At Eleven Eleven Mississippi, a bounty of heirloom tomatoes—burly red-and-orange–striped Solar Flares, diminutive Blue Cream Berries, giant orange Amanas, dark Cherokee Purples—are showing up in salads, relishes, and specials. Look for fresh ingredients in favorite Italian dishes, too. “We have our classic eggplant Parmesan and grilled eggplant in heirloom varieties such as Antigua, Fairy Tale, and Orient Charm,” says general manager Bob Colosimo. The produce comes from Hamilton Farms, Hamilton Hospitality’s ever-expanding source of fresh produce, honey, and eggs.
Café Osage takes full advantage of summertime favorites with a chickpea toast. Chef Scott Davis toasts brioche bread, then slathers it with roasted eggplant and a pepper spread made of produce from the fields at Bowood Farms. “We add tahini yogurt and a poached egg,” says Davis, “and top it with an Israeli salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, fresh herbs, and roasted chickpeas.”
Vicia’s onsite perennial gardens include herbs, edible flowers, and native foods, including aronia berries, blended into deep-magenta sorbets and desserts for late summer. Try freshly picked Alpine strawberries, also known as wild strawberries. “The berries are so fragile, they can’t be picked ahead of time,” says co-owner Tara Gallina. Quaff a cocktail made with an infusion of lemongrass or lemon verbena. Or enjoy a liqueur made from the Gallinas’ dandelions, bottled in the spring and uncorked in late summer.
