5 Fast Easy Fresh Recipes Just Right for July

These 5 fast easy fresh recipes—from shrimp and grits with fresh corn to the simplest plum tart—are ideal for summer weekdays

By Dawn Perry

July 10, 2014

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These five recipes are great for weekday meals in the summer. We're giving shrimp and grits a makeover (we're using fresh corn!), transforming steak with a spiced vinaigrette, and throwing together the simplest dessert of summer.

Christina Holmes
1/5
Toasted Spice Vinaigrette
This assertive dressing is great for the less-is-more summer months. It's all you need on grain salads, steaks, and peak produce.
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Christina Holmes
2/5
Chickpea, Barley, and Feta Salad
Barley has nice heft and chew, but don’t feel limited—use cooked farro, quinoa, or brown rice if you prefer.
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Christina Holmes
3/5
Grilled Flatiron Steak with Toasted Spice Vinaigrette
Let the steaks rest on top of the tomatoes. Their juices will commingle and make the dressing that much better.
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Christina Holmes
4/5
Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits
Liquid from the grated corn enriches and helps thicken the grits; fresh corn added at the end makes for nice bites.
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Photograph by: Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Thu Buser
5/5
Plum Tarts with Honey and Black Pepper
Consider this a two-ingredient tart. Besides the plums and pastry, we bet you have everything else on hand.
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Dawn Perry is the author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand and a former digital food editor at Bon Appétit. Before joining Condé Nast, she developed recipes in the kitchens of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, and Real Simple. She got her culinary start ... Read More

Digital Food Editor, Emeritus