Some of Our Favorite Summer Recipes

When the weather is warm, we all tend to cook differently. Food feels fresher, there’s more and better fruit readily available, maybe you’ve got a grill that gets put to use (Mark uses his in the winter, too). Personally, I always feel an organic reset on cooking — I feel more inspired, plus I have go-tos that I have to make every summer, like the Silver Palate pasta with brie and tomatoes and Mark’s pasta with clams. For Holden, it’s the season of the hot dog, since once he tasted a grilled hot dog, he refused to have them any other way. (Who can blame him?)

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Okay, that’s enough of that. Here’s a little summer recipe collection — a carefully chosen group of things to make, perfect for now. There’s something for everyone here — and you should let us know what your favorite things to cook in the summer are, too. (If you’ve never made the aforementioned Silver Palate pasta, welcome to the cult.)

Perfect for parties

• Char Siu Baby Back Ribs: This iconic Chinese sauce is easier than messing with smoke. It pairs wonderfully with chicken as well, or try it brushed over slices of eggplant or tofu.
• Paella: Paella is party food at its finest, served as a communal dish in the center of the table for friends and family to help themselves.
• Chipotle Chicken Wings with Lime Crema Dipping Sauce: If you want to save some time, buy “party wings”—already separated into drumettes and wingettes—instead of whole chicken wings.

Apps and starters

• Provoleta: A cast-iron pan is a must for this, preferably small. (A 5-inch square pan is the perfect size for a 3/4-inch-thick slice of cheese; a 6-inch round pan is runner-up.)
• Radishes with Butter and Sea Salt : Grilling the radishes for this classic French combination accomplishes three things: It tames their pepperiness, warms them gently, and leaves you with the tangy greens as a bonus.
• Corn Chowder: I know corn on the cob is available most of the year, but promise me you’ll make this soup only in the summer, when the corn is as fresh and sweet as possible.
• Summer Rolls: Think of this recipe as an outline for any kind of summer roll you like; the filling can be anything from tofu to shredded vegetables to slices of fruit.

Salads and sides

• Pan‐Roasted Corn Salad with Black Beans: Black beans are almost smoky, and roasted corn emphasizes that taste while adding an element of sweetness; acidity and heat keep all the flavors balanced. 
• Quick-Pickled Charred Vegetables: We’re finicky about my pickles, and this technique is amazing. Avoid vegetables that soften quickly, like summer squash, because they need to char but retain some crunch for the brining step. 
• Tofu Larb: An homage to a more traditional majestic larb — in big part because there’s no meat in it.
• Cherry Tomato Salad with Soy Sauce: If you have time, let this salad sit at room temperature for up to 15 minutes to release some of the juice from the tomatoes and create a deeply flavored mahogany-colored glaze.

Tomato-centric

• Tomatoes Stuffed with Chickpeas and Rice: Grilled tomatoes make a delicious edible container for all kinds of savory fillings. Once stuffed, they’re cooked with indirect heat so the tomato won’t burst while absorbing the flavor of the fire.
• Tomato and Tofu, from Hetty Lui McKinnon: There are many dishes that stir my culinary nostalgia, but there is something deeply comforting about tomato and egg, a taste of home for the Chinese kids all over the world. This is my latest take on this dish, with all the same flavors, but the egg has been replaced with silky soft tofu.
• White Beans and Fresh Tomatoes with Parmesan Toast: A bright summertime stew, perfect for under- or overripe seasonal tomatoes. Thick slices of Parmesan-topped toast answer the call for something crusty and crunchy to dip into it.
• Grilled or Broiled Tomatoes: Extreme heat yields super-juicy results and a new way to enjoy tomatoes.

Seafood

• Clams Casino: In this version, the clams are opened, leaving them on the half shell, and the filling piled on top of the whole clams before putting them on the grill.
• Bacon-Wrapped Butterflied Trout with Lemon-Scallion Relish: This is a real indulgence: One, bacon; and two, a serving is an entire fish. You can do it. 
• Fish Steamed over Summer Vegetables: Versatile and foolproof, this “ratatouille-plus” recipe provides both fish and side dish in one fell swoop.

Perfect warm weather pastas

• The Silver Palate‘s Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil (and Brie): Kate’s make-it-every-summer pasta. Unusual and wonderful and decadent.
• Steamed Clams with Pasta: When you have access to really good clams, this is the way to go. We prefer to take them out of their shells for serving.

Secret-ingredient burgers

• Secret-Ingredient Stovetop Burgers: It’s anchovies.
• Bulgur Beet Burgers with Ginger: Dried fruit is the secret ingredient in these rich burgers. 
• Buttermilk-Crusted Backyard (or Stovetop) Burgers: Secret-coating–blizzarding your burgers in buttermilk powder before cooking creates a crust and seals in juices, even at relatively low temperatures.
• The Ultimate Tofu Burger: Secret-technique—don’t press the tofu.

Something sweet

• Grilled Cheese and Watermelon Skewers: An unexpected and delicious summertime entrée.
• Lemon-Lime Gelée: All sorts of flavors are possible here, from sweet-tart lemon-lime to coffee to coconut, and they’re all perfect on a summer day or when you want something light and refreshing.
• Fresh Fruit Salsa: To take this chunky, pico de gallo–style recipe in a different direction, replace the tomatoes with a couple of cups fruit.
• Summer Pudding: A much lighter, simpler version of a trifle, and among the best ways to showcase berries.
• Fresh Berry Tart with Vanilla Pudding Filling: We prefer a berry tart topped with a “salad” of macerated berries rather than fussily arranged and glazed fruit. The other surprise here is vanilla pudding, which is a lot like traditional pastry cream. 
• Fifteen-Minute Fruit Gratin: Holy strawberry heaven (or any other fruit you can get your hands on). Topped with heavy cream and sugar, and then broiled. What could go wrong?