The Best Recipes For Summer
Summer is absolute magic. Warmer weather means weekly farmers’ market visits and the very best produce! Here are the best recipes for summer eating!
A Note from Teri
We are diving wholeheartedly into summer with a selection of deliciously lighthearted eating that includes something for everyone. Summer is the best season for cooks and foodies like me. The tomatoes are plump, the peaches are juicy, and the produce options are endless!
Summer is full of wonderful options as local vegetables become ripe and ready to pop into a fantastic salad, a stir fry, or a side dish. Isn’t it just truly magical to eat fresh produce that’s been soaking up the sun? There’s no better way to eat. You can truly feel the life force when you eat vibrant, local produce! Plus, it’s grilling season! Grilling your protein will make everything you make that much better. Here are my favorite recipes for summer.
Salads to enjoy this summer!
Strawberry Cobb Salad
Does anything scream summer more than juicy, ripe strawberries? This joyful version is wonderful with crispy thick-cut bacon, which is so delicious with the jammy eggs. My Creamy Strawberry Chive Dressing perfectly unites the individual ingredients, and as a lily-guilder extraordinaire, of course I like to use two dressings! The creaminess of the strawberry dressing is fabulous on its own, but a bit of Marinated Red Onion Oil makes it even more delicious–what a combination!
Steak & Corn Salad
An amazing Steak and Grilled Corn Salad is the perfect recipe for summer and one that has gone viral for us! Good, clean eating is never more sumptuous than when the perfect steak meets a fresh, vibrant salad. The juicy steak meets sweet, summer corn on a bed of greens and herbs with a squeeze of lime. Can anything sound more delicious?
Celebration Salmon Salad with 999 Island Dressing
I like to call this salmon salad a celebration salad because it feels so festive and special. A beautiful large platter with all of your delicious ingredients is basically a showstopper at any dinner party. The best part is people can take exactly what they want and leave what they don’t want, so there is always something for everyone.
Lobster Cobb Salad
This Lobster Cobb Salad is simple but decadent and delicious. It’s perfect for a lunch or dinner party because it’s so easy to assemble when you are ready to eat. Luscious, creamy, and bright — this lobster cobb is a treat for all of your favorite eaters!
Sunshine Strawberry Salad
I can’t get enough of strawberries in the summer! This Strawberry Salad is perfectly balanced and truly a dynamite combination. It’s topped with a creamy dressing that’s crunchy from the almonds, briny from the green olives, and sweetened with strawberries.
Sunday Summer Salad
For me, a Sunday Salad is an opportunity to toss together all manner of deliciousness and enjoy the results. A variety of textures, flavors, fresh herbs, and a dressing that is quite simply off the charts combine to make this summer version of my Sunday Salad one of my favorite salads ever. We make this at least once a week in the kitchen!
Vegan Cobb with BBQ Marinated Mushrooms
I love this Vegan Summer Cobb! This salad is fun because it keeps things light and delicious for summer, but it’s also versatile depending on what’s in season. The Vegan Summer Cobb features beautiful summer tomatoes, avocado, fresh cut sweet corn that barely needs any cooking, the most amazing BBQ marinated mushrooms, and my vegan Smoky Red Pepper Sauce. It’s always a home run for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Appetizers & Grilled Summer Vegetable Goodness — Yum!
Pimento Cheese Dip
Pimento Cheese dip is a Southern dish, and I find it pretty addictive. My friend Jason serves it with chips and pickled vegetables, but it would also be lovely with your favorite summer vegetables. Trust me when I say you might want to make a double batch. It’s that dreamy! Perfect as a dip or a spread.
Green Goddess Dip
If you simply add 1/2 an avocado to my green goddess dressing recipe, you will end up with the most delectable dip! It will taste like summer in a bowl and pair wonderfully with grilled or raw vegetables!
Grilled Vegetable Platter
This is an absolute favorite for me for summer eating. Planks of green and yellow zucchini. As a gal that’s gluten free I am always looking for a little something that has a bite and this really hits the spot for me. Thinly sliced grilled zucchini can even easily be rolled up with Pistachio Pesto for roll-ups. Every bite is an amazing bite of deliciousness.
End of Summer Corn & Sausage Platter
One of the greatest things about summer is that the produce speaks for itself. Summer corn is unbelievably delicious, so I love having it as the star of the show. This easy summer corn and sausage platter is perfect for weekend cooking and celebrating! It’s easy to make and a total crowd pleaser. You could certainly do something like this on a skewer, but my preference is to keep it deconstructed.
Summer Pastas & Bowls
Roy’s Mangia Pasta
This tomato pasta sauce is so easy to make, you might never buy another jar of sauce again! The sauce begins by tossing lovely summer tomatoes with garlic, onions, herbs, and a little olive then roasting until the sweet and umami flavors of the tomatoes develop. Take the tomatoes out of the oven and give a quick toss with a little olive oil and presto, you’ve got your sauce! Toss the sauce with your favorite gluten-free or regular noodles, sausages, parmesan, and more herbs and you’re ready to eat!
Best Summer Pasta with Olive Chimichurri
My nutty, citrusy, and bright Olive Chimichurri brings fun to the party in summery pasta! With perfect shrimp, extra olives, parmesan, and a light buttery sauce this pasta is a slam dunk! This pasta is super easy to make and is sure to be one of your favorite recipes for summer! I’m a California olives superfan and this one of my favorite ways to have them!
