July is here! I love long summer days and warm summer evenings. I hope you have a fun long weekend in store. Independence Day has always been one of my very favorite holidays, since it’s an annual family reunion on my mom’s side. Now it’s also the anniversary of my brother’s wakeboarding accident. After a month in the hospital and learning to walk again on a prosthetic leg, he’s doing well. This is my public request to be careful out there, especially on the water.
Last month, I mentioned that my dog Cookie was not doing well. She’s actually doing much better! She has been cycling through some health issues for a while, but she’s in good shape right now. At the moment, she is trying to steal my breakfast. She’s ornery as ever, and her little sister, Clover, keeps her on her toes.
If you’re looking for Fourth of July recipes, here are some of my favorites. The more salads, the better! Browse with pictures here.
- Dips: Mediterranean Tomato and Feta Dip, Pimento Cheese or Strawberry Salsa
- Salads: Favorite Quinoa Salad, Black Bean Salad, Garden-Fresh Corn Salad, Herbed Potato Salad, Layered Panzanella or Watermelon Salad with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
- Main Dishes: Caprese Sandwiches, Favorite Veggie Burgers or Grilled Pizzas
- Desserts: Almond Cake with Berries on Top, Mixed Berry Crisp or Simple Blueberry Cake
- Extras: Classic Mojito, Easy Pineapple Mint Popsicles, or Strawberry Smoothies
Avocado
Gaby’s Cucumber Salad
Gluten free and vegan
“Made this immediately last night and loved it – my daughter as well! Quick and easy for when you get home from work – served alongside pasta.” – Connie
Berries! Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries & Strawberries
Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Berries on Top
Gluten free
“Sooooo good. I added a little powdered sugar to the Greek yogurt and this was delicious. Thanks for the easy summer showstopper!” – Carrie
More blueberry recipes » (also blackberries, raspberries and strawberries)
Cherries
Balsamic Stone Fruit Sundae
Gluten free and vegan if you use vegan ice cream
“I made this for a cooking class I taught and everyone loved it!! Hopefully you get some more readership, because I tell so many of my patients about your blog :)” – Tricia
Corn
Sweet Corn & Black Bean Tacos
Gluten free and easily vegan
“I made these last night and they were WONDERFUL! I loved the flavor; the lime adds a lot. I followed the recipe exactly and they are fabulous the next day for lunch!” – Laura
Cucumber
Tzatziki
Gluten free
“This is the best tzatziki recipe ever. I come back to it again and again. Everyone who tastes it wants the recipe! Thank you so much” – Terry
Green Beans
Blackened Green Bean and Quinoa Salad
Gluten free and easily vegan (skip the feta)
“This might actually be my favourite grain salad ever. The combination of textures is phenomenal– definitely don’t skip the toasted almonds! It’s a little bit involved but if you multitask it comes together fairly quickly. I’ve made it several times now and will definitely continue to do so as long as I can get fresh sweet corn!” – Elinor
Greens
Ashley’s Sun-Dried Tomato Caesar Salad
Vegetarian and delicious
“Tried this last night it was DELICIOUS and SO EASY! On my lunchtime favorite list. Thanks Kate!” – Carolyn
Herbs
Baked Feta Dip with Cherry Tomatoes
Gluten free (with gluten-free accompaniments)
“Phenomenal Appetizer that everyone loves!! I have served it four times over the past two months and it is a big hit. Very easy to make!!” – Nancy
More basil recipes » (also cilantro and dill)
Kale
Heirloom BLT Salad (with Coconut Bacon!)
Vegan
“Kate, this salad is so delicious. The DRESSING–I know everyone is going wild for your coconut bacon, which is wonderful and all, but the DRESSING! I love that it is oil-free so you can really load up on it. This salad is raising the bar for salads in my book. You’ve done it again, Cookie and Kate!” – Tory
Mango
Thai Mango Cabbage Wraps with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce
Easily gluten free and easily vegan
“I made these tonight and they are so delicious. A perfect summer meal. I also mustvsay that this is the first time myself and my boyfriend have actually enjoyed (even, loved) tofu! Yay for soggy free perfectly crisp tofu.” – Deana
Peaches
Creamy Peach & Honey Popsicles
Gluten free
“My husband and my favorite recipe! Are you able to substitute the peaches for other fruits? Was thinking strawberry or raspberry!” – Mallory (the answer is yes—check out my Roasted Berry and Honey Yogurt Popsicles!)
