Is it just us, or is everyone suddenly fruit-and-veggie-maxxing as summer produce hits its peak? Between the fresh figs, sun-ripened tomatoes, and juicy plums and peaches, there’s a lot to love. Level up your summer stash with these recipes — because they’re worth every bite.
Whether your family’s hitting the books or the beach, there’s still plenty of time to score a flavorful summer haul. We’re all about sourcing prime picks from local growers or nature’s bounty from our own backyards. Here’s how we’re grilling, baking, and savoring summer’s spectacular finale.
Spiced Fig Cake
If you love the stunning fig tarts that pop up in bakeries just as summer turns to fall, you can easily sweeten up a carton of farmers market figs with a spicy cake baked right at home.
@bakedbakerbaking Fig & almond cake from NYT cooking #figcake #nytcooking #baking #fyp ♬ Nanã – Polo & Pan
The hardest part will be deciding whether to bake a round, rectangle, or loaf. But if there’s almond extract involved, any shape’s a winner. The New York Times’ recipe keeps things simple with a buttery almond batter sweetened with honey, decorated with caramelized fig halves, and baked to a golden brown. A sprinkle of powdered sugar, and you can charge $12 a slice, just like the pros.
Grilled Steak with Sauce Rof
I’m always down for a chargrilled skirt steak with chimichurri. But since I discovered “sauce rof” — a spicy, Senegalese condiment that uses up all the fresh parsley you can find — I’m hoarding this hardy, peppery herb like it’s my literal job.
@nytcooking The recipe for this Grilled Steak With Sauce Rof is free at the link in bio! (Video: @itsholly) #steak #grilling #summercooking ♬ original sound – NYT Cooking
This is the kind of easy summer cooking that always hits. Fire up the grill and throw on your favorite steak (look for consistent marbling — fat is flavor!). In the meantime, use a food processor to blend onions, chiles, garlic, scallions, and parsley into a paste. Add a little lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use your “rof” to marinate a raw cut or top a ribeye still sizzling from the heat.
Ratatouille
We know it as a Michelin-starred masterpiece from the Pixar movie, but this humble French stew requires zero culinary degree. Whether you slice your squash with a mandoline or chop it like it’s hot, ratatouille is the perfect showcase for summer’s best veggies.
@turkuazkitchen With the last summer vegetable harvests coming in, I thought it was a perfect time to share one of my favorite recipes! This ratatouille uses the best of summer produce for a rich and comforting dinner, I think you’ll love it.❤️ #dinner ♬ son original – Piano🎹Magic✨
A simple homemade tomato sauce comes together by simmering onions, bell peppers, tomato purée, thyme, and basil. Once that’s layered into a baking dish, sliced zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and Roma tomatoes dazzle in a classic spiral design. A little olive oil and salt help bring out the flavors, and after the dish takes a quick spin in the oven, a sprinkle of fresh basil brightens every bite.
Peach and Burrata Crostini
No offense to Caprese, but have you had peach and burrata? I feel like after waiting centuries for the peaches on my counter to ripen, this stone fruit deserves bougie hors d’oeuvres energy. Hey, it’s only summer once a year.
@theredbowl grilled peach & burrata crostini🍑🌿✨ a very bougie appetizer (bc burrata is so expensive😭) but I will eat this when peaches are in season bc it’s soooo good🤭 #asmr #burrata #peaches pan & grill pan from @HexClad ♬ original sound – theredbowl
The key is sourcing soft Italian cow’s milk burrata (DM me with any further cheese-related business) and juicy peaches. Slice and toast a baguette, top each serving with a spoonful of burrata, and finish with fresh or grilled peach wedges. Prosciutto, basil, balsamic vinegar, or hot honey are optional but always highly encouraged.
Peach Burrata Crostini with Hot Honey
Pan-Seared Corn Esquites
If you love trendy elote, or Mexican street corn, you can turn this tangy, cheesy treat into a salad for a crowd. Esquites basically takes elote off the cob and serves it with a spoon.
Maybe it’s because summer’s sweet corn supply is not long for this world, but some people think it tastes sweetest in August and September. I love a traditional take on esquites as well as variations that skip the grill and sauté corn kernels in a cast-iron skillet. Once the corn gets tossed with fresh cilantro, Mexican crema, chile powder, cotija, and lime, I guarantee everyone’s going back for seconds.
