Nut Free

With store-bought cooked lobster (or shrimp if that’s more your speed) this luxe, buttery pasta comes together at lightning speed.

The peppers will go from softened to mushy if they sit too long; you want to serve them with some bite left.

Yes, you can treat parsley as a salad green, as long as your bunch isn't woody. Sweet molasses and tart sumac make it vibrant.

Dress just before serving so that the fennel will still be crunchy and the melon retains its juices.

A grown-up shaved ice, with a welcome hit of spice from the pepper.

Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

"Cool and bright, this herb-laced corn salad is my new summer staple." —Alfia Muzio, recipe developer

How is this shortcake different from all others? Cake flour makes it extra-tender, for starters, then it's baked in one big circle and bathed in tarragon-infused butter. You might never go back.

Sugared, roasted lemons are edible from rind to flesh and give this salsa-like mix a bracing jolt of sourness.

Cooked summer squash can be mushy. Solution: Eat it raw. If you can't find buckwheat groats, use chopped toasted almonds instead.

A great way to make use of a glut of summer herbs, this mix suits any grilled meat.

We love the rich, salty flavor of anchovies, especially with lamb, but we don't really want to bite into one. Chop until they're practically a paste.

Delicate squash blossoms are a farmers' market treasure. Look for flowers with perky, intact petals and a generous length of stem still attached. Wrap them loosely in damp paper towels and tuck them into a zip-top bag; they'll keep this way in the fridge for a few days. Or bypass the storage completely and turn them into a predinner bite as soon as you get home.—Alison Roman

If you love dipping bread into tomato soup, you’ll love this rustic Italian dish, known as pappa al pomodoro.