Soft-shell Crab
Saltwater courses through Chef Joe Sparatta’s veins and, like a tsunami, the soft-shell crab plates at Heritage are mighty. Softie season is long, running May through September, but it never seems long enough to properly cycle through each of Sparatta’s paper-skinned crab presentations, served pan-fried or sauteed. Crispy crab served atop heirloom grits and joined by Hon Shimeji mushrooms, confit red onion, Shalom Farms kale and a Marcona almond romesco is truly a Poseidon adventure.
Seasonal Pasta
Celery root linguine and tomato vine campanelle — hello, bronze-extruded pasta from Oro. Chef Laine Myer describes Oro’s pasta CSA as “one of the most fun and creative options we offer,” presenting biweekly offerings with recipes and pairing suggestions. The handmade pasta packages range from stuffed options to hand-rolled and intricate egg doughs such as tortellini, garganelli and culurgiones. Summer selections roll out July 1 and are available until mid-September.
Squash Blossoms
Ephemeral squash blossoms stretch their green and gold blooms from zucchini vines all summer, but once picked they should be eaten quickly. Chef Corey Chaney makes fast work of them at Lakeside’s Revel, first stuffing the delicacies with whipped ricotta, then battering and frying the buds. Their crisp outer petals are topped with a sweet corn relish made from summer corn harvested by Bow Tide Farms, founded by former Julep’s bartender Joe Jenkins.
Homemade Salsa
It could be said that outstanding food comes from two wellsprings: the quality of the ingredients or Mama. For Rosa Nunez, salsa maestro at Rosa’s Garden, its both. She started selling her chunky garden-fresh tomato salsa three years ago, before quickly adding a tomatillo-based salsa verde and fruit varieties spiked with mangoes or local peaches. This season, snag a roasted, pan-fried option featuring both tomatoes and tomatillos that’s spicy enough to make you slap your granny.
Very Berry Pie
River City Bakery holds court in my kitchen. Very Berry Pie, a double-crusted beauty filled with Agriberry Farms fruit (the farm is owned by River City Bakery owner Colleen Geyer’s parents) showcases drippy berries in a minuet with a flaky pie crust. Leftovers — if there are any — go in the fridge to be transformed into a chilled, gooey breakfast bite. While every RCB pie is notable, from tomato to July’s limited-edition raspberry cream with its tangy-sweet center, the triple-berry creation is a Birdhouse Farmers Market mainstay.
Country Greek Salad
Start counting down the days to “Country Greek season.” That’s when the lettuce disappears from Joe’s Inn’s formidable Greek salad, transforming the Fan District staple into a rustic Greek affair. This slimmed-down but ingredient-upped veggie plate is the official start to summer. Made with Hanover tomatoes, the salads overfill dishes with cucumbers, onions, peppers, feta, Romano cheese and black olives swimming in an herby vinaigrette and accompanied by thick slices of homemade bread.
Ice Cream Flight
Even if you missed National Ice Cream Day this month, Ruby Scoops’ summer ice cream flights and flavors will keep you partying all summer long. Annual standouts include a Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer-inspired mayo ice cream — yep, that’s right — along with fruit-forward selections such as a tomato-watermelon sorbet using tomatoes from Village Garden and a peach-centric dairy-free option. Check the Brookland Park Boulevard shop’s Instagram for updates on all their cool, creative combinations.
Peach Pizza
At first glance, the peach pizza from Fine Creek Brewing Co. looks to be a sculptural homage to Van Gogh’s sunflowers: a thick, blistered crust painted with sunny peach slices, whipped citrus ricotta, mozzarella, piquant honey and verdant garden basil over shimmering tiger stripes from a hot grill. This limited-edition favorite debuts in late July and slices through August, with toppings that vary according to which ingredients are on the artist’s palette that day.
Photo via Getty Images
To-may-to, To-mah-to
How these local dining pros enjoy the quintessential sandwich of summer (as told to Eileen Mellon)
“I have two. The first is my archetype: lightly toasted white bread with Duke’s mayo and gratuitous salt and pepper. The other is the first tomato sandwich that I remember my grandmother insisting that I try as a kid, which was simply a slab of tomato on a biscuit with a bunch of salt and pepper. The butteriness and texture of the biscuit is a perfect canvas for the juiciness of a ripe summer tomato.”
—Willoughby Obenchain, Secret Squares
“Fresh tomatoes in season, with a good pinch of salt, will always be great. For tomato sandwiches, adding a cooked element like tomato jam rounds things out for me. If I’ve got cracklings on hand, those are definitely getting layered on. Toasted brioche and ranch would make this perfect … and a total mess to eat.”
—Leah Branch, executive chef at The Roosevelt
“Tomato sandwiches to me are a canvas to use different types of breads, flavors, fillings, but two things remain constant: a juicy tomato and mayo. Lately, my favorite has been a toastie, made with a thickly sliced brioche, slathered in mayo, spicy green chutney, white Amul cheese and chaat masala, Bombay style. It then gets pressed with ghee to golden brown perfection.”
— Keya Wingfield, baker and owner of Keya & Co.
