Salad

One in ten Padróns or shishitos is actually spicy. Pepper roulette!

There’s no law that says watermelon salads must incorporate feta. This renegade combination is at once sweet, tart, and savory—the kind of dish that’s as comfortable at the breakfast table as it is at a potluck.

Make the most of ripe summer tomatoes by turning their juices into a dressing for this grilled bread and hanger steak salad.

When shopping for this salad at the market, pick heavy, aromatic cantaloupes with stem ends that yield slightly when pressed.

This couscous salad is just right for a late summer barbecue.

Any side dish or salad that includes corn is pretty, but fava beans and striking-looking breakfast radishes—with their elongated shape, rosy red color, and creamy-looking root ends—make this dish more appealing and appetizing than most. Like most chefs, I love favas, but if you can’t find them or think they are too much trouble, replace them with lima beans.

Believe it or not, watermelon and feta make a great pairing. Toss in some hot chili peppers and cilantro and you have a salad to delight everyone who tries it. Buy seedless watermelon for this—you won’t be disappointed when you try it.

I love crunchy fennel and peppery arugula dressed with a slightly sweet dressing made from Meyer lemons—a fresh-tasting pick-me-up. Meyer lemons are only available in the wintertime, so if you can’t find them, use regular lemon juice and replace a third of it with fresh orange juice.

At the height of summer, this is exactly the kind of simple, flavor-packed salad we want for dinner.

Because would it really be a barbecue without grilled corn?