Our Best Summer Recipes Are Here!

We love lobster rolls for their perfect pairing of high- (lobster) and low-end (hot dog bun) ingredients. This recipe for the quintessential Maine sandwich, from the new book Real Maine Food, by the founders of Luke's Lobster, demonstrates just how delicious the lobster roll can be, if you follow two key points. First, use split-top buns. They sit upright on a flat bottom and have bread-y (rather than crusty) sides, so you can butter and grill the outside to the perfect crispness. Second, don't mix the lobster meat with anything; you want its delicate flavor to shine. Spread mayo on the inside of the buns, drizzle butter over the meat, sprinkle seasoning on top and that's it.

Get the recipe: Luke's Lobster Roll

We're big fans of any recipe that lists ingredient quantities in easy, low-stress, nonspecific language (as in, "1 large handful of basil"), which is why this one from Katie Quinn Davies' What Katie Ate on the Weekend, with its just-eyeball-it amounts of herbs and greens, caught our eye. Aside from that, though, it's a terrific side salad that can bolster any meal, from grilled chicken to beef kebabs. The whole-grain farro, cherry tomatoes and feta will hold up remarkably well; so, if you make this early in the week, you can enjoy the leftovers for days.

Get the recipe: Farro with Feta, Lemon and Pine Nuts

This lighter, brighter burger from Nong's Thai Kitchen, by Nongkran Daks, is a white-meat twist on the classic. It calls for ground chicken or pork, which you mix with a garlic-cilantro Thai sauce that gives the leaner meat a deep umami flavor. You can serve these patties on buns with a few slices of tomato, cucumber and red onion; or, enjoy them the traditional Thai way: with a side of steamed rice.

Get the recipe: Thai Chicken Burgers with Thai Pesto

Fresh corn usually shows up in a Mexican meal in salsa form, but chef Rick Bayless, whose new book is More Mexican Everyday, uses it as a taco filling, reminding us of just how versatile this farm-stand staple can be. He combines the kernels with zucchini, cooks them until they're brown (which just takes a few minutes) and stirs in roasted poblano chilies and cream. Spoon everything into soft tacos and sprinkle some crumbled cheese on top, and you've got a delicious and filling warm-weather meal.

Get the recipe: Creamy Zucchini, Corn and Roasted Poblanos

With their thick "walls" and few seeds, Roma tomatoes make an ideal topping for bruschetta. Their rich flavor needs little embellishment, making this ridiculously easy recipe, from the new paperback edition of Lucinda's Rustic Italian Kitchen, by Lucinda Scala Quinn, a no-brainer. All you do is combine the tomatoes with olive oil, sliced basil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and put the mixture over toast for an instant-gratification appetizer, lunch, dinner accompaniment—or, yes, breakfast.

Get the recipe: Bruschetta Pomodoro

These prosecco-blueberry-lemon Popsicles from Maria del Mar Sacasa's new Summer Cocktails are fantastic on their own—the clean, fresh taste of the prosecco and lemon nicely complements the juicy, slightly sour blueberries—but you can also serve the pops in glasses of sparkling wine and enjoy a frosty (and boozy!) dessert. As the pops melt, they'll add flavor and keep drinks cool.

Get the recipe: Prosecco-Blueberry-Lemon Pops