31 Recipes to Make in August

Local lore has it that this ceviche variation from Sinaloa, in Northwest Mexico, was originally adapted by inland communities who loved scallops but couldn't always get them. Applying a salt-and-ice brine to the more plentiful sea bass gives the fish a creamy texture that mimics the sweet flesh of scallops. But the secret of this recipe by Javier Cabral and Paola Briseño González is Sinaloa's irresistible salsa negra, made with soy sauce and fresh lime juice. You'll want to pour it over everything.

Freeze these hand pies up to a month in advance and pop in the oven for an impressive last-minute dessert.

Potlikker (or pot likker or pot liquor as it's sometimes spelled) is the savory, starchy liquid left over after cooking beans or greens. Here, chef Joe Kindred whisks the über-flavorful liquid into a vinaigrette, but you can also use it in soups and pasta sauces, or thicken it with butter and drizzle over fish.

No ice cream maker is required for this nutty-meets-fruity custard-based dessert. If you'd like to switch things up, you can also swap out the cherries and pistachios for fixings like chopped chocolate-covered pretzels or chopped halvah.

In this buttery upside-down cake, pastry chef Joanne Chang foregoes pineapples for juicy summer plums.

Andrea Slonecker calls this dish "the perfect pre-dinner snack on a summer evening." To serve, cut a slit in the top layer of the charred husks, top the goat cheese with a drizzle of honey and the corn relish, and enjoy with grilled crostini.

This Cacio e Pepe Broccolini with Crispy White Beans and Burrata captures the rich, elegant, simple flavors of the classic Italian pasta and rounds them out with bitter charred broccolini and crispy, creamy, flash-fried white beans. It's a hearty and healthy late-summer meal.

Turmeric gives the rustic crust of this tomato pie a glorious golden glow, but the real star (other than the ripe summer tomatoes) are the sweet and tangy tamarind onions, which complement the spiced, cheesy filling beautifully.

Oven-roasted grapes develop a concentrated, caramelized flavor; paired with tequila, they give these deeply purple ice pops a grown-up twist. Use seedless grapes to prevent the juice from turning bitter when puréed.

Green goddess dressing—a retro favorite—gets a smoky upgrade from charred parsley and scallions. Barely grilled baby lettuces double down on the flavor while retaining their sweet crunch.

This summer blockbuster panzanella from Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, pairs oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers. Grated tomato adds a gentle acidity and chunky texture to the vinaigrette, helping it cling to every bite.

Epazote is a leafy herb with a pungent, bright flavor, with notes of citrus, mint, and oregano. It lends a savory depth to the summer squash, and pairs particularly well with dairy. Leaving the queso fresco in larger chunks allows it to soften slightly, but not completely melt into the dish.

A mix of canned whole peeled tomatoes and tomato purée creates the perfect silky, but still chunky, texture in the sauce.

Late summer in Louisiana is boggy hot; this refreshing dish from Chef Isaac Toups comes to the rescue with sweet-tart segments of juicy tangerine and uses just a teaspoon of Dijon to create a creamy, balanced sauce. Thai chile brings a touch of heat, while a flurry of mint, basil, and parsley highlight the natural sweetness of fresh crab.

Seasoning boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a classic, Southern fried chicken spice blend and dill pickle juice makes for the juiciest, crunchiest fried chicken sandwiches. Choose a dill pickle brine without much sugar, which can burn during cooking.

Typically cooked low and slow, these boneless short ribs get perfectly tender on the grill. A quick brush with fish sauce adds a layer of umami, while the brown sugar rub provides a shortcut to charred flavor. Thinly sliced and topped with a charred scallion gremolata, they're right at home on your late-summer plate.

These demure birds get a punch of bold flavor and crimson color from the annatto seeds in the flavorful marinade; also known as achiote seeds, they're available at most Latin markets. Choose firm peaches for this recipe; they'll hold up best on the grill and soften nicely as they cook.

A thick paste of garlic, shallots, and herbs infuses this lamb with bold flavor; marinate overnight for best results. Don't skip the Demi-Butter and the Balsamic Glaze; both recipes come together quickly, can be made ahead, and add game-changing flavor to this epic summer feast.

These hot dogs from Claudette Zepeda are an homage to the Sonoran hot dog—the cilantro crema and kimchi slaw can be made up to two days ahead of time.

