Summer Party Food

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

• Kale-and-Scallion Negimaki

• 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

• Curry Lobster Rolls

• Fresh Lima Bean Gratins

• Moscow Bahn Mi

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

• Nectarine-Buttermilk Pops

• Hibiscus-Berry Gelatins

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