Top 10 Test Kitchen Tips for Summertime Cooking and Eating
Tomatoes and beans in every shape, color, and size. Bountiful yellow squash and green zucchini. Sweet corn on the cob. Vibrant, juicy berries. The ripe, flavorful summer harvest has an abundant array of colorful vegetables and fruits. With so much gorgeous seasonal produce, the culinary possibilities are inviting and seemingly endless.
But as the temperature outside rises, so does the challenge of putting together a meal without overtaxing yourself or overheating the kitchen. During the summer months, we like to focus on keeping things looser and easier. The Complete Summer Cookbook is full of inspired recipes that will help you settle into a more relaxed kind of cooking designed to keep you and your kitchen cool. You’ll find recipes ready in 30 minutes or less, dinner-size salads, make-ahead meals, dishes that can be served cold or at room temperature, and so much more.
No-cook recipes are the ultimate in summer ease and are included throughout the book. You can make Thai-Style Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps; Chopped Carrot Salad with Mint, Pistachios, and Pomegranate Seeds; or Blackberry–Key Lime Trifle without ever turning on the oven. Or, try out what we call countertop cooking with recipes that show you how to use your slow cooker or pressure cooker for fuss-free, hands-off weeknight fare like Slow-Cooker Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta or Pressure-Cooker Braised Striped Bass with Zucchini and Tomatoes. And, of course, our favorite part of summertime cooking is dinner off the grill. With recipes for all kinds of burgers as well as Paprika-and-Lime-Rubbed Chicken with Grilled Vegetable Succotash, Sweet and Tangy Grilled Country-Style Pork Ribs, and Grilled Jalapeño and Lime Shrimp Skewers, you can avoid the kitchen entirely and cook your whole meal outdoors.
One of the best parts of summer is cooking for friends. From backyard barbecues to beach picnics to patio parties, socializing outside on a beautiful summer day is best with food. For those days when you want a dish that keeps or travels well, look for our picnic-table favorites such as Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad, Picnic Fried Chicken, and Barbecued Pulled Pork. Hundreds more recipes cover all of your other summer meal needs. You’ll also find chapters of small bites and finger foods to pair with refreshing summertime drinks. For stress-free entertaining, consult one of our menu suggestions (see this page).
The true star of any summer meal is fresh seasonal produce. With a simple side like Sautéed Radishes, a vegetable-filled main course such as Penne with Garden Vegetable Sauce, a fresh fruit dessert like Summer Berry Pie, or any of our summer-ready recipes, you’re sure to impress. Much of the best produce can be found at a local farmers’ market or farm stand, but it makes its way into grocery stores, too. To highlight this peak produce, we’ve included Farmers’ Market Finds in each chapter with key shopping and storage information.
So, whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, planning a make-ahead meal for a crowd, or taking the party outside, with The Complete Summer Cookbook in hand you’ll be ready.
Cooking during the summer months needn’t make you and your kitchen any hotter. From assembling substantial salads of the freshest produce to grilling burgers and steaks outside to preparing no-cook dishes, summer cooking can be easy and still create great food. Here are some of our favorite ways to help you save time, keep cool, and get inspired as you cook your way through the season.
Buy local summer produce whenever you can. The vegetables and fruits are fresher and more flavorful, and the colorful and unusual varieties available provide endless inspiration. And with our recipes at hand, it’s easy to test-drive a new vegetable and enjoy all of your farm-stand finds. Tired of plain boiled corn on the cob? Try Mexican-Style Grilled Corn (this page), Chorizo, Corn, and Tomato Tostadas with Lime Crema (this page), and Creamy Corn Bucatini with Ricotta and Basil (this page). Break out of your comfort zone and cook Whole Romanesco with Berbere and Tahini-Yogurt Sauce (this page), Teriyaki Stir-Fried Garlic Scapes with Chicken (this page), or Nettle Soup (this page). You can serve ripe and flavorful fruit as a healthy no-cook ending to a meal or turn it into gratins, shortcakes, trifles, cobblers, crisps, and sonkers as well as tarts and pies.
In the summer months, we lean toward dishes that are lighter but still satisfying, such as cold soups, main-dish salads, grain-stuffed vegetables, pasta packed with vegetables, or poached salmon. When the heat stifles your appetite or your will to cook, meals that focus on lighter ingredients and fresher flavors—such as Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint (this page) or Watermelon-Tomato Salad (this page)—hold greater appeal. Incorporate fresh herbs, bright citrus, and complex spices to add deep flavor to dishes without loading down your plate. Make a flavorful lightened-up favorite like our satisfying Quinoa Taco Salad (this page) or Pan-Seared Shrimp with Tomatoes and Avocado (this page).
