By Leslie Brenner
In our kitchen (and outside on the grill), late summer cooking stars big, bold, ripe flavors that express warmth and sunshine. The dishes we’re in love with this season are about simplicity and ease, and — whether or not they’re vegan or vegetarian (not all are) — letting the naturally exuberant personalities of vegetables and herbs take center stage.
Here are the 10 recipes that deliciously express the moment:
Olivia Lopez’s Aguachile, Colima-style
If you’re dreaming of a Mexican beach vacation but not quite ready to hop on a plane, this marvelous recipe from Molino Olōyō chef-owner (and Cooks Without Borders Mexican cuisine expert) Olivia Lopez will get you there lickety-split. Add coconut water (served in its shell), beer or tequila on the rocks for the complete effect.
A Perfect Salmorejo
Thicker and more velvety than gazpacho Sevillano, salmorejo is traditionally garnished with serrano ham and hard-boiled-egg. It’s a dreamy way to feature peak-season tomatoes. This one’s adapted from a recipe from super-chef José Andrés.
Eggplants roasting directly on coals in a Weber grill
Baba Ganoush
Set directly on live coals outside on the grill, eggplants roast until melty then combine with tahini, garlic, lemon (and sometimes cumin) to become the luscious, smoky treat sometimes called “burnt eggplant” dip. (Achieving the effect in a broiler gets you pretty close, though it won’t be as smoky.) Make it the center of a summery mezze spread of cool apps and salads.
Ottolenghi’s Stuffed Zucchini with Pine Nut Salsa
Stupendous either as a vegetable-forward main course or a super-jazzy side, this dazzling dish from Ottolenghi Simple eats like a special event, which is why we keep returning to it again and again. Zucchini boats are filled with a mixture of zucchini flesh, ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh oregano, grated parm and bread crumbs, and topped with a salsa of toasted pine nuts, oregano and lemon. It has been the most popular recipe at Cooks Without Borders this summer.
Charred Okra with a Little Spice
Here’s an okra dish for people who think they don’t like okra! The secret: Charring it does away with the slimy thing. It’s so simple you don’t even need a recipe (though we’ll give you one, of course!). Heat a grill (outdoor or stove-top), slice okra in half vertically, toss in a bowl with a little olive oil and salt, grill on each side till lightly charred, then toss with a touch of sambal oelek or other chile sauce. We wrote about it late last summer, in a story about the meaning of okra.
Salade Niçoise
Whether for a festive Sunday lunch or a refreshing, light weeknight dinner, the south of France’s iconic salad is a favorite all tomato-season long. Use the best olive-oil-packed tuna you can find — but it’s even lovely with inexpensive skipjack packed in water. Pro tip: pronounce the S at the end of niçoise — it sounds like a Z: nee-swazz.
Adán Medrano’s Camerón con Fideos de Calabacita (Shrimp with Squash Noodles)
We fell in love with this recipe, an example of Texas Mexican comida casera, when we wrote about Adán Medrano, a chef, filmmaker and scholar who produced and directed “Truly Texas Mexican.” The recipe is adapted from his 2014 book, Don’t Count the Tortillas: The Art of Texas Mexican Cooking. The recipes call for calabacitas — the summer squash that look like streaky, chubby zucchini — but regular zucchini work fine as well.
Rosa de la Garza’s Texas Chicken
In a similar flavor-vein as the shrimp with calabacitas is Rosa de la Garza’s Texas Chicken, one of our all-time favorite summer chicken dishes. It’s a dish I grew up with, and my mom always served it with rice, but corn tortillas would be great with it, too.
Nectarine Sorbet
Super-easy to make, the recipe for this sorbet captures the gorgeous flavors of ripe nectarines. It’s adapted from The Perfect Scoop by one of our favorite cookbook authors, David Lebovitz, who suggest serving it in wine glasses, and passing around red wine to pour over it. We agree wholeheartedly!
Showstopper Rolled Pavlova with Peaches and Blackberries
This one’s a little more work to achieve, but as baked desserts go, it’s pretty easy — and it so beautifully features summer fruit that we had to include it. Adapted from Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, the pavlova’s made with egg whites — good to know if you’re also making a custard-based ice cream, like Strawberry-Mezcal or Gianduja-Straciatella. Do try it when you want to make a dramatic impression!