Summer of Salads

When initially describing this salad to my dining partner tous les jours, his face wrinkled up in disgust, "fish sauce in a fruit salad? Ew!" Stubborn as I am, I ignored his skepticism, and carried on with the peeling, chopping, and slicing.

Shortly thereafter, I offered up a juicy bite of the finished product to the aforementioned naysayer, and watched on with slightly smug satisfaction. It was well worth the (minimal) effort. Salty and sweet, with a punch of heat, subtle umami qualities, and ample textural contrast, this salad will keep you guessing from bite to bite.

Keep reading for the recipe.

I love that a classic Caesar can be whipped up in a pinch, and now that we've hit grilling season, I experimented a little by charring lettuce leaves directly on the grill.

By quickly grilling the romaine lettuce, I imparted a charred flavor that's irresistible with a creamy Caesar salad dressing.

Of course, every Caesar salad needs croutons, so I lightly coated slices of bread in olive oil before grilling them alongside romaine lettuce. I wasn't able to source fresh anchovies but picked up salted whole anchovies, which I rinsed and lightly grilled for a boost of fish flavor.

The result? A salad that makes for a great first course for any barbecue party — or, with grilled chicken, a complete Summer meal. Heat up the barbeque and get to grilling this Summer Caesar salad.

If you've ever done any last-minute entertaining, you know that sometimes all you need is a quick salad that can easily be thrown together for lunch or dinner guests. This salad works off of the traditional tart and salty pairing of smoked salmon with lemon, herbs, and capers, and it's guaranteed to make dinner companions swoon. Add a warm, buttered French roll, and your meal is served! Keep reading for the fast and easy salmon salad recipe.

I'm convinced that nature knows best, because just as I started brown-bagging my lunch again, my local supermarket was offering late Summer vegetables at rock-bottom prices. Zucchini at 59 cents a pound? I decided it was time to start hoarding.

Ideally, zucchini has a nice crunch and a subtle, botanical flavor that's best brought out with a minimalist dressing like this one — olive oil, lemon, dill, and a sprinkling of feta. Eat it right away, or better yet, bring it to work or school, and over the course of a few hours the flavors will meld together nicely. Read ahead for the recipe.

Farro is the latest ancient grain to make a mainstream comeback, and I've been cooking up a storm with the wheat variety, using it in place of rice to make "farrotto," adding it to soups, and utilizing it as the base for Asian-style vegetable bowls.

My favorite way to employ it during hot weather is with this ingenious seasonal salad by Melissa Clark. Start by toasting farro, until it's nutty and golden brown; toss in parsley, scallions, lemon juice, and cherry tomatoes, for a meatier riff on tabbouleh; then top with crumbled cheese fricos for a crispy, salty finish.

For more substance, I served this salad with a side of grilled shrimp and Italian salsa verde, but you could add other seafood like scallops or lump crabmeat. Or, as Melissa suggested, bits of salumi: "Cubes of pancetta or sopressata would be killer!" she told me. Great — I've got an excuse to make this again sometime soon. Keep reading for the basic recipe.

What could be more gratifying on a sweltering day than a platter of fat and juicy tomatoes, fresh off the vine? I ask that question each year when the season rolls around and, without fail, come up with nothing for an answer.

At this weekend's farmers market, when I spotted heirloom tomatoes by the crateful in a rainbow of colors, I couldn't help but bring several pounds home.

I used my loot — a mixture of green zebras, Cherokees, and yellow brandywines — as the star of a dish so unembellished, I'm not sure I would call it a salad. I sliced the fruits into thin rounds, then drizzled them with high-quality Italian olive oil.

A flaky sea salt helps round out the tomatoes' impossibly sweet flesh; I also added dollops of burrata to cut through the acidity and young leaves of basil to bring out the herbaceousness of the tomatoes. I devoured the dish right away and derived such visceral pleasure from eating it that I guarantee next week I'll be making the salad again. Keep reading to savor this Summer fruit the same way.

Sometimes when making a salad, it's refreshing to think less is more. Instead of combining a million different ingredients, select two perfect fruits, say tomatoes and avocados, and let them be the stars of a simple but satisfying salad. Throw in some quick-pickled shallots and a tangy basil-laced vinaigrette, and you've got a dish that screams Summer. This perfect salad goes with anything, from burgers to tacos to grilled fish. You've got to make it! The easy recipe right this way.

When the weather is hot, I crave salads. Potato salads, pasta salads, green salads, veggie salads, and chopped salads — like this version of a Greek salad. Although there's nothing special about this recipe — it's a pretty standard Greek salad — it's absolutely delicious and the perfect salad to enjoy on a warm day.

Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, red pepper, black olives, and feta cheese with the lemon herb vinaigrette a couple of hours before you plan to serve the salad. Keep it chilled in the fridge and the flavors will have time to blend together. For a light meal, offer it with grilled hearty bread. Add the recipe to your collection now.