Summer is here, and so are the foods of the season. You know, the temperatures are hot, the grill is going, you've got a drink in your hand, and you're ready to chow down.

Why Summer Meals Taste Better

Food in the summer just tastes different. While you can enjoy the rib-sticking goodness of indoor hearty meals to keep your body warm, there's just something special about grabbing something from the garden and turning it into a marvelous main course or, in this case, an appetizer.

The Food Network Pick for Illinois’ Top Summer Dish

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I was intrigued when I saw this list from The Food Network making the rounds. Sure, there are recipes specific to Illinois for any season of the year, whether it be spring, fall, winter, or even summer, in this case. That didn't mean that I had any idea what the top summer recipe for Illinois was, and I'll be honest, I was a little surprised to see Illinois' best.

Zucchini: The Unlikely Star of Illinois Summer Recipes

Food Network:

The great state of Illinois ranks third in the country when it comes to the number of farmers markets, and where there are farmers markets there are zucchini. Leave the zoodles behind in last summer; crispy, cornmeal-battered zucchini coins never go out of style.

baked vegetarian zucchini boats, courgette farcie
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READ MORE: Bake your Zucchini into Fries

Did you think zucchini? I sure didn't. Probably a million different summer recipes are more Illinois-coded than zucchini, but it's hard to argue with Food Network's logic.

What's your go-to summer recipe? Tell us all about it.

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