And now, a perfect summertime recipe for ground turkey

These turkey, shiitake and cashew lettuce cups are full of savory, salty and sweet notes.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 1, 2024 Cybelle Tondu's ground turkey, shiitake and cashew lettuce cups. Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. A perfect summertime recipe for ground turkey By Melissa Clark Let us now praise the lettuce wrap! Depending on what you fold inside, the frilly green leaves can make hand rolls without the rice, sandwiches without the bread or tacos without the tortillas. Who needs forks in the summer? Cybelle Tondu's new recipe for ground turkey, shiitake and cashew lettuce cups combines salad with stir-fry to make finger food full of soy and oyster sauce-y notes, with sweet hoisin sauce for dipping. You can use any kind of lettuce as the wrap. Cool, crisp iceberg and romaine have snap, while butter lettuce is silkier, softening slightly as it meets the warm filling. A bowl of rice on the side isn't technically necessary, but it's good for catching those bits that tumble out. Featured Recipe Ground Turkey, Shiitake and Cashew Lettuce Cups View Recipe → I like to think of the stuffed pepper as the lettuce wrap's brawnier, flashier cousin. Both dishes include savory fillings dressed in vegetal garb, but peppers have a certain sturdiness instead of a leafy delicacy. I have a new meatless recipe for peppers stuffed with cumin-scented chickpeas, topped, of course, with Cheddar cheese. The peppers become velvety soft as they bake, almost collapsing. Still, the best bits might be the grated cheese and chickpeas that fall to the bottom of the baking pan, becoming crunchy and alluringly oily tidbits. I love these peppers as they are, but a little salsa or some salted yogurt on the side would be an excellent addition. Cumin also stars in David Tanis's roasted eggplant salad, a dish best not eaten with your fingers, though wielding a wedge of pita to grab the slippery, smoky eggplant pieces works nicely if you just can't bear a fork. Whether you opt for the broiler or the grill to cook the dish, make sure to let the eggplant's skin get black and wrinkly and its flesh pudding-soft for optimal flavor and texture. You won't mind turning on your broiler for Ali Slagle's salmon with garlic butter and tomato pasta, because it's only briefly and the results are well worth it. She smartly broils salmon fillets and cherry tomatoes together on one sheet pan until the tomatoes blister and the salmon skin sizzles and crisps, all in under 10 minutes. Perched on top of buttery angel hair pasta, the cherry tomatoes burst like "water balloons of sweetness," as Ali evocatively writes in the headnote, leaking their juices onto the noodles and fish. It's a playground of delightful flavors. Or maybe revisit an evergreen, minimalist classic from the aughts with Mark Bittman's five-star adaptation of Gary Danko's baked mustard-herb chicken legs. Simply paint some good Dijon mustard on chicken legs, then coat them in an herby, garlic-spiked breadcrumb mix and bake. It's a satisfying, fuss-free crowd-pleaser. For a dessert that really makes the most of summer fruit, Rebecca Charles' blackberry nectarine crisp (as adapted by Matt Lee and Ted Lee) is filled with syrupy fruit covered with crunchy nuggets of cinnamon-scented oatmeal streusel. Try to serve this warm from the oven, with scoops of vanilla ice cream melting into a runny custard sea amid islands of fruit. Can there possibly be a better sweet for July? Obviously, you'll want to subscribe to get these and all the other thousands upon thousands of recipes we have at New York Times Cooking. If you need any technical advice (as in "Where did that recipe box go?" or "Why can't I print?"), send an email to cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And if you'd like to say hi, I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. That's a wrap! See you on Wednesday. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Stuffed Peppers With Chickpeas and Cheese By Melissa Clark 1 hour 15 minutes Makes 3 to 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Roasted Eggplant Salad By David Tanis 30 minutes, plus at least 15 minutes' cooling Makes 6 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salmon With Garlic Butter and Tomato Pasta By Ali Slagle 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Baked Mustard-Herb Chicken Legs Recipe from Gary Danko Adapted by Mark Bittman 45 minutes Makes 4 servings Beatriz Da Costa for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Frances Boswell. Salsa Tatemada Norteña (Fire-Roasted Salsa) By Pati Jinich 45 minutes Makes About 2 cups (6 servings) Craig Lee for The New York Times Blackberry Nectarine Crisp Recipe from Rebecca Charles Adapted by Matt Lee and Ted Lee 1 hour Makes 6 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. 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