Even this late in the season, our local farmers markets motivate a big shop and plenty of homemade goodness. In addition to heirloom tomatoes, patty pan squash and sweet corn purchases, the kitchen counter also holds a bevy of zucchini and sweet-as-candy cherry tomatoes from the gardens of friends and neighbors.

Leafy green salads can be enjoyed all winter long. Now is the perfect time to serve salads made from grilled vegetables, the ripest tomatoes, and the last of the basil from the herb box.

Add new interest to the iconic tomato and mozzarella salad by swapping the fresh mozzarella for its ultra-creamy cousin, burrata. What a treat to bite into a perfect tomato with this unctuous, fresh cheese. It’s a bite made even better with a pesto-lemon vinaigrette.

Serve this tomato salad with wedges from a hearty loaf of bread or chunks of warm French baguette. You’ll want to mop up every bit of tomato juices and vinaigrette from the platter.

Grilling patty pan squash or zucchini removes any lingering bitterness, just as grilling sliced onion renders it sweet and agreeable. Peppered with sweet corn and poblano, this hearty side salad can be enjoyed warm or cold with grilled steak, pork chops or fish. Chop leftovers into small bits to add to cooked pasta or to scramble into eggs for a weekend breakfast.

Ingredients matter when the recipes are so simple. This is the place to use up some of the fancy salts purchased on vacation or from specialty stores. Same goes for those special olive oils, which don’t stay fresh forever. Like farmers market produce, enjoy it while you can.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata and Pesto Vinaigrette

Makes 6 servings

Pesto vinaigrette, recipe follows

4 large or 5 medium-sized ripe heirloom tomatoes, in varying colors

1 to 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, in varying colors

Extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 carton (8 ounces net weight) mini burrata balls, about 2 ounces each

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1. Make pesto vinaigrette. If refrigerated, remove it and let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes. Shake or stir well.

2. Remove cores from heirloom tomatoes. Cut tomatoes through the stem end in half. Cut each half into 1/2-inch wide wedges. Arrange wedges on a serving platter.

3. Cut cherry tomatoes in half through the stem end. Scatter over the tomato wedges. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle everything with a little salt and pepper.

4. Just before serving, remove burrata from brine and place in center of tomatoes. Use a fork to break open the burrata balls to reveal their creamy centers. Drizzle Pesto vinaigrette over everything to your taste. Scatter basil leaves over all. Serve at room temperature.

Pesto Vinaigrette

Makes about 3/4 cup

1/3 cup homemade or refrigerated prepared pesto sauce

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or light honey

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Taste and adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate covered up to two days.

Grilled Patty Pan Squash, Corn and Poblano Salad

Makes 6 servings

6 medium-sized patty pan squash, or 2 medium-sized zucchini, ends trimmed

1 medium-sized red onion, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch thick rounds

1 large poblano pepper or red bell pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil for high-heat cooking, such as avocado oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

1 to 1 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels (from 2 cobs)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges, for serving

1. Cut patty pan squash in half through the stem end. (If using zucchini, cut them crosswise in half. Cut each half in half.) Put on a baking sheet. Add the onion slices to the baking sheet (keeping slices in rounds). Coat squash, onion and poblano with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium heat. Heat grill grate for 5 minutes. Add squash, onion and poblano to grill in a single uncrowded layer. Cover grill and cook until golden, about 4 minutes for squash or zucchini and 5 to 6 for onion and poblano. Turn everything over and cook to brown the other side, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove to the baking sheet.

3. Meanwhile, place corn kernels in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and cover tightly with plastic wrap vented at one corner. Microwave on high (100% power), stirring once or twice, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain off water.

4. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off the blackened skin. Cut it in half and scoop out seeds and remove stem. Rinse; pat dry, then cut into 1/2-inch dice.

5. Cut the squash and onion into bite-sized pieces. Put into a serving bowl. Add diced poblano, drained corn, olive oil and cumin. Toss gently to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with cilantro. Pass lime wedges for squeezing over salad.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2026 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.