When it’s sweltering out, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven. With our low-heat and no-heat recipes, you can still put together a flavorful and satisfying meal. We cut down on time and heat generation with tricks like cooking beets in the microwave rather than in the oven; skillet roasting cauliflower on the stovetop; and making fillings for tacos and sandwiches in our slow or pressure cooker. A No Cook icon identifies recipes that don’t require any heat to prepare.
You can beat the heat and still prepare a hot meal with our slow- or pressure-cooked dishes. Avoid standing over a hot stove with countertop cooking that lets you prep and walk away. Using your slow/pressure cooker is a foolproof way to take the fuss out of dinner while still enjoying all the best flavors of the season in meals such as Slow-Cooker Garden Minestrone (this page) or Pressure-Cooker Ratatouille (this page).
We understand the desire to minimize prep work in the summer and buy already-cooked proteins. Our recipes indicate when you can sub in rotisserie chicken to make a dinner-worthy cold salad like Chicken Salad with Pickled Fennel, Watercress, and Macadamia Nuts (this page), or use store-bought smoked salmon in Smoked Salmon Niçoise Salad (this page). Just as simple, you can use pantry items like canned tuna or chickpeas to add heft to greens and vegetables as in our supereasy Chickpea Salad with Carrots, Arugula, and Olives (this page). You can also cook our easy poached chicken breasts (this page) and store them for up to five days, to use in last-minute meals.
Planning and prepping meals ahead when it’s cooler gives you a serious jump-start on another night’s dinner. We provide recipes you can fully assemble ahead of time like Vietnamese Summer Rolls (this page), easy one-dish meals, and recipes whose main ingredient can be cooked ahead of time like Farro Salad with Sugar Snap Peas and White Beans (this page), where the farro can be cooked ahead and stored for up to three days, and many side dishes and desserts. All of these recipes are identified by a Make Ahead icon.
Everyone loves the smoky flavor of grilled foods, and summer is the perfect time to make them. You can prepare a main dish, sides, or your whole meal on the grill. Try Classic Barbecued Chicken (this page), Grilled Caesar Salad (this page), or Swordfish Kebabs with Zucchini Ribbon Salad (this page). For recipes to make and take, such as 24-Hour Picnic Salad (this page), or to simply eat outside at home, check out our 40-plus recipes of picnic-table favorites.
Not every meal has to be a main course and two sides. We often like to turn small bites and appetizers into dinner, an especially appealing proposition in the warmer summer months. For dinner any night, try putting together a spread of mezze dishes and shareable plates from our Small Bites chapter—the recipes are not just for entertaining. Also check out our Mediterranean-inspired menu on this page.
The only thing we don’t like about summer is when it ends. By canning and pickling summer’s abundant fruits and vegetables, you can enjoy the season’s freshest flavors year-round. Whether you have a surplus from your home garden or a haul from the farmers’ market, our foolproof recipes show you to how to preserve with ease—from refrigerator jams to pickles to a big batch of tomato sauce (see the chapter Preserve the Season).
There’s no better way to cool down than with a cold treat. When most of us think dessert, we think baking, but not all sweets require turning on the oven. We love baked summer fruit pies like Sweet Cherry Pie (this page), but we also appreciate sweet cherries in our No-Bake Cherry Crisp (this page). On a superhot day, make an icebox cake like our Frozen Lemonade Cake (this page) or pull out your ice cream maker or ice pop molds to make gelato and Coconut Paletas (this page).
Enjoy drinking as well as eating all that summer has to offer and use summer fruits, flavors, and even fresh herbs in cocktails and other ice-cold beverages. For a refreshing nonalcoholic cocktail, try Hibiscus-Guava Agua Fresca (this page) or Switchel (this page). Muddle berries to flavor a fruity drink, jazz up your lemonade with garden-fresh mint, or make herb-infused ice cubes to add excitement to everything from sparkling water to craft cocktails.
Here are some guidelines for where to store your summer produce until you have the chance to use it all.
The following produce should be kept at cool room temperature away from light to prolong shelf life:
Garlic
Onions
Shallots
Potatoes
(Note: Onions give off gases that will hasten sprouting in potatoes, so keep the two separate.)
These items are very sensitive to chilling injury and are subject to dehydration, internal browning, and/or pitting if stored in the refrigerator:
Avocados*
Eggplant
Tomatoes*
Apricots
Bananas*
Kiwis*
Mangos
Nectarines
Papayas
Peaches
Pears
Pineapples
Plums
*Once they’ve reached their peak ripeness, these fruits can be stored in the refrigerator to prevent overripening, but some discoloration may occur. You can also allow avocados to ripen in the refrigerator near the front of the middle to bottom shelves.
