Cherry tomato tartlets
Cherry Tomato Tartlets

These tasty bites can be a luscious lunch or a tempting appetizer. Choose the sweetest variety of cherry tomatoes, red or yellow, available.

Yields 8 tartlets

Pistachio pesto
JuanJo's Farm Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

For his pesto, JuanJo used semi-matured goat cheese rather than Parmigiano-Romano (see more in the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in Newsletter). It was simple, fast, and stunning. He dolloped it on just-roasted tomatoes, and it’s equally delicious on bruschetta, as a sandwich spread, tossed with hot pasta and a splash of pasta water, served with grilled fish or chicken, and stirred into warm white beans.

Yields 4 servings

Pasta with spicy red clam sauce
Pasta with Spicy Red Clam Sauce

Summer’s bounty of cherry tomatoes is ripe (pun intended) for a rich and spicy clam sauce. While clams may seem daunting, they’re no more complicated to steam than a lobster. Just be sure to buy the freshest—and smallest—ones you can find.

Yields 2 servings

Cheesy Onion Chips/Wraps
Cheesy Onion Wraps

Looking for a grain-free wrap to replace pitas or tortillas? This sheet pan hack is so flavorful you may never go back! It gets its goodness from sweet onions and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can also cut the cooked sheet into shapes to top burgers or enjoy on their own as snacks. Bookmark this one for next autumn: Cut into rounds to make delicious toppers for French onion soup (use any sweet onion when Vidalias are out of season).

Makes 3 wraps

Olive Toast with Goat Cheese
Olive Toast

This makes a satisfying lunch and a great appetizer for your next get-together. I love the tangy, fruity taste of sumac, a spice that’s finally getting the attention it deserves. If you’ve got the grill on, drizzle olive oil on the bread and toast over the coals.

Yields 4 lunch or 8 appetizer servings

Lamb-stuffed Eggplant
Lamb-Stuffed Eggplant

This Mediterranean lamb dish is delicious as is, but for another dimension of flavor, serve with tzatziki sauce.

Serves 4

Chilean Seabass with Mango Salsa
Chilean Seabass with Mango Salsa

Also known as Patagonian toothfish, Chilean sea bass is one of the most popular seafood options in the US. Flaky and buttery, this deep-sea fish is typically fished off the coast of southern Chile. Cod fillets are a good substitute. The mango salsa is also great with chicken or pork. Feel free to sub with the Peach Pebre recipe from page 11 if you wish.

Serves 4

Pastel de Jaiba (Crab Pie)
Pastel de Jaiba (Crab Pie)

This rich dish can be served as a light main course or as an appetizer. Popular in Santiago, it’s traditionally baked in a ceramic vessel from the nearby town of Pomaire, famous for its burgundy-colored clay.

Serves 4

Chacarero sandwich
Chacarero Chileno

A specialty of Chilean sandwich shops called fuentes de soda, this improbable mash-up of seasonal ingredients is unbelievably good. Eligible cuts of beef include top round, sirloin, ribeye, beef tenderloin, and hanger steak. Enjoy this “orchard sandwich” with your fresh-pressed olive oil!

Grilled Halloumi Skewers
Halloumi Skewers

Besides its great taste, halloumi holds its shape well under high heat and, unlike beef, chicken, and other proteins, it takes only as long as the vegetables to grill so all the ingredients on your skewers will be done at the same time.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main dish

Hawaiian-Inspired Sheet Pan Chicken
Hawaiian-Inspired Sheet Pan Chicken

This recipe is a crowd-pleaser and a delicious answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?” Note: A Microplane is perfect for grating the garlic and the ginger right over the mixing bowl for the marinade.

Crabmeat-stuffed Flounder
Crabmeat-Stuffed Flounder

Flounder stuffed with crabmeat is a seafood lover’s dream and my stuffing recipe ticks all the boxes for many specialty diets since I skip the traditional breadcrumbs.

Yields 4 servings