If you ask the team at Imperfect, now is the time to really get excited about summer fruits and veggies. And while it was hard for us to pick our favorites from such a bounty of delicious options, here are a few that stood out from the bunch.

Picks from our Produce Team

Heirloom Tomatoes

Hillary Craig, our Senior Produce Manager, thinks about our fresh heirloom tomatoes all winter long. Well, the sun is out and the wait is over!

Hillary recommends really savoring these flavorful tomatoes by enjoying them sliced with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprig of fresh basil. And she certainly wouldn’t say no to a few slices of fresh mozzarella either. 

Watermelon 

Category Manager Rodrigo Velasquez grew up in rural central Chile, where he felt tremendously lucky to have access to exceptional fruits and veggies. But for Rodrigo, nothing compares to a watermelon on a hot day. He remembers spending long summer afternoons as a kid looking for the perfect watermelon on his neighbor’s field. He’d pick the biggest one he could find and enjoy it under the shade of a willow tree. As Rodrigo points out: “There are not many other fruits that you can eat with a spoon.”

Summer Squash & Corn 

Category Manager Riley Greenberg lives for summer squash season as it’s when she gets to make her favorite dinner-for-a-hot-day: calabacitas. It’s a colorful dish full of fresh squash roasted with summer veggies like corn, tomatoes, and sweet onions topped with warming herbs.

Ataulfo Mangoes

Kelsey Forbes, our fruit Category Manager and self-described “gazpacho monster,” is stoked for a lot of summer produce but is particularly keen on ataulfo mangos. Ours come to you from Ciruli Brothers orchard, a grower that really goes the extra mile to make sure their mangoes and the environment they need to grow is mango-nificent.

More Imperfect Picks

Peaches

Sara Utz, Lead Designer, thinks peach season is the best part of summer. Why? Because it’s when stone fruits are at their peak! In the U.S., stone fruit season starts in late May and runs until October. Peaches are generally the first up in May, followed by apricots and nectarines. Finally, plums trundle in around June and July. Now is the perfect time to try this recipe for Simple Grilled Peaches with Honey and Thyme.

Golden Kiwis

Riding in on the new arrivals wave are summer fruits like golden kiwis. Our golden kiwis are palm-sized balls of sunshine that are a little smaller than what grocery stores prefer. Social Media Manager Codi Leitner adds, “Golden kiwis are so sweet and delicious, and I just learned that you can eat the whole thing, skin and all!”

Strawberries

Contrary to what the grocery store may suggest, strawberry season is not year-round. But luckily, it’s right now! We often stock up on the extra small strawberries retailers won’t buy. But little do they know, smaller typically means sweeter. Art Director Irene Lee adds “Our strawberries are so sweet and unbelievably juicy.” Irene recommends strawberries in a vibrant Japanese Sando or sip on them in this Refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonade.

Cherries

Cherry season is heating up and will be hot hot hot for the next few months. Our cherries come in all sorts of unique shapes and sizes. Some come in doubles, and others have nose-like “spurs,” which means grocery stores won’t buy them. Maddy Rotman, Head of Sustainability, says cold cherries are the perfect snack. “Whatever I don’t eat, I’ll make into a crumble. It’s a win win.” Have some leftover cherries after snacking? Try this Classic Cherry Cobbler.