Summer is the best of time of year to cook and eat, by far, with its hissing grills, saltwater-seasoned beach picnics, stone fruit dripping with juice, vine vegetables brimming with flavor and pastel cones of melting ice cream. I love it.

In honor of the season, we’re unveiling the Summer 100, the New York Times Cooking recipes we think you should put on repeat for the next three months. We’ve selected our favorite salads and desserts, recipes for the grill and ones that don’t require cooking at all, and dinners, of course — like the shrimp scampi below. Enjoy these five recipes to start.

1. Summer Shrimp Scampi With Tomatoes and Corn

Summer shrimp scampi with tomatoes and corn. Start making Ali Slagle’s delicious recipe now and you’ll have it nailed come the point in summer when the produce is perfect. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)

Shrimp get along well with garlic, butter and lemon, and so do tomatoes and corn. Combine them, and you get a summery shrimp scampi that comes together in one skillet. A searing hot pan helps the tomatoes blister and the corn caramelize before they are coated in a garlic-lemon butter sauce. This is a meal in and of itself, but if you want to serve it with pasta or bread, they’d be welcome additions.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 4 ears)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus wedges for serving (optional)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
3 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives, or torn basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Pat the shrimp very dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate.
Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until they start to blister in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until the tomatoes burst and the corn is golden in spots, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until you smell garlic, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium, and add the wine and lemon juice, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until nearly evaporated, then add the butter and stir until melted. Add the shrimp and its juices and stir until warmed through. (If the sauce breaks and looks greasy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and stir until emulsified.)
Remove from heat, add the herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with extra lemon for squeezing over, if you like.

2. One-Pot Chicken Meatballs With Greens

One-pot chicken meatballs with greens. Yasmin Fahr’s new recipe is already racking up five-star ratings and glowing comments. Food styled by Vivian Lui. (Johnny Miller/The New York Times)

An upside-down take on typical skillet meatballs, these juicy garlic-and-herb-filled ones are smothered in greens rather than being cooked on top or alongside them, an ingenious trick to streamline efforts for weeknight cooks. The meatballs first brown in the pot for color and flavor, then are covered with a mound of greens, which achieves two feats: It gently finishes cooking the meatballs while the chard and lemon slices steam and collapse on top, draping themselves over these hidden delights. Scoop them up with a soup ladle, spooning the lemony pan sauce over everything.

By Yasmin Fahr

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup full-fat thick yogurt (preferably Greek or Icelandic)
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 pound rainbow or Swiss chard (1 large or 2 small bunches), tender stalks sliced and leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons
1 lemon, halved, 1/2 thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, yogurt, garlic, scallions, oregano, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and gently mix until fully combined.
Coat your palms in olive oil, then shape the meat into 14 medium meatballs (about 2 inches each), making sure each is lightly coated with oil by refreshing the coating on your hands. Set the meatballs directly on a sheet pan or on parchment paper.
Heat a 12-inch Dutch oven (or other heavy pot with a tightfitting lid) over medium heat for 2 minutes until hot. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tilting the pot to coat the surface, then add the meatballs. Let cook until they are golden halfway up the sides, occasionally turning them when they easily release, adding extra oil if needed, about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, to another large bowl, add the greens, lemon slices, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt; toss to coat the leaves, scrunching them up as needed.
Smother the meatballs with the greens and lemon slices. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the greens tender, 12 to 13 minutes.
Use a soup ladle to scoop up the meatballs, resting them on the greens, browned-side up and ladling any juices on top of the meatballs and greens. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving, if desired.

3. Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad

Charred bok choy and cannellini bean salad. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s new salad recipe arrives with an excellent ginger-maple dressing you can turn to all season long. Food styled by Rebecca Jurkevich. (Linda Xiao/The New York Times)

This recipe breaks bok choy out of its steamed and stir-fried box, demonstrating how well it responds to charring. Don’t be afraid to cook bok choy aggressively; the stalks are robust and remain crisp while becoming smoky and sweet. Baby bok choy can be used too, but the leaves are much smaller and more tender, so simply slice them through the middle lengthwise. Other sturdy greens like gai lan (sometimes called Chinese broccoli) or cabbages will also work. The punchy dressing is sweet and acidic, given heat and spice from the grated ginger, while tart rice vinegar cuts through the richness of the maple syrup. Keep this dressing in mind for similar salads; it is equally lovely with cold soba.

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the ginger-maple dressing:

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and black pepper

For the salad:

2 pounds bok choy (about 2 large bunches), rinsed and patted dry
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
1 big handful cilantro, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Make the dressing: Place the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, maple syrup and sesame oil in a small bowl; whisk to combine. Season well with salt and pepper.
Prepare the bok choy: Trim the base of the bok choy and separate the white stalks from the green leaves. Slice the stalks into 1-inch pieces and roughly chop the leaves, keeping them separate from the stalks.
Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of oil, add the stalks, season well with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Leave to cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the stalks are charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss and then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, tossing often, until the stalks are charred and crisp-tender. Transfer the bok choy from the pan and to a large serving bowl. Return the skillet to the heat.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into the skillet and add the bok choy leaves. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing often, until the leaves are charred and the water has cooked out, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the leaves from the pan and add to the stalks.
Add the cannellini beans to the bok choy and pour in the dressing. Add the cilantro and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. To serve, top with crushed red pepper and sesame seeds.

4. Pepper-Crusted Flank Steak

Coarse crushed black peppercorns coat this flank steak for a zesty burst of flavor, complementing the rare grilled meat. It’s best to crush your own, in a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Serve warm or at room temperature.

By David Tanis

Yield: 6 servings

Total time: 35 minutes, plus 1 hour’s marinating

INGREDIENTS

1 flank steak, about 2 pounds
2 tablespoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
3 tablespoons coarse crushed black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS

Pat steak dry. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt on each side.
Coat both sides of the steak with the crushed pepper, pressing down to coat evenly. Allow to rest and absorb seasoning for at least 1 hour.
Bring steak to room temperature. Grill over medium-hot coals or a covered gas grill at 450 degrees, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until juices appear on the surface of the steak. Check with a meat thermometer; 125 degrees for rare, 130 for medium-rare. (Alternatively, cook in a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat or broil.) Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.)
With a sharp knife, slice on a slight bias against the grain, about 1/8-inch thick. Arrange on a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

5. Spanakorizo With Jammy Eggs

Spanakorizo with jammy eggs. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s take on Greek spinach rice includes a nontraditional egg – a sunny burst of yolk amid the green. Food styled by Cyd Raftus McDowell. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)

Bright and soulful, spanakorizo is a beloved Greek dish, with a name that reflects its combination of two key ingredients: spinach and rice. This version is fairly traditional in its essence, relying upon rice, spinach, lemon and herbs, but includes some flourishes. Although the addition of the jammy egg is not traditional, it injects a sunny burst of color as well as added protein. For ease, this recipe calls for baby spinach (or chopped mature spinach), but frozen spinach can also be used (simply thaw it and squeeze out the water), or try a hardy green like chard or kale. A whole bunch of scallions delivers a richly aromatic base for the rice. Basmati is used here for its quick cooking time and light finish, but if you would like to use more traditional medium-grain rice, simply add an extra 1/2 cup of stock (2 cups total). As with any recipe, the timing is a guideline, but you should use your senses: Check your rice at the 15-minute mark, as some brands of rice will cook quicker than others.

