Tested recipes for every meal, skill level, and craving
Lunch ideas that beat the takeout habit: sandwiches, grain bowls, salads, and hot-box-friendly mains. Tested for make-ahead viability and how they hold up at room temperature.
The Southern American summer lunch – peak heirloom tomatoes sliced thick, slathered between two slices of soft white bread with mayonnaise and flaky salt. Five ingredients, five minutes, and impossibly good when the tomatoes are right.
The Bastille Day French classic – all-butter pate brisee shell filled with smoky lardons, creme fraiche-and-egg custard, and a touch of nutmeg. The original 16th-century quiche from Lorraine – no cheese, despite what American restaurants claim.
The Japanese cold ramen for summer – chilled wavy noodles in tangy sesame-soy sauce, topped with five distinct ingredients arranged radially: ham, egg crepe, cucumber, tomato, and corn.
The American cookout side – Yukon Gold potatoes boiled in salted water, dressed warm with mustard-mayo, hard-boiled eggs, celery, red onion, and dill. The July 4th picnic standard.
The Hanoi street-food classic – grilled pork patties in sweet-sour nuoc cham broth, served with cold rice vermicelli and a heap of fresh herbs. The cooling Vietnamese summer lunch.
The Greek summer salad – cold ripe watermelon cubed and salted, tossed with crumbled block feta, torn mint, red onion, lime, and good olive oil. The salty-sweet plate that defines Mediterranean July.
