Everything is in season: Make the most of summer produce, from corn to potatoes to broccoli

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For anyone who loves to cook, this time of year is like the best holiday of all. Tomatoes, corn, zucchini, lettuce, arugula, potatoes, broccoli. It seems as though everything is in season.

Here are a few ideas for using the best of summer produce to create easy weeknight meals. A soup, a salad, and a straightforward summery main course that pays tribute to the beauty of the season.

First, a very simple corn chowder includes fresh herbs, poblano pepper, potatoes and celery. It’s a fairly light soup with no thickeners, and is ideal for a light summer meal with a salad and warm, crusty bread. The farro salad bursts with summer produce:  green beans, corn, red onion, herbs, plus creamy feta cheese. The lemon-basil dressing makes this an ideal whole-grain August salad that can be served as a main or side dish. And finally, a fabulous chicken recipe uses pounded chicken thighs served on a bed of sauteed onion, corn, zucchini, tomatoes and capers.

Preparing corn off the cob

To remove the corn kernels, first shuck the corn. Working over a large bowl, place a sharp knife down the side of the corn cob and work your way down towards the bowl, cutting the kernels off. Repeat on the other side of the cob. Then use the blunt part of the knife (the non-sharp part) and scrape down the cob on both sides to release the corn “milk.” It adds great fresh sweetness to any dish.

Corn, herb, poblano and celery chowder

This is a light summery chowder that can be put together in very little time. Onion and lots of summer herbs are sauteed, then poblano pepper, celery and potatoes are added. Corn kernels off the cob are stirred in as well as milk and/or cream. No thickener. No nonsense or razzle-dazzle. Just delicious sweet summer corn, herbs and pepper. Serve with biscuits, warm baguette and salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into small ½-inch cubes
• ½ cup assorted summer herbs like basil, chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme or any combination
• 1 poblano pepper or sweet red, yellow or green pepper, cored and finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 ½ cups corn kernels from 4 to 5 ears corn
• 2 cups milk or 1½ cups milk and ½ cup heavy cream

Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh summer herbs, see above

Instructions

1. In a medium soup pot, heat the oil and butter over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper, half the herbs and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the pepper and celery, and cook, stirring, another 5 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the milk and the remaining herbs, raise the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the soup is flavorful. Season to taste.
4. Serve with a sprinkling of more herbs and a pat of butter.

Farro and best of summer vegetables with lemon-basil dressing

This light summer salad is ideal for a picnic, backyard barbecue, or to serve with many grilled summer foods. Green beans, zucchini and red onion are sauteed, combined with chewy farro, and tossed with a super lemony basil dressing and cubes of creamy feta cheese. If you want to make it more of a main course salad (although I think it’s perfect the way it is) you could add grilled shrimp, cubes of grilled tuna or swordfish, cubes of grilled chicken, or strips of prosciutto or salami.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• 1 cup farro
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces green beans (½ pound), ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil and/or opal basil (a sweet, dark maroon/purple variety of basil), thinly sliced
• 1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup lemon juice (from the lemon you zested)
• 4½ tablespoons olive oil
• Whole basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the farro: Add 1 cup of farro and 3 cups of water to a medium saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 to 25 minutes. The farro should be like al dente pasta, a slight bite, or toothsome. Remove from the heat and drain off any remaining water.
2. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper to a large serving bowl or plate. Toss in the cooked farro.
3. While the farro cooks, bring a small pan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook for about 5 to 9 minutes, depending on the thickness, until almost tender. Drain under cold running water and drain again; cut the beans into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
4. In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Cook the onion, salt and pepper for 6 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Cook, stirring until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. To serve: Gently toss the lemony farro with the beans, the zucchini and onions, and any oil from the skillet, the feta and the remaining basil. Add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Garnish the center of the salad with whole basil leaves.

Sauteed chicken with corn-tomato-zucchini-herbs

This is a light, summery chicken dish that takes advantage of the best August produce. It’s ideal for a simple dinner or celebratory lunch. A warm, crunchy baguette or summer salad will round the meal out.

Serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients

The chicken:

• 4 chicken thighs, boneless and skin on or skinless, about 1½ pounds
• About ⅓ cup flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

The vegetables:

• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, chives, oregano, thyme and basil; you can use any combination you have on hand)
• 1 medium zucchini, cubed
• 1 medium ripe tomato or ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cubed
• 1 cup corn kernels, from 2 ears fresh corn
• 1½ tablespoons drained capers, optional

Garnish:

• Few arugula leaves, optional
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Place the chicken thighs between two large sheets of wax or parchment paper and pound with a rolling pin, heavy skillet or meat pounder to flatten.
2. Place the flour on a plate and season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Make the vegetables: In a large skillet, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium, and add half the herbs and the zucchini. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the tomato and corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the capers (if using), and remaining herbs and season to taste. Place the vegetables on a large serving platter or plate.
4. Cook the chicken: In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and cook for about 10 seconds, stirring. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. During the last minute, add the lemon juice to deglaze the skillet. Place the chicken on top of the cooked vegetables and spoon on any sauce left in the skillet.
5. Serve with arugula leaves (if using) and lemon wedges on the side of the platter.

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