Shopping locally is shopping sustainably.

We’re all trying to find ways to stay cool this summer—whether it’s spending the day at the pool, eating an ice cream cone or drinking a refreshing beverage. However, one long-term way to cool down that you might not be thinking about is buying local produce. Purchasing your goods from a farmer within a 100-mile radius of your home is a climate-conscious decision because it requires less transportation, which cuts down on carbon emissions. Local goods also taste better, retain more nutrients and are usually GMO-free. It’s better for the environment and it’s better for you.

Here’s a list of this month’s freshest produce:

Apples • Arugula • Beets • Blackberries • Blueberries • Broccoli • Cabbage • Cantaloupe • Carrots • Cauliflower • Celery • Chard • Cherries • Collard • Greens • Corn • Cucumbers • Eggplant • Fennel • Garlic • Grapes • Green onions • Scallions • Herbs • Kale • Melon • Mushrooms • Nectarines • Onions • Peaches • Pears • Peas • Peppers • Plums • Potatoes • Radishes • Raspberries • Spinach • Strawberries • Summer Squash • Tomatoes • Watermelon • Zucchini

You can find these items at one of Delaware’s many farm stands, open all summer long. (See bottom of article for listings.)

Summer Heirloom Tomato Tartlet

Put your fresh produce to good use with this Summer Heirloom Tomato Tartlet, courtesy of Susan Nelson, executive chef at Drip Café in Hockessin. Drip Café is an environmentally friendly business that commits itself to fresh, local and sustainable food.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces chilled unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) ice water, plus more as needed

For the filling:

• 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ pound heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• Kosher salt for finishing
• Small basil leaves for finishing

For the gastrique:

• 2 cups (16 ounces) white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

For the gastrique: Place sugar in a saucepan and caramelize on medium-high heat until bubbly and amber in color. Turn down heat and add balsamic vinegar; simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool while preparing the tart.

To make the tart dough, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt; pulse two or three times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the 1/4-cup of ice water and pulse three or four times. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more water, one teaspoon at a time, pulsing twice after each addition. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape into a five-inch disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness to fit a 10 ¼-inch round tart pan. Press the dough into the pan and trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang around the rim. Fold in the excess dough and press it into the sides so they are thicker than the bottom. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes.

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough, and fill the pan with pie weights (or any type of beans you might have in your pantry). Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the crust is baked through and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the tart pan.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan and basil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Use a small offset spatula to spread the mixture into the cooled tart shell. Top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with course kosher salt, the gastrique and basil leaves. Serve immediately. (Serves 8.)

New Castle County

Bright Spot Mobile Urban Farm Market • Various locations in Wilmington

Fifer Orchards • 807 Frenchtown Road East, New Castle

Filasky’s Produce • 1343 Bunker Hill Road, Middletown 

Highland Orchards Farm Market • 1431 Foulk Road, Wilmington 

John’s Homegrown and Farm Fresh Produce • 3055 Old County Road, Newark 

Marini Produce • 2121 Veale Road, Wilmington 

Willey Farms • 4092 Dupont Pkwy., Townsend 

Kent County

Ficner’s Farm • 1911 Fast Landing Road, Dover

Fifer Orchards, Inc. • 1919 Allabands Mill Road, Wyoming 

Fresh Connection • 9598 Coastal Hwy., Milford 

Hazeye Farms • 242 S. Dupont Hwy., Smyrna 

John’s Produce • 4693 Kenton Road, Dover 

Shiloh Lea Farm • 3716 Mahan Corner Road, Marydel 

Sussex County

Adams Fruit Market • 2239 Seashore Hwy., Greenwood 

Adkins Produce • 32008 Long Neck Road, Millsboro

Anderson’s Produce Market • 37458 Oyster House Road, Rehoboth Beach

Country Living Produce • 28086 Cross Keys Road, Millsboro 

Dawn’s Country Market • 30511 Cave Neck Road, Milton 

Evans Farms Produce • 9843 Seashore Hwy., Bridgeville 

Fifer Orchards Farm Market Cafe • 200 Cullen St., Dewey Beach

Garden Shack Farm • 19884 Beaver Dam Road, Lewes 

Givens Produce • 8947 Woodland Ferry Road, Laurel 

Little Wagon Produce • 2667 Seashore Hwy., Greenwood

Marvelous Produce • 22958 Sussex Hwy., Seaford 

T.S. Smith and Sons • 8887 Redden Road, Bridgeville 

Tomato Sunshine • 4312 Highway One North, Rehoboth Beach