You’d think that summer would be the easiest time to host any random, spur-of-the-moment get-together, with pretty greens and lusty tomatoes and perfect fruit at every turn. But there’s so much goodness that we wouldn’t be surprised if you felt a little overwhelmed by it. (We’ve certainly been there.)
Take a deep breath and a cue from these 9 (Not)Recipes posted on our app for our latest app contest (Your Best Summer Dinner Party (Not)Recipe). They’re a good place to start daydreaming about tonight’s dinner, and as good a reason as any to host a party:
A huge congrats to our winner, Melina Hammer, who set up a picnicking spread we’d hike just about anywhere to eat (lesson: snack dinners are completely appropriate for entertaining):
Melina Hammer
6 days ago
55
Travel food worth eating. For a road trip out of town (and picnicking away), I arranged these simple but varied, tasty vittles: hard salami and Dijon mustard, a good variety of pickles, like cornichons and olives, a hard and soft sharp cheese, membrillo and crispy flatbreads to go with, boiled tiny potatoes, a couple juicy local tomatoes, and a shaved crunchy salad loaded with herbs. Party time. #lickingtheplate #f52party #sausage #mustard #tomato #cheese #olive #cornichon #pickle #zucchini #jalapeno #cheddar #washedrind #potato
olive
pickles
potato
Dijon mustard
herb
tomato
mustard
cheese
flatbread
hard salami
cornichons
zucchini
A half-roasted tomato vinaigrette worthy of drizzling over greens or sammiches or little toasts or a ball of burrata:
EmilyC
7 days ago
45
Half-confited cherry tomato vinaigrette ✨
Cook halved cherry tomatoes low and slow in lots of olive oil, shallot, garlic, anchovy and thyme until the tomatoes relax into soft, sweet puddles. Take off heat, add sherry vinegar to taste, and an equal volume of fresh, halved cherry tomatoes. Get ready to spoon over grilled meat and fish, omelettes, or crostini — or to dress greens or pasta. Recipe in link. #f52party
shallot
tomato
anchovies
thyme
sherry vinegar
olive oil
garlic
2 comments
Raise your hand if you want a grilled cheese packed with Taleggio, tomato jam, grilled zucchini, and shallots:
sdebrango
4 days ago
34
Grilled cheese and vegetables on homemade Italian bread. Bread, taleggio cheese, grilled zucchini, sautéed shallot, tomato or tomato jam, butter, olive oil. Grill zucchini, sauté shallot season with salt and pepper. Spread tomato jam or tomato slices on bread layer with some cheese, now zucchini and onion and more cheese. Grill in butter and olive oil.#notrecipe #f52party #bread#grilledcheeseshould beafoodgroup
zucchini
Italian bread
olive
tomato jam
shallot
tomato
butter
salt
olive oil
pepper
Taleggio cheese
You’d never know this killer galette started out as leftover pie crust. Orange blossom water and saffron sugar makes it 100% party fodder:
Thalia
9 days ago
28
had left over pie crust so i used it to make this super sweet and easy wildberry galette! the berries are macerated in an orange blossom and saffron sugar too! #notacontest #f52party #notcontest #galette #berries #summer #summerberries #easy
berries
cherry
pie crust
blackberry
orange blossom water
raspberry
rye
strawberry
sugar
saffron
Rice bowls are an easy, über-adaptable way to make sure everyone gets the dinner they want. These ones have steak and eggs, peppery radishes, a shower of little green onions…:
Kylie Thompson
9 days ago
18
Make rice (I did 1.5cups uncooked…all about that leftover life)
While rice is cooking, sauté sliced red onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook until the onions begin turning deep brown in some spots.
Add 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, one 10oz can of diced tomatoes and green chilis, and 1 small can of drained black beans. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, a bit of cayenne, and a bit of chili powder. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until liquid is slightly reduced.
Add the rice to the sauce and stir with a wooden spoon until coated in sauce. Stir in chopped cilantro. Keep warm.
In a hot skillet, cook hanger steaks (seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin) to your desired temp. Remove from pan and rest for 5 minutes. Wipe out skillet. Cook egg, sunny side up (or however you want it). Chop steak, slice a radish, and slice a scallion.
Divide rice between bowls. Top with steak, egg, radish, and scallions. Sprinkle a bit of remaining chopped cilantro on top. Enjoy!
#food #f52party #food52 #food52app #dinner #steak #rice #ricebowl #yum #homecooked
garlic
egg
black beans
tomato
hanger steak
cumin
salt
cayenne
scallion
greens
cilantro
onion
chili powder
rice
olive oil
pepper
radish
Dessert plans: Make everyone biscuits, and serve them up with jam (like this strawberry-red currant one). Ice cream optional, but not really:
Matt Connor
7 days ago
16
This #strawberry red currant #jam is lovely sharp and runny jam, which is equally good on scones, oatcakes or ice cream. #f52party #f52farmstand #berries #fruit
Put all ingredients into a pan, and heat. Aim for about 300g of strawberries, 150g red currants, 125g sugar and the juice and zest of one lemon. You want the sugar to become liquid with the juice from the fruit, once this happens give the mixture a bit to mush it up the fruit. Bring this to a boil and then boil for about 10-12 minutes. Try not to stir it, but do skim off any foam.
After 10-12 minutes, pour into sterilized jars while hot and seal. Let cool and set, and store in the fridge. Will last about week.
sugar
lemon
red currants
berries
strawberry
Pad thai made portable, bundled in rice paper wrappers (so you can eat it while sipping a drink from your other hand):
jessica
8 days ago
8
because sometimes pad thai should be portable! ? #f52party
start with a homemade pad thai sauce of tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, minced garlic, palm sugar, and some Sriracha for a kick. smother your noodles and add your garnishes. here, I layered crispy baked tofu, red onion, chopped roasted peanuts, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime atop the noodles. wrap in a summer roll wrapper and rejoice!
noodles
peanuts
red onion
tofu
scallion
sriracha
cilantro
fish sauce
carrot
tamarind concentrate
palm sugar
garlic
Roast carrots, turn their tops into pesto, and serve them with burrata. It’s one of our favorite appetizers, too!:
Nikki
8 days ago
6
Roasted carrots with burrata and carrot-top pesto. Gotta love using farm-share veggies root to tip!
Used a food processor to make pesto with carrot tops, handful of basil, olive oil, pine nuts, lemon juice, Parmesan, and salt n pepper. Browned carrots on the stove and then finished in the oven. Serve with fresh burrata and squeeze lemon juice on top. Perfect for a summer #f52party !
salt
lemon juice
Parmesan
pine nuts
carrot tops
basil
carrot
olive oil
pepper
pesto
burrata
Rosemary does double-duty as an aromatic and a skewer for shrimp and squash kebabs:
Entertaining is Easy/Lisa Newsome
6 days ago
6
Marinate peeled & deveined shrimp with lemon & rosemary…slice zucchini…remove leaves from rosemary branches…skewer shrimp & zucchini onto branches…grill & serve. #f52contest #f52party
rosemary
shrimp
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
lemon
zucchini
What’s your summer dinner party go-to? Tell us (and invite us to dinner?) in the comments: