Saying Goodbye to Summer
Written by Chelsey Harlien
August really is slipping away like a moment in time…
We’re sad summer is coming to an end, but overjoyed with the produce early fall brings! Every month we love to share our seasonal produce guide to inspire you in your kitchen — but when you go to your local farmers market, you never know exactly what you’ll find, so cooking with seasonal ingredients requires a certain flexibility and creativity. The key is to be open to the possibilities and let the ingredients guide you.
At the market this next week you may find tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, squash, peaches, peppers, eggplants or turnips! So many to choose from that can all make incredible summer dishes — a fresh tomato salad, an eggplant dip, or a warm peach dessert.
Chilean Sea Bass
We recommend using up your summer squash and squash blossoms for this end-of-summer, delicious and filling dinner dish. We served Chilean sea bass with roasted squash and carrots on a bed of goat cheese nixtamalized polenta, topped with roasted squash blossoms, a citrus pesto, and dried hibiscus salt. Nixtamalization enhances the nutritional value of corn — breaking down complex carbohydrates, making them easier to digest, and increasing nutrient bioavailability.
Recipe — Seared Sea Bass with Goat Cheese Polenta
Sea bass: Season 4 Chilean sea bass fillets with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high; sear skin-side down 3–4 minutes until crispy, flip and cook 2–3 minutes more. Pour in 1/4 cup white wine + the juice of 1 lemon and simmer briefly into a sauce; set the fillets aside.
Goat cheese polenta: Bring 4 cups water or chicken broth to a boil; slowly whisk in 1 cup nixtamalized polenta. Reduce heat to low and stir frequently 20–25 minutes until thick and creamy. Stir in 1/2 cup goat cheese (orange blossom if available) and salt to taste.
To serve: Spoon the polenta onto plates, top with a seared sea bass fillet, and arrange sautéed summer squashes and julienned carrots around. Spread an orange-basil pesto (basil, orange zest + juice, toasted pistachios, garlic, olive oil), garnish with sautéed squash blossoms, and serve immediately.
With love,
Chelsey Harlien