(Note: Placing tomatoes stem side down will prolong their shelf life. And so will refrigeration. We tested this and found that the shelf life for refrigerated ripe whole tomatoes was prolonged for five days. Cut tomatoes, stored in an airtight container, held up well for two days. Their flavor was unaffected.)
These items are sensitive to chilling injury and should be placed in the front of the fridge, where the temperatures tend to be higher:
Corn on the cob
Peas
Berries
Melons
Oranges
These items are not prone to chilling injury and can be stored anywhere in the fridge (including its coldest zones), provided the temperature doesn’t freeze them:
Asparagus
Apples
Cherries
Grapes
These items do best in the humid environment of the crisper:
Artichokes
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbages
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chiles
Cucumbers
Green beans
Hearty greens
Leafy greens
Fresh herbs*
Leeks
Lettuce
Okra
Radishes
Scallions
Tomatillos
Yellow summer squash
Zucchini
Lemons
Limes
*To store fresh herbs, gently rinse and dry (a salad spinner works perfectly), then loosely roll in a few sheets of paper towel. Seal in a zipper-lock bag. Herbs will stay fresh for a week or longer.
Whether you’re having a small summer dinner party or a backyard barbecue for a crowd, planning a menu can feel like a daunting task. To take the guesswork out of hosting a meal, and to ensure everyone leaves satisfied, we’ve created menus for different occasions that take serving size, cooking time, and equipment into account to help you confidently host summer get-togethers. Of course, these menus are only a glimpse of the endless menu combinations you can create with this book.
Garden Party
Pimm’s Cups (this page)
Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Gorgonzola (this page)
Baguette with Radishes, Butter, and Herbs (this page)
Smoked Salmon Rolls (this page)
Serrano and Manchego Crostini with Orange Honey (this page)
Chocolate Pots de Crème (this page)
Dinner on the Patio for 8
Serve the roast beef hot or cold. Or swap the beef for Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb (this page).
Summer Cheese Board (this page)
Slow Roast Beef with Horseradish Sour Cream Sauce (this page)
Mediterranean Chopped Salad (this page)
Lemon and Herb Red Potato Salad (this page)
Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream (this page)
Ice Cream Sundae Bar (this page)
Summer Dinner for 6
Aperol Spritz (this page)
Chilled Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (this page)
One-Pan Pork Tenderloin and Panzanella Salad (this page)
Pan-Steamed Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan (this page)
Fresh Fruit Tart (this page)
Make-Ahead Dinner Party for 8
Rosé Sangria (this page)
Gazpacho (this page)
Poached Side of Salmon (this page)
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (this page)
Green Bean Salad with Cilantro Sauce (this page)
Summer Berry Trifle (this page)
Kebabs on the Grill
Sweet Iced Tea (this page)
Brined Grilled Zucchini with Mint Salsa Verde (this page)
Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Garlic and Herb Marinade (this page)
Watermelon-Tomato Salad (this page)
Lemon Ice (this page)
Backyard Barbecue for a Crowd
Margaritas (this page)
Pimento Cheese Spread (this page)
Seven-Layer Dip (this page)
Texas Barbecue Brisket (this page)
Buttermilk Coleslaw (this page)
Spicy Salad with Mustard and Balsamic Vinaigrette (this page)
Pressure-Cooker Boston Baked Beans (this page)
Skillet Cornbread (this page)
Texas Sheet Cake (this page)
more summertime menus ahead!
Seafood Feast
Mint Iced Tea (this page)
Bruschetta with Arugula Pesto and Goat Cheese Topping (this page)
New England Clambake (this page)
Simple Tomato Salad (this page)
Lemon Icebox Pie (this page)
Mediterranean Mezze Meal
Pita Chips (this page)
Hummus (this page) and Crudités (this page)
Beet Muhammara (this page)
Tzatziki (this page)
Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint (this page)
Tabbouleh (this page)
Country-Style Greek Salad (this page)
Nectarines and Berries in Prosecco (this page)
No-Cook Light Dinner
Chilled Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (this page)
Baguette with Radishes, Butter, and Herbs (this page)
Chicken Salad with Whole-Grain Mustard Vinaigrette (this page)
Melon, Plums, and Cherries with Mint and Vanilla (this page)
4th of July Cookout
To feed a larger crowd, double the burger recipes.
