Sasha Shor grew up snacking on these Russian hand-pies and explains: “The potato gives it a weighty creaminess broken up with the lightness of chopped egg, while the scallion and dill bring a fresh, bright, herbal flavor punch to each bite.”

In Lisa Capelouto’s family, savory Sephardic stuffed pastries called pastelikos are a key part of their desayuno (Shabbat breakfast) spread. This recipe from her mother Vivienne is filled with a mixture of eggplant, parsley, and tomatoes.

An integral part of Sephardic desayuno or breakfast, boyos are Judeo-Spanish flaky pastries. Traditionally, they are served alongside long cooked eggs known as huevos haminados.

In Léa Karsenty’s North African family, challah is studded with anise seeds, which infuse the loaves with a sweet, licorice flavor. This recipe is part of the family’s Yom Kippur break fast, but is wonderful to bake for an al fresco summer meal.

If you are lucky enough to have a small portable grill or campfire for your picnic, these lamb shish kabobs from Sasha Shor’s family are excellent. Alternatively, you can cook them at home. Just be sure to allow them to cool a bit before packing up.

We first featured this recipe for spinach fritters from a Bulgarian family in 2018 and it has remained a favorite of our team since then.

Tamar Moradoff’s kuku sabzi is loaded with fresh herbs, leeks, and spinach. It’s wonderful served warm or room temperature the following day.

While grape leaves are often filled with meat or rice and vegetables, in this recipe from the late great cook Tamar Moradoff, the filling is studded with dried fruit like raisins and dates.

Chef and writer Peter Hoffman’s recipe for potato salad is loaded with fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, and dill and lashed with bright apple cider vinegar.

This light tomato salad that’s punctuated with briny capers was served over couscous during summers in Kathy Berrie’s childhood home in Morocco. It’s best when tomatoes are at their peak.

Loaded with thinly sliced carrots and quinoa, this salad from cookbook author Erin Gleeson is hearty and crunchy.

This spicy and bright cherry salad from food writer Hila Alpert is a revelation. JFS editorial director Devra Ferst makes it on repeat during warmer months.

When Christina Whittaker was growing up, her grandmother Gloria would buy her gizzada, sweet and sticky coconut tartlets, as a treat. These days, Christina makes her own version of the classic Jamaican sweet.

Ensuring a summer peach tart, like this beautiful one from Gabriella Stern’s family, arrives safely at a picnic in one piece requires some care — and a good cake carrier.

This traditional compote recipe comes from Benjamin Lesser’s grandfather who lived in Mukatch, Hungary before the Holocaust. His home was “on a major street called Sugar — an appropriate name for that sweet home,” Benjamin explains.

This summer cake recipe makes the most of the season’s fresh fruit. While it’s wonderful with cherries, it can be made with almost any fruit you have on hand.