This was my first summer living in Montana after moving from Texas, which means I’ve now officially experienced every season in my new home!
And what a season it was. I eloped to the love of my life in May, we took a road trip to Bend, Oregon, camped in Coeur d’Alene, hiked in Glacier National Park, floated the river, and hosted friends and family all season long.
But honestly?
My favorite part of summer was biking to our local farmers market.
Montana Summer Harvest
Montana’s summer harvest is different than what I was used to in Texas—the vegetables here are huge. I made it a goal to buy the majority of my food from local farmers, and here are 3 things I learned:
Clean eating can get expensive: This is probably my only “con” (and maybe a hot take)—but my wallet hurt this summer. I found myself spending triple what I usually do on groceries. It made me feel a little discouraged, because I genuinely wanted to support local and eat clean, but the cost adds up fast. Thankfully, I found a sweet lady selling eggs for $3/dozen and that helped a lot.
Tomatoes, zucchini, and lettuce were on repeat: These three were always in my bag. I never got sick of them and looked forward to building meals around them every week. The flavor? Unreal.
There was enough to go around: At first, I felt like I needed to race to the “best” booths. But by mid-summer, I realized there was more than enough. Montana is full of local farmers with amazing produce. Back in Texas, I always felt like you had to get there early or you’d miss out—but here, I never left empty handed.
My Top Favorite Summer Recipes of 2025
Here’s a roundup of the recipes I made on repeat this summer. Some are new discoveries, others are simple staples that brought me joy week after week.
Sourdough Cheese-Its: This was my sourdough summer. After months of trial and error, I finally got it down—and once I did, I went all in: crackers, cookies, breads, and pizza. My favorite recipe? Sourdough discard cheese-its. They’re crunchy, cheesy, and wildly addicting.
Camp Chef Smoker: I was intimidated at first—I wasn’t sure how much smoke was “normal,” and I didn’t want to bother my neighbors. But once I got the hang of it, I loved it. My go-to was seasoned steak, sliced zucchini, and quartered potatoes tossed in olive oil and salt. The smoker gave everything this rich, deep flavor I couldn’t get any other way.
Homemade Shallot Vinaigrette: This dressing changed everything. I used to buy a balsamic “organic” dressing weekly—until I realized it was packed with preservatives. I sautéed the shallots and garlic in the olive oil first, and oh my gosh… the flavor! I literally crave salads now. You could skip the Dijon if you want to go fully preservative-free—it’s still delicious.
Homemade Sourdough Pizza in My Camp Chef Pizza Oven: This was the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Once I mastered my sourdough pizza dough and sauce, we started hosting weekly pizza nights. It became our summer tradition. My go-to combo:
As the weather cools and the farmers market season winds down, I’m already feeling nostalgic. But I try to embrace every season, and I know summer will return. For now, I’ll take these recipes and memories with me into fall—and start dreaming about what I’ll grow in the garden next year.
