In case the massive heat wave didn’t clue you in, summer is at full force right now. If you don’t enjoy the heat, you can still take joy in the bounty of seasonal produce. From the sweet nectar of stone fruits to the spectacular reds, yellows, oranges and greens of heirloom tomatoes, summer means something extra-special to food lovers.

If you’re not sure what is at its very best, take a look at the list below for the must-grab fruits and vegetables, as well as a couple of fresh ideas for serving them. Whether you get them at your corner grocery or a destination farmers market, these foods are at their tastiest and most inexpensive in July and August. So stock up and stuff yourself until you can eat no more; this sun-soaked bounty won’t be around forever!

Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries…the berry bounty is extensive in the summer months. While they are superb in jams, pies or parfaits, berries like to dip their toes into the savory side of cooking as well.

 
MELONS

Summer melons are one of those foods so perfect that you really don’t want to do much to mask their flavor. But you can, literally, spice things up:

 
CORN

Arguably the most popular of all the summer treats, you can’t help but devour a sweet, juicy cob, typewriter-style, paying no heed to flying kernels and buttery cheeks!

For your next barbeque, set up a DIY corn on the cob bar for your guests. Start with husked ears stacked on a platter, a roll of aluminum foil and a bowl of melted butter with a small pastry brush.

Here’s my absolute favorite way to prepare eggplant. If seasoned just right it can end up almost tasting like pork belly in its umami, as well as its texture: crispy outside, buttery and tender inside.

 
Bonus: “vegan pork belly,” cholesterol-free.

Tomorrow: Part 2: four more delicious ideas.

Like broccoli, carrots, green beans and zucchini, fresh corn—eaten on the cob or sliced off it—is delicious. When we get home from the farmers market with our fresh-picked corn, we husk and enjoy an ear on the spot.

No butter or salt is needed—in fact, the unadorned sweetness of the fresh corn is a-maizing. As a side for dinner, toss the raw kernels with bit of fine olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. It needs no further garnishing, but you can add some grated Parmesan or cracked pepper.

There are other ways to enjoy the raw, tender kernels in a recipe:

Take a bite: There’s no need to cook! Photo by Zeeshan Qureshi | SXC.

Each ear of corn (10 to 14 oz.) will yield about 1 cup of corn kernels.

Here’s a video showing an easy way to remove the kernels from the cob.

HOW TO BE SURE YOUR CORN IS FRESH

To eat raw corn from the cob, it needs to be fresh and sweet. The moment it’s picked, the sugars in corn begin to convert to starch. Two days later, the corn can taste starchy rather than sweet.

It’s easy to tell if the corn is fresh by looking at the silk tassel. It should be a light, whitish color. As the corn ages, the silk turns brown. The corn can still be good as long as the tassel is not dried out.

If the tassel has been removed, don’t buy the corn. It means the silk dried out and the corn is too old.

If your mother taught you to peel back the husk before buying the corn, forget it! All it does is dry out the corn. If the tassel and husk look fresh, there’s nothing to see. If a few kernels are missing from the top of the cob, it means nothing. Don’t husk corn until you’re ready to use it.

Eat corn the day you buy it. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat raw or cook.
 
  

It’s easy to remove corn kernels from the cob with a sharp chef’s knife.

But if you use a tube pan or bundt pan to anchor the ear, it’s even easier.

You’ll find the technique in the video below so useful, we bet you’ll be making corn salad or fresh corn salsa through the end of corn season. Start with this delicious recipe…and one more tip: To remove the silk from the corn, just use a wet paper towel.

CORN SALSA RECIPE

Make lots—you’ll love it! Beyond a chip dip, this salsa is delicious with grilled fish and poultry. It also couldn’t be easier: Just dice and mix. That’s it. This recipe makes about 3 cups; 4 cups if beans are added.

Ingredients

We adapted this recipe from Mozzarella Company, one of the greatest American cheese makers and a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. They use their delectable mozzarella. But feta or fresh goat cheese are equally delicious—even more so to those who like tangy cheese.

Enjoy it as a light luncheon salad or as a first course at dinner.
 
