Summer

A texture riot of a salad; it gets crunch and creaminess from toasted pecans and almond butter(!).

When not using this pesto to dress this very green salad, you could schmear it on just about any sandwich, or stir it into scrambled eggs.

Pour in the soda slowly, allowing it to cascade over the ice cream, then top off until the glass is full.

In case of sunshine and happiness, make this colorful ice cream float! Spiking it with some booze makes it even tastier.

Chill glasses in the freezer for 5–10 minutes to keep the ice cream from melting into the ginger beer too quickly.

Egg salad and potato salad: Unite! We like how the still-soft yolks dress the salad, but you can cook the eggs a minute or two longer if you like them more set.

Colby loves grass-fed, a.k.a. red, veal for its marbling and color, but regular milk-fed veal will work well. He often brines his meat, too.

This decadent, delicious burger, featuring a 6-ounce patty, clothbound cheddar cheese, and the requisite "special sauce," comes from Ralph Lauren's restaurant (yes, that Ralph Lauren) in Chicago.

Who doesn't love a wedge? Ask your butcher to cut slab bacon into thick slices (about 1/4") to yield nice meaty pieces once they're crisped on the grill.

Why waste time with a knife? A simple whack to a cucumber yields jagged surfaces eager to soak up this tangy dressing.

You've been blessed with the year's best stone fruit. Don't complicate things! Just roast it with a sprinkling of our crunchy topping.

Cooking corn this way adds a depth of flavor from the husk and keeps the kernels from drying out. Tossed together with zucchini and scallions, these quesadillas make for a super-satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Step aside pancakes; butter and maple syrup is a combination worthy of the ripest grilled summer fruits. Can't find apricots? Try this recipe with peaches or plums for a fantastic ice cream topping.