The New York Times News Service Syndicate
Emily Weinstein, The New York Times Company
I identify as a tomato person. I love summer tomatoes in a way that’s deep, irrational, even a little loony. I buy a genuinely crazy number of them at the farmers market, and then I have to spend the whole week thinking of ways to use them up. (I eat a lot of salads.)
But tomatoes are not the only fruit (yes, botanically they’re fruit) that deserve a prominent place in your midsummer meals. Audaciously sweet and juicy with distinct flavors, peaches and mangoes are gifts from the gods. They’re the key ingredients in two savory dishes you’ll find below, along with three other dinners for the last languid beats of July.
1. Roasted Chicken Thighs With Peaches, Basil and Ginger
A ripe, succulent peach is one of nature’s greatest gifts. But a hard peach? It, too, is a gift, especially in this simple recipe from Melissa Clark. A roast in a 400-degree oven cooks the peaches alongside boneless, skinless chicken thighs, drawing out their flavor and softening them as they meld with those flavorful drippings. Speaking of those pan juices, don’t cast them aside: Sop them up instead with crusty bread. You won’t regret it.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 3 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound hard peaches (about 1 large or 2 to 3 small ones, see Tip)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dry (fino) sherry, or use white wine or dry vermouth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Crusty bread or rice, for serving
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Halve peaches, remove pits and slice fruit 1/2 inch thick.
2. In a 9-by-13-inch pan, toss all ingredients except 1 tablespoon basil. Roast until meat is cooked through and peaches are softened, about 20 minutes. Garnish with remaining basil. Sauce will be thin, so serve with crusty bread for sopping or over rice.
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Tip: Peaches can be any stage of ripeness, but firmer ones are easier to work with.
Banh mi salad. Christian Reynoso distills the intricately balanced flavors and textures of Banh mi into a salad. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)
2. Bánh Mì Salad
Beloved by many for good reason, the flavors and textures of a bánh mì are the inspiration for this recipe. Crisp quick-marinated vegetables, tender herbs and lettuces, spicy jalapeño, creamy avocado and sweet ham are dressed in a version of tangy nước chấm and then topped with buttery crackers instead of the bread that gives the Vietnamese sandwich its name. While the ingredient list might seem long, there’s no cooking involved and this salad comes together in about 20 minutes. Any type of ham will work, but if you buy a roast, you’ll be able to carve the ham as thin as you’d like. For a different take, cooked bacon, rotisserie chicken or tofu make excellent options, too.
By Christian Reynoso
Yield: 2 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 large carrot (about 6 ounces), rinsed and thinly sliced
- 1 small daikon (about 6 ounces), rinsed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 avocado, halved
- 6 to 8 ounces ham, sliced or torn in small pieces or rotisserie chicken meat, picked off the bone
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 big handfuls mixed baby lettuce
- 1 handful cilantro leaves with some stem
- Crushed buttery crackers (such as Cabaret or Ritz), for topping
- Sriracha (optional), for serving
Preparation:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, sugar and fish sauce. Add the carrot, daikon, jalapeño and shallot. Season with salt and toss very well to combine.
2. Scoop the avocado from its skin in small pieces and divide between two serving plates.
3. To the bowl with the carrot mixture, add the ham, cucumber, lettuce and cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
4. Transfer the salad to the plates on top of the avocado. Garnish with the crackers and a squeeze of Sriracha on the side, if you’d like.
Pesto pasta with corn and green beans. David Tanis built a whole menu around this pasta dish, a reminder that sweet corn and grassy green beans are a strong summer pairing. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)
3. Pesto Pasta With Corn and Green Beans
Fresh summer green beans are the best, and, if you can get them in your own vegetable garden, all the better. They’re most tender when picked on the small side, so aim for that in the garden and at the farm stand. Here, they combine with sweet corn kernels and a basil pesto for a luscious summer pasta that also happens to be nut-free, just parsley, basil, garlic, Parmesan, pecorino and olive oil.
By David Tanis
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Pasta:
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups corn kernels (from about 3 ears corn)
- 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
- 1 pound green beans, cut in 2-inch pieces
For the Pesto:
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino, plus more for serving
- Salt and black pepper
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
2. Make the pesto: Put basil, parsley, garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the grated cheese, and season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Start the pasta: Melt butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Set skillet aside.
