Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant 40 Stellar Summer Farmers' Market Recipes By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 20, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Alison Miksch Summertime is prime time for fresh produce from your local farmers' market, where you'll find peaches, creole tomatoes, okra, corn, summertime squash, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and so much more. In the South, summertime recipes abound from farmers' markets bursting at the seams with fresh, colorful, and tasty fruits and vegetables. With such fresh, local ingredients, there are plenty of easy summer recipes practically begging to be made. To name a few: light and veggie-packed pasta with mouthwatering marinated, homegrown tomatoes, veggie-topped pizza with crunchy fresh flavor, and savory, crispy pan fried zucchini fritters. And that's not even to mention the classic Southern summertime staple, Fried Green Tomatoes. For a light dinner or happy lunch, throw all your farmers' market bounty into one impressive summertime salad. With a few of our best produce tips and freshness-saving tricks, a trip to your local farmers' market will become a weekly occasion. Take advantage of summer's vibrant bounty from farmers' markets, local farm stands, or even your own backyard with these delicious summer dinner recipes that'll last you until the fall harvest. 01 of 40 Grilled Corn-and-Salmon Salad with Tomatoes Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Grilled Corn-and-Salmon Salad with Tomatoes Corn and tomatoes are in season all summer long, making this a winner for your weeknight rotation. 02 of 40 Shrimp-and-Corn Succotash Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Shrimp-and-Corn Succotash We added shrimp to this classic Southern side dish to make it filling enough for a meal. 03 of 40 Curried Okra Shoestring Fries Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Curried Okra Shoestring Fries These thin and crispy fries will keep everyone coming back for more. 04 of 40 Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbs Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbs Nothing screams summer in the South more than plump, juicy heirloom tomatoes. Although these larger, colorful tomatoes have become more popular and readily available in recent years, they are still at their peak in the summer months. 05 of 40 Watermelon-Tomato Cooler Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Watermelon Cooler Watermelons are a classic summer road stand fruit that sometimes goes to waste because they are so large. Make use of your leftover watermelon slices and cool down from the heat with this fresh summer sipper. 06 of 40 Charred Okra-Potato Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Charred Okra-Potato Salad Dress up your classic potato salad with the addition of okra. 07 of 40 Mexican Street Corn Pizza Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Pizza All the flavors of Mexican Street Corn matches with crunchy pizza crust. 08 of 40 Air Fryer Zucchini Chips Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Air Fryer Zucchini Chips Serve these crispy baked chips as a side or an app. 09 of 40 Heirloom Tomato Pie Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Pie This tomato pie is stunning, and tastes like summer. 10 of 40 Fried Green Tomatoes Jennifer Davick Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes Fried green tomatoes are a Southern delicacy. Add this recipe to your repetoire for a no-fail crowd pleaser that will be a winner with friends and family no matter what the occasion. When you're looking for a more powerful flavor in the dressing, substitute blue cheese for the feta. Don't skimp when it comes to the dill—you'll love the fresh flavor. 11 of 40 Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage Fresh corn, bell peppers, plum tomatoes, and hot Italian sausage top this pie. 12 of 40 Chilled Cucumber Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Soup Stay cool as a cucumber this summer with this bright soup. 13 of 40 Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers These peppers are filled with gooey and hearty flavors with a smoky finish. 14 of 40 Field Pea Fattoush Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Field Pea Fattoush Salad This Middle Eastern dish is made with toasted pita for some crunch. 15 of 40 Grilled Baby Eggplant Parmesan Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Baby Eggplant Parmesan Use fresh eggplant for these cute and convenient Parmesan boats. 16 of 40 Chilled Sweet Corn Soup Becky Luigart-Stayner; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chilled Sweet Corn Soup Make use of sweet corn in this refreshing summer soup. 17 of 40 Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad This main dish salad has all the fixings to keep you full. 18 of 40 Marinated Watermelon Tomato Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Marinated Watermelon Tomato Salad Tangy lime-ginger-mint vinaigrette is soaked up by fresh tomatoes and cubed watermelon. 19 of 40 Tomato-Herb Frittata Victor Protasio Recipe: Tomato-Herb Frittata A lunch or breakfast winner, this frittata bursts with fresh tomato flavor. 20 of 40 Grilled Baby Zucchini-and-Tomato Salad Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Baby Zucchini-and-Tomato Salad Show off baby zucchini in this take on panzanella salad. 