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 bunch scallions (6 to 9 stems), trimmed and thinly sliced
1 pound baby spinach (or 1 pound mature spinach, trimmed and roughly chopped)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
4 large eggs
1 lemon, juiced (3 to 4 tablespoons)
1 cup roughly chopped dill or parsley
1 (6-ounce) block Greek feta, crumbled (about 1 1/3 cups)

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large, wide Dutch oven or deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and scallions and stir until fragrant and softened, 2 minutes. Add the spinach (depending upon the size of your pot, you may need to add it gradually, throwing in more as it cooks down), garlic and about 1 teaspoon salt; toss until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the rice, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and rice is cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high. Add the eggs in their shells to the boiling water and continue to cook over medium-high for 7 minutes. (Make sure you set a timer.) Set up an ice bath. Using a spider ladle or slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and immediately add them to the ice bath. Cool for 3 to 4 minutes and then peel them.
When the rice is ready, turn off the heat. Uncover and add the lemon juice and half of the herbs and gently toss them through the rice. Taste to check seasonings, adding salt if needed.
Divide the spinach rice among bowls. Halve the eggs and place the halves on top of the rice; top each with feta and additional herbs. To finish, drizzle over some olive oil and season well with pepper.

Related Articles

Grandma’s pasta salad recipe is a summer backyard bbq tradition

Recipe: Gruyere cheese crackers are an irresistible snack

Summer treats: Make this Strawberry Cardamom Frozen Yogurt with Balsamic Swirl

Recipe: Alexandra Stafford’s Peach Pizza with Jalapeno, Prosciutto and Crème Fraiche

Recipe: Alexandra Stafford’s Neapolitanish Pizza Dough

What if I told you that there was a cancer vaccine that could potentially spare your child not one, but six kinds of cancer? You’d jump at the chance, right?

That already vaccine exists — it’s the shot for human papillomavirus, an extremely common sexually transmitted infection that can cause multiple types of cancers. Each year, HPV causes over 21,000 cases of cancer in women and 16,000 cases of cancer in men.

But despite evidence of the vaccine’s efficacy, many parents continue to eye it with suspicion. The roots of their fears are complex, and doctors need to play a bigger role in alleviating them.

The narrative around HPV vaccinations has typically centered on their ability to prevent cervical cancer in women. But a new study, presented last weekend at a major cancer meeting, reinforces the notion that these shots directly benefit men, too.

Researchers examined the electronic health records of people who were or were not vaccinated against HPV between 2010 and 2023 and found vaccination lowered men’s risk of developing any HPV-related cancer by 54%, while their head and neck cancer risk fell by 56%.

Unfortunately, numbers alone don’t change minds. But trusted health care providers can. And every new piece of evidence ought to help doctors convince parents of the benefits of vaccination — for both girls and boys.

We’ve long known of the benefits of these shots in girls. Enough time has passed since their introduction to show they can practically wipe out cervical cancer. They work so well that Australia believes it can eliminate the disease by 2035. And last year, data from Scotland found no cancer cases — that’s right, zero — among women who had been vaccinated when they were 12 or 13 years old.

But HPV doesn’t only cause cervical cancer. It’s the culprit behind most penile, anal, vaginal and vulvar cancers, as well as a growing number of head and neck tumors. Incidence of oral cancers have now surpassed the number of cervical cancers — and most of those cases are in men. And while overall cancer deaths in the U.S. have been on a steady decline, the mortality rate for HPV-associated oral cancers has continued to rise by 2% per year.

That’s a sobering message for parents of boys. In 2022, just 35% of boys between the ages of 9 and 17 had received at least one HPV vaccine dose.

It’s also a wake-up call for pediatricians. Conversations about vaccine hesitancy tend to focus on parents’ attitudes, but it’s worth asking whether progress also is being held back by physician hesitancy — to the vaccine itself or simply a reluctance to bring up a vaccine related to sexually transmitted infections.

A ton of research has been done to pinpoint the reasons vaccine uptake has stalled at just over 60% among all teens — well below the U.S. government’s target of achieving an 80% HPV vaccination rate among teens by 2030. The studies find a few common themes, including ongoing worries over the safety of the shots (despite more than 500 million people around the world having been safely vaccinated against HPV) or claiming their child isn’t sexually active so doesn’t need it.

