Summer

A combination of whipped cream and ice cream gives semifreddos a frozen mousselike silkiness. The rich chocolate sauce is just the icing on the sundae.

Spicy-sweet cardamom is a perfect complement to bitter coffee, and baked phyllo pieces add carby crunch without an overload of calories.

On a really hot day, freeze fruit for an hour or two prior to serving—it acts like sweet ice cubes.

This melon dessert will help keep you hydrated on scorching days.

It's low-cal and filling—as in perfect for swimsuit season. I make it a day ahead so the veggies can marinate and the flavor pops.

Move over, ice pops: There's a new dessert making waves this summer. A blend of just four ingredients, these frozen pops are irresistibly creamy, with a sweet and tangy taste. Opt for our lemony take on this kid-friendly dessert, or substitute in Key limes, grapefruit, or orange for your own citrus twist.

Combine rich egg noodles with the best of the summer harvest for a gorgeous dinner that requires a bit of chopping, but very little cooking.

Grilled peaches turn this simple chicken and arugula salad with mustard dressing into something worth swooning over.

This pasta salad is a clever take on a well-loved soup. Because it's served at room temperature, it makes a great side dish at a picnic or barbecue. It's colorful and extremely flavorful, with pesto, beans, and vegetables.

This yogurt mousse is an exercise in nostalgia for me, evocative of two different memories. The first is recent: cold lassi spiked with cardamom, a favorite drink at Indian restaurants. The musky flavor of cardamom just plays well with the tangy, refreshing taste of yogurt. And so does honey, which brings me to my second memory. My mother often served me and my siblings big bowls of plain yogurt with honey swirled in—it was a favorite summer lunch. I remember how the honey laced the yogurt in thick ropes of sweetness. This is a plain yet comforting dish, the two flavors marrying perfectly. I bring these three tastes together here in this dish, and finish it all off with fresh summer apricots. Top the finished mousse with apricot slices, or get fancy and pipe the chilled, set mousse into apricot halves and garnish with mint.

"I love the richness of the feta and the crunch of the sunflower seeds against the tender squash."—Dawn Perry, senior food editor

Raw broccoli is made for slaw. It's sweet and crunchy—and can be dressed hours in advance.

Feel free to use cooked bulgur, barley, or couscous instead of quinoa

Two tips: To save time, you can buy 2 steamed whole lobsters or 2 cups of cooked lobster meat. And, when prepping the corn, save your cobs for corn stock.

If you can chop tomatoes, you can make tomato water. The rose-colored liquid that releases from the cut fruit tastes like a super-concentrated, drinkable version of ripe tomatoes.

This recipe calls for baking one giant cookie, a way to ensure even, consistent ice cream sandwiches.

Ripe peaches can be used in place of the nectarines; choose whatever looks (and smells) best.

Good ginger beers are made with actual ginger and deliver a nose-tingling hit of spice along with bubbles. Look for Fever-Tree, Reed's, or Fentimans brands.

This riff on gazpacho gets unexpected sweetness—and great color— from the addition of cherries and a peach.

Warm spices, supersweet Sun Gold tomatoes, and a short cooking time reinvent the ordinary marinara.