Ah, July. Fresh produce is available everywhere now, & nothing says summer like a big salad chock full of veggies. I was reading somewhere about all these salad toppings you’d “never thought of using,” & all I could say in response was: wait, really? Most people haven’t thought of using nuts, fruits, & the like? But it’s so good! So, I thought that as this week’s entry in easy summer cooking, I’d give a few salad combinations are simply divine.

» Salad #1: spinach or spring mix, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, pecans, mandarin oranges, poppyseed dressing. An old favorite; you’ll be amazed at the play between the onion, oranges, & dressing. Because some of the ingredients are a bit more on the pricey side, this is a real treat.

» Salad #2: romaine, red & yellow pepper, snow peas, almonds, asparagus, carrots, sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, ground black pepper, dash of lemon juice. The lemon lets all those wonderful fresh flavors really sing through.

» Salad #3: red (or green) leaf lettuce, grilled portobello mushroom, grilled chicken, tomato, red onion, basil, balsamic vinaigrette. Very earthy & delightful – I had this for lunch today!

» Salad #4: romaine, red onion, apple, grilled chicken, walnuts, feta cheese, italian dressing. Apple is a wonderful balance to the red onion – feel free to switch feta for blue cheese; this is tasty either way.

» Salad #5: (choice of lettuce), black olives, corn, black beans, onion, tomatoes, blue corn tortilla chips, avacado, apple, cilantro, dash of ranch dressing. Hot peppers if you’d like, although I usually just add a bit of medium salsa. Perfect for lunches; the mix of sweet, spicy, & crunchy is a fabulous way to take a break.

» Salad #6: spring mix, strawberries, raspberries, brie, red onion, grilled chicken, almonds, just a touch of italian. Very elegant & perfect for a fancy dinner party.

All these veggies are interchangeable, & I usually just work with what I have – most of my salads end up just being a big bowl of whatever fruit & veggies are in my fridge, topped with whatever nuts I have lying around. But these combinations, in my extremely humble opinion, make for a fantastic meal. & of course, in a perfect world, every great big salad would be paired with a good hunk of sourdough or multigrain baguette. Which is how you should enjoy them! :)