Molly Adams

2 weeks ago | simplyrecipes.com | Molly Adams

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe Baked beans may not seem like they should be a summer thing, but in New England, they are a staple for cookouts and summer entertaining. My Grandma Jean made legendary baked beans—so much so that tracking down the exact recipe was quite a journey. Everyone in my family vividly remembers the look and taste of these beans, but when I asked them to recall the ‘secret’ ingredients, everyone had a different answer.

2 weeks ago | simplyrecipes.com | Molly Adams

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe Part of my family lore is that at my uncle's wedding, when I was almost two years old, I snuck into the back room, climbed onto the table, and ate all of the strawberries out of the glasses of champagne staged for the toast. To be honest, in 40 years, not much has changed—one of my favorite summer treats remains wine-soaked fruit.

2 weeks ago | simplyrecipes.com | Molly Adams

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu I was first introduced to the concept of an icebox cake via Ina Garten’s mocha chocolate version. At the time, I was living in an NYC apartment that more closely resembled a closet. It was hot as anything in the summer (and the winter, too, thanks to the steam heat), so baking was very much not an option. With this icebox cake, I couldn’t believe the sorcery I created by simply layering together store-bought cookies and jazzed-up whipped cream.

2 weeks ago | simplyrecipes.com | Molly Adams

Simply Recipes / Molly Adams / Getty Images Towards the end of every summer growing up, it seemed like a side of mushy sautéed squash was on my plate, whether I liked it or not. My mom would cook it in butter with a bit of sliced onion, and while it was tasty, it got old after the first few weeks. Now, as a mom, I get it. The squash was fresh, in season, and affordable, and my mom had four kids to feed.

3 weeks ago | simplyrecipes.com | Molly Adams

Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock My grandma Jean was famous for her classic bread and butter pickles. She would make a big batch when pickling cucumbers were in season and store them in her cellar for the long winter. If you were lucky, when you visited, she’d let you take home a jar. My family would fight over these sweet, crisp, and deeply savory pickles. Unlike the ones you might find in the grocery store, they had a super fresh crunch. There was nothing soggy about them.