 
WATERMELON & YELLOW TOMATO SALAD WITH FETA, GOAT CHEESE OR MOZZARELLA

Ingredients

1. Toss the watermelon, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt, pepper, olive oil and half of each of the mint and basil leaves together.

2. Top with the remaining mint and basil leaves.

3. Makes 4 servings. Consider making a double batch—you’ll be wanting more!
 
 
VARIATIONS

You can add layers of sophistication to this already-yummy salad by adding any of the following ingredients:

 
>The history of watermelon plus more watermelon recipes.
  

[2] Puff pastry is a great asset if you want to turn out elegant appetizers and desserts (photo © Our Harvest).

[3] “American Kobe, a.k.a. wagyu beef hot dogs from Snake River Farms (photo © Snake River Farms).

[4] these 6″ bamboo skewers (photo © Hopelf | Amazon).

[5] Sesame Chicken Lollipops. You can substitute tofu for vegetarian guests.

July 20th is National Lollipop Day. But lollipops are more than sugar-on-a-stick. There are also savory lollipops—not the hard kind you lick, but more popularly known in catering circles as hors d’oeuvres at cocktail parties and snacks at kids’ parties. Or as some like to call it, food on a stick.

The difference between savory lollipops and other food-on-a-stick—such as corn dogs and kebabs—is the size: single bites, in the case of lollipops. Lollipops add a touch of whimsy, a new way to present the classics.

Just in time for weekend fun, here are two recipes from Andrea Correale, owner and founder of Elegant Affairs Caterers, a company in metropolitan New York that is one of the leading Hamptons caterers and event planners (she has catered events for L.A. Reid, Mariah Carey, Russell Simmons, and P. Diddy, among others).

While the two recipes below require preparation, you can make simple variations without planning ahead.
 
Just keep a package of six-inch bamboo skewers on hand. Then, if you need an hors d’oeuvre or kid treats in a hurry, you can look in the fridge and freezer and make lollipops from whatever you have: meatballs, chicken nuggets, hot dog and sausage chunks, and cubes of cheese, with a dipping sauce.

If you don’t have wheatgrass or other food to anchor the sticks, put them in a short jar, or lay them on a tray.

Following the Kobe/wagyu hot dogs are recipes for White Sesame Chicken Lollipops and Miso Dipping Sauce.
 
 
RECIPE #1: KOBE/WAGYU HOT DOG LOLLIPOPS

The famed Kobe beef of Japan is imported at very high prices. Instead, most Americans substitute Wagyu, a beef made from the same breed of cattle that are farmed in the U.S.

Here’s the difference between Kobe and Wagyu.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Flour the puff pastry sheet and add Cheddar to one side of the sheet. Evenly distribute and flatten with your hands.

2. PLACE one end of the pastry dough over the cheese end and fold over. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough.

3. MIX mustard and eggs and brush Dijon egg wash all over the dough.

3. TAKE a hot dog, place it at the edge of the dough. Take puff pastry and roll around a hot dog. Use the egg wash to adhere.

4. CUT away the excess dough and pinch the ends together. Repeat with each hot dog.

5. PLACE on a carving board and cut the ends off. Slice into 3/4″ thick pieces.

6. PLACE on a parchment-covered baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a skewer into each piece and place it in a wheatgrass-filled tray.
 
 
RECIPE #2: WHITE SESAME CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS

You can also make these with tofu for vegetarian guests.

1. SIFT the flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix together the soy sauce, water, vegetable oil, and a pinch of sesame oil; stir into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in the chicken pieces until coated with the batter, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. HEAT the oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to a temperature of 375°F. Drop in the battered chicken pieces and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil, for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

3. SPRINKLE with toasted sesame seeds to garnish. To serve, skewer chicken pieces using long wooden skewers. Lie on a platter with the dipping sauce, or stick into a 2-day-old loaf of round bread.
 
 
RECIPE #3: MISO DIPPING SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WHISK together in a small bowl the miso, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. While whisking…

2. GRADUALLY ADD the peanut and sesame oils until you have a creamy dressing.

3. SERVE with the White Sesame Chicken Lollipops.
 
 
See the Elegant Affairs website for more delicious party ideas.
 
 

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