Summer: Seasonal Foods and Recipes

Aguas frescas are fresh fruit drinks that are very popular all over Mexico. These refreshing beverages are typically served from large barrel-shaped glass containers. Some of the more traditional varieties are watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberry. Read more »

Say the word "alcapurrias," and most Puerto Ricans think "beach food." These scrumptious fritters are usually made with a batter of taro (yautía) and green bananas (guineos verdes), and are stuffed with either a meat (pino) filling or with crab, shrimp or lobster. Sold by vendors on the beach, they make a great snack for hungry stomachs after a long day in the sun. Read more »

Baba ghanoush is a very popular appetizer and dip in the Middle East. Its smoky, rich flavor of the eggplant goes well with wedges of pita bread or with raw vegetables. Try using it as a sandwich spread or rolled up in wraps. Read more »

The Vietnamese love their banh mi (bánh mì). The foundation of this versatile sandwich is French: baguette, mayonnaise and sometimes paté. But everything else in the Saigon sub is pure Vietnamese. They can be filled with barbecue pork, grilled chicken, tofu or even scrambled eggs in a breakfast version. Your typical banh mi also sports pickled vegetables and a few sprigs flavorful fresh herbs. Hungry patrons buy these cheap sandwiches from streetside carts and eat them on the go. Pronounced "bun me." Sometimes spelled banh my. Read more »

Banh xeo ("bahn SAY-oh") is a popular street snack in Vietnam, especially the south. The name means "sound crepe," and it indicates the sound the batter makes when it hits the hot skillet. The shrimp-studded crepe is rolled up in a leaf of lettuce and dipped in a flavorful lime-scented sauce before it gets popped in your mouth. Read more »

Enjoy this spring and summer dessert, so refreshing in its simplicity. Bärkräm is a creamy berry pudding from Sweden that can be made with blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, or any berries in season. Read more »

This refreshing cocktail was first served in Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, sometime in the 1930s or '40s. Named after the Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini, this beautifully hued beverage is traditionally made with white peaches. If you can't find white peaches, regular peaches will do. Bellinis make the perfect beverage for brunches and New Year's or other celebrations. Read more »

Blaff is a way a preparing fish that is popular in the Caribbean, especially on the island of Martinique. Fish is marinated in lime juice, garlic and hot peppers and is then poached in the marinade. Some say the name comes from the sound the fish makes as you plop it in the simmering broth. Others say it comes from a mispronunciation of the word "broth" itself. Read more »

True blue American blueberry pie. Simple, sweet, rich, delicious and chock full of antioxidants. Blueberry pie is the perfect finish to a meal during the summer blueberry season. Try the star-studded crust variation for your next Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor Day celebration. Read more »

Bruschetta, at its most basic, is bread that is grilled and then rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Topping these tasty toasts with fresh tomatoes makes a popular Roman antipasto, just perfect for the dog days of late summer. Read more »

Two New World vegetables pair up beautifully in this simple yet luxurious side dish. Calabacitas is the word for young zucchini, and elotes means kernel corn. Read more »

Carne asada, or grilled meat, is great backyard grill food. It is enjoyed throughout Central America, but is particularly popular in Mexico. Many recipes get very elaborate with the marinade ingredients, but the original recipe relies on a simple combination of onions and citrus juice to highlight the flavor of the beef. Read more »

Ceviche is believed to have originated in Peru or Ecuador in Inca times. The seafood was originally marinated in chicha, a fermented corn beverage. Spanish conquerors brought with them citrus trees and the juice of the lemon, lime and Seville orange was substituted. Over time, ceviche became popular throughout Latin America, and each country, locale and cevichería supplies its own twist on the basic recipe. Read more »

This pungent herb sauce originated in Argentina. Chimichurri is the classic accompaniment to Argentine churassco, or grilled meats. You can also use chimichurri as a marinade. Read more »

Clafouti originated in the Limousin region of France is often served as a breakfast dish, and can be made with all sorts of fruits. But cherries are classic. Cherry clafouti is traditionally made without first pitting the cherries. Read more »

