Whether the vibe is "school's out for summer" or even "summer's coming to a close" (boo), we here at Hungry Fan strive to keep the warm weather vibes going as long as we can. We've pulled together some of our favorite summertime food and drink recipes to make those warm days and nights last a little longer.
FOOD
We love, love, love soup. But let’s face it, when it’s hot outside, it’s just not soup weather. That is, unless you’re making some gazpacho. Enter our summer gazpacho. It’s a little spicy, a little fruity, and it’s “souper” yummy. Yep, we went there.
This is a quintessential, go-to recipe that features two of our favorite summer fruits: peaches and rhubarb. When these fruits are cooked down and mixed into our homemade, tangy BBQ sauce and slathered onto your perfectly cooked ribs, you’ve got yourself a mouthwatering, lip-smacking dish perfect for your summer or Labor Day BBQ.
As we’ve established, summer weather is not necessarily conducive for hot soup. It calls for a refreshing bowl of cold soup instead! Tonight for dinner, why not try something different? This light and yummy chilled red bell pepper soup really hits the spot when the heat is on, and it can also be served warm during colder seasons! It’s a win-win.
You know how much we love incorporating seasonal fruits into our recipes (see #2), especially the ones that are only around for a few weeks each year. So, we created this delicious recipe using ripe peaches, the ultimate summer fruit. And what could go better with peaches in a main dish than pork? And being in slider form, these little bites of happiness are perfect for summer backyard hangs and summer gatherings.
DRINKS
Lemonade is basically synonymous with summer, so it’s the perfect drink for any sporting or family shindig. It’s so refreshing and has just the right amount of tang to keep things interesting. Speaking of strawberry and mint, we also have our own take on a summery Moscow mule. Keep your lemonade virgin and serve it to the kids, or add some vodka (or the liquor of your choice) to make it into a delicious seasonal cocktail.
Nothing says summer like watermelon. Because it’s a seasonal fruit, it’s best enjoyed during its prime season (which is summer, of course!) Similar to our Strawberry Lemonade, you can keep this frozen concoction virgin for the kids and those not imbibing, or you can spike it with vodka (or dare we say tequila) for an oh-so refreshing boozy beverage.
If you’re a fan of sangria, give this different take on it a try. Our white sangria is the perfect cocktail-hour drink to serve up at your backyard BBQ on those warm summer nights. It’s sophisticated, but not snobby, and it’s delicious.
PRO TIP: It’s also an easy way to make good use out of a bottle of white wine that’s been open for a few days! Don’t worry—we won’t tell anyone your little secret.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include the quintessential summer drink: iced tea. Sun tea is the absolute best summertime tea—it’s light, refreshing, and easy. All you need are tea bags, fruit or herbs, water, a tempered glass pitcher (yes, glass is important), and a sunny spot. It is VERY difficult to mess this up, so have fun…just don’t go too buck wild and make some sort of whiskey tea…or actually do? That sounds awesome.
We originally came up with this recipe to celebrate the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games, but we keep it in rotation because it’s a perfect summer-y spin on Brazil’s most famous cocktail, the caipirinha, which is a truly delicious cocktail. Transport yourself to South America with a sip of this baby. Of course, we put our own spin on it, and we think you’ll enjoy it. Cheers!
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Even though summer can’t (unfortunately) last forever, we hope these recipes extend it for as long as possible and bring a taste of sunshine to you wherever you are! Enjoy.