Fire up the grill because summer is here! With longer evenings and warmer temperatures, it’s the perfect time to enjoy your Brookfield Residential outdoor space and expand your living area outside. Whether it’s some stellar grilling recipes you’re after or dishes for using your fresh garden herbs, we’ve rounded up some tasty, seasonal summer recipes that are vibrant and delicious.

Salads and Appetizers

The tastiest summer appetizers are the ones that are light, fresh, and use some of the best summer produce. Enjoy the perfect mix of salty and sweet flavors with grilled prosciutto wrapped peaches with arugula and goat cheese. Put your herb garden to work with this green goddess dressing – it’s creamy, bright, and brimming with fresh flavor making it perfect for salads, crudité platters, or sandwiches. Find a perfect blend of texture and flavor with fresh, crisp tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, and crunchy croutons with this tomato feta panzanella salad.

Main Course

Too hot in the kitchen? Take cooking outside and fire up the grill for a classic grilled chicken with chimichurri or a grilled whole fish. Mix up flavors with creamy shrimp pasta with corn and tomatoes – the perfect combination to create a “summer meets pasta” dish. Try a new approach to burgers with air fryer cheeseburgers that have a quick cook time and stay perfectly juicy.

Desserts

Indulge in the peak season of peaches with a brown butter peach cobbler or put those cherries to work in a classic cherry pie. Make a strawberry shortcake that features a not-too-sweet biscuit and a tasty blend of strawberry and mint topping. From apricots, cherries, peaches, strawberries, watermelon and more, there’s an abundance of tasty fruits perfectly ripe in the summer that can be enjoyed alone or with a dash of yogurt or whipped cream for an easy, sweet treat.

Drinks

Don’t forget some refreshing summer cocktails that are sure to put anyone in a good mood after a hot day. Incorporate fresh fruit in a strawberry mint margarita or cool down with a frozen sangria slush. Prefer a mocktail? A refreshing blueberry ginger cooler or a strawberry orange ginger fizz is an easy way to beat the heat.

Keep it light, keep it fresh, and you’re sure to have a tasty summer meal. With more time at home, it’s the perfect opportunity to get outside and try some new recipes. Find the best place to call home in one of our neighborhoods and master-planned communities perfectly designed for outdoor living.