Summer

Quickly grilling kale makes it crispy. Pairing it with fresh plums and ricotta transforms it into our new favorite salad.

"From the Lord Commander's own table," Bowen Marsh told them. There were salads of spinach and chickpeas and turnip greens, and afterwards bowls of iced blueberries and sweet cream. —A Game of Thrones Medieval Crème Bastard
This recipe produces an addictive cream sauce that is simple to make and not too sweet, complementing the natural sweetness of the berries. As a treat on the Wall, where Jon Snow makes his home, we thought it particularly fitting that the recipe is called Crème Bastard. Bastard is an early form of the word custard, and has no connection with one's parentage when used in a culinary context. Take þe whyte of Eyroun a grete hepe, & putte it on a panne ful of Mylke, & let yt boyle; þen sesyn it so with Salt an hony a lytel; þen lat hit kele, & draw it þorw a straynoure, an take fayre Cowe mylke an draw yt with-all, & seson it with Sugre... —Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books

St. John Frizell of Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Brooklyn, created this recipe for a Fourth of July drinks feature—this is the blue option in a special red, white, and blue Sangria series. The drink gets its oceanlike hue from just 1 ounce of blue curaçao, but if color isn't important to you, feel free to use regular (clear) curaçao instead. Frizell warns against using cheap vermouth: "An excellent dry vermouth, like Dolin, is necessary for this recipe." The drizzle of Maraschino liqueur, Frizell explains, "adds a nutty, bittersweet note."

St. John Frizell of Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Brooklyn, created this recipe for a Fourth of July drinks feature—this is the red option in a special red, white, and blue Sangria series. Dubonnet takes center stage in Frizell's Sangria but is a supporting player in many classic cocktail recipes, including the gin-based Dubonnet cocktail (also known as the Zaza). It's an aperitif wine that Frizell says is similar to vermouth and has been popular in French cafés since the 19th century.

No-fry zone: We let the fish 'n' chips fave go au naturel.

The keys to this dish? Use as many types of squash as you can, and heat the oil in the skillet until it's almost smoking.

A quick Dijon-herb mixture serves as both a marinade for the grilled pork and a tart dressing for the bean salad.

Fruit is a welcome addition to savory grain salads. Here, mangoes and oranges add color and sweetness to the deep-purple hue of black rice. It's delicious with grilled fish.

An assertive wet rub gives these steaks a nice crust on the grill. And the spice from the meat pairs with the pungency of the tapenade to play deliciously against the tomatoes and watercress. (Bonus: The tapenade is great on fish, chicken, and, well, anything savory.)

Britton uses agave syrup to sweeten this nutty crust.

Michael Lindley, Public House, Chattanooga: "Cucumbers are great in picnic food, something you can take with you anywhere."

Molly Moon's in Seattle pairs apricot compote with vanilla ice cream, but you can experiment with other combos. We love chocolate ice cream with tart dried cherries.

The only trick to this fruit-flecked pie created by Sweet Rose Creamery in Santa Monica, CA, is making sure it gets 6 hours in the freezer to firm up.

Butter, flecked with parsley, chive, and dill, melts into the smoky, briny juices of grilled clams to create a delicious, effortless sauce.

You can use any ripe berries to make this seasonal pitcher cocktail.

You can use any white flaky fish in this versatile—and quick—dish.

"Nobody thinks to cook cucumbers, but I treat them as I would any vegetable"

The classic Middle Eastern salad shifts from bulgur wheat to quinoa. The tiny nutritional powerhouse is loaded with protein, making this dish both a delicious vegetarian main course and a summer-suitable side.