FarmFreshDC, August - Peaches, Tomatoes & Corn

The August round-up is a little later than I had intended, but you have another week or two to try out some of these peach, corn and tomato ideas so be sure to visit your favorite farmers markets this weekend! It looks like rain is in the forecast for Saturday, which is great for reducing the crowds and means your produce is pre-washed and ready to enjoy …

PEACHES: Peaches have been fantastic this season. I’ve now sampled varieties from all three local states (Harris/D&S, Md.; Papa’s/Toigo/Reid’s, Pa., and some Northern Neck, Va., ones) and I have to say Harris’ supersweets were, in fact, the sweetest. Reid’s donut peaches are a close second. Anyone else have a different favorite?

• Sylvie @ Rappahannock Cook and Kitchen Gardener lives in the midst of the farms providing our market bounty, and shares a Mediterranean inspired Peach Salsa seasoned with coriander and cumin.
• Ribs with Peach BBQ Sauce from Tiffany of The Garden Apartment also featured local Babes in the Wood pork.
• I’m a big fan of basil-infused cocktails, and this Peach-Opal Basil Lemonade from Capital Spice is sure to hit the spot … featuring self-picked Stribling peaches to boot!
• I have another peach recipe to post soon, but am still savoring the Peach Berry Sherbet in our freezer.

TOMATOES: Our CSA has had a less than perfect tomato season this year, with our wacky cold weather, but they are coming in strong now. Heirloom varieties are hitting their peak, and Mt. Olympus Berry Farm had some of my favorite, deep red heirloom cherry tomatoes last Friday at the McLean market.

• Cookography ’s light and easy twist on Eggplant Parmesan makes use of another plentiful veggie along with fresh tomatoes.
• April of The Food Scribe also pairs tomatoes and eggplants in a flavorful Sicilian Caponata.
• Food Rockz Man made Heirloom Tomatoes Stuffed with Sage Sausage and Baby Leeks with some particularly photogenic Mr. Stripey tomatoes.
• The Arugula Files made a Grilled Tomato Salsa in an attempt to recreate Baja Fresh’s recipe.
• And for pointers on handling your tomatoes, see these helpful tips from The Humble Gourmand and roasting instructions from The District Domestic.
• The Bitten Wordpicked and canned their own to enjoy fresh, local tomatoes throughout the winter — something I’ll be attempting this weekend.
• While we’re on the subject of tomatoes, The Houndstooth Gourmet is hosting a “You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto” contest - head on over to check it out!

CORN:Someone commented on my Flickr photo (above) that they’d never seen sour corn advertised, but after sampling some west coast corn, I can say that’s one thing that truly is sweeter here in the mid-Atlantic.

• Ramona @ The Houndstooth Gourmet made Corn and Cheddar Chowder that is perfect for the impending cooler weather.
• I also used all three of these late-summer ingredients together in my Chesapeake Corn & Peach Crepes.

LAST CALL FOR PEACHES: I got to the Upper King St. market too late Wednesday to snag some of D&S’s peaches. Bigg Riggs’ are gone for the season, but D&S’s Dan said he’ll be bringing some for one, maybe two more weeks. Supplies are definitely dwindling so get to your market early for the best chances of acquiring them. Dan also reports that Jonathan apples will be in soon, though we enjoyed the small, sweet galas this week.

September Round-Up: Stay tuned for details, but I’m thinking of hosting an apple recipe challenge for the September installment of FarmFreshDC.