While warm weather has stopped by for brief visits, it hasn’t yet come to stay here in Seattle. This zigzag of the thermostat needle in our house has me inspired to be ready for summer when it finally takes hold. After all, a signature of the summer meals at my table is a simple preparation where the centerpiece – whether grilled meat or seasonal vegetable – shines through. This casual summer style lends itself to accessories, the extra little somethings that emerge from your refrigerator or freezer to celebrate the season differently from one meal to the next: a delicious sauce, a perfect pickle, a simple cocktail, or a bowl of ice cream. Here are my favorites.
Mix up a quick sauce, lovely on a nicely seasoned and grilled bit of lamb or steak, like this Smashed Herb Sauce that lives in a jar in my refrigerator that acts as a depository for herb stems or leftover bunches, chopped down to blend in; keeping a mashed, flavored butter around like this ramp variety (scallions would work too) to dollop on a bit of grilled meat or veg isn’t a bad idea, either. I love having an intriguing vinaigrette on hand to pour over a collection of whatever mixture of crunchy leaves and veggies, like this Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette, this Caesar Salad Dressing, or my all-time favorite resides in my freezer all season, this Basil-Walnut Vinaigrette.
Another way to perk up a plate is with a homemade pickle. Pick this classic refrigerator pickle sweetened with honey, one of these three cuke varieties – bread and butter, fresh dill, or spicy curried –- or opt for this sweet and hot okra sort, all crisp, all wonderful. Or drain a forkful or two of these Pickled Brussels Sprouts and toss them directly into a salad – with raisins, grilled peppers, chopped romaine, a crumble of Manchego, and roasted almonds would do the trick.
If all the grilling and drizzling has you parched, pour yourself a glass of this homemade honey lemonade or this hibiscus sun tea. Maybe you need something a bit stronger to wet your whistle? Try one of these cocktails on for size—of mint and watermelon, or a punchy ginger-pineapple. Or watch me make this pink peppercorn and basil limeade with my hot friend when we were in our twenties. (I’ll need a drink after that for the puns alone!)
I would be remiss to talk about summer extra-somethings if I don’t hand over a bowl of my favorite ice cream recipes: of honey roasted strawberries; or with rosemary, pine nuts and flecks of chocolate; or the quickest and easiest vanilla ice cream recipe you’ll ever find. (If you’re into roasted strawberries, here’s a bonus icebox pie for you; or if it’s the pine nuts that piqued your interest, here’s an ice cream sandwich for you.) Top any of those with my hot fudge sauce that doesn’t contain chocolate at all, just like these Fudgy Ice Pops; nor does this Lemon Olive Oil Sorbet, for that matter.
I hope this missive has convinced you of the merits of all the deliciousness that surrounds summer cooking and eating, all tasty things that I will be stocking my refrigerator and freezer with while I wait for Seattle’s summer to finally arrive.
In the meantime, thanks for reading here and exploring my work. Other ways to support my work include taking a look at my books: Twenty Dollar, Twenty Minute Meals (that has a Dark Chocolate Gelato Buttermilk Milkshake in it that I still dream about); Cake Magic! (with dozens of options for dressing with summer fruit); Catalan Food (whose Romesco sauce is authentic to the annual festival devoted to dipping grilled young onions into it, the real deal); and Soup Club (which contains a recipe for a summery succotash soup I wish I was eating this very moment). For the paid subscribers among you, allow me to share with you one more recipe to tuck away for the next scorching day.
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