at our farmstand, just order your favorites directly in our online store for easy pickup.
An image featuring our cherry and heirloom tomatoes that you can pick at our farmstand weekly.
Late Summer Salad
Serving 6 | Prep time: 15 mins
What you need
• Greens: a vibrant blend of chopped crisp greens (lettuce, radicchio) for color and slight bitterness!
• Tomatoes: 1 basket of mixed cherry and/or chopped heirloom tomatoes fresh from our farmstand!
• Sweet corn: 3 uncooked and cut straight from the cob
• Watermelon: 2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into bite-sized cubes
• Red onion: ½ small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
• Cheese: 1 ½ cups good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
• Nuts & seeds: ½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• Dressing: Poppy seed dressing with a sweet, creamy vinaigrette complements the sweetness of the fruit and the salty feta perfectly!
• The crunch (optional): a handful of blue corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed on top
• Seasoning: flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
How to prepare
First, build the base: in a large wooden salad bowl, layer your washed and dried mixed greens, thinly sliced red onion, and chopped tomatoes.
Second, add the summer sweetness: cut the raw corn kernels straight off the cob into the bowl, and the cubed watermelon, and gently toss the ingredients together.
Third, dress and toss again: drizzle with poppy seed dressing to your taste and gently fold to coat the greens and produce evenly without bruising the watermelon.
Finally, finish with texture: top generously with crumbled feta, toasted pine nuts, a twist of freshly cracked black pepper, and a light crumble of blue tortilla chips for that satisfying crunch right before serving.
Farm tips and pairings
Keep it raw and fresh; you don’t need to cook the sweet corn! When sweet corn is fresh in season, eating it raw right off the cob gives an unbeatable crisp texture and natural milky sweetness.
Make it a full meal by pairing this salad with grilled farm vegetables, fresh artisan sourdough, or your favorite grilled skewers for an easy alfresco dinner.
Shop the harvest: looking for fresh salad greens, sweet corn, and heirloom tomatoes for your table? Visit us at the farmstand Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM.
