Bedfellows!

July 11, 2026

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: What grows together, goes together. 

And so it’s no coincidence, gentle reader, that bold green basil appears in giant bunches at the market at the same time as heirloom tomatoes and summer squash start jockeying for space on the market tables. It’s like the fields got the memo about the great party happening at the farmers market and everyone decided to turn up at the same time.

Few things are as delicious as a perfectly ripe heirloom tomato, sliced, sprinkled with coarse salt, dappled with Agape Premiumolive oil and a fat basil leaf. If the flavors go together so beautifully raw, the flavor chemistry only intensifies when cooked. 

Consider this recipe for pan-cooked summer squash with tomatoes and basil. Or this recipe for a poached egg atop basil pesto, grilled summer squash on coarse bread. (Of course, a poached egg from Letterbox Farm will go with just about everything.)

Local cod is plentiful at the fish stand right now,  as are several varieties of cherry tomatoes, so no excuse not to make this simply outstanding pan-seared cod with cherry tomatoes and basil. 

The peaches are rolling in too, and guess what? They taste great with tomatoes and basil, too, as in this recipe for peach caprese salad. Don’t forget the focaccia or baguette or miche bread to serve with this star of a salad.

Of course peaches deserve their moment in the sweet, too. They shine in this recipe for ricotta tart with peaches from Zoebakes.com. (FYI —- Caradonna Farms might also have nectarines this week. And just in case you’ve ever wondered, nectarines and peaches, which are genetically identical, are perfectly interchangeable in baking recipes. Not the case in canning)

You may want to stick to peaches for this modern rustic spin on the French retro dessert, Peach Melba. Just the thing to cap a dinner party, when raspberries and peaches turn up together at the market, as is their wont — and our reward. 

Don’t forget to bring your dull knives for Matt, our handy knife sharpener who will be set up at the front of the market, not far from the Dough Nation Pizza Truck.

After a day at the beach, or a hot commute on the train, nothing appeals more than the sight of a pitcher of iced tea in your fridge. Brew your own with tea from American Tea Company, back for their monthly visit with organic loose-leaf tea blends made with organic herbs and flowers harvested in Vermont.

See you at the market!