20 Recipes That Taste Like Summer in the South

Quintessential Southern recipes are comforting classics, with plenty of fresh seasonal produce once the garden gets going. From porch parties to backyard barbecues, Southern summers are all about good food, shared stories, and second helpings. For these warmer months, there are plenty of dishes that sing like the cicadas, including juicy desserts, tender grilled meat and ice-cold cocktails.

Even though it might be too hot to turn on the oven, you might want to make an exception for this juicy summer pie. It's a savory heirloom tomato tart with a cheesy herb filling and a buttery cornmeal crust. Serve it warm or room temp with sweet tea and good company.

Bourbon and peaches, need we say more? A quick homemade ginger-mint simple syrup sets the base for this delicious drink. Add it to a shaker with fresh peach, lime juice and plenty of bourbon, then shake, pour and enjoy.

Pour a big, steaming pot of shrimp, crab, sausage, corn and potatoes on the table and the perfect summer dinner is served. It's messy, buttery and made to be shared. Drizzle the whole spread with a tasty garlic butter to finish.

Tart, creamy, and ice-cold, this frozen key lime pie is the answer to sweltering summer afternoons. A buttery graham cracker crust holds a zingy lime filling that chills into an easily sliceable pie. Topped with whipped cream and fresh lime, it’s like sunshine in pie form.

Crispy, golden, and straight-up Southern, this catfish delivers bold flavor with every flaky bite. A soak in seasoned milk helps keep the fish tender, while a cornmeal crust adds the perfect crunch. Serve it hot with lemon wedges and maybe a little bragging about your fish-frying skills.

Combine a heap of summer produce into one tangy condiment in this recipe for Southern chow-chow. Part relish, part condiment, this sauce packs a powerful punch. Spoon it over beans, barbecue or anything that could use a little kick.

A heaping plate of succotash uses all the best produce of summer: heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn and fresh herbs. Sauté it all together and sprinkle with a touch of Pecorino-Romano and smoked paprika. It makes for the perfect side dish to fried chicken, blackened fish or smoked sausage.

This isn’t your grandma’s sweet tea. Bold black tea gets chilled down and boozed up in this Southern classic with a twist. Pour it over ice, add a lemon slice and let the front porch gossip begin.

Make the most of summer corn with a creamy corn pudding. This impossibly comforting side dish is loaded with mascarpone, sour cream and plenty of butter. Serve it with anything from fried chicken to a holiday ham.

While there’s nothing wrong with eating a juicy ripe peach over the sink, a tasty peach dessert can be the perfect ending to a warm summer night. Simmer fresh peach slices in a bit of sugar and lemon juice then dump over a simple batter. Bake until bubbling and hot and serve with ice cold vanilla ice cream.

With just a few ingredients, this dip comes together fast but tastes like it’s been passed down for generations. Trisha Yearwood’s take on pimiento cheese is creamy, sharp, and just the right amount of tangy. It’s perfect for crackers, sandwiches or sneaking straight from the bowl with a spoon.

In the early days of summer, before the tomatoes ripen, make the most of your crop with a batch of crispy fried green tomatoes. Dredged in seasoned flour, panko and a tangy buttermilk-egg mixture, these tomatoes fry up golden brown and perfectly tender. Dip them in a spicy, dressed-up version of your favorite ranch dressing.

No Southern summer is complete without a big ol’ dish of banana pudding, layered with love and vanilla wafers. This classic version keeps it simple, just creamy homemade custard, ripe bananas and a cloud of golden meringue on top. Layer it all with vanilla wafers and chill until ready to serve.

It’s hard to imagine a Southern picnic without a big bowl of potato salad. While everyone has a strong opinion about the best ingredients to make this classic, here’s a version that keeps it simple. Whip it up with some mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, chopped celery, red onion and a handful of chopped fresh dill.

These crab cakes are pure comfort — crispy on the outside, tender and buttery on the inside. Crushed butter crackers and a dash of Old Bay give them a low country spin that’s accented with tangy remoulade. Fry them up the classic way, in your favorite cast-iron skillet.

A generous pour of bourbon is what keeps this spiked slush from freezing solid. Mix strong sweet tea, frozen lemonade concentrate, frozen orange juice concentrate and the bourbon in a pitcher and freeze until it’s just starting to form ice crystals. Pull it out and serve on a hot day to cool down the Southern way.

Frying okra is a surefire way to get a tasty snack that's crispy, not slimy. Sliced lengthwise for extra crunch and topped with fried sage, it's a fresh take on a front-porch classic. Serve it warm and watch it disappear as fast as you can make it.

A big sticky plate of barbecued ribs never lasts long at any spread. These get an extra layer of flavor thanks to a spicy-sweet dry marinade. Wrap in foil and bake until fall-off-the-bone tender. The final touch is a turn on the grill with a generous basting of barbecue sauce.

Toasted pecans add crunch to this tender, fruit-filled cake, while a lemony cream cheese frosting keeps it bright and balanced. Altogether, it creates a Southern staple that’s a welcome treat at any gathering. Don’t be surprised when guests go back for seconds (or thirds).