Peppers
Fresh Black Bean Salad
Gluten-free and vegan
“Hi Kate, I had forgotten how delicious this salad is! Served it with slow cooker mac & cheese for dinner last night. I really like that you mix the whole salad at one time, no separate dressing to prepare, and also that the dressing just “dresses” the ingredients and does not drown them!! Perfect summer meal – easy, make ahead, no use of the stove :) Thanks, again, for sharing!” – Kris
Plums
Plum Crisp
Gluten-free and easily vegan (see notes)
“I made this as a dessert for a ladies group dinner and everyone LOVED it! Thank you.” – Daniela
Potatoes
Herbed Red Potato Salad (no mayo!)
Gluten-free and vegan
“Absolutely wonderful recipe- so fresh and light compared to traditional potato salad and was a hit during my father’s birthday! Liked it so much we’re making it again tonight!” – Tori
Radishes
Colorful Veggie Lettuce Wraps
Vegan
“I Just made these for dinner and they were delicious! My whole family loved them. Easy to put together and fun to assemble at the table. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!” – Katherine
Summer Squash
Pesto Squash Noodles and Spaghetti with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Easily gluten free and easily vegan (see notes)
“Didn’t think twice about whipping this one up for tonight since all I had to buy were the zucchinis and tomatoes. I made it vegan with nutritional yeast and OH MY this is an amazing recipe. So simple! You are quickly becoming my favorite food blogger! Can’t wait to share this creation with my loves. Thanks” – Lauren
More zucchini recipes » (also yellow squash)
Tomatoes
Mediterranean Tomato & Feta Dip
Gluten free
“Made this tonight for a quick dinner. It was so delicious! I’ll be bringing this to all the parties/BBQs I go to this summer. I love your blog :)” – Jodi
Don’t forget to tag your recipe photos #cookieandkate so we can all see them! If you’re looking for an ingredient that didn’t make the list, check my ingredient index for relevant recipes.
More resources you might appreciate: 23 make-ahead breakfast recipes, 45 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You can shop my essential kitchen equipment here. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe inspiration!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Julia @ Sprinkles & Saturdays
You really touched on all the best ingredients here and I’m getting so much inspiration! I love the avocado was at the top of your list, because honestly avocado just makes everything better
Hayley
Hey Kate, everything looks great! Just wanted to let you know you posted the lentil and couscous stuffed peppers twice, although the second link does lead to a different recipe :)
Kate
Oops! That’s what I get for copying and pasting late at night. Thank you for letting me know!
Sarah
I love these posts! It’s a great way to discover some of your older recipes that I haven’t tried yet! July and August are some of my favorite months in terms of fresh local produce! My mouth is watering looking at these!
Kate
Thank you, Sarah! Me, too. So much fresh goodness available this time of year. It’s almost overwhelming to decide what to make next! :)
Erin
So, basically all of my favorite foods! I’m so excited to try some of these recipes!
Kate
Hooray! Hope you love them all!
Tracy
I love your blog and recipes! Thanks for making our meals so much healthier and really delicious.
Kate
Thank you so much, Tracy. Your comment brightened my day!
Kavya
I am relatively new to your blog and this kind of a post about seasonal, local produce during a specific month appeals to my soul directly! I am an Indian, and even though only a few foods you listed (peaches, cucumbers, corn, cherries, mangoes and plums <3) are in season here now, but it still makes me want to rush to the kitchen and cook something up with these. An innovative and really helpful idea.
Keep cooking! :)
Kate
Kavya, I’m glad you found my blog! Thank you for saying hello. :) I’m glad you found some inspiration here. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Serena (Flufftail)
I just wanted to say that this is an incredible blog. Still being in school, it’s hard for me to balance everything, but this blog gave me so many ideas for a vegetarian blog I’m starting with my best friend. Thank you so much! Also Cookie is adorable. :)
Kate
Thank you, Serena! :) Congrats on your new blog, that’s really exciting!
Kari
I use avocado year round but corn is definitely looking good these days!
Cassie
Avocados, blackberries, blueberries, cucumbers, leafy greens, herbs, kale, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries, squash, squash, strawberries and tomatoes have to be all of my favorites! I know that’s a lot but I’m such a produce fanatic! I cannot wait to
Cassie
start cooking more delicious recipes with these ingredients!
Kate
Love it!!!
Kelley
I made these creamy popsicles yesterday and they turned out amazing. I did end up using plumcots (I didn’t even know that was a thing) instead of peaches, but followed the same roasting instructions. They are the perfect refreshing and filling treat.
Kate
Oh, awesome! Those plumcots are tasty, although I propose they come up with a new name for them. :) Bet they are awesome in popsicles. Thank you for letting me know, Kelley!
