Saturday mornings in late August at the Westhampton Beach Farmers Market is a must-visit, peak-of-the-season experience. With over 60 vendors, growers, and producers providing locally grown, caught, and homemade items, it can also be a one-stop shop for your weekend lunch or dinner menu.
Meandering through the tents that fill the village green, locals and visitors alike are more than willing to cue up for perfectly ripe tomatoes, peaches, corn, and squash, all while chatting with friendly and knowledgeable vendors eager to suggest recipes. These folks are focused green market shoppers, usually knowing what they want and which tent to get it from.
And while the parking, crowds, and lines can be a bit overwhelming (after all, it’s August in the Hamptons), it is entirely doable to grab a few ingredients, including flowers for the table, to make a simple, delicious, end-of-summer meal that celebrates local ingredients.
It’s not hard to spot what appears to be the busiest tent at this market, none other than Peconic’s Sang Lee Farms. Here, you’ll find co-owner Lucy Senesac and a dedicated team selling and cutting up samples of their well-known (and finicky to grow) heirloom tomatoes to entice customers, which works. One taste will inspire you to make this your main ingredient for your farmers market dinner. Grab one or two (remember, they are pricey for a good reason) and some fresh basil.
What to pair with? First, a good tomato is both fruit and vegetable, offering sweet and savory flavors. But combining them with perfectly ripe summer stone fruits, basil, and soft cheese will take things up a notch. Enter the classic peach and tomato Caprese!
A quick pop-over to the Sujecki Farm tent, you’ll find just-picked summer peaches, lovingly grown by this fifth-generation Calverton family. Look for peaches with vibrant yellow flesh and golden reddish skin (the golden color indicates ripeness) free of dents, bruising, or flat spots.
Next up to add to your green market bag is a soft cheese. The Papa Pasquale tent is easy to spot with its Italian flag-colored signage and classic Brooklyn vibe. Remember that the burrata sells out quickly here, but fresh mozzarella will also work in a pinch (did we mention this farmer’s market brings particularly seasoned professional shoppers?). This vendor also carries bread, most notably a delicious olive loaf, but sourdough fans should venture over to the Newlight Breadworks booth for some small-batch beauties.
Lastly, what is a meal without a beautiful setting? Pierpont Blossom Farm‘s grab-and-go bouquets are a no-brainer, filled with seasonal blooms artfully arranged and vase-ready. It also compliments your farmers’ market shopper’s look, guaranteed to evoke smiles from passersby.
Follow this simple peach tomato caprese recipe (adapted from the many versions available online) to be a guide to creating your own. We suggest white balsamic vinegar, but white wine vinegar, along with nectarines instead of peaches, would also work nicely. Olive oil brushed and grilled bread is also a fantastic accompaniment. Rub with a garlic clove to add a bit of a kick.
Stay tuned as we continue our farmers’ market-inspired recipes. Next up: squash!
Peach and tomato Caprese
Ingredients
- 1 large, ripe heirloom tomato
- 2 medium-sized, ripe peaches
- 1 burrata, drained and left at room temperature for 10 minutes
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 whole basil leaves
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
- Cut the peaches in half, remove pit.
- Cut tomato in half and carefully remove top core with a paring knife.
- Slice the peaches and tomato into roughly 1-inch, uneven shapes and add together to a bowl with a big pinch of salt and stir well.
- Dab the burrata with a paper towel, open and spread with a spoon onto a large plate or platter. Season with a good pinch of salt.
- In a small bowl, mix the honey, white balsamic vinegar and olive oil and pour over the tomatoes and peaches. Add the basil and stir well.
- Spoon the Caprese over the burrata including all the juice in the bottom of the bowl, finish with a drizzle of olive oil, cracked black pepper and salt, to taste.
- Serve with grilled, crusty, garlic-rubbed bread. Enjoy!