But in surveys probing hesitancy, parents also regularly cite a lack of knowledge or lack of a recommendation about the vaccine as a factor in their decision to opt out of it. It seems many pediatricians aren’t recommending the vaccine or offering enough education about its benefits.

More conviction would help. A strong health care provider recommendation “is the single most important predictor right now of whether or not someone was vaccinated,” says Heather Brandt, Director, HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In Mississippi, the state with the worst HPV vaccination track record in the country, a group of community stakeholders is working under the coordination of a broader American Cancer Society-led effort to get more shots in arms. A big part of that push involves providing pediatricians with a template for how to broach the topic of vaccination and respond to parents’ concerns. That might sound very basic, but clearly pediatricians and their staff need it.

Mississippi also is training dentists and OB-GYNs to have those conversations, too. The rising rate of HPV-related oral cancers gives dentists a natural opening to talk about the benefits of prevention when they are doing an exam, says Amy Ellis, associate director of state partnerships at the ACS.

Those conversations also need to begin earlier. Kids benefit most from vaccination by the age of 13, but the first shot can be given as young as 9. A parent might not be receptive during that initial chat, but opening the dialogue at 9 gives a longer window to draw them in. “It might take several conversations, but not talking about it at all is a missed opportunity,” said Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, a head and neck surgeon at Duke University School of Medicine, who studies HPV vaccine hesitancy.

Yet there are some frustrating technical barriers to shifting shots earlier in childhood. When a child has their annual check-up, their provider pulls up the state-level immunization recommendations — and in nearly every state, the HPV vaccine doesn’t make that list until age 11. In 2023, Washington State lowered the age to 9, and other states should follow suit.

Doctors have a lot on their plates, and of course many other factors — including access to a doctor, particularly in rural communities or among those without health insurance — influence vaccine attitudes. But health care providers are in the best position to convince parents that these life-saving shots are worthwhile.

Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

Related Articles

David French: Civil liberties make for strange bedfellows

Hal Brands: Putin’s shadow war against Europe is intensifying

Andreas Kluth: The U.S. can’t be protectionist and world leader

Mary C. White: Most older Americans who need hearing aids don’t use them. Here’s how to change that

Other voices: Roberts was right to let Alito decide. Alito was right to not recuse

Lexie Brown (4) of Los Angeles controls the ball against Bridget Carleton #6 of the Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Arena on June 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty)

Napheesa Collier had 25 points and nine rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx eased by the Los Angeles Sparks 86-62 on Wednesday night for coach Cheryl Reeve’s 307th regular-season victory.

Reeve moved past Bill Laimbeer (306) for second on the WNBA list, trailing just Mike Thibault with 379.

Collier scored 11 points in the first quarter to help Minnesota build a 27-12 lead. The Lynx led 45-26 at the break as Los Angeles made just 10 of 44 shots from the field (23%).

Kayla McBride scored eight straight Minnesota points in the third quarter to make it 58-34 before the Lynx extended it to a 28-point advantage less than a minute later. Collier banked in a jumper just before the shot clock for a 70-56 lead with 6:01 left.

Bridget Carleton added 15 points, hitting all four of her 3-point attempts, and McBride finished with 13 points for Minnesota (7-2).

Dearica Hamby had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles (2-7). Rookie Cameron Brink fouled out at the 2:24 mark of the fourth quarter with two points and two blocks. Brink was named to the U.S. Olympic 3×3 team earlier in the day.

Rae Burrell, the No. 9 overall selection in the 2022 draft, set season-highs with nine points and 22 minutes.

The Sparks were just 4 of 28 (14%) from 3-point range and 18 of 18 at the free-throw line.

Related Articles

Époupa leads Lynx past Dallas 87-76 for best start in five years

Rookie Alissa Pili breaks out in Lynx’s 95-71 rout of Phoenix

Lynx fall to two-time defending champion Aces

Lynx’s Kayla McBride has career night in victory over Atlanta

Balanced Lynx take down New York, improve to 3-1