Your Favorite Summer Salads

[jglass]

I dont know about you guys but this time of the year I crave light summer salads with pasta and lots of fresh veggies and herbs. Nothing better than fresh in season veggies and basil or parsley right from the garden. What are some of your favorite light summer salad recipes?

[KYHeirloomer]

I'm always leary about the word "favorite." There are so many great salads to choose from.

Lately we're real partial to a plain cucumber/tomato salad, dressed in the Egyption style. That is, the dressing components (salt, roast cumin, lemon juice, and evoo) are added separately rather than mixed togeher.

We also like a mandarin orange and red onion salad, with a cumin vinaigrette. And tabullah. And various grain salads. And.....

[Mama Mangia]

I enjoy various salads (which I can live on) with anything in them - from fruits, nuts, veggies, pasta - you name it.

They are satisfying and refreshing - and easy to make when the humidity gets to me.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

I echo everyone's partiality to these light summer salads.

I enjoy making and eating pasta salads- meatless or loaded with chicken, smoked salmon, zinfandel-poached bay-scallops & shrimp, prosciutto/salami or pepproni.

One of my favs is a Caesar with cheese tortellini tossed in. Another is penne or ziti tossed w/ lemony-mayo, chicken, grapes, gorgonzola, taosted walnuts- YUM!

I also dig fresh garden harvest salads: cukes/onions/tomatos, sugar-snap peas vinaigrette, bite-size caprese w/ grape tomatos, etc.

And like KYH, I love a yummy Taboulleh, too!

When the garden's long-gone, I even like Winter Salads! I could feast on a whole plate of salad-samplers like a crunchy carrot/raisin (add a smidgen of peanut-butter & a splash of apple juice to some mayo for a more interesting taste!), green pea salad w/ ham & cheddar, cole slaw, potato salad, and my Mom's molded rice/ham/pineapple ring! YUM!

[shipscook]

the ones on KY's list are among my favorites, have a southwestern quinoa salad that is good year round.
Received a nice portion of fresh buffalo mozzarella and the tomatoes and basil at the market have been nice, so Caprese has been the star around here.
I often make a plate of sliced cukes, onions, grape tomatoes, olives etc., put some sea salt and a sprinkle of olive oil --happy hour.

Nan