Ferments & Foods

One of the biggest unexpected consequences of eating more seasonally has been spending less time thinking about what to cook each week. These days, I simply let the produce that’s available at the farmers market or grocery store guide my food choices.

Once you get into the habit of buying what’s in season in your specific region, you’ll notice that it’s often not only cheaper, but produce is fresher, and more flavorful. Because it’s harvested closer to peak ripeness and doesn’t have to travel thousands of miles before reaching your plate, it also keeps more of its nutrients, so in case you couldn’t tell already, I’m completely sold on seasonal eating.

This week continues the abundance of late summer freshness, celebrating all the colors and delicious flavors of the hottest months of the year. With markets overflowing with colorful tomatoes, herbs, cherries, and beans, there really isn’t much you need to do to create delicious meals. With continuous day-time temperatures between 90-100°F in Southern California, I can’t be bothered to turn on the oven/stove until the evening. Instead, lunches have mostly been simple salads, fresh dips, homemade drinks, and meals that can be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed straight from the fridge.

This week’s recipes are built around exactly that. We’ll be making a refreshing Marinated White Bean Tomato Salad featuring last week’s lacto-fermented cherry tomatoes, a vibrant Pumpkin Seed Pesto that’s perfect for everything from pasta to sandwiches, and crunchy Fermented Dilly Beans to preserve the season’s green beans. To round things out, we’re making a creamy Pumpkin Seed Chocolate Milk for a refreshing afternoon drink, then transforming the leftover pumpkin seed pulp into rich Brownie Cherry Bites as a simple way to waste less while creating two delicious recipes from one ingredient.

🍅 Marinated White Bean Tomato Salad

🌿 Pumpkin Seed Pesto

💚 Fermented ‘Dilly’ Beans

🍫 Pumpkin Seed Chocolate Milk

🍒 Brownie Cherry Bites

August is one of the most abundant months of the year. Produce is so fresh, juicy and luscious, it almost invites you to keep things simple, letting the ingredients speak for themselves. Farmers markets are overflowing with vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet melons, juicy peaches and nectarines, tender zucchini, peppers, eggplant, herbs, and crisp green beans.

Every region has its own growing season, and even within California you’ll notice small differences for what’s available when depending on where you live. In general, my approach to seasonal/local eating is less one of perfection and more about becoming familiar with the natural rhythm of the foods that grow around you.

Whenever possible, I encourage using seasonal guides as inspiration rather than a strict checklist. That being said, I do hope my seasonal menus encourage you to wander through your local market, pick up something that’s looking especially beautiful, and let the season inspire what you cook this week.

Pumpkin seeds are one of most underrated ingredients, especially for pesto. They make the pesto a little more rustic and earthy than pine nuts, but nutritionally they have several advantages. They’re not only higher in protein but actually are one of the richest whole-food sources of magnesium. They’re also stacked with zinc, iron and a ton of healthy fats to keep you satiated.

With my garden basil exploding right now, I knew I needed a large jar of fresh pesto to keep handy in the fridge and I ended up using it throughout the whole week for pasta, sandwiches and salad dressings.