Beautiful summer produce is bountiful, vibrant, and begging you to utilize it in these late summer recipes.
These recipes celebrate the fruits of late summer in appetizers, sauces, main dishes, sides, and desserts.
Zucchini Tomato Gratin
This recipe is worth making for the beauty alone, but these two garden flavors taste amazing together, especially in late summer when tomatoes are super ripe and zucchini are abundant.
A handful of herbs, some drizzles of olive oil, and a dusting of parmesan cheese make it irresistible!
Pair it with your favorite grilled meat (salmon, lamb, chicken…) or just serve it on crusty bread. And any leftovers go right into the morning’s omelette!
Easy Basil Pesto
This sauce needs no introduction, but if you’ve never made your own, you must! The flavor is incomparable to jarred versions. And it goes well beyond pasta.
Pesto can dress up just about anything- potatoes, chicken, pizza, tomatoes, salmon, eggs- and it takes under 10 minutes to make.
Grilled Gazpacho Recipe
If you like gazpacho, wait til you taste it with charred vegetables! It still has all the bright, refreshing flavors of the traditional version, but with added smoky depth.
Toss the veggies on next time you grill and chill them for the next day. Blend it all up and enjoy the rustic summer soup, or strain it for a more velvety texture. A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt or a touch of cilantro and you’re golden.
Watermelon Salad
I eat some version of this all summer long and because it’s so pretty, I often serve it at picnics and parties.
Watermelon plays well with mint, basil, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, parsley, pistachios, pine nuts, pepitas…the list goes on.
So choose your own adventure! But quick, before these late summer beauties disappear.
Eggplant Puttanesca
I love simple grilled or roasted eggplant, but sometimes, you want a little more flavor. This recipe brings it!
Raid the briny jars in the fridge for olives, capers, peppers, or tomatoes and top the eggplant slices for bursts of flavors. Serve it as an appetizer, side, or the main event.
Peach Cobbler Recipe
I have a hard time saving peaches for cobbler because our family devours the fresh peaches as soon as they are ripe. But if I can squirrel some away, this is one of my favorite summer desserts. In August, when the peaches are at their peak, they are perfection.
A simple biscuit-style cobbler topping adds just the right amount of cobbles to the juicy sweetness of the peaches.
Figs + Basil + Honey +/- Cheese
It’s not really a recipe-just a delicious combination, especially in late summer when figs are in season. You can decide if it’s an appetizer or a dessert. Jury’s still out.
Wash and halve the figs and arrange on a platter. Slice up some Manchego, Iberico, or Drunken Goat cheese (something made from sheep or goat’s milk will add the tang to complement the sweeness).
Sprinkle some fresh basil leaves (chiffonade if you want to get fancy!) and drizzle with honey for a dish fit for the gods.
Not a fan of figs? Substitute peaches for another treat.
