Editors' Picks: 17 Recipes We're Making This Summer

The build-up to summer is always full of excitement. Dreams of warmer weather, cooling off in the pool, and of course, seasonal recipes. (Hello, tomatoes and grilled corn.) Now that we're in the thick of it, we asked our editors which dishes they're looking forward to making for the rest of the season. Plenty are turning to outdoor cooking with recipes including Grilled Mushrooms with Smoked Crème Fraîche and Grilled Pork Chops with Burst Blueberry Sauce; others have their eyes on desserts like Royal Falooda and Honey Lavender Ice Cream. The spread also includes pasta salads, cold cucumber soup, and even smoked turkey. Read on for all 17 recipes we have on our menus.

"I had the great pleasure of working with Chef Samantha Fore of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites in Lexington, KY on this curry-laced take on classic Southern tomato pie. The aroma of turmeric and black pepper mingle with a riff on pimento cheese, studded with serrano chiles, and topped with tamarind-caramelized onions. I make this pie on repeat all summer long." –Mary-Frances Heck, Senior Food Editor

"To me, there's nothing that screams 'summer' more than charred sweet corn. I love Traci Des Jardins' recipe for Grilled Corn with Cotija and Quicos, or corn nuts, since it combines salty, spicy, and crunchy all in one. This dish is the ultimate summertime side, and leftovers are great for tossing into a salad or pasta dish the next day." –Nina Friend, Associate Features Editor

"For me, summer cooking is all about easy, and this pasta salad is exactly that. It barely takes 15 minutes, leans on high-quality store-bought ingredients for big flavor, and makes a big impression at a potluck. File this recipe under: back pocket pasta salad." –Josh Miller, Food Editor

"Turkey is just too good to save for the holiday season. Fire up your grill and follow Rodney Scott's instructions for this Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey to feed a crowd. This recipe is easy enough for a beginner to master and yields a beautifully smoked bird with just a touch of heat and nice tang from the vinegar-cayenne mopping sauce." –John Somerall, Recipe Tester/Developer

"This sauce was seriously good. You start by grinding barley and then toasting it to make the sauce. The barley helps thicken everything up along with adding some starch. Sweet, aromatic, a little boozy from the sake and mirin." –Anna Theoktisto, Recipe Developer/Tester 

"I'm eyeing this salad recipe as my lunch solution for the summer. With plenty of veggies, a generous handful of feta, and a dose of hot sauce in the dressing, it's simple and delicious—perfect for repeating for weeks on end. Plus, the addition of Kamut berries adds a new-to-me make-ahead grain to my repertoire." –Winn Duvall, Copy Editor

"This recipe calls for cooking the halibut in a pan, but during the summer I grill it instead—a quick, easy and delicious alternative. Four cups of parsley for the sauce seems like a lot, but it isn't once you whiz everything in a blender; in fact, I usually make double the amount, because the sauce is also terrific drizzled on an omelet, or on grilled chicken breasts, or...well, almost anything." –Ray Isle, Executive Wine Editor

"This colorful and refreshing dessert is the perfect way to cool down after a day in the sweltering summer sun. With layers of bouncy rose jelly cubes and slippery corn vermicelli swimming in lightly floral sweetened milk and topped with creamy vanilla ice cream, it's just as fun to make as it is to eat." –Paige Grandjean, Recipe Tester/Developer

"If you're observant enough (and a little lucky, too) you can forage for chanterelles during the summer months to use in this recipe for Grilled Mushrooms with Smoked Crème Fraiche. The lightly charred mushrooms pair perfectly with the juniper-smoked crème fraiche and light, peppery greens." –J.S.

"The ratio of pasta to salad in most pasta salad recipes doesn't usually work for me. It's often too much noodle and not enough veg. I prefer to make what I refer to as salad pasta, where the fresh produce is the base, and the pasta is the secondary star. This Greens Pasta Salad by Justin Chapple hits all the notes I love in a pasta salad recipe. There's tons of vegetables—asparagus, peas, arugula—and a great tangy buttermilk dressing that brings it all together. I will be eating this all summer." –Khushbu Shah, Restaurant Editor

"I still have dreams about this. Crispy grilled bread---not unlike a pizza—slathered with ranchy kale dip and covered in heirloom tomatoes. Seriously impressive looking and the taste is outstanding."  –A.T.

"There's very little I crave more than a chilled soup in the summertime, and when I've had one too many bowls of gazpacho (it happens to the best of us), I go for this cold cucumber and yogurt soup. My grandmother made a variation of it every summer when we visited her in Istanbul, and it's incredibly refreshing and filling––plus, it doesn't require the oven or stove." –Oset Babür, Associate Culture Editor

Cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor came up with these satisfying pork chops for a story on Juneteenth in the June 2021 issue of Food & Wine. In it, fresh blueberries cook down with shallots, red wine, and a single chile in adobo sauce to make a  sticky, spicy, sweet accompaniment for the juicy grilled chops." –Karen Shimizu, Executive Editor

"It's been a while since I've made ice cream from scratch, and I'd love to squeeze in a batch before summer ends. The last one I tried was lavender, which produced an incredibly rich result with almost herbal undertones—I'd imagine adding honey to the mix would bring even more richness, with some floral sweetness, too. This recipe from Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw is definitely on my list of desserts to make this season." –Bridget Hallinan, Staff Writer

"This salad was outstanding. Sweet, tart, a little bitter from the greens (hint: these are easily found at your local Asian grocery store). All tied together with a citrusy, aromatic vinaigrette." –A.T.

"Peruse local farmer's markets for a colorful selection of heirloom tomatoes to char in this recipe for Pollo al Pastor with Charred Tomato Salsa. This is the perfect recipe for a casual dinner party on a warm summer night." –J.S.

"This simple salad of smoky summer squash, blue cheese, and butter-roasted pecans in a honey and lemon juice dressing from chef Vivian Howard is becoming one of my favorite ways to eat summer squash. She recommends removing the seedy core before cooking the squash, which keeps it from getting soggy—a boon if you have any friends or family who don't love squishy squash." –K. Shimizu