Summer party season may be dwindling, but these memorable dishes featuring the best of late-season produce will make it a Labor Day weekend BBQ for the books.
While Labor Day isn’t technically the end of the summer season (we have until the Autumnal Equinox for that!), it really does feel like it when kids are heading back to school, the weather gets cooler, and the warm-weather getaways have come and gone. But Labor Day weekend shouldn’t leave you with end-of-summer blues—it’s the perfect time to celebrate the season’s finale with good food, drinks, and friends and family. Here, we share our favorite Labor Day party recipes for any type of gathering.
This party-worthy main course is one of the best uses of peak-season tomato and corn we’ve ever tried. It’s a bit cheffy to make corn broth with leftover corn cobs, but it adds a layer of flavor you can’t get otherwise. If that’s one step too many, feel free to skip! You can make the curry the morning of your party or a day ahead.
A seamless blend of Italian and Mexican flavors, this meal is efficient too: The pasta and zucchini cook together in the same pot. Although you can use any pasta you have lying around, a twisted one is best at trapping the pesto and delivering it in every bite.
Sunset reader Robin Martinez, of Bend, Oregon, gave us this recipe for a cheater’s version of ceviche, made by mixing cooked shrimp with a lime dressing. She serves it on tostada shells, but it would also work as a dip, with chips served on the side.
Caprese salad is a popular, if not expected, summery party appetizer. Give it a twist by making it with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls, and then scattering it atop pesto-flavored grilled chicken for a surefire party hit.
Grilled corn sprinkled with crunchy, spicy Salsa Seca is going to be your new favorite summer party food.
Use up a bounty of heirloom tomatoes from your garden in this colorful crowd-pleaser of an appetizer.
These unusual, wonderful tacos are the creation of chef Donnie Masterton at Taco Lab by Tacolicious, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Rich, savory, and pleasantly chewy, they hit the spot even for meat lovers.
Use dry-aged beef for a deeply flavorful patty, then add unctuous bacon jam for a truly decadent burger experience.
Created by Brad Cecchi, chef and owner of Canon, a seasonally driven restaurant in Sacramento, the salad brings in flavors from all over the globe and blends them with top-quality local produce. “It’s great for a block party, because it doesn’t need to be hot or ice-cold and won’t wilt,” he says. “It’s not your typical block-party fare—it’ll make you look cool. And it’s beautiful.” If you’re looking for something to serve with it, he suggests grilled or smoked whole chickens, baby back ribs, or beef tri-tips.
This combination is also delicious layered in bolillos (crusty Mexican rolls) or soft French rolls.
“Beef satay is the flavor of 19th Street (in Yangon) for me. I remember eating it when I was young in Burma,” says Saw Naing, chef at Ojai’s Dutchess restaurant. At the Dutchess, they grind their own garam masala, but store-bought will work just fine.
The success of this dish hinges on excellent peak-season vegetables, which is why Ojai chef Saw Naing only serves these at the Dutchess in summer.
You can use any melon that’s at peak ripeness, but the salad is prettier and tastier if you use multiple varieties.
“My wife is Mexican, so I created the Elote pizza as a tribute to her and her heritage,” chef Daniele Uditi says. “I love that this pizza balances the smoky heat of chipotle in adobo with sweet corn and the salinity of fresh feta. While it’s an unexpected combination, to me it’s the perfect marriage of flavors.”
St. Louis ribs come from the belly of the pig and are fattier and more marbled than the more popular baby-back style. While they may not be as meaty as baby backs, their fat picks up more flavor from spices and seasoning and makes them more tender.
Blistered vegetables were a hit at Diep Tran’s restaurant Good Girl Dinette, in part because grilling vegetables causes their natural sugars to caramelize. Dousing super-fresh produce in fish-sauce-infused scallion oil will make an appetizer that is crunchy, sweet, and salty all at the same time. You can use these techniques to blister pretty much any vegetable in your garden.
Tomato water requires you to plan a day ahead, but the mixture adds another layer of tomato flavor to this pretty grilled salad from Los Angeles restaurant Yangban Society.
Los Angeles food blogger Gaby Dalkin created this vibrant, eminently doable steak for her second cookbook, What’s Gaby Cooking: Everyday California Food. Coupled with her favorite sauce and a quick salsa, it’s our new go-to dish when the grill is calling our name.
Because sometimes you want something fresh to balance out all the deep and savory flavors of the barbecue. Serve as a side, or include the grilled chicken and make it a meal.
Impress your guests with this memorable grilled chicken sandwich. From the kick of the sauce to the crunch of the straw-shaped chips, it’ll be love at first bite.
Grilling watermelon adds a smoky note to the fruit and gives it a slightly meaty texture that matches well with shrimp. Cooking takes only a couple of minutes, so have both sets of skewers ready before you start. You’ll need 12 flat metal skewers (12 in. long) or 18 skewers (8 in. long)—or use bamboo skewers of the same size, soaked in water for 30 minutes.
We are not kidding when we tell you that this is one of the best recipes ever created at Sunset for cooking outdoors. It’s a showstopper—a giant pan of aromatic ingredients simmering over fire—and interactive; you can ask your guests to help stir in the ingredients if you like. And it’s not hard, as long as you prep everything ahead. Cook this paella, and no one will ever forget your party.
This recipe comes from Seattle restaurant Tomo. Preparing squash two ways creates a delightful combination of textures and flavors. The miso marinade gives the seared squash briny umami depth, which is a pleasant counterpoint to the pickled squash. Hemp purée is an earthy base while arugula oil adds both freshness and richness.
Soup at a barbecue? It might sound atypical, but there’s nothing not to love about this chowder bursting with the flavor of summer corn. Serve it in shot glasses for an appetizer portion, or better yet in cups, because we guarantee your guests will want seconds.
Grilled Yukon gold potato halves combine with a mixture of tomatoes, capers, oregano, olives, and anchovies for a Mediterranean-style potato salad side dish.
Ratatouille is a classic southern French side dish that makes the most of late-summer vegetables. Transform it into a savory vegetarian entree that everyone at the party will love.
If you’re looking for a guest-worthy main-dish salad, stop right here. This one delivers a blend of firm and tender textures and sweet-spicy flavors, plus make-ahead options and a time-saving method for browning shallots in the microwave.
Tip: The leftover shallot oil can be used for a second salad.
These burgers get a distinctive tang from giardiniera, an Italian mix of pickled vegetables. If you can’t find it at the store, chop up olives and pickles instead.
In the height of summer, you won’t find a better side dish for ribs than this deceptively simple combination of peak-season produce. Try bringing it to a party, too.
Showcase your garden or farmers’ market goodies in this elegant party platter. The aioli is super-easy to make, but adds a tasty wow factor.
When you’re looking for a good grilled option for vegetarian diners, these hearty vegetable wraps are one of our favorites.
Subtle and ethereal meringue is an ideal way to feature seasonal fresh fruit. Chef Saehee Cho tops hers with lemon curd, edible flowers, and the first strawberries of the season, but any ripe seasonal fruit will do.
These luscious spiced trifles are just about the most indulgent summer dessert.
For those times when you just can’t limit yourself to one kind of fruit, we created this variation on our Peach and Bourbon Cobbler with Almond Spoon Cake recipe. As a bonus, the nectarines and pluots don’t require any peeling, and the cherries in syrup come already pitted.
Although as silky as the Italian classic, this version is lighter and more refreshing, with yogurt standing in for half of the cream—and diced fruit adding bursts of sweetness.