Fresh and Fabulous Recipes That Celebrate Summertime

By Southern Living Editors
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

June in the South not only means that hot and long summer days have officially set in, but also that beautiful hauls of bright fruits and vegetables are just ripe for the picking. It’s finally peak farmers’ market season. Make the most of your heirlooms, beefsteaks, plums, and cherry reds—that’s right, we’re talking tomatoes—with our five delicious recipes using these ripe stars of summer. From the Bacon-Spinach-and-Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes to the Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce, these dishes practically burst with flavor. Feeding a crowd? Our seasonal take on hearty lasagna uses three cheeses and thin, woven strips of zucchini to make this one-pan classic feel brand spankin’ new. And since it’s not a summer party in the South without something pickled, try your hand at our easy make-ahead Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables. It’s just begging to be added to the picnic table. To round out your seasonal feasts, dip into one of the forgotten fruit desserts of the South, packed with fresh summer berries, cherries, and peaches. While their names might cause you to stumble upon first glance, just wait until you get a taste of these six old-fashioned favorites. (Buckle, kuchen, sonker, and pandowdy? Say that five times fast.) If looking for a slightly soused confection, our Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake packs just the right punch. We feel ready to start baking our way through summer—how about you? Here are 15 recipes that showcase the very best of summer.

 

 

 

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Grilled Steak Salad with Green Tomato Vinaigrette

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Grilled Steak Salad with Green Tomato Vinaigrette

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Bacon-Spinach-and-Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Bacon-Spinach-and-Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes

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Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

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Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage

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Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Blistered Tomatoes

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Blistered Tomatoes

6 of 17

Zucchini Lasagna

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna

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Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables

8 of 17

Whole-Grain Panzanella

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Whole-Grain Panzanella

9 of 17

Chicken Thighs and BBQ Beans

Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Recipe: Chicken Thighs and BBQ Beans

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Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars

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Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

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Berry Sonker with Dip

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Berry Sonker with Dip

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Ginger-Plum Slump

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Ginger-Plum Slump

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Peach-Raspberry Buckle

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Peach-Raspberry Buckle

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Strawberry Kuchen

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Strawberry Kuchen

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Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

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