What's In Season + Strawberry Honey Panna Cotta

Recipes, recommendations, and reminders for a thriving summer.

Hi Bakers!

I feel like summer is the best season for cooking. Do you agree? The produce is vibrant and crisp, lending itself to casual, low-stress and low-heat cooking. It’s when you can make a whole meal out of salted tomatoes, pan-fried bread, herbs and greens plucked from the garden, and whatever meats and cheese you have tucked in the fridge. 

For dessert, it’s shareable, fruit-forward crisps, cobblers, crumbles, and buckles. But also easy ice cream, icebox cake, custards, and spoonable sweets (like these simple panna cottas). 

My summer cooking mimics the vibe of an Italian holiday - fresh tomato pasta, homemade pizza, platters of grilled vegetables and pesto, burrata with melon and prosciutto. It’s also simple ricotta cakes for breakfast with piping hot espresso, affogatos in the afternoon, and little pots of panna cotta for dessert.

Panna cotta is a traditional Italian dessert made from dairy, sugar, and gelatin. It’s simple, smooth and sensational! If you feel like something posh but totally doable, make this your summer go-to. It is incredibly light, creamy, and easy to make in advance. 

For this recipe, I cut the heavy cream with Greek yogurt. It gives them a subtle tang and bonus boost of protein. I also subbed in a bit of honey to combine with a pinch of cardamom and the ripest strawberries that summer can offer (recipe to follow). 

Summer Fruits and Vegetables to look for:

Tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, apricots, blueberries, plums, nectarines, peaches, cherries, boysenberries, salmon berries, huckleberries, brambles, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, pluots, plumcots, Valencia oranges, grapes 

Avocados, beets, bell peppers, hot peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, summer squash, zucchini, basil, cilantro, okra, onions, potatoes, artichokes

I recently saw someone post that “Most people need reminders of what they already know is important more than they need new information.” This really resonated with me as a recipe developer. Do we need new recipes? Sure! Just like we could always use a new song, piece of art, or sitcom to binge. But what about the plethora of amazing recipes already in existence? Well, sometimes we just need a reminder to actually make them.

Seasonal Sweets:

Honey panna cotta with strawberries; matcha affogato; peach cobbler and sweet cream; honey semifreddo with drunken cherries; sweet tea granita; raspberry mango sherbet; nectarine frangipane galette; strawberry shortcakes with mint or basil whipped cream; boysenberry ice cream; chocolate raspberry mousse pie; strawberry spoon cake; brown butter blackberry buckle; rocky road ice cream; cherry turnovers; frozen peanut butter s’mores pie; creamy coconut popsicles; any-fruit crumble; lemon raspberry trifle; strawberry matcha icebox cake; lemon cheesecake bars; blueberry rhubarb pie; apricot vanilla bean jam

Seasonal Savories:

Heirloom tomato tart; Margherita pizza; watermelon feta jalapeno salad; prosciutto-wrapped honeydew; zucchini fritters; pesto pizza sandwiches; sweet balsamic caprese salad; grated tomato spaghetti; elote corn salad; loaded cornbread; blackened salmon tacos; German potato salad with warm vinaigrette; zucchini pasta salad; peach panzanella salad; shrimp and tomato succotash; chimichurri steak; smashed cucumbers; red pepper soup 

Seasonal Sips:

Watermelon aqua fresca; ginger beer floats; mango coconut slush; ice-cold cherry cola; Hugo spritz; orange espresso tonic; Arnold Palmers; blackberry lime shrub