Summer Party Food
Tomatoes in every color, beautiful farmstead eggs, stupendous corn: Here, F&W showcases the best of the handpicked and handcrafted in summer party recipes by our outstanding Test Kitchen cooks.
In this Article:
- Finger Foods
- First Course Recipes
- Main Dishes
- Desserts
- Superfast Summer Party Recipes
- The Ideal Summer Cheese Plate
Summer Party Hors d'Oeuvres
Summer Party Food: Finger Foods
« Chopped red, green and orange tomatoes are tossed with olive oil and herbs, then served on Parmesan tuiles. The result: a supremely colorful, incredibly easy hors d'oeuvre.
Parmesan Tuiles with Heirloom Tomato Salad
Mixed Bean Crudites with Olive-Anchovy Aioli
Corn on the Cob with Seasoned Salts
Two-Potato Flatbread with Olives and Feta
Grilled Baby Carrot Wraps with Poblano Cream
Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing
Summer Party Food: First Course Recipes
« Grilled sardines with smoky piquillo pepper sauce offer strong Spanish flavors.
Grilled Sardines with Piquillo Pepper Sauce
Thai Chicken and Watermelon Salad
Boston Lettuce Salad with Herbs
Radishes with Sour Cream Dressing and Nigella Seeds
Broccoli with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Ranch Dressing
Summer Party Food: Main Dishes
« Inspired by the colors in this pasta with fresh-herb sauce, Lauren Verity of A Fabulous Fete hand-dipped vintage flatware in green enamel (etsy.com).
Herbed Fazzoletti with Asparagus and Burrata
Summer Party Food: Desserts
« Farmstead eggs are at their best in late summer, when chickens are "on pasture," eating grass. Here, egg whites form a sweet meringue holding passion fruit curd.
Pavlovas with Passion Fruit Curd
Summer Party Food: Superfast Recipes
Superfast Corn Salads
Toss corn with halved cherry tomatoes, grilled andouille and onion slices and blanched sugar snap peas. Toss with chopped cilantro, red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Toss corn with diced roasted jalapeños, black beans, diced celery and chopped cilantro. Dress with fresh lime juice, sour cream and canola oil.
Toss corn with cooked baby lima beans and diced red and yellow bell peppers. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil.
Superfast Salad Dressings
Stir mayonnaise with sherry vinegar and soy sauce. Stir in minced ginger and minced red chile.
Whisk sherry vinegar with Dijon mustard, minced shallot and olive oil.
Whisk lemon juice with orange juice and pomegranate molasses. Whisk in olive oil.
Superfast Radish Snacks
Place sliced radishes in unseasoned rice vinegar and low-sodium soy sauce, marinate for 30 minutes and drain.
Toss whole radishes with olive oil and salt and roast at 500° for 15 minutes, until crisp-tender.
Arrange radish slices on buttered brown bread and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Summer Party Food: The Ideal Cheese Plate
Summer Cheese Plate Primer
Milk that dairy animals produce after months of eating grass imparts extraordinary flavor to late-summer cheeses, which are great with store-bought or homemade condiments like Pickled Grapes with Walnuts or Lemon-Fennel Compote.
Video: Delicious Summer Hors d'Oeuvres
More Summer Entertaining Ideas:
Perfect Summer Parties
Modern Summer Cocktails
Summer Hors d'Oeuvres