The Unofficial Start to Summer Begins with Good Food

Cue the backyard barbecues, ice cold drinks, and pool side treats (if we had a pool)! Summer foods are so fun and right up our alley. People think California doesn't get seasons, which is kind of true in the traditional sense, but we have our own versions. Early summer in Southern California usually means cool, foggy mornings and breezy, sunny afternoons, the perfect weather to ease into seasonal foods.

Summer foods are juicy, crisp, charred, and sharable. We put together a short list below to kick off the season with the long weekend.

Start off with a cold drink

​Frozen Honeydew Smoothie​
​Time: 15 min + couple hours to freeze melon

Slushy, fruity, and brain freeze worthy (in a good way?).

Tip: thaw the frozen melon slightly before blending so that you can break up the pieces a little.

Dig in to nostalgic summer comfort

​Ultimate Chili Cheese Dogs​
​Time: About an hour

Usually homemade chili can take a long time to make, but we've created this version to come together in less than an hour.

Tip: use freshly grated cheddar cheese to top for easy melting.

Fresh and California-inspired

​California Cobb Salad​
​Time: 45 min

Cobb salads are packed with a ton of fresh and tasty toppings! For ours, we make an easy basil vinaigrette that feels super fresh and summery.

Tip: save the bacon fat and use it to make croutons!

Sharable pasta salad

​Lemon Pepper Pasta Salad​
​Time: 1 hour

Classic lemon pepper flavors and an easy jar-and-shake-up salad dressing.

Tip: we made an easy vegan version of this for a friend's baby shower recently and it worked so well too! Just skip the chicken and cheese, use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing, and add tomatoes or another veg to bulk it back up.

Easy seasonal dessert

​Berries and Cream with Mint and Honey Lemon Syrup​
​Time: 20 min

We coat fresh, ripe berries in an easy lemon syrup, toss with fresh mint, and top with an easy whip. So yummy!

Tip: skip the whip for a less desserty feel, and serve it as a side fruit salad instead.

Hopefully everyone has a great long weekend and enjoys some delicious food with good company! As always, if you have any questions about how to make these dishes at home, reply to this email. We love hearing from you and we're here to help.

Happy cooking,

-Emily and Rachel