Weeknight Luxe: Stretch Your Seafood Dollars at the Farmers Market This Summer
Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty
Produced in partnership with Mass Farmers Markets
A little lobster goes a long way in these light, flavorful summer tacos—luxury made practical. With just a quarter pound of tender lobster augmented by sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado and a zesty cilantro lime aïoli, they’re bright, a little spicy and perfect for warm evenings. Quick to assemble and full of seasonal flavor, they’ll instantly elevate your next backyard hang. Grab lobster from your local seafood vendor, and hit your farmers market for the rest.
Lobster Tacos with Summer Slaw & Spicy Cilantro Lime Aïoli
By Chef Geoff Gardner, Captain Marden’s Seafoods
Makes 4 tacos
From your farmers market:
4 ounces cooked lobster meat chopped into bite sized pieces (from Captain Marden’s or local seafood vendor)
1½ cups shredded cabbage (mix of green and red)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 ear fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob
½ cup diced ripe tomato
From your kitchen pantry:
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
From your local grocer:
2 limes
½ avocado
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Toss the chopped lobster with the juice of half a lime and salt and pepper to taste; set aside to marinate. In a separate bowl, make the slaw: Combine the cabbage, corn, tomato, avocado, 1 tablespoon cilantro, juice of half a lime, olive oil and more salt and pepper to taste. For the aïoli, stir together the mayo, remaining tablespoon cilantro, garlic, cayenne, paprika and juice of half a lime until smooth. Warm the tortillas on a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame until lightly charred. To assemble, spread aïoli on each tortilla, top with slaw and divide the lobster evenly. Garnish with more cilantro and wedges of the remaining half lime, if desired.
Notes on Sourcing:
For fresh lobster meat, visit Captain Marden’s Seafoods at the Kendall Square Farmers Market, Rocky Neck Fish at the Fish & Farm Market, or C&C Lobster at the Central and Davis Square farmers markets. Seasonal produce like cabbage, corn, tomatoes and cilantro is readily available at your local farmers market. Pantry staples—like mayo, olive oil, avocados, limes and spices—can be found at home or your neighborhood grocery store.
This recipe was produced by Mass Farmers Markets, a nonprofit dedicated to growing farmers markets across Massachusetts. Find your local market and explore seasonal recipes at massfarmersmarkets.org/markets.
This recipe appeared as sponsored content in the Summer 2025 issue.
