11 Fast, Fresh Recipes for Summer

Recipe: Try our Shrimp Satay Skewers

Recipe: Try our Corny Cacio e Pepe

Sure, we had a fling with zoodles, but our first and forever love will always be zucchini ribbons. Wide, thin, and requiring only a vegetable peeler, they're the perfect summer ingredient. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper and top with shaved pecorino for a simple salad. For a fancy-pants (but also easy) app, marinate zucchini strips in EVOO until just tender, then thread them onto skewers, gently folding the strips back and forth accordion-style, alternating with cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with oil and grill until tender. Need dinner, like, now? Pour a jar of marinara into a pan, add zucchini ribbons, and simmer until tender, which will probably take less than 10 minutes. Serve with Parm. Or a glass of wine. Or both.

Recipe: Try our Grilled Flank Steak with Cucumber-Dill Salsa

Recipe: Try our Tomato Butter

Recipe: Try our Strawberry-Lemonade Ice Pops

Before your farmers' market is overrun with zucchini, you'll start to see these pretty squash blossoms. They taste like a mild version of the veggie and require a little bit of prep. First, take a peek inside. You'll see a stamen in male flowers and a pistil in female blooms. Remove them, then swish the flowers in cold water and transfer to paper towels to dry. That's it! Toss the flowers in salads; add to a frittata; or stuff with ricotta, dip in beer batter, and fry them up.

Fun fact: Male zucchini blossoms (like these) are long and thin. Female blooms are fuller with a little squash at the end.

Recipe: Try our Crispy Corn Chip Chicken & Rice

Recipe: Try our Heirloom Tomato Pizza with Burrata

Recipe: Try our Green Goddess Deviled Eggs

Quick condiments can take your cooking to the next level. One of our faves? Gremolata, the classic Italian combo of garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Throw the ingredients on a cutting board and chop them up together so the flavors mix and mingle. The bright, garlicky garnish is great with meat (sprinkle a little over pot roast, lamb chops, or beef stew) or seafood (try it on whitefish, scallops, or shrimp). Veggies are gremolata fans, too. Mix some with room-temp butter and stir into mashed potatoes, or toss with steamed green beans or roasted carrots. The best part? You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. So what are you waiting for? Chop to it!

These recipes originally appeared in our Summer 2020 issue. Get the magazine here.