So I whipped up a batch of some of KD's tabulouh ( I am not doing a great job of spelling this) and plan on roasting some veggies today or tomorrow. I am excited about my upcoming meals.

What sort of things do you all make for the warm weather months? I could use a little more inspiration.

YUMMMM everyone! Those all sound SO YUMMM!!!

Last night we had grilled salmon and grilled asparagus. Tonight we're having what we call "big salads". (Garden salad with grilled chicken and kidney beans.)

We have more salads and grill more, mostly to not heat up the house.

Dawn

I tend to lean towards lighter meals. Because there is so much more really good fresh produce available we also up our fruit/veggie intake a lot! I love fish dishes in summer, salsas, salads. The last thing I want in the heat is soup, chili, anything that reminds me of winter-unless is it gazpacho or a cold soup. My SO has taken a new interest in Cooking Light and their recipes. He is wanting us to make things using ingredients I could never have gotten him to eat before so I'm excited that he is expanding his palate and opening his mind to new things!!! He is not much of a fish eater (only haddock, and only swimming in butter, OR if Mrs. Paul's makes it and it's breaded and fried) but my friend told me about a cod dish that you put over leeks/carrots in a very light white wine sauce and he is ready to try it! I'm so happy because I love fish and now I can actually make it for dinner! Now, if only I can dd to try new things.

Jill

I'm having 2 of my fave warm-weather sides this week with chicken. The first is cucumber, grape tomato and red onion salad in a lf balsamic vinaigrette with cracked black pepper. SO cool and refreshing. The other is a slaw--shredded white & red cabbage and shredded carrots with a homemade honey-mustard vinaigrette. Tangy and crunchy.

I love cold poached salmon when it gets warm. I serve it on a salad or with brocolli slaw or with grilled veggies.

I also like fish kabobs on the grill with pineapple.

Mango or peach salsa become my condiment of choice on almost anything.

A nice cool gazpacho hits the spot too.

One of my summer favorites is fresh Vietnamese summer rolls. We will brown up some ground pork or tofu with a little soy sauce and 5 spice powder. I chop up some cucumber, lettuce and shred some carrots. We cook up some cellophane noodles and make a dipping sauce vinegar, chilies, sugar and garlic. Soften rice paper wrappers in hot water and then place a few of each item in the wrapper and fold up into a roll. These are absolutely light and delicious, and generally I can get a dinner for 2 and 3 more lunches out of the leftovers.

Another favorite is grilled flank steak with grilled peppers and onions. We serve this fajita style. It also lasts for at least two meals.

The Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe I posted in the recipe folder would be great too. It's really easy to put together. And the leftovers are good for a day or so afterward.

Another great summery side dish is fresh pickles. Slice up a cucumber. Place them in a bowl with some rice vinegar or cider vinegar, about a T of sugar, a pinch of salt and some dill fresh or dried.(This is all to taste. I like them on the sweet side, but you could go savory as well.) Allow to sit for at least a half an hour. YUM!

My "raising the salad bar" cookbook takes up residence on my counter for much of summer. I also make as much grilled and light food as I can. I tend to prefer sandwiches, pasta salads, salads, and wraps and tacos when it's hot.

I don't really eat much differently from season to season except that in hot weather I don't have chili or soup very often.