Hidden beneath a mound of juicy summer berries, a thin layer of sweetened sour cream crowns this luscious no-fuss cheesecake based on Andrae Bopp's great-grandmother's recipe. Dollop the fluffy batter into the pan gently for the best results.

Nopales, the paddles of cactus plants, get tender, smoky, and soft on a comal or griddle, picking up a strong char from the hot cast iron. High-heat cooking also tempers their natural sourness and reduces their slippery texture, leaving the cactus paddles pleasantly juicy. Tucked into fresh tortillas with some charred spring onions and jalapeños and served with rice and black beans, they make for a very satisfying vegetarian meal.

These veggie burgers hit every satisfying, savory note with a hearty mix of pearl barley, chickpeas, mushrooms, and crispy panko. For the sturdiest patties, evenly distribute the panko by stirring the mixture until very well-combined.

In this recipe for plant-based nachos, pita chips are drizzled with a feta queso and then laden with lentil chili, harissa-spiked pickled cabbage, and a dollop of creamy labneh. Make the chips, queso, and cabbage ahead of time to help this dish come together easily, or use store-bought pita chips. The tangy feta queso gets its smooth body from the addition of red lentils and is a versatile ingredient on its own, says Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville, Massachusetts: "We use this queso in mac and cheese and sub it in as a sauce for eggplant parm or moussaka."

For her jackfruit tacos recipe, Jocelyn Ramirez, cookbook author and chef at Todo Verde in Los Angeles, uses cumin, chile flakes, and salt to capitalize on the pulled-pork texture of jackfruit, transforming it into a plant-based taco filling that tastes like carnitas.

Let the farmers market be your guide when it comes to this cobbler—any mixture of fresh summer stone fruits and berries can be cooked down to make the perfectly sweet-tart, jammy filling.

For those who aren't fond of okra's gooey quality, there are two surefire ways to keep it in check: high-heat cooking and a dose of acid. Food & Wine Executive Editor Karen Shimizu's recipe for okra tempura with a zippy dipping sauce incorporates both. The "fonzu" sauce—inspired by ponzu—uses lime juice instead of harder-to-find yuzu and a shortcut of fish sauce instead of steeping in katsuobushi. Scoring the okra from the tip almost all the way to the stem before frying it provides more surface area for the tempura batter to cling to, for extra crunch, while leaving the okra substantial enough to stay tender on the inside.

This gloriously sloppy sub is the creation of Pinky Cole, founder of the popular Atlanta-based Slutty Vegan, and Derrick Hayes, Philly native and founder of Big Dave's Cheesesteaks. In Cole's Dinkies Cheezesteak—a plant-based version of Hayes' meat-packed hoagie—plant-based meat gets piled into toasted rolls with tender peppers, onions, and gooey pools of vegan cheese. Slutty Vegan's signature seasoning blend is available online, or you can substitute regular seasoned salt.

Hetal Vasavada channeled her love for kachumber—a fresh, cucumber-based Indian salad—to inspire this exciting riff on the classic chilled summery soup. Warm spices and a hint of chile add flavor and heat without overwhelming the fresh tomatoes; sev—a crispy chickpea noodle snack—adds a pleasant crunch.

The former chef of 232 Bleecker in New York City and Gramercy Tavern alumna Suzanne Cupps gives silky, sweet-spicy honey-glazed roasted carrots the main-dish treatment, serving them atop ricotta-smeared flatbread with a drizzle of bright basil chermoula. Use leftover chermoula to top sliced tomatoes, grilled eggplant, or tofu.

These lightly spiced, fruity vegan cupcakes have a tender and delicate crumb with a soft texture from the full-fat oat milk and a blend of baking soda and baking powder. The frosting is soft after beating but will pipe beautifully and is surprisingly stable. Its bright lemon flavor and light, melt-in-your-mouth quality are similar to Swiss or Italian meringue buttercreams.

Cherry tomatoes are roasted on a sheet pan and then cooked down with garlic, a pinch of sugar, and olive oil until the liquid has thickened for this quick, fresh tomato sauce. Use Sun Gold tomatoes for a stunning orange sauce, but if they're not available, use any small, sweet cherry tomatoes you can find.