Esquites, because elotes don’t travel as well

Charred sweet corn, creamy cotija, tangy lime and spicy chile in an easy-to-transport salad.

View in browser|nytimes.com June 20, 2024 Kay Chun's esquites. Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Exquisite esquites By Mia Leimkuhler If I were mayor of Picnictown, every picnic would have the following: a blanket, a 1:1 dog-to-human ratio and esquites. The blanket's there because grass is itchy no matter what the most outdoorsy person in the group says; the dogs because dogs are great. The esquites are essential because my favorite outdoor corn is elotes, but they don't travel nearly as well as esquites. (The laws of Picnictown consider how easy it is to carry your picnic things on public transportation.) This is barely a compromise, though, because Kay Chun's esquites capture all the beloved and balanced elements of elotes: sweet summer corn, tangy lime, creamy cotija (and crema), spicy ancho chile. The smoky flavor you get from grilled corn is here, too, as the kernels are charred in a hot skillet until browned and caramelized. Perhaps the most enticing part of the recipe is this note from Kay: "Leftovers transform quickly into a great pasta salad the next day; simply toss with cooked pasta and olive oil." Picnictown loves a resourceful pasta salad. Featured Recipe Esquites View Recipe → More picnic decrees, because it's the first day of summer! Make Zainab Shah's sheet-pan chicken tikka thighs ahead of time, and then toss some roti or naan in your tote bag for effortless but extremely delicious sandwiches. Ali Slagle's green bean salad with dill pickles and feta is perfect all by itself, but if someone else wanted to bring a container of cooked barley or farro, that would be a really nice collaborative grain bowl picnic moment. (For even more lovely, easy picnic ideas that travel well, check out this recipe collection.) Every June, the summer produce flows into and overwhelms my corner grocery store, and every June I am positively giddy about it. Right now the shelves are buckling from so many cherry tomatoes, and I'm doing my part with salad e-shirazi, basil and tomato fried rice and salmon and tomatoes in foil, a five-star, five-ingredient dinner from Mark Bittman. I am trying to be more adventurous with my vegetables, branching out and bringing home goodies I don't usually cook. I've never really loved bitter melon (I'm not alone), but I do like bitter things — extra dark chocolate, dandelion greens, Campari. So I'm going to try this stir-fried bitter melon with eggs, a recipe from Chutatip Suntaranon (known as Nok) adapted by Cathy Erway. The creamy scrambled eggs, salty soy sauce and molasses-y brown sugar will mellow out the harshest edges of the bitter melon. And I trust Nok — I've had the pleasure of dining at Kalaya, Nok's restaurant in Philadelphia, and Nok never misses. Lastly: It's hot out there, and I'd like to give you an excuse to stand in front of the open refrigerator after a long afternoon in Picnictown. Here's Lisa Donovan's new recipe for buttermilk tres leches cake, which is best served extremely chilled, straight from the pan. I interpret this as spooning giant mouthfuls of cold, creamy cake into my mouth while bending into the fridge, but if you'd like to use plates and forks and a table, by all means. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Sheet-Pan Chicken Tikka Thighs  By Zainab Shah 1 hour  Makes 4 servings  Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Green Bean Salad With Dill Pickles And Feta By Ali Slagle 1 hour Makes 4 servings Con for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Salad-e Shirazi (Persian Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad) By Samin Nosrat 20 minutes Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 5 cups) Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Basil and Tomato Fried Rice By Hetty Lui McKinnon 15 minutes Makes 4 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil By Mark Bittman 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Stir-Fried Bitter Melon and Eggs Recipe from Chutatip Suntaranon Adapted by Cathy Erway 15 minutes Makes 3 to 4 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Heather Greene. Buttermilk Tres Leches Cake By Lisa Donovan 6 hours (includes 1 hour soaking and 4 hours' refrigeration) Makes 18 servings Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018