Five ways I use FERMARY when the food gets simple and the days get long.
The moment June arrives, my cooking shifts. Summer makes me want food that feels generous and bright, without turning into a project. Plates you can build quickly, serve beautifully, and actually feel good after eating.
This is exactly why ferments belong at summer tables. They lift flavours, cut through richness, add crunch and tang - and they bring that “alive” feeling to the plate that makes everything feel more like summer. If you’re hosting, they make you look like you planned. If you’re not hosting, they make an ordinary meal feel like a holiday.
Here are five ways I’d love you to try ferments this summer.
1) Summer burgers + Smoke & Spice Kraut
This one is almost unfair because it’s so easy. Any burger - beef, chicken, halloumi, plant-based - becomes instantly more exciting with Smoke & Spice Kraut piled on top. Smoky, zingy, barbecue energy, even if you’re cooking indoors.
2) Labneh / hummus plates (the “holiday at home” dinner)
A bowl of labneh or hummus, good olive oil, herbs, something warm to scoop… and then the main event: ferments. Use Smoke & Spice for depth and warmth, or New Tropic Kimchi when you want brightness and lift. It’s the kind of plate people hover around and keep returning to.
Recipe: Labneh/hummus summer plates
3) New potato salad with a probiotic twist
New potatoes are pure June joy. The version I love is herby, light, and not weighed down — and then finished with New Tropic Kimchi for that tangy, zesty twist that makes the whole salad feel alive. If you want it to look like a restaurant plate, scatter a few summer flowers and call it a day.
4) Lazy luxury toast: avocado + smoked salmon + Pink Kimchi
This is my “three minutes but looks like I tried” favourite. Sourdough, avocado, smoked salmon — and then a generous pile of clean, crisp Pink Kimchi. It’s vibrant, fresh, lightly spicy, and turns breakfast, lunch or aperitivo into a moment.
5) Hot-day nibbles: cucumber + goat’s cheese + fridge-cold ferments
When it’s properly warm, I want cold, crisp, salty, bright. Slice cucumber, add crumbly goat’s cheese, and top with FERMARY ferments straight from the fridge. It’s the perfect little nibble before dinner, the perfect aperitivo bite, and the easiest way to eat something delicious and supportive when you don’t feel like cooking.
Summer is for enjoyment - and for food that makes you feel good after eating. If you want one tiny habit that supports your gut through barbecues, cheese boards, travel days and long lunches, make it this: keep ferments in the fridge and use them like seasoning.
Shop the FERMARY summer staples
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Enjoy the summer - and don’t forget your gut.
With love,
Elena & the FERMARY team