Corn dogs are American carnival, fair, and amusement park food. They are one of many "foods-on-a-stick" found at such celebrations and venues. A favorite of children, corn dogs are best served with a good amount of ketchup. The beginnings of the corn dog are hotly disputed, and possible places of origin include New York, Minnesota, Texas and Muscle Beach in California. They seem to have appeared sometime in the 1930s or 40s. Known as pogos in Canada. Read more »

Cream-style corn is an old-fashioned midwestern American dish that deserves to be rediscovered. Given a bad name by mushy canned versions, this dish is amazingly simple to make yourself. And the use of fresh corn, not frozen, yields a delicious side dish for summertime meals. Read more »

These simple fritters from Santorini are a great way to use up garden tomatoes in late summer. The herbs add amazing flavor and highlight the fresh, late summer ingredients. Use only fresh tomatoes, not canned. Read more »

This vegetable dish is popular around the Mediterranean. In Arab countries it is known as loubieh bi zayt. In Turkey it goes by the name zeytinyağlı taze fasülye. Spaniards call it judías verdes con tomate. The long cooking time is necessary for the authenticity of the dish. The beans should be well cooked and soft. Read more »

The frappé (Φραπέ) is Greece's favorite summer drink. During hot weather Athenians lounge at street cafes, slowly sip a frappé and watch the people go by. Read more »

Ga xao sa, or lemongrass chicken, is one of the better known Vietnamese dishes, often on the menu of Vietnamese restaurants. It is a wonderfully light, refreshing and easy chicken recipe, with all of the bright flavors of that Southeast Asian nation. Read more »

Gado gado is a very popular salad in Indonesia and has many regional variations. At its base though, it is a composed salad of cooked and raw vegetables either topped or tossed with a peanut sauce. Gado gado is an excellent addition to a buffet or rijsttafel. Read more »

Gamberetti all'agro is a simple antipasto is popular all along the Italian coast. The simple flavors of the poached shrimp mingled with citrusy juice make a perfect finger food for a summer's evening get-together. Read more »

Gazpacho, the famous soup from the Andalusia region of southern Spain, is an amazingly refreshing foil to a hot summer day. This drinkable salad has been around since Roman times and originally consisted of just a mixture of bread, garlic, oil and water seasoned with vinegar or verjus. It was a poor man's food. The discovery of the New World brought the addition of tomatoes and peppers. Read more »

Ginger beer is a very popular beverage in Jamaica. This zingy drink goes well with spicy jerk chicken or pork. It is sometimes fermented, but the simpler, non-alcoholic recipe version is given here. Read more »

Haupia is a popular Hawaiian dessert, often served on a ti leaf at luaus. A thick, sliceable coconut pudding, it is also used to cover cakes and as a top layer on pies. Read more »

Horiatiki salata is your basic big, fat Greek salad. Horiatiki means village-style. This fresh, healthy salad is found in one form or another throughout the eastern Mediterranean. The same salad with the addition of sumac and toasted pita is known as fattoush in the Arab countries. Turks serve ezme salatası a more finely chopped version. Read more »

This eggplant dish is one of the most famous dishes of Turkish cuisine. İmam bayıldı means "the imam fainted." Legends abound as to how it got this name. Some say he fainted at the extravagant use of olive oil. Others say he swooned at its delightful flavor. Both will seem just as likely when you try this excellent recipe. Read more »

Jerk is a method of cooking meats that comes from the original inhabitants of Jamaica, the Arawaks. They roasted meats over fires of pimento wood from the allspice tree. Pimento wood gave a distinctive flavor to the meat and is still used for jerk grilling in Jamaica. Jerk marinades and rubs are often quite spicy with Scotch bonnet peppers. Recipes vary widely, but true jerk seasoning contains allspice. This recipe is for chicken, but pork, goat and even fish are also jerked. Read more »

This luscious dessert is a form of rice pudding that is paired with mangos at the peak of their ripeness. Sweet and rich, khao niao mamuang is a favorite way to finish any Thai meal. Read more »

Lassi is a cooling yogurt beverage originally from the northern part of India. Traditionally lassi is unsweetened and has a pinch of salt and some spices mixed in. More recently, sweetened fruit lassis have become very popular drinks, both in India and around the world. Read more »

