Ah, the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. ... And the last thing I want to do at the end of them is cook dinner. Lucky for me (and my hungry family), there are loads of wonderful things to whip up for dinner that require no or very little cooking at all.
Market veggie sandwiches
Cucumber sandwiches: Mix an 8 oz block of softened cream cheese with dried dill, salt, pepper, garlic powder and green onions. Voila, herbed cream cheese! Now herbed cream cheese is good enough on its own, but spread it on toast or bread, add sliced cucumbers (and a slice of feta if that's your thing), and you have a refreshing and classic cucumber sandwich.
Radish sandwiches with butter and salt: This sandwich is as simple as can be. You can use a baguette, sourdough or any bread, really. Simply spread butter on your bread, salt the butter, then top with sliced radishes. Finish off with arugula, and this sandwich is ready to be enjoyed.
Tomato sandwiches: These are a summertime staple. White bread is a mainstay of tomato sandwiches, but I suppose you could try others. Toast or not, it's up to you. Spread on some mayonnaise (your brand may vary, but the internet has opinions if you are curious to read about which is the quintessential tomato sandwich mayo), top with slices of fresh summer tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and dig in. This is a messy sandwich if you are lucky – it means you got a good tomato.
Summer soups
Gazpacho: Add 2 lbs of roma tomatoes, 1 small cucumber, 1 bell pepper, half of a red onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar to a blender and let 'er rip. Puree for one minute, or until the soup is how you like it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cumin is a nice addition as well. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. When it's time to eat, crusty bread, croutons, fresh herbs, an extra drizzle of olive oil or even a hard-boiled egg are great toppings. You just have to convince someone else to turn on the stove to boil the egg.
Chilled avocado soup: Grab two ripe avocados and put them in a blender along with one and half cups of plain (not Greek) yogurt, a quarter cup lime juice, half a cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, and a small bunch of cilantro or parsley. Blend until smooth, check if it needs more salt or pepper, and chill until it's time to serve.
Consider a can of beans
White bean caprese salad: Drain and rinse a can of white beans and combine them with a big handful of halved cherry tomatoes, some torn basil leaves, a couple of glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper, and of course, hunks of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and enjoy as a salad, or put this entire delicious concoction on top of a piece of sourdough bread for an open-faced sandwich.
Black bean tacos: Drain and rinse a can of black beans, smush them with a fork and add in some olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Warm your bowl of beans in the microwave for a minute. Then, mix shredded cabbage (I use bagged coleslaw from the salad aisle) with sliced green onions and the juice from one or two limes to make a slaw topping. Spoon the black bean mixture into tortillas, put the slaw on top of the beans, and then send the whole taco over the top by adding big, salty hunks of feta cheese. Yum!
Homemade hummus: Add a clove of garlic, the juice of one or two lemons, a 16-ounce jar of tahini, salt and cumin to taste in a blender. Blend the mixture until it looks like sticky peanut butter, then slowly drizzle in half a cup to a cup of ice water until your mixture is smooth and creamy. Now, add in two cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas and blend for about three more minutes until your chickpeas are totally incorporated and your hummus is smooth. Serve with veggies, pita, chips or whatever.
Anything goes
It's summer. Summers are laid-back. Dinner can be laid-back, too. For example, I maintain that standing over your counter with ice-cold cubes of watermelon and a bowl of salty potato chips is a summer mealtime in its own right. "Plates of small things" is another great summertime dinner option – think of it like a less-fancy charcuterie board (and if you have ever had a toddler, you've made this meal countless times). Cheese, crackers, hummus, fruit, bread, peanut butter and jelly, veggies, dips... Truly, anything goes. Ignore your pots and pans and enjoy the sunset.
Pamela Savage lives in Springfield, where she does not cook much between the months of June and August.
