Savoring Summer: A Guide to Local Ingredients and Menu Creation in the Midwest
What’s Local in the Midwest During Summer?
Summer is a magical time for food lovers in the Midwest! With a wealth of fresh, local ingredients available from June through September, it's the perfect season to explore new flavors, support local farmers, and embrace sustainable cooking practices. We worked with the creative culinary team at Chowgirls Catering on what is growing locally and how you can make the most of the summer bounty.
By mid-June, the season kicks off with leafy greens like lettuce and Swiss chard and fragrant herbs such as cilantro and basil. As the weather heats up, July brings juicy tomatoes, vibrant peppers, and those tender eggplants. By September, root vegetables like carrots and beets, along with hearty fall crops like cauliflower and broccoli, are making their debut. We especially love those sweet summer berries and refreshing melons, staples of Midwest summers.
Choosing and Sourcing Local Ingredients
For our recent photoshoot series, we partnered with Chowgirls Catering and Cosmos Floral aiming to highlight seasonal bounty featuring orange and green elements, adding pops of color in every dish. For Chowgirls, the local summer abundance makes choosing spotlight ingredients a joyful challenge!
For the culinary team, sweet corn was an obvious choice—it’s a quintessential taste of Minnesota summer, evoking warm memories for so many. “We also couldn’t resist incorporating stone fruits like peaches and plums, which we eagerly anticipate all year. Their sweetness and versatility make them a true seasonal treat and a highlight of any summer menu,” shared Annie Pennings Edmond, Marketing Communications Manager at Chowgirls Catering.
Spotlight Ingredients:
Sweet Corn: A Midwest icon, sweet corn is synonymous with summer and a must-have for any seasonal dish.
Stone Fruits: Peaches and plums are eagerly awaited treasures, offering sweetness and versatility for both savory and sweet recipes.
The summer months allow for many ways to source locally and sustainably across the Midwest. Chowgirls shares some tips and sourcing ideas for caterers and aspiring home chefs alike:
Farmers’ Markets: A direct way to support farmers while exploring a variety of fresh, seasonal produce.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): Joining a CSA program ensures a steady supply of local fruits and vegetables. Check out Minnesota Grown for a list of farms offering CSAs and tips on storing produce to reduce waste.
Big River Farms: This collective supports emerging farmers with sustainable practices, providing organic produce while bolstering the local agricultural community.
Building a Sustainable Summer Menu
Creating a menu around summer’s best produce lets the flavors shine. Chowgirls recommends, starting by choosing one standout ingredient and building complementary dishes around it.
Salads: Opt for heat-resistant ingredients like cucumbers, jalapeños, peaches, tomatoes, and herbs.
Refreshing Beverages: Seasonal drinks like carrot margaritas and peach thyme spritzes are flavorful ways to highlight local produce.
Visual Appeal: Use contrasting colors to make dishes visually appealing—remember, diners eat with their eyes first!
Sourcing Local Summer Flowers
Reducing food waste is not only good for the planet but also a great way to make the most of your summer ingredients and money. With a little creativity and thoughtful planning, you can extend the life of fresh produce, repurpose leftovers, and savor the flavors of the season long after it's over. Some tips include:
Use Fresher Produce: Local vegetables last longer since they travel shorter distances.
Repurpose Scraps: Make soup stocks from veggie ends or transform stale bread into a flavorful strata.
Plan for Preservation: Freeze or pickle surplus ingredients to enjoy summer flavors year-round.
Summer in the Midwest is a celebration of abundance and community. Whether you’re experimenting in the kitchen, visiting your local farmers’ market, or supporting innovative collectives like Big River Farms, the season offers endless ways to connect with food and sustainability. So grab your basket, head to your nearest market, and let the local flavors inspire your summer menus!
Dream vendor team:
Photography: Mister Berndt
Catering/Event Design: Chowgirls Catering
Floral: Cosmos Floral
Floral Sourcing: Northerly Flora
Rental: Lulu Event Rentals
Venue: Gale Woods Farm
Tabletop rentals: Apres Event and Tent
Sustainability Consulting/Design: LUUM Collective
