Summer is in full swing, so to help home cooks make most of the season's bounty and elevate fresh ingredients, Bay Area-based chef and restaurateur David Nayfeld joined "Good Morning America" equipped with some easy recipes.
The owner of Che Fico, a popular Italian taverna in San Francisco's NoPa neighborhood, constantly changes up his menu based on seasonal availability from his close network of farmers and distributors.
From frothy fruit-filled drinks and ice cold desserts to a simple yet elevated summer salad, check out Nayfeld's full recipes below to recreate at home.
Yield: Four 12-ounce glasses
Ingredients
4 cups watermelon cut into chunks
4 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
15 mint leaves
1/2 tablespoon jalapeno, chopped (optional)
For garnish:
Crushed ice
4 mint sprigs
4 lime slices
Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on medium-high until smooth.
Add crushed ice to 4 glasses and pour the Agua Fresca into each glass. Garnish each with a lime slice and mint sprig.
Try adding 1 ounce of Mezcal or Tequila to each glass for an adult-only summer cocktail.
"One of my favorite things to do is take summer tomatoes, they're vibrant and delicious, but they're also very versatile, so using them with fruit is one of my favorite things to do," Nayfeld said. "Changing up flavors and contrasting textures is a great way to brighten up a dish -- the key is making up they're crunchy and acidic because the soft texture ends up getting mushy and falling apart."
Yield: 1 salad, serves 2 people
Ingredients
For the marinated feta
8 ounces feta cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 a small garlic clove
For the salad
8 ounces heirloom tomatoes, cut into oblong pieces
2 ounces plum, cut into oblong pieces
3 ounces cucumbers, cut into oblong pieces
5 thin slices of serrano chile or jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 ounce marinated feta
5-6 fresh basil leaves
5-6 fresh mint leaves
Directions
To marinate the feta: Crush the garlic clove to release its flavor. Add all the ingredients to a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container. Marinate at least 1 hour before using.
For the salad: Rinse all produce and cut the tomato, plum and cucumber into similar size oblong pieces.
Add cut fruits to a mixing bowl and dress with the olive oil, red wine vinegar and coarse sea salt; Pour onto a large plate or platter.
Top the fruit with chunks of marinated feta and the basil and mint leaves. Finish with the additional 1 tablespoons of olive oil drizzled over top.
"A big thing in my house is people always want sweet," Nayfeld said of his five and a half-year-old daughter's popsicle preferences.
Yield: 4 each treats
Ingredients
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon citric acid
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 watermelon pieces cut 1-inch thick and 2 by 3 inches
Equipment needed:
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Mixing bowl
Cookie sheet or shallow baking dish (for crusting) popsicle sticks
Wax paper
Directions
Remove the rind from a medium to large watermelon and cut the melon into 1-inch slices (save the leftover watermelon for Agua Fresca!)
Cut the slices of watermelon into "popsicle" shapes, approximately 2 by 3 inches.
Mix together the sugar, citric acid and cornstarch to coat the watermelon. Pour the coating mix onto your cookie sheet or shallowing baking dish. Working one piece at a time, press each side of the watermelon into crust ingredients
Add a popsicle stick to each and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for 2-3 hours before enjoying it. Avoid freezing for any longer as the treats may become too hard to bite into.
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