Zucchini Bucatini
Some pasta dishes change your life. (I still remember the summer I discovered “lemon pasta with avocado” and made it 17 times in a row.) But this bucatini’s here to save your squash from yet another loaf of zucchini bread. Plus, it’s ready in 30 minutes and tucks in more veg than a dessert ever could.
Sautéed grated zucchini and shallots practically disappear into the sauce, and parmesan cheese and pasta water lend a velvety texture. Lemon juice and zest — plus a sprig of fresh basil or mint — add tang to al fresco dining among the fireflies.
Garden Vegetable Focaccia
Don’t worry, this isn’t an HGTV landscape design competition. This light, olive-oily focaccia calls for same-day fermentation and your ripest cherry tomatoes — in whatever pattern you’d like to place them on your bread.
@casa.almonte Making a garden focaccia to match the season. ☺️🌷 If you’ve never tried baking before, you should definitely try starting with this cause it’s super easy, there’s no way you’d mess it up! If I made it, you will be able to make it for sure! 😅 INGREDIENTS: • 7g of instant yeast • 2 tsp honey • 2.5 cups lukewarm water • 4 tbsp olive oil • 5 cups all purpose flour • 2 tsp salt • any toppings that you like! INSTRUCTIONS: • In a container/bowl, whisk the lukewarm water, instant yeast and honey then let it sit for 5 mins • in a separate bowl, add the flour and salt then pour in your yeast mixture • Stir it until there are no more dry or floury parts • in another bowl, add the olive oil then pour your dough • coat the dough with olive oil, cover the bowl and leave it inside the fridge for 24 hours to let it rise • after 24 hrs, deflate the dough and fold it over itself making a ball • slide the dough in a grease rectangular pan and stretch out the dough before leaving it for a second rise until jiggly – preferably somewhere warm • the fun part is dimpling the dough • top it with anything you like! But because I’m making a garden inspired focaccia, I topped it with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, scallions, and capers. Make sure you brush them with olive oil so they don’t burn. • bake at 420F for 25-30 mins or until golden and crisp ENJOY!! ☺️ P.S. if you don’t have the right cover, don’t use a stainless bowl, the wrap won’t adhere. 🥲 I had to transfer it into a glass bowl. #easyrecipe #easyrecipesathome #easyrecipeideas #springrecipes #focacciabread #focacciaart #asmrcrunchy #appetizerideas #healthyrecipeshare #springishere🌸 #healthyeatingideas #asmrcrunchy #tastyrecipes #italianrecipe #tastyrecipes #sfblogger #sfbloggers #recipeidea #recipeideas #tastyfoods #simplerecipes #simplerecipe #asmrfoodsounds #tastytuesday #tastyandhealthy #casaalmonte #pinterestrecipe #springbaking ♬ the bakery – Ophelia Wilde
You’ll need a stand mixer for the dough, which will ferment over a few hours, as you work in a few folds for fluffiness. Oven-roasted tomatoes and garlic level up with rosemary and olive oil, and you can practice playing piano in the dough to create focaccia’s iconic puffy surface. After you arrange your topping, one last sprinkle of parsley, rosemary, and salt before baking makes each pillowy serving a work of art.
Watermelon and tomato gazpacho
You could chisel your way through the viral watermelon “ice cream” trend, or you could just toss watermelon into a blender with a few other ingredients and call it sweet-and-savory gazpacho. This refreshingly cool soup hits the spot on even the hottest summer day.
@wellplated POV: it’s way too hot to cook 🍉☀️ This watermelon gazpacho is sweet, savory, refreshing, and basically summer in a bowl. Blend, chill, slurp, repeat. Full recipe: www.wellplated.com/watermelon-gazpacho/ #WatermelonGazpacho #SummerRecipes #NoCookRecipe #Gazpacho #HealthyRecipes ♬ original sound – Erin Clarke | Well Plated
Watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers create the base for a herby blend of green onions, garlic, and basil. Once everything’s blended, fresh diced jalapeño, avocado, and extra herbs add texture with a flavorful drizzle of olive oil. Make enough for leftovers; it gets even better as it chills in the fridge.
Easy blueberry lemon cobbler
If we have to say goodbye to summer, we’re doing it with nostalgic flair. Dressed up in a comforting biscuit-y topping, blueberry cobbler goes out with a bang thanks to a zingy dash of lemon zest.
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As if they could get any sweeter at the peak of their season, blueberries get tossed with sugar and lemon zest and poured into a baking dish with melted butter. A scratch-made batter with a pinch of cinnamon makes the perfect caramelized edges. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and return to this moment as long as summer lasts.
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