(Image credit: Life, Love and Sugar)

It’s summer! Hello, outdoor BBQs, twilight reaching into almost the wee hours of the morning, and all the strawberries you can handle.

Like tomatoes, corn, and freckles, strawberries reach their peak in summer. They are tart, sweet, ruby-hued jewels that tastes unmistakably of June, July, and August. Although they are absolutely perfect straight from the farmers market, sometimes you want something a little fancier — something to serve at parties, to savor after dinner, and, quite frankly, to dig into for a decadent midnight snack. Lucky for you, Pinterest has you covered.

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This week I’m traveling to New York for a photo shoot with the Kitchn team and my husband is in charge of feeding the kids. My husband is a great cook, even though he doesn’t do it regularly, but he isn’t very confident in the kitchen so he chooses simple, easy dishes plus a few things I won’t normally cook that he and the kids love.

Here’s what our family’s meal plan looks like when my husband is in charge of dinner for the week.

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Socca is a popular street food in Nice, France, and is often enjoyed as an appetizer with a glass of crisp rosé. In our own kitchens, this classic dish can be a go-to, any-time-of-day recipe. Learn how to make it by heart and it might just be one of those recipes that comes close to changing your life.

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(Image credit: Jerrelle Guy)

The duo of ham and cheese makes regular appearances during lunch in numerous parts of the world. In Spain, the ham and cheese croquette is a mash-up of Manchego and Serrano. Here in the States, it’s traditionally the lunchbox staple of deli ham, American cheese, and mayo on soft white bread. And in France, it’s a baguette, layered with thinly sliced ham, Gruyère cheese, and cornichons.

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Summer rolls, also known as fresh spring rolls, are one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant. They are made from rice paper wrappers rolled around fresh crunchy vegetables partnered with cold proteins, fresh herbs, and sometimes noodles. Although they are Vietnamese in origin, variations abound on the web (and in restaurants).

Summer rolls are also surprisingly easy to make at home. Yes, you should probably sit down and read through the directions before you start, and maybe the first roll or two will be a bit flimsy (but no less tasty), but soon you’ll be filling rice paper wrappers with cool and fresh fillings before every summer cookout.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

Put away your canning equipment and bags of sugar, my friends. There’s a new jam in town this summer, and its name is chia. Yes, by using the gelling power of these tiny little seeds we can transform a few cups of ripe fruit into a low-sugar, spreadable, spoonable jam in about 20 minutes. Here is what to do!

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(Image credit: Faith Durand)

A golden, pan-seared chicken breast is a weeknight savior. A staple in many a dinner rotation, its versatility means you can turn to it for countless meals without getting sick of it — as long as you dress it up. Sometimes, that’s as simple as changing up the toppings. Here’s how to give chicken breast a fresh and flavorful upgrade in every color of the rainbow.

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

If making frozen treats is on your summer bucket list and you’ve had a long list of excuses — no time, no ice cream maker, or no Popsicle molds — let me introduce you to granita. Granita is a frozen fruit dessert made from fresh fruit and water, blended and frozen until icy, flaked with a fork and frozen again. The result is a delightfully crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth fruit ice, perfect eating all on its own. When served on everything from yogurt to cocktails, it becomes a complete game-changer.

This three-ingredient dessert can be made with any fruit in nearly any kitchen. Here are the basics you’ll need to know for making granita with any fruit at home.

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(Image credit: Maria Midoes)

My dad was one of eight children, and his mother and father owned a general store and deli after escaping the New Jersey suburbs for a small town in Vermont, which is just to say — my grandmother knew how to make a big sandwich for a crowd.

I spent many summers in her kitchen preparing picnic lunches for two or three aunts and a circus of cousins to take to the lake. These large sandwiches became a staple of summer. They were filling, could be made well in advance, and traveled well. Over those summers I learned my grandmother’s tricks for making a hearty sandwich for a crowd.

This sandwich for a crowd is not your typical party sub sandwich. It isn’t built on a hoagie roll or baguette. A sub sandwich has its place at a party, but it doesn’t pack well for a picnic, hike, or trip to the beach. Instead we’re using a whole round bread loaf to build a sandwich that is protected by the bread and condiments themselves.

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Farm stands and farmers markets are the grocery stores of summer, when the produce is so ripe and flavorful you don’t need to do much to take it from your canvas tote to the plate. But while we tend to lump the two together — and it’s true that you can buy many of the same fruits and veggies at both — farm stands and farmers market are actually different.

Here, we look at the difference to you and to the farmer in terms of cost, labor, and quality of produce.

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