Award-winning Pacific Northwest chef Sam Cover of Spokane Washington showcases his favorite recipes of the summer.

From watermelon salad to coconut shrimp, and with a focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and simplicity in preparation, award-winning chef Sam Cover puts forward a selection of his favorite summer recipes as compiled this year from his home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

“Summer, for me, is all about the freshest ingredients and flavors, delivered with pleasing simplicity,” suggests Sam Cover Spokane Washington, speaking from his home on the easternmost edge of the Evergreen State.

According to Sam Cover of Washington, the best summer recipes are often some of the most simple, relying on tasty, fresh ingredients—locally sourced wherever possible—rather than lengthy preparation times and intricate cooking techniques. “Watermelon salad is a perfect example,” says Cover, “served with roughly chopped cucumber and crumbled feta cheese.”

It couldn’t be simpler, Sam Cover of Spokane reports, and this, he says, is the ethos behind many of his favorite summer recipes of recent years. What’s more, 2020 has been no exception for the multi-award-winning chef who, in the past, has worked across the U.S. from New York to Los Angeles, as well as elsewhere around the world during a career spanning more than two decades to date.

Next on Sam Cover‘s compilation of his favorite summer recipes of 2020 is skillet seafood paella. “Cooked together in a cast-iron skillet, almost any fresh seafood works here, but especially shrimp, mussels, calamari, and clams,” he explains. Simplicity is key, says Cover. “Jasmine rice works perfectly,” adds the chef, “for a truly tasty summer dish that’s easy as pie to prepare.”

Sam Cover‘s third suggestion is coconut shrimp – another nod to the Pacific Northwest native’s penchant for fresh seafood. “Toss fresh shrimp in beaten egg, coconut, and breadcrumbs,” says the chef, “then oven cook until golden; it couldn’t be simpler.”

For something similarly unconventional, perhaps, Sam Cover turns to fresh peaches and halloumi cheese. “Haloumi and fresh peach skewers,” says the expert. “Grilled fruit is a summer favorite of mine, and halloumi cheese matches the unique taste of peach perfectly,” suggests Sam. “Serve on skewers with a fresh yogurt dip or drizzled in honey for a dish that’s truly a taste of summertime,” he adds.

All of these dishes can be served with another of Sam Cover’s summer favorites: a simple Mediterranean salad, rich with fresh tomato and cucumber, roasted peppers, and salty olives. He further recommends grilled chicken breast with mozzarella cheese, basil, and a balsamic vinegar reduction, and freshly squeezed lemon pasta with peas and ricotta. “Both are super summery,” notes the chef.

Also worthy of an honorable mention, according to Sam Cover of Spokane, when it comes to his favorite summer recipes of 2020, are grilled BBQ chicken, pesto pasta salad, salmon tacos with avocado salsa, tomato gazpacho, and grilled bruschetta. “Just remember,” adds the chef in closing, “that the fresher the ingredients and the more straightforward the recipe, the better!”