August 16

Take home some of our white corn, Frantoia olive oil, farmstand manager Laurie McBride’s heirloom cherry tomato mix, and our fresh field tomatoes, and put together this wild, dazzling tour de force of bright colors and local flavors with a recipe from www.seriouseats.com for corn, tomato and lobster salad: 

2 cups roughly-chopped ripe tomatoes

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup water

1 cup thinly-sliced onions

3 black peppercorns

2 sprigs fresh tarragonOne

1 1/2-lb lobster

2 tbsp minced shallot or red onions

2 tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/3 cup plus

1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels, from about 2 ears of corn

1 pt heirloom cherry tomato mix

2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

8 Bibb lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Freshly-ground black pepper 

1.  Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water, and set it aside. 2.  In a 4- or 6-quart Dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine the chopped tomatoes, wine, water, onions, peppercorns, and tarragon sprigs.  Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered; then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. 3.  Raise the heat to high, add the lobster to the pot, and cover the pot immediately with a heavy, tight-fitting lid.  Steam the lobster for 13 minutes, until it is bright red and the long feelers are easily removed from their sockets.  Immediately plunge the lobster into the bowl of ice water, and let it cool for 5 minutes. 4.  Remove the lobster from the ice water and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.  Using kitchen shears, remove the lobster meat from the tail and claws.  Use a knife to chop the lobster meat into bite-size pieces.  You should have about 1 cup; set it aside. 5.  In a medium nonreactive mixing bowl,  combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Whisk in the 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and the cayenne.  Add the corn kernels and mix together.  Set aside for 10 minutes. 6.  Cut the tiniest heirloom cherry tomatoes in half, and quarter the larger ones.  Add the tomatoes to the corn mixture.  Add the lobster, tarragon, and parsley, and mix gently to combine. 7.  In a medium bowl, gently mix the Bibb lettuce leaves with the remaining 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, and season them lightly with salt and black pepper.  Stack 2 lettuce leaves on each of four plates.  Divide the lobster salad evenly among the lettuce cups, and serve immediately. 

August 14

There’s a tomato for everyone in our varied selection of heirloom tomatoes, which we grow right here in Cutchogue.  Choose vivid green heirlooms, golden yellow heirlooms, pink heirlooms, dramatic black heirlooms, or these festive heirlooms, which feature pink and green striations like those on a circus tent on the midway.  What wonders of flavor and texture will you find inside?  Buy one, eat it, and find out.