epicurious

While it's true that tomatoes and corn take up most of the seasonal spotlight this time of year, it would be simply criminal to overlook some of Summer's other standout vegetables.

Take zucchini. Right now, this vegetable isn't just at its peak; it's also abundant and therefore affordable. Zucchini has a hint of an herbaceous flavor and a tender texture.
Make the most of its characteristics by dressing it lightly and charring it on a stick along with grilled eggplant and red bell pepper. For a straightforward Mediterranean supper, serve the kebabs atop orzo pasta, passing feta cheese around during the meal to sprinkle on top. For the recipe, read on.

It doesn't matter on which corner your farmers market or grocery store is found; regardless of where you live, right now is hands-down the best time to enjoy the broadest breadth of fruits and vegetables. Salads are the most straightforward way to appreciate warm-weather produce, but for something more substantial, why not opt to impress with a flaky tart?

Use Summer's berry and stone fruit bounty to fashion an elegant dessert pastry. In the meantime, free-form a savory tart, too: pick from heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, squash, or eggplant, add your choice of cheese, plus some chopped herbs for extra flavor. The end result is a glimpse of the Summer sun in your mouth. For a couple of recipes to get you started, keep reading.

This month, some dear friends from college will be visiting me in San Francisco. Whenever I have out-of-towners, my favorite way to welcome them is with a small savory or sweet treat — always homemade, for a little personal touch. This time, I'll be making scones. After all, what puts one at ease better than a warm pile of just-baked breakfast breads?

Since one of them has a sweet tooth, and the other is a total cheesehead, I'll be making two different types. The first, a traditional scone, will be slightly saccharine and studded with raisins; the second, cheesy-chivey goodness, topped off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Both will be spectacularly crumbly, and insanely scrumptious with imported Irish butter. Interested in the recipes? Get them here.

After overconsuming steak and burgers over the weekend, I'm ready to redeclare my devotion to Summer seafood. I love to serve shrimp and pineapple kebabs, but tonight I'm going to try something different: Greek-style barbecued shrimp skewers, marinated with licorice-tinged aniseed, then strewn over a spinach salad with feta cheese and tzatziki, a creamy yogurt, cucumber, and dill sauce. For a different kind of seafood grill-out, read more.

The Fourth of July falls on a Sunday this year, and that means there's no excuse not to throw a party! Gather up a group of friends, light the barbecue, and prepare a delicious feast of eats. Start things off with two finger food favorites: lemon-herb grilled shrimp and grilled jalapeño poppers. Since no one can ever decide between chicken or ribs, please everyone and offer barbecued ribs and chicken with a tangy homemade sauce as the main course. Corn on the cob with parmesan butter and tomato and feta salad are two easy, but scrumptious side dishes.

To take a look at these classic recipes that are perfect for your all-American celebration, keep reading.

If you love the Cajun combination of red beans and rice but don't always have the time to make it, turn to a Southwestern version that's as easy on the effort as it is on the palate. While you boil basmati with the earthy essence of cumin, marry leftover black beans with chipotles in adobo, peppers, and cilantro. The result: a wholesome dinner that's full of flavor, in less time than it takes to place and pick up an order. For the recipe, read on.

When planning a World Cup viewing party, there are lots of fun options for the menu. You could serve classic American game day food, or if you're not rooting for the US, create a menu based our your team's country. Then you could always offer South African cuisine in honor of the host country. Or you could do what I'm doing and have each course represent a different country. The spread of appetizers consists of Spanish, Mexican, American, and French dishes.

For dessert, I'm turning to Greece. What's on the menu? Baklava! The Greek favorite consists of layers of flaky phyllo dough with chopped nuts and honey. I'll also pick up a couple bars of Toblerone chocolate for guests who have a super sweet tooth. It's from another competing country, Switzerland! To get the simple baklava recipe, keep reading

Red meat and chicken have long hogged the spotlight of the grill, and with good reason: their robust, iron-rich flavors hold up well to the smoke of the barbie. When cooking out, however, be sure not to overlook the fruits of the sea. While fish tends to be flakier and lighter, its delicate flavors are brought out by the char of the grill.

Light up the barbecue for a quick-cooking fillet of sea bass, smoldered skin-crisp, then top with a watermelon and green tomato salsa that screams summertime.
For the most sustainable seafood option, reach for farmed striped bass and avoid Chilean sea bass at all costs. Want the recipe? Read more.

Fancy flame-broiled flavor? Then throw some skewers on the grill for dinner, and soak up a little evening sunshine while you're at it. Enjoy the fruits of your labor by topping those grates with chunks of tropical pineapple. Naturally sweet pineapple caramelizes when exposed to high heat, making it a prime candidate for a grilled dessert with other sweet tropical fruits such as banana. But don't stop at dessert; the fruit also lends sweetness to a supper of sweet-and-hot Caribbean seafood skewers. Make the most of your pineapple on the barbie when you keep reading.

When planning a meal for a particular person — say, your mom for Mother's Day — be sure to make food that she loves. My mom spent some time living in New Orleans, and over a recent brunch, she devoured a plate of melt-in-your-mouth beignets. Thus this weekend, for the dessert to a special brunch in her honor, I'm going to whip up some buttermilk beignets. The dough can be made up to eight hours before frying. This is a classic recipe that's finished with a generous coat of confectioners' sugar. To check it out, read more