One of the joys of summer is quick cool meals enjoyed at a picnic, out on the deck, at a barbecue, or an outdoor potluck.

The recipes in this brochure are for dishes that are not only cool and light, but serve as a one-dish meal. Some include meat and some are meatless; each is intended to be varied with your choice of seasonal vegetables, and a source of complex carbohydrates such as rice, quinoa, couscous, pasta, bulgur, or other grains.

Each dish takes only thirty minutes or less to put together. And, by including low- or non-fat versions of ingredients like mayonnaise and yogurt, these summer salads are as good for you as they are tasty and refreshing.

Cool Summer Salad Recipes

The Ultimate Greek Salad
Serves 4

Mix together the flavors of Greece: feta cheese, Kalamata olives, chick-peas, and fresh vegetables, then dress them with lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Add couscous, rice, or your favorite small pasta, like orzo or tiny shells, and you have a deliciously cool summer salad. If you prefer, add a can of drained and crumbled tuna to the vegetable mixture.

1 cup couscous, rice, or small pasta, uncooked
1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced, with juice
1 green or colored bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. lemon juice or more to taste
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
salt and pepper to taste
romaine lettuce leaves, ripped to bite-size
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare couscous, rice, or small pasta as usual. Fluff couscous well; if using rice, be sure all liquid has been absorbed and rice is fairly dry, not sticky. If using pasta, rinse in cool water and drain well.

Toss together cucumber, tomato, pepper, and onion. If olives have pits, smash the olive with the side of a knife to express the pit, then slice. Add olives, chick peas, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste and toss.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Mound the couscous, rice, or pasta on the lettuce. Cover with the mixed vegetables. Crumble the feta cheese over the top and serve.

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Tuscan Tuna Salad
Serves 6

This light, yet satisfying, salad is bursting with Tuscany’s favorite flavors: tuna and beans, spiced with the lively jalapeño “punch” of freshly-made salsa and the goodness of pasta.

12 oz. small shells or elbows, uncooked
2 6 1/2 oz. cans, white tuna packed in water
1 19 oz. can cannellini beans or chick peas
(garbanzo) drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives (optional)
1/2 cup sliced green onions with tops
1 cup fresh* salsa
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic or wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried basil crushed
3 cup shredded spinach leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water to cool.

While pasta is cooking, drain tuna and break into chunks. Combine tuna, beans, olives, and onions in large bowl. Combine salsa, oil, vinegar, and basil in small bowl, mixing well; add to tuna mixture. Toss lightly. Add cooked pasta and mix gently. Arrange spinach on serving plate; top with tuna and pasta mixture.

*Fresh salsas are refrigerated rather than bottled, and have a fresh vegetable taste. You can find fresh salsas in the Co-op's refrigerated section.

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Salad of the Americas
Serves 6

Quinoa, corn, and beans - staple foods of the Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs - are combined in this dish with other native Americans - tomatoes and pumpkin seeds - to produce a salad that is colorful, nutritious, and tasty.

1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed
½ cup cooked fresh or frozen corn kernels
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 scallions, minced
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 can beans: black, pinto, Anasazi, or great
northern, drained and rinsed
1 generous cup diced ripe tomatoes
1 Tbs. balsamic or cider vinegar
¼ cup chopped parsley
black pepper to taste
garnish: pumpkin seeds

Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Add the quinoa and simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare corn: if using fresh, cook corn on the cob, then cut off cooked kernels; if using frozen, follow package directions.

Combine quinoa, corn, lemon juice, scallions, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except pumpkin seeds, and toss together. To assemble: place quinoa-corn mixture in the center of a platter or large dish. Make a well in the center and mound the bean mixture into the well. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

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Mediterranean Salad
Serves 4

Bulgur is a fast-cooking form of wheat that is the mainstay of Middle Eastern salads, the most familiar being tabouli. This late-summer salad takes advantage of fresh cherry tomatoes and corn on the cob, but it can also be made any time of year with fresh or canned diced tomatoes and frozen corn that has been brought to room temperature.

1 cup low-sodium stock, chicken or vegetarian
1 cup bulgur
1 pint cherry tomatoes or 2 cups diced tomatoes
1 large ear of corn OR 1 cup frozen corn
1 cup diced cucumbers
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs. lime juice
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a 1-quart saucepan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil. Stir in the bulgur. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes, or until the bulgur is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

Halve the cherry tomatoes. Steam or boil the ear of corn for 2-3 minutes and cut kernels from the cob. Add the tomatoes, corn kernels, cucumbers, coriander, scallions, and mint to the bulgur. Toss the mixture lightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, and garlic. Pour over the salad and mix well.

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Ditalini Summer Salad
Serves 4

Any small pasta can be used in this quick and cool summer salad that blends the flavor of smoked turkey with fat-free mayonnaise and yogurt and the crunch of apples and celery. Feel free to add or substitute your favorite summer vegetables - raw or lightly blanched - including crunchy edible-podded peas, carrots, radishes, or fennel. Pineapple or pears could replace or be added to the apple.

12 oz. ditalini, small shells, etc.
3/4 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free mayo
12 oz. smoked turkey, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced
1 head greenleaf lettuce, leaves
separated, washed and drained
2 oz. crumbled blue or feta cheese

Prepare pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Whisk together the yogurt and mayo or put in a food processor or blender and whirl until smooth. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, smoked turkey, celery and apple. Add the sauce and toss until evenly coated.

Cover serving platter with lettuce leaves and spoon the pasta onto the leaves. Sprinkle with cheese, toss lightly and serve.

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