It seems to me that corn chowder with the corn in the succotash is overdoing the corn. And the idea of substituting the corn chowder with gazpacho would then be tomato overkill. I would go for the cold cucumber soup also suggested to balance everything out better.
Menu: An August Farm Stand Feast
Markets overflowing with ripe August produce turn dinnertime into a celebration of summer's bounty. Simply-prepared, seasonal vegetables are the focus of this meal—start with refreshing watermelon cocktails and a squash tart that can be made with whatever looks good at the market. Cups of sweet corn chowder make a fantastic first course, and juicy, crisp chicken paired with ripe roasted tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and summer succotash is a satisfying main. To end the evening, there's little to rival the pleasure of a warm blueberry tart, with no frills except perhaps a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The Menu
- The Merchant's Wife
- Seasonal Squash Tart
- Sweet Corn Chowder
- Brick Chicken
- Roasted Tomatoes
- Fingerling Potatoes with Bacon
- Summer Succotash Salad
- Wild Blueberry Tart
- Vanilla ice cream
More About This Menu
This menu can easily be fit around what's available at your local market or what you have on hand from your own garden. See our meat-free grilling guide for more vegetable-focused summer meal ideas.
Blueberries at their peak don't need much fussing with—we love the open-topped tart above, but there are plenty of other options for rustic, simple desserts and baked goods. See twelve recipes using blueberries in our blueberry collection »
If you still have watermelon left over after the cocktails are made, you'll appreciate all the ideas for using it in our article The Wonders of Watermelon »
Though we love the summery corn chowder in this menu, sometimes it's just plain too hot out for traditional soup—fortunately, we've got a collection of cold soup recipes to cool you off, from gazpacho to chilled cucumber soup.
