The heat is on! I am all about this awesome warm summer weather and making easy, cool salads and side dishes that compliment the season. I am thinking light refreshing and tasty ingredients like watermelon, cucumbers, summer corn, strawberries, avocado and feta to name a few. I am thinking portable salads and sides that are easy to take on a summer picnic, to a BBQ, to the beach or to a concert in the park. Below are descriptions and links to some of my favorite recipes of the season. Enjoy and stay cool!



1.    Summer Corn and Orzo Salad with Cucumber-Feta Dressing

Bon Appétit  June 2001

This is hands down my favorite go to summer salad recipe. The flavors are divine-I love the sweet summer corn combined with feta and cucumber. It’s sweet, crisp, fresh, salty and Mediterranean-esque. Everyone always asks me for copies of this recipe, and to me, it always signifies that summer has arrived. I think it goes great with grilled fish or chicken and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.



2.    Apple Slaw

Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee

This is a cool, crunchy and sweet summer side salad recipe that goes great with BBQ or something spicy. This dish tends to go over well with the kids because of the sweetness and the apples. And the best part: SUPER easy to prepare!



3.    Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves 

Paula Deen


In my opinion, nothing says summer quite like a fresh, juicy succulent watermelon and this easy and refreshing salad from Paula Deen, really showcases the flavor of this summer season melon. The combination of sweet watermelon, savory feta, and bright mint is perfection!



4.    Marston's California Orange Salad

Marston’s Restaurant in Pasadena, California

I recently had this salad from the quaint Marston’s in Pasadena, CA and felt like I had died and gone to salad heaven. This is truly salad nirvana because it has my ideal combination of sweet and savory flavors like candied pecans, raisins, mandarin oranges, chicken and blue cheese. But, it is the insanely addictive San Pasqual Dressing that makes culinary magic. It’s a divine vinaigrette with a hint of garlic and a tasty combination of sweet and sour flavors that I can’t shake from my mind—DEELISH!



5.    Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

Food Network


Strawberries are at their peak right now, nom nom! And if you have never tried the Albion variety of strawberries, this is an absolute must! Albions are strawberry perfection IMO--They are firm, full of true strawberry flavor and when you buy them freshly picked they taste like someone poured sugar all over them, I could eat them by the bushel! And when strawberries are this good, less is more; other than eating them straight-up, I love to cut and tossed with balsamic vinegar (or berry balsamic vinegar) and a hint of sugar. The pungent balsamic totally brings out their bright juicy strawberry flavor. Simple and yummy!

 

Romy is our resident lifestyle and beauty expert and each week she shares some of her favorite ‘rave’ worthy products, services and ideas that tickle her fancy. For additional tips or answers to your specific lifestyle and beauty questions, please visit www.RomyRaves.com