Fruit

Mixed Beans with Peanuts, Ginger, and Lime

This is a high-summer throw together of a sauté to make when there are lots of snap beans at the market. Mix colors and types for the full effect.

Vegetarian Tagine

Plum-Fennel Salad with Honey-Ginger Dressing

Slightly underripe plums? Add a touch more honey.

Almond Butter-Banana Dip with Cocoa Nibs

Tacos Al Pastor (Marinated, Spit-Roasted Tacos)

Tacos al pastor—made from marinated pork that's been roasted on a vertical spit—are wildly popular in Mexico City, particularly at night. The best taqueros put on a show, slicing off bits of caramelized meat and catching it in one hand (or behind their back!), and then reaching above the meat to slice off a piece of warm, juicy pineapple. According to city folklore, these tacos were invented in the capital. The dish is a direct descendant of shawarma, brought by Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Mexico in the early twentieth century. The marinade in this recipe comes from Tacos Don Guero in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood, whose taqueros were kind enough to explain their ingredients to me at six a.m. one weekday morning. Obviously very few people at home will have a vertical spit—part of what gives tacos al pastor its signature flavor—but a grill would work well, or a blazing-hot cast iron skillet or griddle greased with a little lard.

Walnut, Goat Cheese & Apple Sliders

Mango Fruit Salsa

Butternut Squash Hummus

Strawberry-Cucumber Salad with Lemon Cream

Strawberries and cream...and cardamom. The cooling spice and cucumbers give berries an element of intrigue.

Why You Should Drink Like a Brit This Summer

Summer’s most thirst-quenching cocktails all have one thing in common.

27 Ways to Use Up a Jar of Jam

Yes, sure, you can spread it on toast. But why stop there? There are so many other ways to get your jam on.

Why You Should Add Avocados To Your Margaritas

In Texas, people do it all the time.

Bitter Greens with Sautéed Corn & Shallots

Bitter and bossy seeks warm and sweet: This robust dressing is capable of standing up to—and slightly softening—acerbic greens like dandelion or arugula. (Maybe it's the bacon...)

Boathouse Punch

At the bar, we have giant ice molds to make the ice cubes that keep this punch cold, but when I do it at home, a Tupperware container works just as well. Fill a 1-quart to 2-quart container with hot water (which freezes into clearer ice) and stick it in the freezer twenty-four hours before the party. Then add the giant cube to your punch bowl right before the guests arrive; it keeps everything cold and looks beautiful.