Summer: Recipes in Season

Children on a summer beach
Image by Jeffrey

Sizzling summer heat heralds the most abundant stretch of the annual growing season. Just as late spring produce begins to wane, heat-loving summer crops show up to eagerly take their place.

Tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, eggplant, summer squash and cucumbers fill supermarket shelves and farmers market stalls to overflowing. Stone fruits — cherries, peaches, plums, apricots — and bright, plump berries are highlight of summer’s sweet fruit bounty.

Here is a list of items that are abundant, fresh and seasonal for Summer.

June Ingredients

Vegetables

Asparagus | Beets | Corn | Fava Beans | Green Beans | Kohlrabi | Peas | Peppers | Spinach

Fruits

Apricots | Bananas | Berries | Cherries | Mangoes | Melons | Peaches | Pineapple | Plums

Fish and Seafood

Tuna

July Ingredients

Vegetables

Avocados | Beets | Corn | Cucumbers | Fava Beans | Green Beans | Kohlrabi | Lima Beans | Peas | Peppers | Summer Squash | Tomatoes | Winter Squash

Fruits

Apricots | Berries | Cherries | Figs | Grapes | Litchis | Mangoes | Melons | Nectarines | Peaches | Plums

Fish and Seafood

Tuna

August Ingredients

Vegetables

Avocados | Beets | Corn | Cucumbers | Fava Beans | Eggplant | Green Beans | Kohlrabi | Lima Beans | Peppers | Summer Squash | Tomatoes | Winter Squash

Fruits

Berries | Cherries | Figs | Grapes | Litchis | Mangoes | Melons | Nectarines | Peaches | Pears | Plums | Prickly Pear (Tuna)

International Recipes for Summer

Try these sizzling summer recipes.

Jerk Chicken 
(Jamaican spicy grilled chicken)
Man grilling jerk chicken

Jerk Chicken 
(Jamaican spicy grilled chicken)

Clambake 
(American, New England seafood and vegetable beach barbecue)
Large pot with clambake ingredients

Clambake 
(American, New England seafood and vegetable beach barbecue)

Ajvar 
(Serbian roasted eggplant and pepper spread)
A jar of ajvar with some spooned onto a plate.

Ajvar 
(Serbian roasted eggplant and pepper spread)

Boerewors 
(South African homemade farmer’s sausage)
Spiral of boerewors on the grill

Boerewors 
(South African homemade farmer’s sausage)

Summer Pudding 
(English berry and bread dessert)
A summer pudding on a plate, revealing the fruit inside

Summer Pudding 
(English berry and bread dessert)

Rumtopf 
(German rum-soaked fruit dessert)
Rumtopf (German rum-soaked fruit dessert)

Rumtopf 
(German rum-soaked fruit dessert)

South Carolina Barbecue Sauce 
(American Southern mustard-based grilling sauce)
South Carolina BBQ shack

South Carolina Barbecue Sauce 
(American Southern mustard-based grilling sauce)

Hamburgers 
(American grilled beef patty sandwiches)
Cheeseburger with tomatoes, lettuce and onion wrapped in paper

Hamburgers 
(American grilled beef patty sandwiches)

North Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe 
(American Southern barbecue pork sandwich)
North Carolina pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw

North Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe 
(American Southern barbecue pork sandwich)

Banh Xeo 
(Vietnamese filled crepe)
Stuffed banh xeo on a plate with a side of herbs

Banh Xeo 
(Vietnamese filled crepe)

Salade Niçoise 
(French Provençale tuna and vegetable salad)
French Provençal tuna and vegetable salad

Salade Niçoise 
(French Provençale tuna and vegetable salad)

Cedar Plank Salmon 
(Canadian salmon grill-roasted on aromatic wood)
Salmon on cedar planks cooking on a grill

Cedar Plank Salmon 
(Canadian salmon grill-roasted on aromatic wood)

Granita al Limone 
(Italian lemon ice)
Sidewalk vendor selling lemon granita

Granita al Limone 
(Italian lemon ice)

Meggyleves 
(Hungarian sour cherry soup)
Bowl of Hungarian sour cherry soup

Meggyleves 
(Hungarian sour cherry soup)

Lecsó 
(Hungarian simmered peppers and tomatoes)
Plate of lecso

Lecsó 
(Hungarian simmered peppers and tomatoes)

Creole Barbecue Shrimp 
(American Southern spicy sauteed shrimp)
Platter with Creole barbecue shrimp

Creole Barbecue Shrimp 
(American Southern spicy sauteed shrimp)

Texas Barbecue Beef Brisket 
(American Tex-Mex smoked, slow-roasted beef)
Carving up a finished smoked beef brisket

Texas Barbecue Beef Brisket 
(American Tex-Mex smoked, slow-roasted beef)

Pasta alla Puttanesca 
(Italian pasta with tomatoes, olives and capers)
Bowl of pasta puttanesca

Pasta alla Puttanesca 
(Italian pasta with tomatoes, olives and capers)

Pebre 
(Chilean cilantro sauce for grilled meats)
Pebre (Chilean cilantro sauce)

Pebre 
(Chilean cilantro sauce for grilled meats)

Zuiji 
(Chinese drunken chicken)
Zuiji (Chinese drunken chicken)

Zuiji 
(Chinese drunken chicken)

Carne Asada 
(Central American grilled steak)
Carne asada taco on paper plate

Carne Asada 
(Central American grilled steak)

Blaff 
(Caribbean lime-poached fish)
Limes on the three

Blaff 
(Caribbean lime-poached fish)

Poisson Cru, or E’ia Ota 
(Tahitian lime-marinated tuna)
Bowl of Tahitian poisson cru

Poisson Cru, or E’ia Ota 
(Tahitian lime-marinated tuna)

Fassolakia 
(Greek green beans in tomato sauce)
Mediterranean-style green beans and tomatoes

Fassolakia 
(Greek green beans in tomato sauce)

Pappa al Pomodoro 
(Italian tomato-bread soup)
Bowl of pappa al pomodoro bread and tomato soup

Pappa al Pomodoro 
(Italian tomato-bread soup)

Mücver 
(Turkish zucchini fritters)
Zucchini mucver fritters

Mücver 
(Turkish zucchini fritters)

Baba Ghanoush 
(Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip)
Bowl of baba ghanoush

Baba Ghanoush 
(Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip)

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