Lemonade (this page)
Classic Beef Burgers (this page)
Southwestern Black Bean Burgers (this page)
North Carolina–Style Pulled Pork (this page)
24-Hour Picnic Salad (this page)
Classic Potato Salad (this page)
Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad (this page)
Patriotic Poke Cake (this page)
Striped Fruit Ice Pops (this page)
Picnic in the Park
Watermelon Lemonade (this page)
Picnic Fried Chicken (this page)
Quinoa, Black Bean, and Mango Salad (this page)
Buttermilk Coleslaw (this page)
Best Lemon Bars (this page)
Early Summer Celebration
Grilled Salmon Steaks with Lime-Cilantro Sauce (this page)
Grilled Asparagus (this page)
Pearl Couscous Salad with Radishes and Watercress (this page)
Strawberry Shortcakes (this page)
End-of-Summer Farmers’ Market Meal
Grilled Pork Chops with Plums (this page)
Grilled Radicchio (this page)
Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad (this page)
Easy Apricot and Blueberry Tart (this page)
Taco Tuesday
Easy Chipotle Chicken Tacos (this page)
Fresh Corn Salsa with Tomato (this page)
Classic Three-Bean Salad (this page)
Coconut Paletas (this page)
Canning Party
Sangria (this page)
Whipped Feta Dip (this page)
Broiled Coriander-Lemon Shrimp (this page)
Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce (this page)
Watermelon Salad with Basil and Feta (this page)
Egyptian Barley Salad (this page)
Coconut-Raspberry Gelato Pie (this page)
Especially when you want to keep cooking to a minimum, there are several pieces of equipment that make life in the kitchen or backyard easier and more productive during the summer months (and year-round). Our buying recommendations for larger kitchen appliances appear in their individual chapters: slow cookers (see this page), electric pressure cookers (see this page), canning equipment (see this page), and ice cream makers (see this page).
Farmers’ market fresh greens and herbs need to be properly cleaned, and our preferred tool for the job is the OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner. It works easily—with just one hand—and effectively removes water from a variety of greens and other vegetables like cabbage for the crispest salads. It’s easy to clean and dry, and it’s dishwasher-safe.
Fresh vegetables are beautiful, colorful, and delicious when spiralized. The Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer easily spiralizes beets, potatoes, and zucchini with relatively little waste, and it’s simple, intuitive, inexpensive, and stable. Better yet, the Paderno Tri-Blade can turn almost all of these vegetables into even, consistent noodles and ribbons.
Fresh citrus juice adds bright summery flavor to any recipe, but getting the most out of each fruit is key. Our favorite citrus juicer, the Chef’n FreshForce Citrus Juicer, is distinct from citrus presses that use small holes, as it features a star-like arrangement of large draining slots, which direct the juice in a steady stream with no splattering or overflowing. Its large, rounded handles are easy to squeeze, which helps this press quickly extract far more juice than other models.
Rasp-style graters make quick work of zesting citrus fruits and grating hard cheeses, ginger, shallots, garlic, nutmeg, and more. This Microplane Premium Classic Zester/Grater has a soft, grippy rubber handle and a grating surface that shreds cheese and grated nutmeg, garlic, and ginger with ease. The Premium Classic came sharp, stayed sharp, and looked as good as new after testing.
A knife works well to core a tomato, but our favorite corer is inexpensive and cuts prep time in half—handy when you’re working with large quantities for stuffing, canning, or sauce. The Norpro Tomato Core It is lightweight and has the best head-handle combination for comfort and sharp, neat scooping. It makes tiny cuts and goes through tomatoes twice as fast as a knife does.
Hulling strawberries with a paring knife can be tedious. Our winning StemGem Strawberry Hull Remover by Chef’n is a compact stainless steel–tipped huller that removes the stem and core from a strawberry with just a simple push of a button and twist of the wrist. It can also core tomatoes.
De-stoning cherries is the pits—unless you have the right tool. The Chef’n QuickPit Cherry Pitter is compact and simple to operate. It resembles a plastic toy gun: Just pull the trigger to plunge the straight, moderately thick dowel into the cherry pit.
Stuck food can quickly ruin a summer meal, but the OXO Good Grips Non-Stick 12-inch Open Frypan cooks and releases food perfectly, thanks to its dark finish and excellent nonstick coating. We especially like its gently flared sides, broad cooking surface, and wide, comfortable handle. Its lightweight design makes it easy to maneuver.
Creating a great summer pie starts with a great pie plate. The Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Pie Dish is a golden-hued metal plate that bakes crusts beautifully without overbrowning; even bottom crusts emerge crisp and flaky. Additionally, we love this plate’s nonfluted lip, which allows for maximum crust-crimping flexibility.
