Summer Flavors

Cooking seasonally is a constant source of inspiration for our chefs as new ingredients arrive every day. The discipline of produce coming and going compels us to truly savor the most of each ingredient while it’s in season—so, we invent unexpected ways to use it, try bold pairings and honor the bounty of our garden. We sat down with a few members of the team to chat about their favorite Summer ingredients and the dishes and drinks they inspire.

Chef at The Barn

Chef Cassidee Dabney

What summer ingredient are you most excited about and why?
Corn. I love all kinds of corn, including sweet corn, popping corn and drying corn. Few things are better than a roasted ear of sweet corn.

What new, exciting changes will be coming to your summer menus?
Summertime is perfect for a lighter, more vegetable-centric menu.

Director of Food & Beverage

Andy Chabot

What summer ingredient are you most excited about and why?
Mine is okra. It’s absolutely great when cooked on the grill, which I love to do in the Summer. Plus, it just keeps on growing so you can harvest it all Summer long while using relatively little space in your garden. It’s easy to freeze and then cook in the Winter months. You can cut it before freezing so that you can easily use it for fried okra in the Winter. I am also excited about juleps and garden margaritas, as well as copious amounts of rosé!

Chef at The Main House

Chef Josh Feathers

What summer ingredient are you most excited about and why?
I am really looking forward to using great Summer ingredients like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squashes. You can taste the essence of the season in each bite.

What new, exciting changes will be coming to your summer menus?
The Summer Saturday buffets on the veranda! We look forward to great weather and great food with our guests

Chef at The Dogwood

Chef Sarah Steffan

What summer ingredient are you most excited about and why?
All the fresh Summer herbs! They add so much more depth to our dishes. If you grind them in a mortar and pestle, it brings out all the aromatic nuances of the oils in the herbs. And they’re also delicious fresh. We use them to make marinades, puréed into vinaigrettes or as a fresh salad on top of simple dishes like salmon or tomatoes.

What new, exciting changes will be coming to your summer menus?
Tomatoes! As well as Marcona almond pesto with our Brebis cheese-stuffed pasta.