SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015
Try a New Recipe in August: 6 Great Ideas
 MELISSA CLARK
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This is not a sentiment you hear very often, but I adore August in New York City.
With everyone on vacation, the streets are quiet, there are parking spots on my block, and movies are hardly ever sold out. The weather is even less steamy than in July, with hints of fall's crispness in the overnight air.
More to the point, the temporarily less crowded farmers' market is still an abundant paradise of stone fruit, early grapes and pears, plump tomatoes and greens galore.
This lull is the perfect moment to try a recipe you've been meaning to get around to but couldn't during the more hectic months. I'm not talking about anything challenging (no pâté or hand-formed tortellini). Just something simple - say, a recipe you saved to your recipe box but haven't made yet, or a languishing ingredient in the cupboard.
For me, I plan to finally use that bag of dried white mulberries that I picked up at a Persian market in Queens in the spring. I can't decide if I'll make David Tanis's Persian jeweled rice (above), substituting white mulberries for the barberries, or Nigella Lawson's Georgian stuffed chicken, using mulberries in place of cherries. I'll report back.
What's on your list? Is it time to actually buy a bunch of those exuberantly loopy garlic scapes you've been admiring at the farmers' market? You can blanch or sauté them like green beans (the garlic sauce is built in!), or purée them with basil and cheese into pesto. They are milder than regular garlic, with a fresh herbal flavor.
Or how about trying your hand at duck breasts. They are so easy to cook after you've done it once, but the first time can be intimidating if you're not used to all that rendering fat. An easy workaround is to trim the fat (you can render it separately or trash it, we won't tell) andtoss the breasts into a Vietnamese-inspired marinade, then onto the grill. They cook up like steak: rare, juicy, delicious. Serve them with April Bloomfield's potatoes with butter and mint.
Now for dessert. If you've never made your own pie crust, August, with its bounty of fruit, is the perfect time to give it a go. Just crank up the air-conditioner and make sure the butter stays cold (or try freezing the butter cubes before you start mixing them with the flour). I'm partial to this plum chutney crumb pie (who doesn't love plummy crumbs?), but we have plenty to choose from at Cooking. Just go take a look.
If you need help or have a question with a recipe or with our site or apps, or if you just want to say hi, please reach out. You can find us atcookingcare@nytimes.com. We're also on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest and Instagram. #NYTCooking is our hashtag. See you on Monday!
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