Lemonade and its basic theme of lemon juice, sugar and water is a popular drink around the world. It is a summertime favorite in the United States, where ramshackle stands selling glasses of the sweet-tart beverage are a favorite way for children to earn a little spending money. Read more »

This popular after-dinner liqueur from the south of Italy is classically made with lemons from the Isle of Capri. Families all along the Amalfi Coast make their own with lemons from backyard gardens. Read more »

Lobster rolls are a favorite sandwich in sandwich shacks all up and down the coast of Maine. This longstanding symbol of summertime fun is a simple mixture of fresh cooked lobster meat and mayonnaise. In main this seafood salad is served in special buns that are split down the top. But you can use regular hot dog buns. Read more »

Sour cherry soup is enjoyed by Hungarian families as cherries come into season in late spring and early summer. Each family has its own favorite recipe. Also known as meggykeszőce. Read more »

Mizeria is a nice cooling salad of cucumbers, dill and sour cream that is very popular in Poland. The name means "misery" in Polish, and legend has it that the dish was first served by poor (miserable?) peasants. Read more »

This mojito is Cuba's answer to the mint julep -- perfect on a hot summer day. Mojitos have been around since at least the mid-1800s. They were reputedly one of Hemingway's favorite drinks. According to a quote attributed to him, those at "La Bodeguita" bar in Havana were the best. Read more »

Mojo isleño is a popular way to prepare fish in Puerto Rico. It's name can be translated as "island sauce," and its components--olives, peppers, garlic and bay leaves--are typically Puerto Rican. Read more »

This type of barbecue, using vinegar and sugar as a baste and seasoning for the slow-cooked meat, is unique to the eastern part of North Carolina. Eastern NC-style barbecue is usually made at a barbecue joint, with a whole pig roasted over a slow hickory fire. This recipe, while unacceptable to purists, will make a reasonable facsimile of North Carolina barbecue in your oven. And just a note: there should never be tomatoes in eastern NC-style barbecue sauce. Read more »

At once both rustic and elegant, this exquisite rice dish originated in the Valencia region of Spain and is typically made outdoors in large, shallow pan called a paella, or paellera. Making paella is a man's activity in Spain. A fire of orange and pine wood is built, and the paella is cooked over the fragrant flames. Paella valenciana is the most famous version. Optional additions to paella Valenciana are rabbit and snails. Other versions include paella de mariscos (seafood) and paella mixta (mixed). Read more »

Panzanella is a classic summer salad from Tuscany and other regions of central Italy. Tuscans are known for the ingenious ways they use up old bread, and this salad is a perfect example. Be sure to use a good quality, crusty bread. Sometimes called panmolle. Read more »

Pappa al pomodoro comes from the Tuscan region of Italy and is an excellent and easy way to use up tomatoes from your garden in the late summer. Use a crusty, good quality, Italian-style bread for this dish. Read more »

Puttana is the Italian word for "whore," and legend has it that this dish was used by Neapolitan ladies of the night to entice potential clients to sample their other offerings. It's a simple, straightforward dish with bold Mediterannean flavors. The sauce should cook only a minimal amount of time so that each ingredient maintains its identity and the olives don't discolor it. And be careful with how much salt you add. The anchovies, capers and olives are all salty ingredients. Read more »

Cobbler is a traditional American dessert that uses the freshest fruits of the season. The fruit is baked with a sweetened batter that rises up and around it to form a crispy crust. Peach, apple, berry and cherry cobbler are all popular variations. Read more »

Pebre is commonly served in Chile as a condiment with grilled meats, poultry or seafood. Read more »

This is a perfect late summer antipasto. For best flavor, let the peppers rest at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Read more »

Pesto genovese is an ancient recipe and is the classic accompaniment to pasta in the Ligurian town of Genoa. The original method called for careful grinding of the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. The food processor is a little quicker. The exact proportions of the ingredients are much argued over. Follow your own taste. Read more »

This fruit tart is a simple way to use the freshest stonefruit of the season. Don't restrict yourself to plums! Peaches and apricots work well too. German tarts are generally less sweet than their American counterparts, so the full flavor of the fruit shines through without being cloying. Read more »

