Summer Cooldown

A tartine is a toast with toppings, like an elegant open-faced sandwich. Nate Herndon enjoys highlighting a seasonal tartine on his menus all year long to showcase local ingredients. Here, he pairs three of his favorite summer treats: creamy chèvre from Dreamfarm, bright acidic Sungold tomatoes and sweet chili jam from Savory Accents.

My summer salad formula is incredibly simple: grab a ton of whatever is in season, prepare it minimally, add a bunch of fresh herbs, toss with some good quality oil and vinegar (or lemon/lime juice) and finish with toasted nuts and cheese. Sometimes I sub freshly torn and prepared croutons for the nuts, other times I add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, occasionally a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Though the formula is relatively straightforward, there is still a lot of versatility in how you prepare the veg (shaved, sliced, roasted, boiled, pickled) and what you choose to pair it with, making an infinite array of options. Here I opt for tender, raw, shaved zucchini as the star of the dish paired with sweet corn, scallions, basil, lemon juice, local hazelnuts and a salty crumbly cheese to bring it all together.

Growing up, there was absolutely nothing that signaled summer to Evan Dannells more than his mother's chilled cucumber soup. He'd always ask for it after a hot day of playing outside. She would walk straight out to the garden, harvest an onion and a few cucumbers, and do some sort of motherly magic in the kitchen. He'd hear the blender buzz and in a couple of minutes he’d have a cup of this savory light green chilled deliciousness to cool off with. Sadly, when his mother passed away, so did the recipe. For years he tried to get the recipe right (to no avail) until finally, decades later, he found a recipe in a vintage cookbook and started to play with these flavors again. It took a few drafts, but Dannells believes he’s made something that's both simple and a bit more adjusted to the modern palate.

He recommends making the cooked component ahead of time and keeping portions of it frozen, ready for a couple of fresh cucumbers and some dill every time you want a new batch. The cooked cucumber onion mixture adds a lot of depth of flavor and a silky texture to the finished product. If you follow this tip, be sure to freeze the mixture in containers that have a diameter smaller than your blender so you can pop it in straight from the freezer!

The garden produces nothing more aromatic and sweet than cantaloupe. When creating this savory salad, Joseph Meyer wanted to harmonize with that natural sweetness instead of fighting it. By pairing cantaloupe with abundant chives, fresh goat cheese and ever-so-slightly-spicy salami, you wind up with flavors that round out the palate. This savory salad makes a wonderful first course, pleasantly unique potluck item or unexpected brunch dish.

Nothing heralds the start of summer like strawberry season, and there’s no better way to cool down than with a bowl of sorbet made from local strawberries and herbs! It's important to look for deep red berries and equally crucial to sniff for the sweet aroma of perfectly ripe fruit. Finding these gems will result in an intensely flavored sorbet to enjoy at home. Selena Warsaw- Lane adds tulsi (also known as holy basil)—which has a pungent, warm and sweet taste that complements the punchy bold flavor of strawberries—but any type of basil can be used for this recipe.