4. Add pasta to the boiling pot of water and simmer briskly. When pasta is nearly done, add green beans and simmer for 2 minutes. (If preferred, cook beans in a separate pot.)
5. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and beans in a colander, then add to the skillet with the corn.
6. Add half of the pesto and toss well. Add a splash of pasta water and more pesto to taste, and toss to coat well. Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls and serve immediately. For serving, mix more of the two types of grated cheese together and pass at the table.
Chile-garlic salmon with mango and cucumber salad. We’re in the thick of mango season, so there couldn’t be a better time to make Ifrah F. Ahmed’s new recipe, which pairs hot-and-sweet salmon with a cool, creamy, crunchy salad of mangoes, cucumber and avocado. Food styled by Cyd Raftus McDowell. (Armando Rafael/The New York Times)
4. Chile-Garlic Salmon With Mango and Cucumber Salad
Colorful and complex, this spicy glazed salmon with mango-cucumber salad packs a ton of flavors and textures into a quick weeknight meal. While the salmon roasts in the oven, you chop up a refreshing salad of crunchy cucumber, sweet ripe mango and creamy avocado. Side by side, both components make a bright, breezy meal, but you can also serve with white rice if you’re craving a more filling dinner. The spicy-sweet salmon sauce is built from pantry ingredients (soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and chile-garlic sauce) and readily adapts to your preferred sweetness and spice levels. While the salmon can be eaten the next day, the mango-cucumber salad is best eaten right away, when it’s at its best and brightest.
By Ifrah F. Ahmed
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Salmon:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce (preferably Huy Fong)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 7 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 (5- to 6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
- Cooked white rice (optional), for serving
For the Mango Salad:
- 1 large ripe mango, cubed
- 1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium avocado, cubed
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven heats, make the salmon marinade by combining the soy sauce, maple syrup, chile-garlic sauce, sesame oil, garlic and black pepper in a large bowl.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the salmon fillets in the marinade, making sure to coat all sides. Once the oven is hot, place salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until the fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork. Set aside leftover marinade.
3. While the salmon roasts, combine all ingredients for the mango salad except the avocado.
4. In a small saucepan, add the leftover marinade and reduce it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, until it thickens to a syrup.
5. Once the salmon is ready, spoon the thickened sauce over the salmon. Add the avocado to the mango salad and gently mix together.
6. Serve the salmon and mango salad with white rice, if desired.
A diner-style burger. Kenji Lopez-Alt shared his considerable burger knowledge in a new episode of Cooking 101. (Ryan Liebe/The New York Times)
5. Diner Burgers
These are the kind of big, beefy, no-nonsense, cooked-on-a-flattop burger you find at places like J.G. Melon in New York City or Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These burgers emphasize crustiness and juiciness, and skipping the grill in lieu of a pan or flattop means there’s no smoky overshadowing of the pure beefiness.
By J. Kenji López-Alt
Yield: 4 burgers
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 20 to 24 ounces freshly ground beef, at least 20% fat
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A few teaspoons of neutral oil or clarified butter
- 4 to 8 slices cheese of your choice
- 4 soft hamburger buns, toasted
- Toppings and condiments, as desired
Preparation:
1. Place the beef on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and divide it into four even piles. Without lifting the meat, gently shape it into four patties, each about 1/2 inch wider than the burger buns, pressing the meat together just enough to make the patties hold. Do not overwork them. Make a shallow indentation in the center of each patty to prevent bulging as they cook.
2. Season the top side generously with salt and pepper. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the patties and season the second side, then refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. Heat the oil or clarified butter on a griddle or in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Use the spatula to carefully add the patties and cook, flipping occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), about 5 minutes. Add cheese and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the burgers reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius) for medium-rare or 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) for medium — about 1 minute more.
4. While the burgers cook, dress the toasted buns however you like them. (For more stability, you can put mayo or a mayo-based sauce on the bottom and top bun, then place the toppings on the bottom bun.) Transfer the cooked burger patties to the buns. Close the burgers and serve.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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