This drink--whose name simply means "strained pineapple"--was invented in the 1950s or 1960s in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by either Ramon Marrero at the Caribe Hilton or by Don Ramon Portas Mingat at Barranchina Bar , depending on whom you believe. Whoever made it first, it's delicious. Read more »

This famous Tahitian dish is similar to Latin ceviche or Hawaiian poke. It differs primarily in the addition of coconut milk, which softens its flavor. Poisson cru only marinates very briefly so the lime juice doesn't have time to "cook" the inside of the fish. The Tahitian name for poisson cru is e'ia ota. The same dish is called oka i'a in Samoa. Read more »

Potato salad is an American picnic and barbecue favorite. The basic recipe of cooked potatoes bound with mayonnaise and served cold is also found in northern Germany. Potato salad recipes vary greatly, but here is a basic recipe you can build upon. Read more »

Ratatouille is a famous dish from the Provençal region of southern France. It is a perfect dish for late summer when tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini are in season. Serve it hot, cold or at room temperature with grilled meats, fish or just some good, crusty bread. It is also delicious tossed with pasta. Read more »

Popular throughout Central America, salpicón is a refreshing salad that is great as a topping for tostadas or wrapped in fresh corn tortillas. It is especially easy to make in large quantities for parties and family gatherings. Read more »

Salsa mexicana is the basic salsa that is used as an all-purpose condiment in Mexico. There are innumerable variations, but here is a basic--and very tasty--version. Other names for it are salsa cruda, salsa fresca, salsa picada and pico de gallo. Read more »

Sangría is the classic Spanish accompaniment to summertime meals. It is not necessary to use an expensive wine, but you should try to use something Spanish. A tempranillo would work very nicely. Read more »

Green papaya salad is the most popular salad in Thailand and is commonly sold in street stalls, especially in the North of the country. This refreshingly tart and healthy salad is traditionally made in a mortar (som tam means "sour pounded"), but this recipe uses a more Western-kitchen-friendly method. Often spelled som tum. Called tam mak hoong in Laos. Read more »

Sorrel punch is a traditional Christmas beverage in the Caribbean. Dried hibiscus flowers — known as sorrel in Jamaica and not to be confused with the pungent green — can be found in most Caribbean or Latin markets. In Latin markets hibiscus flowers are known as jamaica, and so is the beverage. In West Africa the flowers are known as roselle or bissap and in Nigeria the drink is called zobo. Read more »

This simple, healthy and lowfat fruit appetizer is particularly popular in the French Antilles. Read more »

Fried chicken is an American favorite, especially in the South. Pieces of chicken are dredged in seasoned flour and then fried to crispy perfection in a skillet of oil. Often the chicken is soaked first in buttermilk or a brine to make it extra juicy and flavorful. Southern fried chicken is perfect for picnics and celebrations. Fried chicken leftovers are even better cold the next day. Read more »

Spinaci con pignoli is such an easy dish to make, yet full of flavor and texture. The secret is to only cook it long enough to just wilt the spinach. Overcooking will destroy its fresh texture. Read more »

Strawberry shortcake is a classic American early summer dessert. It comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect way to finish a picnic in May or June. Read more »

Sweet coleslaw is a type of cabbage salad, or slaw, that is popular in the Midwestern section of the United States. This recipe comes directly from Chef Brad's father, Dan Harvey, in Macedonia, Iowa. Read more »

Sweet tea is basically your regular iced tea, but brewed with a whole lot of sugar and often a squeeze of lemon. This easy, cheap beverage is very popular in the Southern United States during the hot, humid summer months.When you ask for a tea in the South, people often assume you mean sweet tea. Read more »

An easy, refreshing and healthy salad, tabouli is made of bulgur wheat, finely chopped parsley and scallions dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil. The dish goes by various spellings including tabbouleh, taboule, taboulleh, tabouleh, and tabboulleh. Read more »

The cooling combination of yogurt and cucumber is popular all around the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish version is called cacik. In Iran it is known as mast-o-khiyar. Bulgarians call it tarator. For Iraqis, it is jajeek. Serve tzatziki with gyros or keftedes. Read more »

Zucchini con salvia is a simple dish and a great way to use up a late summer abundance of summer squashes. Pairs well with roast chicken or pork tenderloin. Read more »