In The Kitchen Meal Plans

Meal Plan for July Week 1

Here's your meal plan for the first week of July! We've got a summer garden risotto, grilled burgers for the 4th, fish tacos, and more!

Summer Miller
Summer has worked in food media for the past 12 years as a recipe developer, recipe tester, food journalist, essayist, cookbook author, and public speaker. Her work has appeared in Eating Well, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Grit and Edible Communities publications among others. She started working with Simply Recipes in 2017. Her book, New Prairie Kitchen, won the Nebraska Book Award for non-fiction in 2016 and Epicurious noted it as a “Need to Read” cookbook.
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Summer Miller
Published June 30, 2018
Summer Miller
Meal Plan for July Week 1

This month, Summer Miller is back, sharing her meal plans for April. Summer is a mom, a full-time food writer, and also helps test the fabulous recipes we bring you every week at Simply Recipes.

This is about the time of year when home gardens and farm stands start bursting with produce. The best of which is not only visually stunning on the plate, but also often refreshing made into a beverage and served in highball glass.

Which is why I'm including a few summery drink recipes in this month's meal plan, some with alcohol and some without. They'll make your front porch-sitting activities even more relaxing.

This week’s meal plan is about making the most of what remains of early season fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries and peas, while also enjoying the first tomatoes and corn of the season and our love of all things grilled.

It starts out light with a bright, and vibrant pea soup that can be served hot or cold and ends with the my favorite backyard burgers on the grill paired with an herb and citrusy rhubarb spritzer. Cheers!

  • Summer Pea Soup

    Summer Pea Soup
    Elise Bauer

    Long, hot days go well with light simple suppers. If a bowl of chilled pea soup isn’t enough to satisfy you for an evening meal, pair it with this vibrant berry salad.

  • Grilled Salsa Verde Chicken

    Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde
    Sally Vargas

    Warm weather makes dinner a snap. Grilling dinner means fewer dishes and that’s a win for me on a Tuesday night. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour but preferably overnight. Lime adds a bright, zippy flavor to the side salad. Watermelon and cotija cheese pair together for that sweet and salty combination everyone loves.

  • How to Grill the Best Burgers

    Grilled burger on a plate with cheese, onions, and tomatoes
    Nick Evans

    Happy 4th of July! With your holiday burgers, don’t go lean on meat -- an 80/20 ground beef mix is best. The fat keeps the burgers juicy and bursting with flavor. Pair this burger with the tart and herby Rhubarb Spritzer!

  • Grilled Fish Tacos with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa

    Grilled Fish Tacos with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa
    Sabrina Modelle

    I love this recipe because the fish isn’t breaded or fried. Instead, it's lightly grilled. The charred flavor from grilling pairs beautifully with the sweet and tart fruit salsa. It’s also easy to deconstruct if your children are in the “my food can’t touch” phase.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.

  • Summer Vegetable Risotto

    Summer Garden Risotto
    Elise Bauer

    Risotto is a great dish to master. One vegetable can easily be swapped for another depending on what's in season. This version makes the most of all those garden veggies!