Seasonal Cooking: Making the Most of Summer Produce

Summer is the one time of year when the best cooking is barely cooking at all. Tomatoes at their ripest need little more than salt and good oil, and a handful of herbs can turn a plate of sliced vegetables into something you remember for months.

Shop with your eyes and nose rather than a rigid list. The point of a farmers market is to let the season set the menu, so buy what looks irresistible and figure out dinner on the walk home. Abundance is the whole joy of these months.

When the haul outpaces your appetite, preserve the overflow. Quick pickles, a batch of pesto, or a tray of roasted and frozen tomatoes will carry a taste of July straight into the gray middle of winter, when you will be grateful you planned ahead.