Tom
Made the sweet corn and black bean tacos last night. Absolutely phenomenal!
Thank you, Kate!
Kate
Excellent! I’m glad to hear that. Thank you, Tom.
Amanda Renny
Your site looks great – the food looks delicious! Thank you for sharing the resource. This is such a fantastic resource for vegan blogs!
Kate
Thanks, Amanda!
Cassie
OMG! I cannot wait to play with avocados, berries, cucumber, green beans, greens, herbs, kale, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries, squash, strawberries, and tomatoes!
Kate
YES exactly!
Kristen
I live in Texas and our grocery stores are starting to fill up with these giant Texas peaches! I’m so excited to make lots of peach recipes while they are in season, and I’ll have to get some popsicle molds to make that recipe.
One of the wineries in Fredericksburg TX actually makes a peach wine that is wonderful in the winter when you are missing the summer peaches! It tastes like you’re biting into a juicy peach.
Kate
YES, living in Missouri means we get delicious peaches all through the summer, and they are so hard to resist! We have lots of peach wine out here, too, but I never thought about keeping it until the winter! That’s a great idea.
Meghan
I love that you included a brownie round-up link in this post. I’ll throw my favorite brownie hat into the ring with Gluten Free Girl’s teff brownies. Best I’ve ever had, with or without gluten!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Meghan!
Billy
This month I would love to try new salad recipes as I have always been a salad fanatic! I love other desert menus too like cake and brownies! Deserts that incorporate healthy ingredients like fruits and vegetable are among my July target recipes! I’m glad to have read this post and it inspired me to try new recipes!
Kate
Thank you, Billy!
r.a.
Thank you for posting the link to the article about not saying the wrong thing. My husband survived an aggressive cancer that the doctors thought would kill him. He survived but a few long time friendships did not when people said some incredibly insensitive things to me. We are almost ten years out from this and I am still shocked when I think about what they said.
Anika
WOW! All of these recipes look fantastic (as always), and I absolutely cannot WAIT to get back into the kitchen and try these babies out! Give Cookie pats from me!
-Anika
Kate
Let me know what you think of the recipes, Anika!
Tracie
I’m so sorry for your loss, Kate. Praying for a healthy and happy rest of 2020.
Thank you for all of these recipes, they look delicious! I love fresh produce and am excited to try some new dishes, especially ones with cucumbers, radishes and zucchini.
Malia
Hey Katheryne,
I somehow missed that you got married! Congratulations. So I’m guessing that you are not posting pictures of the groom, which is fine. :) Good luck house hunting!
Steve
We made this the other night and it’s another winner. We’ve been eating it as a side, in tacos and burritos and in pasta salad. It pairs well with your pineapple salsa too!
Thank you again for sharing these wonderful recipes, I look forward to the vegetarian dishes we can fix now. I’m eating The Best Granola as I type!
Pat
I love your fresh seasonal recipes! Is the leading photo (corn salad on a tortilla) your Garden-fresh Corn Salad..or a different recipe.
We are entertaining our vegetarian family for a week and am looking for some summer fresh veggie recipes. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Pat! I’m happy to hear you enjoy them.
Elsie
An amazing assortment of delicious summer recipes!! Thank you for developing and sharing these recipes. Can’t wait to try every single one of them!!
Kate
Be sure to let me know what you think when you try it!
Pat
I love your fresh seasonal recipes! Is the leading photo (corn salad on a tortilla) for this July newsletter your Garden-fresh Corn Salad..or a different recipe.
We are entertaining our vegetarian family for a week and am looking for some summer fresh veggie recipes. Thank you!
Carol
I am glad to hear that Cookie is feeling better! Happy 4th to you all.
Carol
Kate
Thank you, Carol!
Chris W.
SO glad to hear that Cookie has bounced back from any health issues. Plus, I keep meaning to let you know how much we love your pickled onion recipe. I always have a jar of them in my refrigerator because they go so nicely with so many things.
Kate
You’re so kind, Chris! Thank you for your review.
Claire
Love all your recipes, cant wait to try these too:)
Kate
Thank you, Claire!
Courtney
Hi! I love your recipes. Just wondering when we are going to start getting new recipes again? It just seems each month you’re reposting old ones, which are delicious but some new stuff would be good again. Thanks, Long Time Cookie + Kate-er.
Kate
Hi Courtney! I appreciate your interest, I’m looking for childcare and hoping to get back into the swing of things in the next few months.
Anwar
The Corn Tacos are on my list of things to try. Those look delicious and I need to find better, veggie type recipes that are healthy but still satisfy the taste piece as well
Kate
I hope you love them!