Summer

Telmo grew up in a Mexican neighborhood in San Jose, California. On warm evenings, he could be found at a busy roadside seafood joint called La Costa spooning up refreshing bites of coctel de camarón, or "shrimp cocktail." Served in a tall Styrofoam cup, the La Costa cocktail combines a sweet (but not cloying), tangy, and spicy tomato-based sauce, briny poached shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and pico de gallo, all topped with some shakes of a salsa picante and served with tostadas or saltine crackers. Our version is made with roasted fresh tomatoes instead of the traditional ketchup to brighten it up. The resulting sauce is more like a gazpacho than the typical country club-style cocktail sauce. The cocktail can be assembled a couple of hours ahead of time, but not too far in advance, as the shrimp becomes rubbery if left in the lime juice for too long. To make this shrimp cocktail into easy party fare, spoon it onto small store-bought tostadas, garnish with a little cilantro, and serve.

Chilly as July and August can be in San Francisco, you know it's summer when this delicious corn hits the Tacolicious menu. (It is so good that it transports you to sunshine, even if the city is socked in by fog and you're wearing a scarf.) If you already have the recado ready to go, this recipe is a cinch to make. Although the smokiness of the grill imparts great flavor, you can instead briefly boil the corn ears, halve them, and toss them with the recado-lime juice mixture. With the lime and the spices, no butter is needed. Try swapping out the corn for another vegetable, such as summer squash. To keep this recipe in the snack realm, chop the ears into thirds.

"The herbal notes of gin pair well with celery in this refreshing cocktail—and bonus points for the cool green color." —Claire Saffitz, assistant food editor

David Chang's buttermilk dressing is our kind of ranch. Use the freshest beans possible: You want that tender snap.

A version of this recipe helped Danny Bowien win the Pesto World Championship in Italy in 2008. He was kind enough to let us adapt it a bit.

Charred to a crisp: Not a statement usually associated with salads, but delicious nonetheless in this Mexican-inspired romaine number.

Nilou Motamed, Epicurious Editor-in-Chief, swears by this herb-infused lobster roll recipe inspired by her father-in-law Michael DePorte. When available, Nilou prefers soft-shell lobsters, or “shedders”, for their easy-to-crack shells (no tools required!) and sweet, tender meat. If you choose soft-shell lobsters, reduce the cooking time by 2 to 3 minutes. She also prefers filtered seawater as a cooking liquid, so if your fishmonger has it available, give it a try! Boiling lobsters in well-salted water is the next best thing.

Let colorful, sweet heirloom tomatoes shine in a simple side salad.

Zucchini may not be the most loved vegetable, but when shallow-fried into patties, even kids will go crazy for them.

Top your sundaes with chocolate sauce and macerated raspberries for an easy summer dessert.

If you can't find flat runner beans, use any color snap, wax, or French beans and reduce the cooking time.

"Never met a fritter I didn't like, and I love this one." —Allie Lewis Clapp, food editor

Don't peel the peaches; simply rub off the fuzz with a damp paper towel.

Making the eggplant spread ahead of time has a double upside: The flavors of the mixture will deepen as it sits, and you get to cross something off the list.

The best blue cheese for this is salty but creamy, not too sharp or funky.