Recipes

The Summer Bucket List: 25 Recipes We Want to Make Before September Hits

The BA staff sounds out on the recipes we’ve got to make before the clock strikes fall and we all turn into pumpkin bread.
Image may contain Food Dessert Creme and Cream
Eva Kolenko

OH GOD, IT WENT BY SO FAST. Just yesterday it was Memorial Day and BOOM, suddenly every doctor you try to make an appointment with is on vacation, “back to school” sales shove their way into your line of vision, and everyone in your office is tanner than you. Summer, it’s coming to a close. How many times did you go to the beach? 2?! That’s not nearly enough to hit your Beach Happiness Index, and you know it. What about all of those ripe fruit pies you were going to make and cool on random windowsills? But we have a month left; it’s not too late. Here’s what the fatalist staff of Bon Appétit is cooking before fall strikes and we all turn into loaves of pumpkin bread.

  • This image may contain Food Pizza Pie Dessert Tart Cake and Plant
    Photo by Laura Murray, styling by Judy Mancini
    1/25

    Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pie

    Digital director Carey Polis wants to make a tomato pie, or tart, or galette. She’s not 100 percent sure which one, but it needs to be a savory tomato dish with some kind of slam dunk crust involved. This cheesy roasted garlic recipe is a contender. Will she make it before it’s too late and tomatoes have turned to mush? Carey, we’ll be watching. 👀

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  • This image may contain Dish Food Meal Platter Dinner Supper and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson
    2/25

    Grilled Rosemary Lamb With Juicy Tomatoes

    Ever since food director Carla Lalli Music wrote about this marinated, grilled lamb recipe in the BA newsletter, e-comm editor Elaheh Nozari felt it was missing in her life. She’s right. It was. NOW’S THE TIME, ELAHEH. MAKE IT!

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  • Image may contain Drink Cocktail Alcohol Beverage Plant Fruit Food Citrus Fruit Lime Grapefruit and Produce
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    3/25

    Salted Watermelon Juice

    Well, this is awkward. Everyone on staff has made this VERY REFRESHING salted watermelon juice (and henceforth referred to it as “WOJU”) except editorial assistant Emma Wartzman. Uhhh Emma. This is getting embarrassing. Please, just make it already. I can’t even make eye contact with you right now.

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  • This image may contain Plant Food Bread Human Person and Bowl
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen
    4/25

    Grilled Fish Tacos

    “And I want to have a taco party!” added Emma, the first staffer whose bucket list recipe included the possibility of other people. So selfless, that Emma.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Meal Salad and Dish
    Alex Lau
    5/25

    Tuna Poke

    Guy who eats a lot of food on camera Alex Delany wants to “master a simple poke” before summer goes into hibernation. First, he needs to track down sushi-grade fish. Delany’s bucket list addendum: “Drink Chenin Blanc with everything.” Noble.

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  • Image may contain Food Pork and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Judy Mancini
    6/25

    Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

    Like most people who have their head screwed on correctly, associate editor Christina Chaey wants to “eat a big sandwich on the beach,” which is where this pork tenderloin comes in.

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  • Image may contain Jam Food Ketchup and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    7/25

    Raspberry Jam with Bitters

    Chaey also added this jam to her bucket list. It’s a good jam. Spread it on ricotta toast, take your A/C out of the window, welcome the cool breeze.

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  • Image may contain Animal Seafood Food Sea Life Lobster and Bbq
    Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    8/25

    Grilled Split Lobster

    Brad Leone has a summer requirement fit for kings: “Eat 25 lobsters—or at least 8,” he said, served with a bucket of butter and Old Bay. Then he went on this tangent about soft shell lobsters in Maine but that’s a whole other thing.

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  • Image may contain Food Creme Dessert Cream and Ice Cream
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Andy Baraghani, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    9/25

    Italian Sundaes with Nutella

    Editorial assistant Jesse Sparks is dreaming of a gelato bar. Close your eyes and picture it: toppings as far as the eye can see, all on your own kitchen counter. Endless free samples because you already paid for them. It’s a beautiful vision, Jesse. Make it come true!

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  • This image may contain Sunglasses Accessories Accessory Animal Bird Poultry and Fowl
    Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    10/25

    Smoked Chicken Wings

    Senior recipe editor Chris Morocco leaned in close and whispered this shameful detail: “I need to smoke something.” Hey, he meant these chicken wings, in his Traeger grill! If you have a smoker, USE IT NOW, PEOPLE.

