From fresh produce to salads, cool popsicles and tomato-y salsas, summertime has the best bounty. We’ve rounded up our favorite recipes to help you enjoy all the great food that Summer has to offer.
Appetizers
Tasty nibbles are sure to please everyone but these summer appetizers are a definite hit! The season’s freshest produce combined with amazing flavors are quite pleasing.
Half Baked Harvest has Summer Crostini’s six different ways, from grilled peaches to sweet blueberries and roasted corn. You won’t be able to select a favorite crostini from this list of tasty flavors.
(PHOTO: REBECCA MONGRAIN)
Watermelon Feta Mint Skewers are a refreshing appetizer and quite simple to make! You’ll be able to whip these up in mere minutes which is good since these are sure to go fast with your party crowd calling for seconds or thirds.
Cucumbers are best in the summer and Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites are the perfect showcase for flavor. This crunchy finger food is perfectly paired with a zingy horseradish and dill cream cheese for a flavor, you’ll keep coming back to.
Salads
Salads are a quintessential summer food but they don’t have to be boring! In fact, few things taste as good as a perfectly paired summer salad.
Emily from Daily Garnish has an unusually good spin on the usual basil pesto pasta salad. She adds Strawberries to her Strawberry Basil Pesto Pasta Salad for a dish that is sure to delight your taste buds. Using this season’s freshest berries and basil brings all the flavors to life.
Nectarines are perfect at the peak of Summertime. Salt’s Green Rice Nectarine Corn Salad is mouth-watering. The crisp corn combined with the sweet nectarine’s flavor makes this an ideal summer fare.
Make your salad a meal with this Buffalo Chicken Salad. The pickled onions and avocados combined with the buffalo chicken make this a hearty but not heavy salad. Pack it into mason jars for a weeks’ worth of salads.
(PHOTO: REBECCA MONGRAIN)
Salsas
Summer is the time to stock one’s pantry for the coming months with preserved vegetables, jams and salsas. Of course, sampling some of the salsas now is also advisable to make sure they are as tasty as they look.
Salsa Verde is a great summer salsa that uses tomatillos for a slightly sweet and mild flavor. This is also a delicious sauce for Enchilada Verdes.
Avocado Corn Salsa from Damn Delicious makes for the perfect salsa to pile onto of tacos or dip some chips in while enjoying a meal outside.
Popsicles
Frozen treats are a summertime favorite! One can always buy popsicles at the store but there is something wonderful about making your own. You can experiment to find your favorite flavor combination or use some of the following recipes for inspiration.
Fruity Rainbow Fro-Yo Pops from How Sweet It Is are a burst of rainbow flavor. These popsicles do have a few extra steps but they are well worth the effort when you have your first taste.
Blueberries and lime with yogurt make for some great flavors! Try these fresh and fruity Blueberry Lime Yogurt Pops for a refreshing popsicle flavor.
The Pretty Bee has some pretty popsicles in her arsenal. The Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles are both a delight for the eye and the mouth.
