When farmers markets are in full swing, we eat all the fresh summer vegetables we possibly can — think summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, corn, and tomatoes (yes, we know they're technically a fruit, but we don't care). Take advantage of seasonal produce to whip up tasty dishes like masala grilled vegetables with spicy mint chutney, summer squash carpaccio, and a grilled flatbread that's a "vegetarian masterpiece." Keep reading for the recipes.
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Potato Salad with Green Beans and Salsa Verde
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A terrific salsa verde makes this velvety potato salad extraordinary. Here, the salsa is made with parsley and chives; try making it with other summer herbs, like tarragon or basil, as well.
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02of 31
Corn Husk–Grilled Goat Cheese with Corn Relish and Honey
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Cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Andrea Slonecker calls this dish "the perfect pre-dinner snack on a summer evening." To serve, cut a slit in the top layer of the charred husks, top the goat cheese with a drizzle of honey and the corn relish, and enjoy with grilled crostini.
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03of 31
Grilled Carrot Salad with Brown Butter Vinaigrette
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Grilling concentrates the sweet flavor of fresh young carrots. Chef Bryce Gilmore marinates them, then tosses them with a wonderful and unusual dressing he makes by cooking butter until brown, then pureeing it with marcona almonds and sherry vinegar.
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04of 31
Tangy Green Zebra Gazpacho
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Green zebras are heirloom tomatoes with a striped pattern; they are sweet like red tomatoes but give this gazpacho a lovely jade hue. To make the chilled soup extra tangy, use tomatillos or unripe red tomatoes instead.
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05of 31
Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Cider Vinegar
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In this riff on corn chowder, sweet corn is tossed with potatoes, bacon, and cider vinegar. Because the corn for this salad is barely cooked, it’s best to use the juiciest kernels available.
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06of 31
Celery, Grilled Grape, and Mushroom Salad
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“Celery is a vegetable people either love or hate, and we try to get people to love all their vegetables,” says chef Amanda Cohen. She sets off celery’s bitterness and crunch with meaty oyster mushrooms and grapes that have been grilled until almost bursting.
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07of 31
Braised Cucumbers with Dill
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Fresh cucumbers are excellent when gently braised in butter and served warm. This dish is best with thin-skinned cucumbers, like English, Japanese, and Persian varieties.
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08of 31
Green Tomatoes with Pistachio Relish
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Relishes typically contain cooked and pickled vegetables; the one here is mouth-tinglingly tangy. Chef James Syhabout makes it by pickling shallots, capers, pistachios, and pink peppercorns overnight in Champagne vinegar and olive oil. It’s awesome on tomatoes, but he also likes using it on fish.
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09of 31
Summer Farro Salad
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Chef Marco Canora simmers farro in water with sautéed onion, carrots, and celery. The aromatic vegetables add delicate flavor to the cooked grains.
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10of 31
Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup
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This yogurt-cucumber soup, filled with herbs, nuts, and raisins, is delicious with grilled bread.
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11of 31
Grilled Vegetable Flatbread with Smoked Almond Muhammara
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In addition to turning heads at your cookouts, this vegetarian wonder is packed with make-ahead options and smart shortcuts. Make the Smoked Almond Muhammara up to three days in advance and stash it in the fridge; skip a step and substitute jarred roasted peppers for the grilled bell peppers.
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12of 31
Summer Vegetable Casserole
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The restaurant at Abruzzo's Sextantio hotel serves centuries-old recipes like this simple dish of layered summer vegetables.
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13of 31
Spinach Fettuccine with Tangy Grilled Summer Squash
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At her restaurant, chef Amanda Cohen tosses herb fettuccine with pickled squash blossoms and grilled zucchini. This simplified recipe features squash that’s pickled and then grilled, plus freshly sautéed squash.
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14of 31
Masala Grilled Vegetables with Spicy Mint Chutney
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Grilled summer produce meets a chile-spiked herb dressing in this bright dish. Using a blender or food processor to prepare the chutney safeguards the color by instantly cutting and coating the herbs with oil, locking in the green.
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15of 31
Grilled Summer Squash Casserole
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Traditionally called malaiwala, “the one with cream,” this casserole is the perfect summer side. Make it a main dish by adding cubed paneer.
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Grilled Okra, Corn, and Tomato Salad
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This next-level summer salad turns heads with its punchy charred jalapeño and herb-spiked dressing and a palate-perking topping of toasted crunchy coriander and cumin seeds.
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Summer Squash Carpaccio
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When summer squash is freshly picked, chef Marcela Valladolid says, all it needs is a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a hit of lemon juice. Here, she’s taken it to next-level magic by adding sweet dates, fresh mint, and toasted pepitas spiced with Tajín seasoning to the thinly sliced summer squash.
