15 Summer Foods That Just Taste Better When Eaten Outside

Depending on where you live, warm weather only hangs around for a few months. Whether you prefer beach parties, barbecues in the backyard, or picnics in the park, make the most of the long, hot days with tasty (and often deliciously messy) outdoor dining.

Click here to see 15 Summer Foods That Just Taste Better When Eaten Outside (Slideshow)

Summer is packed with outdoor picnics and barbecues, which makes it the perfect choice for this week's SWAT (Sharing With A Theme).

We put the Culinary Content Network to the test to come up with some great dishes to eat outside, and here are some of the highlights:

Rebecca Winkler of A Calculated Whisk brings us a bright, refreshing ice cream made with some uncommon ingredients: matcha green tea and avocados.

Dan Zehr of Platter Talk serves a cooling cucumber salsa with thinly sliced zucchini instead of tortilla chips for a healthy snack you won't regret binging on.

This week's winner comes from Marjory Pilley at The Dinner Mom, who brings us mid-week outdoor dinner using a slow cooker for pulled pork in a ridiculously good blackberry sauce.

All of the recipes featured can be made at home for about $20 or less, excluding the cost of small amounts of basic ingredients such as butter, oil, flour, sugar, salt, pepper, and other dried herbs and spices.

Sloppy Joe

Sneak in extra vegetables like carrots, celery, and bell peppers to sloppy Joes and incorporate more nutrition into this classic American sandwich that the whole family will love.

Grilled Steak Tacos

If you're already outdoors and grilling up some steaks, why not slice them up and eat them in a tortilla with lots of fresh and delicious toppings? Shredded cabbage and thinly sliced radishes bring amazing crunch to soft-shell tacos, and pickled red onions and a squeeze of fresh lime juice add a bright, tart flavor to the meat.