21 of 40 Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Roasted Tomato Macaroni and CheeseMacaroni and cheese is always a hit, but make it a summertime special by placing tomatoes on top. 22 of 40 Spaghetti with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella Alison Miksch Recipe: Spaghetti with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella This recipe couldn't be easier to whip together. Start with 8 ounces of cooked pasta, stir in our Mouthwatering Marinated Tomatoes with desired amount of vinaigrette, and, as the finishing touch, add 1/2 cup small mozzarella balls. You'll love how quickly this fresh dinner recipe comes together. 23 of 40 BLT Salad with Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing and Buttery Croutons Alison Miksch Recipe: BLT Salad with Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing and Buttery Croutons Bake the croutons and bacon together on the same baking sheet. This rustic salad only take 20 minutes to whip up and, trust us, the results are well worth the effort. You might be tempted to go for the store-bought stuff, but homemade buttermilk dressing will really kick this salad up a notch. 24 of 40 Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss Greg DuPree Recipe: Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss Serve this fresh summer salad with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the flavorful tomato juices. If you can't find heirloom tomatoes near you, don't worry—this salad will be just as delicious with any ripe tomato. 25 of 40 Open-Faced Tomato Sandwiches with Creamy Cucumber Spread Alison Miksch Recipe: Open-Faced Tomato Sandwiches with Creamy Cucumber Spread Always use a serrated knife, which cuts through the tomato's skin without damaging flesh and losing juice. These savory sandwiches are great for a casual summer cocktail party. Just slice in half to make handling just a bit easier—especially if guests are also juggling a cocktail glass. 26 of 40 Sesame, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad Alison Miksch Recipe: Sesame, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad The vinaigrette is made with salty soy sauce, but before serving, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt to add texture to the fresh tomatoes. This is probably the easiest side dish you'll come across this summer, but don't let its ease fool you—it's absolutely packed with fresh, seasonal flavor. 27 of 40 Mouthwatering Marinated Tomatoes Alison Miksch Recipe: Mouthwatering Marinated Tomatoes This recipe makes a flavorful Tomato Vinaigrette for adding to all types of salads. Be sure to serve immediately. We love our Marinated Tomatoes tossed with spaghetti and mozzarella in our Spaghetti with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella recipe or use them as a garnish in a Bloody Mary. Trust us, you won't run out of ways to serve these pretty little tomatoes. 28 of 40 Lady Pea-and-Corn Patties Alison Miksch Recipe: Lady Pea-and-Corn Patties These meat-free patties have the perfect amount of crunch thanks to the crispy edges. 29 of 40 Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone Hector Sanchez Recipe: Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone Blister and burst tomatoes under the broiler to hide imperfections and concentrate flavor. Use extras to fill omelets or sandwiches. 30 of 40 Zucchini-Potato Casserole Iain Bagwell Recipe: Zucchini-Potato Casserole This elegant tian, a French dish of layered vegetables, is delicious warm or at room temp. 31 of 40 Cucumber-Basil Dressing Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Cucumber-Basil Dressing Tomatoes, meet a new best friend. 32 of 40 Fried Zucchini Straws Hector Sanchez Recipe: Fried Zucchini Straws One bite of these Fried Zucchini Straws and you'll be hooked. 33 of 40 Summer Squash Casserole Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Summer Squash Casserole Summer squash casserole is the most versatile Southern side dish. It pairs well with everything from fried chicken at a summertime Sunday lunch to roast turkey at Thanksgiving. 34 of 40 Farmers' Market Pasta Salad Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Farmers' Market Pasta Salad Cook the pasta al dente (1 or 2 minutes shorter than package directions specify) so it holds its shape when tossed with the vegetables and vinaigrette. Ripe for riffs, this pasta salad recipe is also delicious with cheese-filled tortellini. 35 of 40 Squash Frittata Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Squash Frittata This frittata makes a stunning presentation when plated. Fresh summer squash flavor abounds in every bite. 36 of 40 Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra Hector Sanchez Recipe: Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra Two Southern favorites come together to create one delicious recipe. 37 of 40 Mint-Champagne Shrub Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Mint-Champagne Shrub Shrub cocktails get their tart pucker from vinegar. 38 of 40 Salted Caramel Strawberries Jennifer Davick; Styling: Leigh Anne Montgomery Recipe: Salted Caramel Strawberries Simple yet elegant, these sweet and salty confections are sure to impress your guests at a party. A hint of salt added to melted caramel creates a wonderful flavor combination on top of one of summer's best fruits. Cover with chopped mixed nuts for an extra crunch and beautiful presentation. 39 of 40 Strawberry Caprese Salad IAIN BAGWELL Recipe: Strawberry Caprese Salad Strawberry, basil, and mini mozzarella balls make this salad pretty and tasty. 40 of 40 Mexican Grilled-Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli Rick Poon Recipe: Mexican Grilled-Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli This sweet and salty corn salad can be made the night before for easy prep. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit