Hot Town, Summer in the Greenhouse

Summa time… and the livin’s easy. Bradley's on the microphone with Ras-MG.

Neither Bradley OR Ras-MG is writing this, but we too are all about living that easy summer lifestyle. Time seems to just slow down a bit in the warm summer sun. Cool breezes, lush fields of green grass, lingering sunsets, and juicy watermelons. Hopefully a cold pool (and maybe an icy margarita) nearby... These are all part of a classic summer lineup.

This heat is perfect for more than just beach goers. Our glass greenhouse gladly sucks up those beautiful rays and transforms them into some of the most delicious microgreens you’ve ever tasted. In our world, sunlight equals flavor – so the increase in sunlight time and intensity means our tiny plants grow even faster, and with a higher nutrient content. Summer heat for the win!

We’ve got a few varieties that really stand out to us this time of year. Those quintessential summer flavors that are just begging to be devoured on a beach dock or poolside. You know the ones… light and refreshing – with big bold flavors that pair well with a cold glass of wine or a well-crafted cocktail. So without further ado, here’s our very own…

Top 10 List of Flavour Fields Ingredients You Should Be Using This Summer Season

1. Tangerine Cress

This is one of those microgreens that elicits an incredible reaction from just about everyone. Fragrant and floral, tender texture, and mouthwatering citrus flavor make this green an easy add to our summer list. Try it muddled in a cocktail, sprinkled over a chilled tuna crudo, or dotting a dessert of apricot crostata and vanilla bean ice cream.

2. Toasted Wasabi Sesame Seeds

Wasabi is usually one of those things, you either love it or you hate it. Not the case with our Toasted Wasabi Sesame Seeds. These crunchy little morsels are totally snack worthy and can easily be eaten by the handful. The toasted sesame seeds are coated with a wasabi sauce and then dried, several times to create a crisp texture and potent (but not searing) wasabi heat. Unbeatable on seared rare tuna, or even a juicy grilled filet mignon.

3. Pepquinos

This is the only item Flavour Fields produces that isn’t available year round – which means it’s a summertime stunner! These tiny cucumbers look just like micro watermelons and have a kickass flavor to go along with their wild appearance: Crunchy, juicy, and slightly tart. Rest them on the edge of a watermelon mojito, slice them over a spicy ceviche, or pop them right into your mouth like grapes.

4. Basil Cress –

At Flavour Fields we grow not one, two, or even three types of Basil. We grow FOUR! That’s right, four different types of beautiful basil: Mint Basil, Italian Basil, Opal Basil, and Lemon Basil. All of these grow year round, but they really hit their stride in the summertime. Perfect for those slices of ripe juicy tomatoes, spun with parmesan and pine nuts for a knockout pesto, or muddled into a fragrant basil shrub cocktail.

5. Marigold Flowers –

If summer had its own mascot flower, the marigold would be it! Our beautiful Marigold Flowers are offered both as a whole flower and picked petals. With their fragrant citrusy kick, they make it a piece of cake to create stunning plates and cocktails. Drop a few onto a peach bellini, a nectarine crostata, or even a slab of grilled salmon with summer squash.

6. Cumeo Tailed Peppercorn

The Flavour Fields line of spices is all knock-out, but the Cumeo Tailed Peppercorn really steals the summer show. Bursting with fresh citrusy flavors, it can be applied to anything from cocktails to desserts. Try infusing it into a simple syrup to pair with gin and St. Germain, or crushing it over lightly roasted halibut.

7. Nasturtium Flowers and Leaves

Our Nasturtium is really a one-two punch. Both the leaves and flowers of this unique plant are edible and totally breathtaking. Visually, they scream summer. The lime green lily pad leaves have a spicy hot horseradish flavor – well suited for garnishing summer vegetables and fresh ocean fish. The flowers are bright and vibrant hues of orange, red, and yellow. Spicy and peppery with a sweet honey finish.

8. Crazy Salt

Not as crazy as it sounds, but so delicious. Our Crazy Salt is a blend of Pyramid Salt (crunchy salt from Cyprus) with several different herbs and spices. The deep red color alone is reminiscent of a sunset. This is your go-to garnishing salt for the summer season. Anything (and we mean anything) that comes off of your grill this summer should be getting a sprinkle of this stuff. You’ll thank us later.

9. Helios Cress

It isn’t possible to get any more summery than bright yellow sunflowers in a big open field. That’s exactly where the inspiration for our Helios Cress came from! Crunchy and juicy with flavors of toasted sunflower seeds, it makes the perfect addition to a cold watermelon and feta salad or even a lobster roll topper – don’t let summer go by without it!

10. Popcorn Shoots

Corn is the true king of summer. We dream all winter long of crunching into that first bite of buttery roasted corn. We’ve turned that dream into a microgreen! Our Popcorn Shoots are actually the first young sprout of the corn plant. They contain all the sugars and flavor the future corn plan will need – but because they’re picked so small they harness all of those intense corn flavors in a single bite! Garnish a corn ice cream with blueberry cake, a fresh crab cake, or a smoky grilled pork chop.

And there you have it! All of these beauties would be a formidable accompaniment to your summer menu this season. They’re meant to pair perfectly with ripe summer vegetables, grilled meats and seafood, and juicy sweet summer fruits. Slather that sunscreen, don those sunglasses, and ice the drinks. Summer is here chef! Flavour Fields has everything you need to make it one for the record books.