Favorite Recipes and Spices for July
Lynley Jones
Welcome to July. The hot sun is shining straight overhead, your herbs are going gangbusters in the garden, and the livin’ is easy at the farmers market.
There are two real hallmarks of July cooking:
1) The great outdoors
It’s the season of grilling and camping - and grilling while camping. Snacks and meals should be poolside, or on the patio, or dripping down your bathing-suited self just before you hit the sprinklers. We’re all in flip flops and tank tops, sweating and vibing in the sun.
2) Fresh everything
Just about anything and everything is starting to hit the farmers market stands. Timing will vary from year to year based on the weather, but in the beginning of the month you’ll usually get the last of the blueberries, and by the end of the month, the blackberries are usually arriving. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the first peaches and tomatoes, and the first gorgeous ears of corn. Herbs are everywhere, and all kinds of greens are fresh and plentiful. Broccoli, cauliflower, squash blossoms, green beans, arugula, spinach, Swiss chard, garlic scapes and on and on and on. You’re finally hitting full summer, and you can grab everything from the farmers market and cook what’s in season. Live it up, baby.
Cooking strategies and spices
My favorite recipes for this time of year use the produce that’s ripe and ready right now, and they’re exactly what you want to grill, freeze or just eat. (So much good food, so little time….!)
Some of my fave spices and ingredients for July cooking are:
Aleppo pepper - a perennial favorite! Slightly smoky, a hint of fruit, a little heat and lots of flavor. Great on anything on the grill, pairs well with chocolate, and lots more.
Ceylon cinnamon - from Sri Lanka, pairs well with Indian and Mexican cuisines and perfect over fresh fruit.
Turmeric - essential for all kinds of Indian flavors on the grill: veggies, curries and more.
Cumin - perfect for Mexican and Indian cooking; use ground cumin in marinades and on the grill, or add whole cumin seeds (or crush them first) to curries or sprinkle over fresh veggies.
Fave July recipes
Below are 66+ of my favorite recipes for cooking in July. Seasonal fruits and veggies, lots of great spices, stuff to cook on the grill, stuff to eat outside, stuff to dribble down your shirt. Go crazy!
Grilled peaches drizzled with a tequila-honey sauce infused with Aleppo pepper and a punch of lime. It’s like a party for your peaches! (And for you, of course.)
Watermelon and lime blended into a frosty-cold dessert that’s simple to make, and sophisticated enough for any dinner party. (Double win!)
A spicy Indian-style curry that uses the whole beet plant from root to leaf. Caramelized beet cubes sauteed along with their stems and leaves in a mixture of onions, garlic, ginger, chiles and Indian spices, and served over spiced yogurt.
Caramelized eggplant, sauteed with preserved lemon, leeks and herbs. Funky, spunky and addictive.
Chicken breasts in cherry tomato sauce, infused with white wine, garlic, rosemary and cinnamon.
A vegetarian burger where the cheese IS the burger. Halloumi cheese stands right up to browning directly in the griddle or on the grill, so you can skip the meat entirely. Slathered with garlic-mayo and topped with all the fixins, so you’re good to go.
Sweet frozen cucumber pops infused with sage and flecked with sumac.
Lemony-sweet basil frozen ice pops. Flecked with sumac, to bring nuance to the tartness and gorgeous pink color to your Spice Pop.
Frozen ice pops made from hibiscus-mint syrup blended with lime juice, frozen into a sweet summer treat.
Ice pops made with semisweet chocolate, Aleppo pepper, Mexican piloncillo sugar, cinnamon and cream. Chocolaty and slightly spicy, with a cinnamon twist.
We boost the lemon flavor by steeping lemon zest in the sugar syrup. Sweet, refreshing lemony goodness.
Cool, fizzy and refreshing drink, perfect for a summer day. Or any day. Add a little gin for a grownup twist.
Carrots, celery, corn, herbs, and whatever else you bring home from the farmer’s market, simmered with chicken and alphabet noodles.
Tomatoes, basil, Parmigiano-reggiano, balsamic vinegar, good olive oil, a good baguette. It’s summer, and you’re living the good life, my friend.
A classic Mexican breakfast that will stop you in your tracks. A lightly fried corn tortilla topped with flavorful beans, an egg and salsa de molcajete.
Salsa made from garlic, roasted tomatoes and serrano chiles, ground together in a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and served warm.
Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside, topped with red cabbage and scallion curls and a slather of gochujang mayo. Full Korean flavor on a stuffed burger. (Seriously, is there anything else to say?)
Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside and topped with chiles, grilled onions, avocados and crunchy cilantro-cabbage. Get ready to party!
Make your own soda, naturally carbonated and tinted red from hibiscus leaves steeped with lime.
Make your own, refreshing, naturally carbonated herbal soda, infused with parsley and lemon.
Make your own, refreshing, naturally carbonated lemon-lime soda.
Inspired by the Tale of Peter Rabbit, with blackberries, bread and milk combined into one amazing dish that tastes like love. Use fresh or frozen blackberries.
The classic French fresh-fruit tart, with pastry cream and an apricot glaze.
Frozen puff pastry dough, filled with creamy honey-mascarpone and fresh fruit. The quick and easy way to pull together a beautiful fresh-fruit tart.
Fish marinated in lime juice and tossed with chiles, onions, tomatoes, avocados and orange juice.
