I don’t want to bring bad luck on anyone, but it appears that winter in North America is basically behind us. The sun’s out, the days are longer, and we have more time to perch on our patios with friends and family. If you’re like me, you’re happy to leave the cold months in the real-view mirror, but there are a few foods and flavors often enjoyed over the winter that you don’t want to forget entirely. The answer? Make like the seasons and change them, to better suit the weather.We all have our favorite foods that we eat when the winter comes. Usually they’re hearty, thick and full of flavor. Let’s look at a few of the most common, and how to transform them from winter wonders to summer stars.

Chili

There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night than a steaming bowl of spicy chili. But why relegate is to those three darkest months? This take on summer chili lets you make the most of nature’s spring and summer vegetable haul, using your favorites from your garden or local farmer’s market. Tailor the spice level to suit your taste for the season.

Soup

Soup is another winter warmer that you don’t have to leave behind. The nice thing about soup is that it can be as thick or thin, hearty or light as you please. Cold soup is also an option, of course. A few can’t-miss classics include Watermelon-Cucumber Gazpacho, Chilled Spiced Peach Soup, and Italian Spring Chicken Soup.

Coffee

Coffee isn’t exactly a winter food, but what’s better on a cold morning than sipping a piping hot cup in front of the fireplace? When the summer weather heats up, you often want a cooler way to get a taste of coffee and hit of caffeine. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to summarize your habit. Start with the super refreshing coffee tonic, which we wrote about here, a picturesque blend of tonic water and espresso over ice. Another way to keep it cool is by making coffee-flavored ice cream. There are scores of recipes out there—here’s one by Martha Stewart that is bound to cause a buzz.

Meat dishes

Wintertime is perfect for rich and hearty meat dishes, including pot roast and lamb shanks, whole chickens and pork shoulders. In the summer, our tastes often tend towards lighter fare. A great way to transform these options is to make kabobs, with smaller pieces of meat that you can mix with vegetables and herbs and barbecue fairly quickly, whether you’re on the porch or at the beach. A few options include Rosemary Ranch Chicken, Sensational Sirloin, and BBQ Teriyaki Pork.

 

Which winter foods are you transforming for summer? Bring us up to speed in the comments and on Twitter at @luvoinc.