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  • Large plated fruit salad with sliced plums and jagged Parmesan shavings topped with olive oil and black pepper.
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene
    11/25

    Plum Salad With Black Pepper and Parmesan

    Rachel Karten, the senior social media editor, desires more savory fruit salad during the dog days of summer. I know for a fact that she already made this plum and parmesan recipe, because she sits next to me, so she is officially the first person to fulfill her summer goals. Congrats, Karten.

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  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate Seashell Sea Life Clam Seafood Food Lobster Bread Dish and Meal
    Peden + Munk
    12/25

    Chile-Lime Clams With Tomatoes and Grilled Bread

    Senior associate recipe editor Molly Baz has big plans for clams. Especially these guys, on the GRILL, with a ridiculously dippable tomato sauce.

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  • This image may contain Burger and Food
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Claire Saffitz
    15/25

    Extra-Juicy Turkey Burgers

    “BURGERSSS!” blurted out Healthyish editor Amanda Shapiro. Specifically, these actually-good-not-dry-and-gross turkey burgers. Summer isn’t over til the burger lady sings, or something.

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  • Image may contain Platter Food Dish Meal Dessert Cake and Pie
    Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    16/25

    Fruit Galette With Buckwheat Crust

    Photographer Alex Lau confessed to me that he hasn’t had rhubarb all summer, and could someone please make this galette for him? With ice cream on top, non-negotiable.

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  • Image may contain Bowl Food Meal Dish and Plant
    Ted Cavanaugh
    17/25

    No-Frills Shrimp Boil

    SHRIMP BOIL. FULL STOP. Deputy editor Julia Kramer has her eyes on the prize: a bubbling pot of shrimp, potatoes, corn, the whole shebang.

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  • Image may contain Food Plant Dish and Meal
    Alex Lau
    18/25

    Peach Parfait with Salted Graham Cracker Crumble

    Ever humble, senior food editor Andy Baraghani mentioned that he makes this peaches and cream number with salted graham cracker crumble (his own recipe) at least once a summer. He plans on whipping this up this weekend, FYI, thought it’s too bad we’re not invited.

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  • Image may contain Drink Juice and Beverage
    Alex Lau
    19/25

    Garlic and Achiote Fermented Hot Sauce

    Oh, adds Andy, he’s been wanting to make this fermented hot sauce. While others turn fresh tomatoes into pasta sauce to freeze for winter, he’s going another direction.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Lentil Bean Dish and Meal
    20/25

    Charred and Raw Corn Salad

    This is on your author’s need-to-make-in-order-to-feel-human list. Corn! Salad! Cobs are cool and all, but I prefer shoveling corn into my mouth via fork, with a ton of cheese.

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  • Image may contain Food and Plant
    Peden + Munk
    21/25

    Grilled Pizza

    I bothered food director Carla Lalli Music on vacation to find out what‘s on her list because I knew she’d knock it out of the park. She shouted out grilled pizza, this (surprise!) grilled turkey recipe from a past Thanksgiving issue (!), and this epic Texas-style brisket.

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  • Aperol Slushy recipe
    Alex Lau
    22/25

    Aperol Slushy

    Associate ed Hilary Cadigan doesn’t need much, but she does need to mix up an “actually good alcoholic slushy” before the clouds gather overhead as Whites Walkers begin their hike.

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  • Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson
    23/25

    Pork Shoulder Steaks With Grilled Mustard Greens

    These pork shoulder steaks “look like expensive beef steaks at first glance to my friends,” said associate editor Alyse Whitney, “but they’re much cheaper and way harder to mess up.” No one has to know, Alyse.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Dish and Meal
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling Rebecca Jurkevich
    24/25

    Plum-Cardamom Crumble with Pistachios

    Healthyish’s Farmers’ Market Challenge has inspired editorial assistant Aliza Abarbanel to bake this plum crispy crumble ASAP. Plum today, gone tomorrow, Aliza.

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  • Image may contain Food Dessert Creme and Cream
    Eva Kolenko
    25/25

    Blueberry Ripple Ice Cream

    All of contributing editor Sarah Jampel’s summer to-do list were solid gold, like “wake up late enough to eat ice cream for breakfast”, “eat something while being submerged in water, like pizza in a pool”, and “have an ostrich egg party, scrambled.” Jampel, you win.

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Alex Beggs, previously a senior staff writer at Bon Appétit, covered a wide range of topics for the brand, including everything you need to know about cherries, a column on questionable etiquette, and the reasons why crispy foods reign supreme. Her Thanksgiving feature, “Absolutely Perfect,” earned a National Magazine Award in 2020. Currently, she ... Read More
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