Three Winning Summer Recipes: Chicken Salad, Grape Salad, and Black Magic Cake

The Farmers’ Almanac recipe contest gets a flood of summer-themed entries each year. The three winners below cover lunch, side, and dessert and have appeared on countless picnic tables since they were published.

Chicken Salad with Apples Recipe

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 2 apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), diced
• 1 cup halved red grapes
• 1 cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh dill or chives to finish

1. Combine chicken, apples, grapes, celery, and pecans in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour dressing over the chicken mixture. Toss to coat.
4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
5. Top with herbs before serving. Eat on croissants, in lettuce cups, or by the spoonful.

Grape Salad Recipe

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 2 pounds seedless red and green grapes
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Topping: ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup chopped pecans

1. Wash and dry grapes. Place in a large serving bowl.
2. Whisk cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Pour over grapes and fold gently to coat.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour minimum.
5. Sprinkle brown sugar and pecans over the top just before serving.

Black Magic Cake Recipe

Hot coffee in the batter blooms the cocoa for a deep, dark chocolate cake.

Ingredients (one 9×13 cake):

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong hot coffee
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13 baking pan.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add buttermilk, coffee, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a whisk or mixer 2 minutes until smooth. The batter will be thin.
4. Pour into the prepared pan.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
6. Cool completely before frosting.

Joanne’s Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch salt

1. Beat peanut butter and butter until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating between additions.
3. Add milk to reach spreading consistency.
4. Beat in vanilla and salt.
5. Spread on cooled cake.

Cook by the Best Days Calendar

The Farmers’ Almanac Best Days calendar marks the most favorable days for canning, pickling, preserving, and baking, drawn from the moon’s signs and 200 years of almanac tradition.

See Best Days

Thank You!

Thanks to the home cooks who submit recipes year after year. The contest archive grows with every season.

Join the Discussion

What is your favorite summer recipe? Tell us in the comments below.

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Farmers' Almanac Staff

This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.

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