We are smack dab in the middle of summer and there are so many things I still need to eat. I’m all for winter stews that take hours to braise and steamy mugs of coffee…but summer. Fruits and vegetables taste significantly better during these summer months and I am determined to eat all that I can before we have to survive through the Midwest tundra again. Keep reading for everything I plan on making this summer…
All of the tomatoes. Sliced up, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Maybe some basil. Maybe some mozzarella if you’re feeling fancy. Summer tomatoes are. my. jam. And they are necessary in the summer months when the farmers markets and grocery stores are overfilling with them (someone has to buy them and it should be you). Toast some sourdough bread in olive oil, spread a little mayo, slice some tomatoes, drape some prosciutto on top - perfect summer picnic lunch.
Homemade pesto. Earlier this summer, I wandered around the local farmer’s market and stumbled upon some garlic ramps. I had never used garlic ramps before and rarely (if ever) see them in the grocery stores. So I took some home and proceeded to make some pesto with it. Your standard parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil pesto but with garlic ramps. Holy cow it was delicious. I put it on everything - bread, pasta, thinned out as a salad dressing, as a dip. Highly recommend.
Grilled steak. I make steak in the fall and winter quite often, and always the same way. Seared to medium rare, basted with butter, rosemary, and garlic. This method doesn’t change in the summer months. But there is something about a summer steak with charred vegetables (scallions, asparagus, or bell peppers) eaten al fresco that just makes it feel that much more satisfying. Bonus points if its served next to a cool new cocktail you’ve been experimenting with.
Watermelon. A whole watermelon eaten in one sitting with some friends. Or big slices eaten outside on the grass with watermelon juice dripping down your arms. Or muddled with some mint for watermelon mojitos. Or tossed with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, mint, and feta. The opportunities are endless.
Corn. Throw it on a grill until the husks are blackened. Rub with unabashed amounts of good butter (my favorite is Irish Kerrygold) and salt. Or raw and chopped into a salad with lots of lime and cilantro. Or grill it Taiwanese-style! Make a sauce of sha-cha (Taiwanese bbq sauce), garlic, sugar, soy sauce, shallots. Baste it consistently until the entire corn is charred and basting sauce has caramelized. It’s so damn cheap in the summer that you can eat it all of these different ways without breaking the bank.
Sausages. The underdog of barbecues. People always wait for the burgers or the buttered corn but sausages are the secret weapon of all grillers when everyone starts to get hungry. Spicy italian, mild italian, brats - you name it, it’s all good. The trick is to boil them beforehand (~10 minutes, start from cold water). This way, they’re 85% cooked through before you throw them on the grill to get super caramelized and juicy. Pile on some caramelized onions on a lightly toasted bun and you’ll have a definite winner at your next barbecue.
Tacos. A summer taco party is always a fun idea for a group of friends. It’s not too difficult to put together and feeds a lot of mouths. Grill up some meat, dice it up to bite size pieces, pile on some slaw or pico and call it a day. Serve with lots of lime, cilantro, and plenty of ice-cod beer.