Summer fruits and vegetables make for stunning tarts. Our favorite tart pan, the Matfer Steel Non-stick Fluted Tart Mold with Removable Bottom 9½″, produces perfectly even golden-brown tarts with crisp, professional-looking edges. Its nonstick coating makes the transfer from pan to plate a cinch.
The Breville Fresh & Furious completely blends fibrous ingredients into silky smooth drinks. It’s reasonably quiet and reasonably compact, and combined ingredients efficiently with minimal pauses to scrape down the sides. Its timer makes tracking recipe stages very easy. A good blender comes in handy during the summer for making cold soups and frosty drinks like our Bourbon Cherry Slush (this page) or Piña Coladas (this page).
The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22-inch is our highly recommended Best Buy for its great construction and design; it is also fast and easy to assemble and move. Its versatile classic kettle is an expert griller and maintains heat well and its well-positioned vents allow for excellent air control. The ash catcher makes cleanup a breeze.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill is our favorite grill under $500 because its burner design allows for evenness of heating front to back, varying heat levels, and the most cooking control. The heavy-duty cookbox of thick cast aluminum and enameled steel with just one narrow vent across the back makes it easy to maintain steady heat and distribute smoke. The angle of the lid when open helps to channel smoke away from your face.
If you grill with charcoal, you need a chimney starter. We love the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter for its sturdy construction, generous capacity, heat-resistant handle, and second handle for pouring control. With more ventilation holes than other models, the canister ignites coals quickly.
A good grill brush should allow you to scrub the entire cooking grate, even the hard-to-reach grate ends, and remove debris with minimal effort. It should also be durable enough to use repeatedly without falling apart. The short metal bristles and triangular head shape of the Weber 12-inch Grill Brush made for a winning combination.
The best tool for grilling is a great pair of tongs. Grill tongs let you deftly grab, lift, and turn food without piercing it, and because they have long handles, they keep your hands far from the heat. Comfortable, lightweight, and sturdy, OXO Good Grips 16-inch Locking Tongs took top honors in our tests.
Testers really liked the Weber Original Stainless Steel Spatula’s slim handle, remarking on the agility, sense of control, and confidence that it inspired.
Our favorite gloves are the Steven Raichlen Ultimate Suede Grilling Gloves. Their pliant leather give great control when manipulating tongs and grabbing hot grill grates. Their long, wide cuffs protect your forearms and let air circulate to keep you cool.
The Norpro 12-inch Stainless Steel Skewers are the test kitchen favorites.
The Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container Set, 10-Piece has everything you need for on-the-go picnic and barbecue fare. The set comes with two 1.3-cup containers with lids, two 3.2-cup containers with lids, and one 9.6-cup container with lid. Each container is made of lightweight Tritan plastic and stays as clear and stain-free as glass, and its audibly snug seal won’t leak, even upside down. Its flat top makes for secure, compact stacking. If you need extras, the containers are also available individually.
One of the most convenient aspects of summer cooking is making food ahead, and exceptional storage containers make it easy to prep in advance. With a plastic lid that latches easily and securely and an airtight, leakproof seal that won’t drip or let moisture in, the OXO Good Grips 8 Cup Smart Seal Rectangle Container is our top choice for glass storage.
Dressing up your picnic with a bottle of wine? The VinniBag is an inflatable carrier that blows up and surrounds its bottle with cushioning air. It’s made of thick plastic that closes by rolling over itself like a boating dry bag. It fits taller and wider bottles, is reusable and washable, and folds up for easy transport.
In a 90-degree room, the Rachael Ray ChillOut Thermal Tote can keep orange juice safely below 40 degrees for 2 hours. This tote’s moderate size, thick layer of insulating foam, and additional gauze-like filler are designed to maintain the bag’s interior temperature. Its square, flat design and wide woven shoulder strap make it comfortable for transporting.
Ice packs are ideal for keeping smaller, more portable food cold—if they work well. The Arctic Ice Alaskan Series, X-Large is a hard-sided pack containing a large amount of liquid, has a convenient handle for easy transporting, and doesn’t form bulges as it freezes.
A cooler that successfully keeps food and drinks cold can simplify any outdoor picnic or barbecue. Our favorite cooler is the Yeti Tundra 45, an ultradurable cooler in which ice can last a whole week and beverages packed with ice packs can keep below 50 degrees for more than five days. We also love its rubber latches, which were easy to close, and its durable rope handles. Our Best Buy is the more budget-friendly Coleman 50 QT Xtreme Wheeled Cooler.