The thermometer registered 96.8 degrees in my kitchen this evening. It’s no secret that it has been HOT so far this summer! The last thing I want to do these days is turn on the oven or stovetop and add to the already sweltering temps. I don’t know about you all, but in the summer, I’m looking for quick, fresh, and cold dishes that I can whip up in a pinch for mealtime. As soon as the temps increase, I start craving crunchy, snappy fruits and vegetables with punchy, briney flavors like lemon, mustard, or vinegar. I long to leverage the abundance of summer veggies and herbs from the garden and farmers’ markets.
Summer is all about enjoying the outdoors. Less time in the kitchen means more time enjoying nature and all of this beautiful weather. Here are three quick side dishes that are on repeat at my house these days. They are purposefully flexible so you can make them for one or for a crowd. Measure to your liking and add or remove things as you prefer. No one wants to bust out the measuring cups when it’s almost a hundred degrees! And the best part about these dishes is that none of them require any cooking.
Watermelon Balsamic Salad
Ingredients:
Cubed Watermelon
Sliced Strawberries
Thinly sliced shallot or red onion
Julienned Basil or Mint
Balsamic Vinaigrette or Balsamic Glaze
Salt and Pepper to taste
This one couldn’t be easier. Just add all of the ingredients into a big bowl, mix, and refrigerate. Never tried the vinegar-on-fruit trend? Give it a whirl! The sweetness from the fruit combined with the briney saltiness of the vinegar is delightful! Want to add crumbled feta or blueberries? Go to town! This beautiful dish packs a punch and can be thrown together in 5 minutes.
Cucumber Avocado Salad
Ingredients:
Chopped Cucumbers (Persian Cucumbers are lovely here)
Chopped Avocado
Chopped or crumbled feta
Finely diced shallot or red onion
Minced garlic
Fresh Lemon Juice
Apple Cider or White Wine Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Plenty of Fresh Dill
Salt and Pepper to taste
Add your chopped cucumbers and avocado to a bowl and immediately squeeze on plenty of fresh lemon juice to prevent the avocado from browning. It’s nice to chop the cucumber and avocado into similarly-sized cubes here. Add the minced garlic, chopped shallot, feta, and chopped dill. Add a splash of vinegar and olive oil to your liking. Salt and pepper to taste. This tangy salad is the perfect addition to any grilled meat or fish, or even for simply eating straight from the bowl immediately after making it. The veggies are crunchy, the avocado adds a creamy silkiness, and it’s so delicious cold from the fridge.
Heirloom Tomatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Thinly sliced tomatoes (Heirloom, if you can find them)
Finely chopped shallots
Apple Cider or White Wine Vinegar
Dijon Mustard
Honey
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Julienned Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
OK I lied, THIS one couldn’t be easier. It’s pretty much one ingredient, but it’s the star of the show. Garden tomatoes are abundant in the summer, and if you can get your hands on heirlooms, they are worth the search. The uglier, the better! Their flavor and texture puts grocery store tomatoes to shame.
Finely chop some shallots and add them to a jar. Top with a bit of vinegar and dijon mustard and let them hang out a bit. This will mellow out the onion flavor a bit. Meanwhile, thinly slice your tomatoes and arrange them on a wide plate. It’s lovely if you can use a variety of colors here; red, yellow, orange, green. Salt and pepper your tomatoes generously. Go back to your dressing and add a dollop of honey and a splash of olive oil along with a bit of salt and pepper and stir vigorously until the dressing is emulsified. Drizzle generously over your tomatoes and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Now eat the whole plate.
Summer meals are some of my favorites, because they use the freshest fruits and vegetables around. It’s so hot that you can get away with eating a bowl of fruit salad for a meal and calling it a day. Next time you can’t bear to cook and it’s even too hot to order out, try one of these cool and fresh sides and let me know what you think! What are you whipping up these days when it’s too hot to cook?
