Bon Appétit

If you're craving the traditional picnic favorite, try this recipe, which makes enough to dress 8-9 cups of shredded cabbage and vegetables.

The crisp-tender texture and robust flavor of thinly sliced Tuscan kale stands up to the tart, Caesar-like dressing of this hearty slaw. Serve as a first course or as a side with grilled chicken, beef, or lamb.

You need to start making this dish the day before you serve it, but the crispy, succulent result is well worth the effort.

Cherry tomatoes—grilled on the vine and drizzled with fragrant basil-mint oil—burst with flavor alongside salty grilled Halloumi cheese and crisp, cool watermelon.

Briny shellfish give this quick bouillabaisse its depth of flavor. Basil rouille (a garlicky Provençal mayonnaise) adds vibrancy.

Spoon this umami-rich compound butter over your favorite steak as it rests.

Serve topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Also known as fajita steak. It might look like a weight lifter's belt, but skirt steak is juicy and delicious. With a flavor-to-cost ratio that works strongly in your favor, this thin cut cooks quickly for an impromptu BBQ. Buy one 1 1/2 pound skirt steak (about 1/2" thick) and cut it in half crosswise.

Use chilled fruit (and a frozen banana) for an even more refreshing drink.

Enough to marinate 2 pounds of pork (tenderloin or chops) or fish (oily or white-fleshed; shrimp or scallops).

A bone-in rib eye requires nothing more than salt, pepper, and a hot grill. (Though to make it even more sublime, serve with scallions that have been tossed in olive oil and salt and given a quick char.) These steps can be applied to most cuts; you'll need to cook a thicker steak for more time and a thin one for less, but the principles are the same: Build a two-zone fire so you can sear it over hot embers, then finish cooking over medium-low to keep it juicy. Master this technique, and you've mastered grilling.

Serve this succulent slaw as a side or condiment for grilled chicken or pork. Use slightly underripe fruits, which julienne better than soft, juicy ones.

Sprinkle these simple cookies with sanding sugar and serve them with ice cream. Or leave off the sugar and serve with tea for a more savory option.

In this simplest of summer desserts, sour cream adds a pleasant tang to lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream.

This colorful sauce doubles as a marinade and as an accompaniment to all cuts of beef, including Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce.

Perfect with Tri-Tip, this rub from Sue Torres, chef at Sueños in New York City, will give smoky flavor to any steak.

Enough to marinate 2 pounds of pork (tenderloin, shoulder, or bone-in chops) or fish (firm, white-fleshed fish such as sea bass; shrimp or scallops)

Smoky paella is perfect for a crowd. This recipe for six is designed for cooking on a charcoal grill—though a gas grill works in a pinch.

Forget the plates and forks (but not the napkins): This is the best way to bring pie to a picnic.