Food Network Staffers' Favorite End-of-Summer Produce Recipes

There’s an urgency that comes with late-summer produce. The tomatoes are perfect, the peaches are juicy, there's an abundance of basil and suddenly it feels like there’s only so much time left to enjoy it all before it’s past its peak. So, we asked Food Network staffers how they make the most of their favorite end-of-season summer produce, from turning soft watermelon into a refreshing sorbet to freezing big batches of pesto and simmering fresh tomatoes into sauce for the colder months ahead.

One easy way to make the most of end-of-summer fruits is to turn them into a syrup for lemonade. My favorite of these is blueberry lemonade, and it is very easy to make. Fresh blueberries are simmered with sugar and lemon juice, then strained into a bright, fruity syrup that gets stirred into homemade lemonade. It’s sweet, refreshing and perfect for using up berries while they’re still at their best.

— Chelsea Collier, Digital Editor

I try to get the most out of fresh tomatoes all season, but if I’m having one last hurrah for this summer favorite, it’s got to be on a classic BLT. This recipe from Alex Guarnaschelli ensures the tomato is the star by adding a little pinch of sugar along with the salt and pepper to really bring out the delicious flavors. The dill pickle relish and iceberg lettuce with a bit of red wine vinegar adds the perfect puckering note. Put it all on classic white bread, and you’ve got the perfect sandwich to say farewell to summer.

— Jordan Lawson, Content and Engagement Strategy Editor

Every year I plant far too many poblano pepper plants, and every year, at the end of summer, I have baskets full of hot peppers and no idea what to do with them (besides chopping and freezing them so I can add them to chili and enchiladas later). So when I happened upon this stuffed poblano pepper recipe, I gave it a try and was instantly hooked. The best part? The end of summer overlaps perfectly with football season in the South, and these spicy bites make the perfect game-day appetizer.

— Ellie Sanders, Newsletter and Syndication Editor

Watermelon is my favorite refreshing summer snack, but after a few days cut up in the fridge, it can start to get a little soft and sad. My favorite way to use up watermelon that’s slightly past its prime is to turn it into sorbet. It’s the perfect cooling summer treat; it comes together in under 10 minutes and is great to keep in the freezer for a little taste of summer long after watermelon season ends.

— Chelsea Collier, Digital Editor

I plant 2 big barrels of basil every spring and pick it throughout the summer to use in whatever I’m making for dinner, but by the end of the season, it all starts to bolt at the same time, and I can’t use it fast enough. I pick it all at once and make a huge batch of pesto that I freeze to use throughout the fall and winter for pasta, on pizza, or as a sandwich spread.

Pesto freezes really well; just don’t add the cheese until you thaw it and are ready to serve and remember to pour a thin layer of olive oil on top before freezing to keep it from discoloring.

— Amy Stevenson, Recipe Developer

Pasta Primavera is one of my favorite ways to use up extra produce because it’s so versatile. Whether you have an abundance of squash, tomatoes or herbs, you can customize this meal with whatever you have. Technically, this recipe doesn’t call for cherry tomatoes, but I love to roast a small sheet pan of them at the end of the summer and add them to this dish for extra sweetness. I usually skip the cream to keep things light and fresh, so the added juice from the roasted tomatoes helps build the sauce.

— Noelle Paredes, Online Editor

One of my favorite things to grow every year is tomatoes. Cherry, beefsteak, Cherokee purples — I grow them all. But by the time my garden is getting tired of producing, I’m growing tired of all my typical tomato inclusions. That’s when I turn to homemade spaghetti sauce. Since it’s not usually in my summer meal rotation, I love to make it and freeze it for use later in fall and winter. There’s nothing like the taste of summer in the middle of winter.

— Ellie Sanders, Newsletter and Syndication Editor

Even though it’s possible to find peaches into the month of September, nothing beats the ones that are available at the tail end of summer. Each year, I use every bit of my willpower to wait until late July (or, better yet, August) to buy peaches—when they’re at their absolute sweetest and juiciest — and then I eat as many as I can before the season is over. Worth it!

Grilling peaches adds a nice smoky, caramelized flavor, so I always end up tossing a few on the grates, too. This recipe adds creamy burrata and spicy chile paste to the mix for a quick-and-easy dish that’s just as good for a cookout as it is a summer dinner. The flavors complement each other well — but don’t distract from the real focus of the dish: juicy, peak-of-season peaches.

— Kristie Collado, Senior Content Manager

One of my favorite things to eat in the summer is the grilled corn you can get at street fairs. Growing up, my family and I would always get it every year, so it’s become one of my favorite summer traditions. Now we make it together at home. I love this recipe because it has all the great spicy flavors that I love, and it makes it simple to recreate. I always finish mine with a little bit of lemon juice to add a bright flavor.

— Sarah Jeddy, Editorial Intern

A cool, crisp cucumber hits the spot in summer when the heat and humidity drags my energy down. I eat at least a couple daily when the cucumbers are coming in from my garden. My husband and I make pickles to save for the winter, but I also like to make fresh cucumber salads, ideally with a bit of spice. This spicy cucumber salad recipe hits all the high notes for me — refreshing cukes, acid from the rice vinegar, a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar, and some heat from the sriracha and chili crisp. The cool-hot combo is perfect for saluting summer.

— Kelly Smith Trimble, VP Digital Editorial and Programming