Olive Oil Cake with Honey Yogurt Cream and Strawberries
Olive Oil Cake with Honey Yogurt Cream and Strawberries

Moist and fairly dense, this fruit-inflected cake is a perfect grand finale to a warm-weather meal. Blueberries can stand in for strawberries.

Serves 6 — Recipe from foodandwine.com

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint
Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

If possible, buy fresh just-picked carrots with the tops still on (you can always make pesto out of the tops). There’s no need to peel them as the skin is thin and tender.

Serves 4 — Recipe from bonappetit.com

Grilled Broccoli Rabe with Salsa Rossa
Grilled Broccoli Rabe with Salsa Rossa

Broccoli rabe (also known as rapini) is a deliciously bitter green closely related to turnips. To ensure tenderness, the stalks are blanched, then grilled. You’ll find the Salsa Rossa pairs well with many green vegetables—green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2016

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Verdant and bold-flavored, chimichurri is one of South America’s finest contributions to the world’s sauces. If available, buy “outside” skirt steak, which is considered superior in flavor and tenderness to “inside” skirt steak. Or substitute flank steak or flat iron steak.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from lecremedelacrumb.com

Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Herb Sauce
Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Herb Sauce

While we always prefer wild-caught salmon, Chilean Verlasso salmon (farm-raised) is also very good. Feel free to substitute black bass, red snapper, or lionfish if salmon is not available.

Serves 4 — Recipe from bonappetit.com

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

You can turn this colorful salad into a main course by adding cooked shrimp. Substituting golden beets for the more familiar red will prevent your hands from staining.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from savoryexperiments.com

Siracha and Lime Corn Salad
Siracha and Lime Corn Salad

This salad is also excellent when made with grilled corn. Simply lay the husked ears on a hot grill grate and grill, turning with tongs, until patches of brown appear. Slice the kernels off the cobs before proceeding with the recipe.

Serves 4 — Recipe from food52.com

Lemony Pea and Spinach Soup
Lemony Pea and Spinach Soup

A generous drizzle of fresh-pressed extra virgin olive oil before serving gives this soup richness (we love its jewel-like color).

Serves: 4 to 6 — Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com

Garlic and Lemon Aioli with Fresh Asparagus
Garlic and Lemon Aioli with Fresh Asparagus

This is a recipe my wife, Meghan, and I enjoy as an appetizer when asparagus is in season. We use a Microplane to grate the lemon zest and garlic.

Serves 2 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Black Bean Dip
Black Bean Dip

We love appetizers that can be assembled quickly. This recipe uses ingredients you likely have on hand. No fresh jalapeños? Pickled ones can be used, too.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from onceuponachef.com

Avocado Tartine
Avocado Tartine

The word “tartine” is just a fancy name for open-faced sandwiches, which can be served anytime. Merquén is a popular Chilean spice mix that can be purchased in a well-stocked spice store or online.

Serves 2— Recipe adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Eggs in Purgatory
Eggs in Purgatory

Though it’s not clear why the dish is named as it is, we find these eggs, bathed in a savory tomato sauce, more heavenly than hellish

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from bonappetit.com