Summer Corn and Zucchini Risotto
A risotto is a little more of a labor of love but totally worth it when you have the prime ingredients like summer corn and zucchini! The sweet corn and earthy zucchini matches the creamy risotto perfectly. Perfect for a slow lunch or pair it with some sautéed shrimp or steak for a lovely dinner.
Crispy Rice and Salmon Bowl
The cucumber, mango, avocado, and fish are topped with the fantastic crispy rice, a wonderful Sriracha mayo, and my new Tamari Green Onion Sauce. And yes! This Salmon Crispy Rice Bowl is a 10 out of 10!
Walking Tacos
I recently shared my take on a Walking Taco over on Substack, which is such a fun meal you can make for yourself, your kids, or friends! I made a fabulous Walking Taco using my sloppy Joe recipe and my riff on a “Chicago Style” walking taco that is out of this world! If you haven’t subscribed to my Substack, this is the kind of fun we’re getting up to, people! Hope you’ll join me there.
The Best Summer Sandwiches and Burgers
My Favorite BLT
Every summer is tomato summer, am I right? There’s nothing that sums up peak summer like a ripe, juicy tomato. A BLT knows this and asks for nothing more but gives you absolutely everything. Three simple ingredients give you a succulent sandwich. You can gild a lily and add a fabulous topping or two, but in truth, you don’t really need it.
The Chicken Caesar Wrap that started it all
Everyone loves a good wrap! This lettuce wrap is light, crunchy, and fresh alternative to its heavier counterparts. Filled with chicken, croutons, parmesan, and the most incredible homemade Caesar dressing! This is my first viral wrap, but I have so many others on my instagram page and on the blog, be sure to take a peek!
Crispy Chicken Burgers
My Crispy Chicken Burgers are a 10 out of 10. The combination of crispy outside and tender middle, then served on a soft bun with my tangy sauce, is kind of a revelation. While it is spectacular on a bun, it would be equally delicious served in a bowl or salad with greens. The panko-covered patty has such a wonderful texture, and it’s a little bit of a surprise when you bite into it perfectly and taste the sauce.
Marinated Tomato Sandwich
It’s still tomato-ville central over here and this sandwich is another slam dunk! After touring California farms with CA Grown, I was inspired to create a sandwich that tasted as fresh as everything I saw, smelled, and ate there! These deliciously marinated tomatoes are the perfect backdrop for creamy burrata or mozzarella, a bed of greens, and marinated red onions on a soft bread. As if that wasn’t enough, make my garlic confit whipped cream cheese spread and never look back.
There Is Always Room For Summer Desserts!
Gluten-free Ice Cream Pie
You can thank me later for this delicious ice cream pie! I am not much of a baker, so I absolutely love that this pie is so simple and no-cook. Get some of your favorite ice cream and get to making this amazing summer treat.
California Cherry Cobbler
Do you count down the days to cherry season? I do! I’m a true cherry-aficionado and have them in my kitchen all summer-long. This cobbler is the perfect, easy cherry dessert that is indulgent but not guilt-inducing!
Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae Bar
My ice cream sundae bar is the ultimate showstopper recipe for summer dessert! What’s not to love about scoops of decadent ice cream piled high with the most fabulous ice cream toppings, like hot fudge, candy bars, nuts, and sprinkles. Sundaes are fun for kids, but you definitely don’t have to be a kid to enjoy one.
Deliciously Easy Blueberry Compote
There’s something truly magical about a luscious blueberry compote, which you can use on everything from cottage cheese and toast to an ice cream topping. Made with incredible California Grown Blueberries, it’s the perfect recipe for Summer. My favorite way to enjoy this is on a slice of plain cake with a heaping spoonful of whipped cream. Delicious!
Frozen Chocolate and Fruit Bark
Last but not least is this an unexpected winner! We had so much fun making this quick and easy sweet bite. I don’t have a recipe for this one but you can head to my Instagram reel to follow along! All you do is drizzle melted chocolate over some washed and dried blueberries on a parchment lined plate or tray and freeze! Just a few hours later you’ll have the most amazing frozen treat. We’ve made this with cherries and blackberries and they’re all home runs.
If you make any of my favorite recipes for summer, be sure to review them below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!
These summer recipes look delicious — so fresh and vibrant! I especially like that there are both sweet and savoury options. Can’t wait to try the berry salad and grilled veggies combo.
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What a wonderful collection of recipes for the season! Reading this post actually inspired me to finally host a little backyard dinner party this past weekend. I was able to find all the serving platters and tools I needed from the qvc, read reviews at https://qvc.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html, which was such a help and made the whole process feel relaxed instead of stressful. Using your marinade for the chicken was the highlight – everyone asked for the recipe. Thank you for always sharing such approachable and joyful ideas; they truly make summer feel more special.
Summer truly is a magical time with all the fresh produce at farmers’ markets! I love how this article highlights the best summer recipes, especially the emphasis on salads, grilled veggies, and summer desserts.
Can’t wait to try the berry salad and grilled veggies combo.
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I totally agree that summer produce is unbeatable! Your recipes sound like the perfect way to celebrate the season’s flavors. It reminds me of how the beauty of nature often ties back to inspiration found in daily reflections, like a random Bible verse that encourages us to appreciate our blessings.