Shredded chicken or turkey and veggies drizzled with a coconut-peanut sauce, spiked with Sriracha and wrapped in a lettuce leaf.
Swiss chard sauteed with onions and garlic, a pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes and sumac.
Lemons, peaches and thyme combine to fill every glass with the flavors of summer.
A South Indian approach combining thinly-sliced green beans with coconut, Indian spices and a hint of chile.
A slow-simmering pot of pinto beans, super-simple, made in the Mexican style. Eat them with tortillas as a light meal, or as a side. Or use them as a soup ingredients, or to make refried beans.
An all-American pie classic, bursting with blueberry flavor and bedecked with stars. You can make this any time of year with blueberries either straight from the freezer or fresh.
Crispy tortilla topped with creamy beans, cool avocados and crunchy, spicy Pico de Gallo make a casual dinner, lunch or snack everyone will love.
Crispy fried tostadas with hot, creamy beans and crunchy cold toppings. Like a gourmet party-salad on an edible plate - easy and delicious casual dinner, lunch or snack.
Simple, crunchy raw topping for tacos. Perfect with Grilled Summer Veggie Tacos, or any fish or steak tacos.
Tacos filled with grilled summer veggies for your next party - or for dinner tonight.
A fresh, raw salsa that adds a burst of flavor to almost anything, from tacos to scrambled eggs.
Originally created for our Mexican Cooking Fiesta class, this recipe was featured in our Mostly Plants series.
Cauliflower grilled crispy and brown, then dressed in a rich garlicky-buttery sauce.
Tomatillos and chiles roasted together and blended with onions and cilantro. This green salsa is cool, crisp, spicy and a little tangy, perfect on tacos or tostadas, or dolloped on fried or scrambled eggs.
Like potato chips made out of beets! Slightly sweet, salty, and a little spicy with a hint of curry.
Mild, creamy dip with a hint of goat cheese tang. Perfect for crudite or chips, as a spread on sandwiches or to dollop on veggies.
Pasta with ricotta cheese, sauteed Tuscan kale, cherry tomatoes and lots of love. Quick, satisfying weeknight dinner or side.
Juicy tomatoes, grilled corn kernels, red onions and cilantro, with a squeeze of lime and just a hint of mild pepper. Simple to make and full of flavor (plan to lick the bowl).
Juicy, ripe peaches, crumbly topping studded with pecans, all drizzled with sweet whiskey-cream. Oh yeah.
Grilled pizza topped with grilled summer veggies - zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs - strewn over herbed goat cheese that's been slathered onto crisp pizza crust.
Grilled swordfish with a topping of grape tomatoes and sea beans, a fresh, crunchy-salty seaweed found at farmers markets and specialty shops. See recipe notes for more about sea beans, and how you can still make this if you can’t find them.
Sweet, juicy peaches with basil and a hint of cinnamon, mounded onto mascarpone-slathered sourdough toast.
Cutting the kale into thin chiffonade helps it to mingle with all the other flavors and textures of this delicious salad.
Minced carrot-tops with basil, garlic and parmigiano-reggiano make the perfect dip for carrots - or any other veggie!
Quesadilla stuffed with squash blossoms, mushrooms, tomatoes, serrano chile and cilantro.
White wine-honey sauce is infused with basil, then drizzled over grilled nectarines. Crumbled ricotta salata is then sprinkled on top for a creamy, slightly-salty finish.
Grilled sea scallops drizzled with a green garlic-infused brown butter sauce and topped with spring onions, fresh sorrel and a squeeze of lime.
Rustic tarts filled with ripe peaches and mascarpone cheese, with a hint of basil and cinnamon. Simple to make, and gorgeous to look at.
Lemony-blueberry syrup for pancakes, waffles or French toast, or use it as a topping to drizzle on ice cream and desserts.
Gorgeous greens combine with earthy cremini mushrooms and the zing of red pepper flakes. Delicious on their own, with scrambled or fried eggs, on a tomato or steak sandwich, or scattered on top of Grilled Pizza.
Coconutty rolled oats topped with blueberries and bananas make for one of the most delicious (and healthiest) ways to start your day. Best of all, it cooks in 5 minutes.
Chocolate pudding with a hint of chile and cinnamon for a delicious twist. Perfect for any Mexican celebration, or anytime you're in the mood to take chocolate in an interesting new direction.
Roasty-toasty cauliflower with turmeric and other warming spices, tossed with parsley and basil.
Crunchy and delicious, as granola should be, with a hint of coconut. For a breakfast that feels as good as it tastes.
Crispy grilled pizza crust, topped with goat cheese, greens and tomatoes. No party trick here, just really great food.
Golden-fried zucchini spears served with a savory marinara dipping sauce.
Cool as a cucumber, with a hint of mint and the slightest tang of yogurt. Blessedly refreshing, with no cooking required. Perfect on a hot summer day.
tags July, recipes, spices, Aleppo pepper, Ceylon cinnamon, cinnamon, turmeric, Ground Cumin, whole cumin, cumin, seasonal, favejuly
A little bit pesto, a little bit chimichurri, and lots of flavor! Spoon it over grilled meats or veggies, toss it with pasta, slather it over crostini or dribble it onto your pizza. Made with lots of fresh herbs, garlic and shallots, plus toasted pine nuts, mixed together in olive oil with a splash of lemon juice and a little Aleppo pepper.