Summer

Small pasta like acini di pepe and orzo make wonderful room-temperature salads, since they mix so thoroughly with the other ingredients and never go stiff. Garlic, olives, and chile flakes lend a lot of zip to this quick side dish you'll come back to all summer.

A quick buzz in the blender and this creamy, fruity dessert is practically done. Just add juicy summer blueberries and a sprinkling of lime zest and you've got a beautiful finish you'll return to again and again.

In this modern take on cobbler, the biscuits are baked separately rather than on top of the filling. You can also serve this shortcake-style by splitting the biscuits and topping them with the filling and a generous dollop of crème fraîche.

Stirring the fresh herbs into the hot rice preserves their flavor and releases their aroma.

Serve this cold or at room temperature—perfect for a picnic or barbecue.

This type of chopped salad was once common breakfast fare in Israel.

Port gives this dessert a sophisticated flavor.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Perfect Parties by Linnea Johansson.

Pretty protein-rich bites by Jarett Brodie, chef at FR.OG in New York City.

Serve the compote over vanilla or strawberry ice cream, angel food cake, pancakes, or waffles.

Just a few minutes in a hot skillet gives the sauce a complex flavor. If you've got an extra minute or two, skip the chocolate chips and garnish the sundaes with chocolate curls shaved off the edge of a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler.

These individual desserts get their bright flavor from lemon juice, lemon peel, and a lemon curd topping.

These gorgeous cupcakes have a sweet surprise inside: They're filled with a dollop of raspberry jam. Half of the cupcakes have a pale yellow lemon glaze; the rest are topped with a pink raspberry-lemon glaze.

A little bit of olive oil makes this cake especially moist.

Basil, cilantro, and red bell pepper bring a savory element to this fruit salad. This is a great dessert, but would be equally good for breakfast or brunch.

This classic French dessert relies on eggs for its pool of rich custard and its islands of soft meringue. In this easy and updated version, the meringue is baked instead of poached, and the custard is enhanced with lemon and a scattering of raspberries.

A little cornmeal gives the cake a crunchy texture. The sweet-tangy ice cream and the tart compote help dress up the dessert for this holiday dinner.

This fresh salad could be served family-style with the rest of the meal or as a plated first course.