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August 8, 2026 
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Good morning! Today we have for you:
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| Keith Corbin’s pluot-tomato salad with suya pistachio crunch, adapted by Genevieve Ko. Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. |
I wish they all could be California salads
Hello, and happy summer Saturday. Genevieve Ko has a gorgeous new collection of summer salads, and I figured: Who better to tell you about them — particularly this pluot-tomato salad with suya pistachio crunch — than Genevieve? Off you go, Ko!
I was walking through the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market yesterday, picking up stripy tomatoes and ruby pluots, grass-green shishitos and soft-bellied figs, wishing I had a bigger bag to haul more home. The fruits and vegetables taste amazing on their own, but I know they can get even more thrilling in the hands of California chefs.
This pluot-tomato salad from Keith Corbin, the chef of Alta Adams in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, may be the most delicious thing I’ve made all summer. Pistachios are blended into a lemony yogurt sauce to cradle tomato and pluot wedges, and then show up again in a crunchy topping I can’t stop eating. Mr. Corbin lightly candies the nuts, coating them with the ginger, garlic and onion powders of West African suya spice. Peppery and spicy, the nuts add big crunch and a little heat to each creamy, juicy bite.
That salad’s one of four I wrote about this past week: simple yet stunning dishes that showcase the best of California cuisine right now. These chefs center the state’s vegetables and fruits and bring in inspirations from around the globe with freedom and thoughtful restraint. The best part is that you don’t have to live here to taste these beautiful salads — they’re all easy enough to make at home. I definitely recommend trying them all in these last days of summer. |
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California salads, they’re unforgettable |
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More summer must-makes
Crispy mushroom sandwiches: Holy moly, friends, do these new Yewande Komolafe sandwiches look incredible or what? If you’re a little deep-fry-skittish like me, you’ll be glad to know that the battered maitake and oyster mushrooms aren’t plunged in hot oil but rather shallow-fried in a skillet, becoming golden and craggy and ready for a herby, hot honey dressing. I am so excited to make these.
Skillet chicken thighs with schmaltzy tomatoes: A five-star Melissa Clark recipe that makes the most of summer tomatoes; bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; and their golden pan drippings. Don’t forget the bread.
Fruit crumble: The stone fruit is starting to arrive at my local grocery stores; I’ve already lugged home blushing peaches and sunny yellow plums. Whatever doesn’t get eaten straight away will go into this super-versatile recipe from Genevieve, which I use throughout the year with whatever fruit I’ve got. It’s a great dessert and perhaps an even better breakfast, especially with a big spoonful of plain yogurt.
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And before you go
What is it about summer reading that begs for a thriller? Is it the way a twisty-turny plot eats up hours on a train or a plane? Is it because that “one more chapter” sentiment so nicely mirrors a reluctance to leave a prime poolside chaise longue? Is it the delightful contrast of sunny days and blue skies with dark mysteries and shadowy characters? Whatever it is, with fall breathing down our necks, here’s The New York Times Book Review’s list of the 50 best thrillers of the 21st century.
Thanks for reading!
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