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18of 31
Potato Salad with Fresh Corn and Basil
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Red baby potatoes are ideal for potato salad because of their tender skins and creamy interiors that hold together, even when cooked. Quickly soaking the onions in vinegar mellows their bite and allows the summery fresh herbs to shine in the dressing.
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19of 31
Roasted Curry Tomato Pie
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Turmeric gives the rustic crust of this tomato pie a glorious golden glow, but the real highlight (other than the ripe summer tomatoes) is the sweet and tangy tamarind onions, which complement the spiced, cheesy filling beautifully.
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20of 31
Heirloom Tomato and Pepper Toasts with Whipped Ricotta
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Velvety smooth, lightly seasoned ricotta serves as the perfect base for juicy ripe tomatoes and charred peppers on grilled levain bread. Fennel pollen adds a light licorice flavor, while fresh basil, chives, and a hint of lemon juice add brightness to the smoky flavor from the grill.
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21of 31
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Calamansi Mayo
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Chef Sheldon Simeon’s recipe for a Hawaiian twist on Mexican elote features grilled corn slathered in a creamy, cheesy calamansi mayonnaise, which gets its acidic twang from a sour citrus fruit native to the South Pacific (you can substitute Key limes in a pinch).
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22of 31
Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese
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We take pasta salad to a new level with sweet grilled corn, zucchini, and a creamy lime dressing spiked with chile powder. We use fresh cilantro to add brightness and then top the whole salad with tangy slivers of fresh goat cheese.
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23of 31
Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella with Grated Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette
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This summer blockbuster panzanella from Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, pairs oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers.
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24of 31
Okra Tempura with Lime "Fonzu" Dipping Sauce
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For those who aren't fond of okra's gooey quality, there are two surefire ways to keep it in check: high-heat cooking and a dose of acid. Food & Wine executive editor Karen Shimizu's recipe for okra tempura with a zippy dipping sauce incorporates both. The "fonzu" sauce — inspired by ponzu — uses lime juice instead of harder-to-find yuzu and a shortcut of fish sauce instead of steeping in katsuobushi.
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25of 31
Fairy Tale Eggplant with Crispy Shallots and Thai Dressing
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2014 F&W Best New Chef Joe Ogrodnek pulls out all the stops with this next-level eggplant dish. First he seasons the eggplant and lets it sit before charring on the grill to draw out moisture, providing flavor from the inside out. Then he adds plenty of crispy-crunchy texture to the silky grilled eggplant by stuffing each one with peanuts, fried shallots and garlic, fresh herbs, onions, and radishes before drizzling the punchy dressing on top.
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26of 31
Chilled Soba Noodle Salad with Yuzu Dressing
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"As the summer approaches, I like to turn to lighter refreshing vinaigrettes to dress noodles and salads. Using the ready-made jams and marmalades found in Asian supermarkets, we can build dressings for chilled noodles that pair excellently with a variety of vegetables," says 2021 F&W Best New Chef Lucas Sin. Here, he uses yuzu tea, ponzu, and yuzu kosho in his tangy dressing.
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27of 31
Fusilli with Summer Tomato Sauce
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For this light, uncooked sauce, you must have perfectly ripe tomatoes. Be sure they're at room temperature, too, not cold. In fact, tomatoes shouldn't be refrigerated at all; chilling permanently reduces their flavor.
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28of 31
Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini Sauce
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Pomegranate molasses is the secret ingredient in this simple marinade. Its punchy, sweet, earthy notes add long-cooked depth of flavor to cheese and vegetable skewers in just 30 minutes of marination, with pleasantly bitter tahini rounding things out.
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29of 31
Carrot Aguachile with Trout Roe
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Chef Claudette Zepeda uses fresh carrot juice as the base for this aguachile, which is complemented by fresh ginger, spicy habanero, and scallions to amp up the flavor of the juice. Thin strips of carrot and cucumber are mixed and topped with salty smoked roe, thinly sliced red onion, and roasted cashews for a dish with deep layers of flavor and complex textures.
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30of 31
Greek Salad with Shrimp and Kamut
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Kamut, an ancient variety of wheat, adds hearty chew to this entree inspired by aclassic Greek salad. Soak kamut overnight to help it cook faster or, for an even easier dish, cook the kamut in advance to trim day-of prep to 30 minutes.
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31of 31
The Best Cucumber Sandwich
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The only reason you may think cucumber sandwiches are boring is that you haven't had the right one yet. Benedictine, a creamy spread of cucumber and herbs; along with a spicy and herbaceous peanut pesto with serrano chile, cilantro, and citrus; and chaat masala add verve to these sandwiches from chef Vishwesh Bhatt.
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