5 Summer Dishes for $. As a person who is incredibly obsessed, Summertime to me means one thing- celebrating the delicious flavors of the season. I have been tasked with the job of coming up with my top five list of Summer Dishes. So in true Tonight Show fashion I present


#5 Gazpacho

What could celebrate the season more than the combination of fresh local ingredients blended into a tomato base all in a refreshing chilled soup. The flavors of Gazpacho are so light and yet full of flavor and spice, it makes it the perfect dish to cool off with during a hot day.

#4 Clam Chowder
On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, here in New England, there is nothing better than a delicious bowl of piping hot New England Clam Chowder. It has always seemed so strange to me to indulge in something boiling hot and creamy during a hot and sticky day, but the wonderful combination of flavors from smoky bacon, fresh herbs, native clams and hearty potatoes is just irresistible.

#3 Freshly Grilled Hamburger
Of course another great feature of the Summer in Massachusetts is that our weather (usually) finally gets nice. That means that since we’ve all been cooped up all winter hibernating from the cold and the wind and the snow and the ice, we relish every moment of the better weather. In my opinion the best way to do this is to grill outside on a barbeque and what could be any better than a big juicy fresh hamburger. Seasoned just the way you like, cooked to your desired doneness, and accented with just a little ketchup and mustard, maybe some fresh lettuce and onion- really is there anything better?

#2 Lobster Roll

Now, as wonderful as every piece of living in this area is, there is nothing that is as wonderful, or as delicious, as a fresh, lightly dressed Lobster roll made from the meat that our lobstermen pulled in that morning. The sweet meat, combined with just a little bit of mayo and celery, piled high in a hot dog roll-well they are just incredible and we are so lucky to live in an area with Lobster meat is readily available and we can get our fill of these wonderful treats!

#1 Caprese Salad
As phenomenal as so many summer dishes are, there is one that is near and dear to my heart. I remember the tomato plants that my mother would grow each year, the rosy fruits ripening in the hot summer sun, the scent of the tomato so strong you smelled them each time you walked past. Those tomatoes were succulent and juicy and when paired with home grown basil and just a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and maybe even a little fresh Mozzarella cheese…well there is nothing so simple, so delicious, so perfect.

So those are my top five summer dishes- and now that I think about it- I am incredibly hungry- thank goodness it’s summer!!!

Source: thedailycraic