Summer is here! If you’re like me, you’re trying to put off installing your window units for as long as possible, and you’re searching desperately for any strategies that can support you in your avoidance. Lucky for me, it’s easy to beat the summer heat and make an entire three-course meal without turning on your oven, especially with the beautiful bounty of summer produce upon us!
It makes me feel old to say this, but I love oatmeal. Though I used to tease my grandpa for his daily oat intake, I have now fully gone over to the dark side. I love my oatmeal, and I look forward to it every morning almost as much as I do my coffee. But come summer, a hot bowl of oats just isn’t a realistic way to start my day. My life changed last year when overnight oats came into my life. Pulling ready-made oats out of the fridge in the morning allows me to have my oats and eat them too!
I love soup, but I only eat it a few months of the year. Hot liquid on a hot day? No thank you! I love making chilled soup from whatever vegetables are in season at the farmers market now and blending them into a delicious chilled soup. Some of my favorite combos lately are watermelon and jalapeno, carrot and ginger, and leek and spinach!
This may seem obvious, but during the dark winter months, I forget about the MVP of summer cooking: the grill! Grilling is great for cooking proteins and veggies, of course (and The Chopping Block offers tons of classes for you to learn about that!), but they’re also great for moving any heat-generating cooking activities outside. Need to boil water for pasta? Do it on the grill. Need to make a cherry cobbler? Do it on the grill. Need to fry an egg? Grab a cast iron pan and do it on the grill!
I try to avoid buying prepared foods as much as possible, but in the summer, I make exceptions, especially for things like rice, quinoa, and beans. Having those long-simmering items come pre-cooked means that I can throw dinner together with a few quick sauces and vegetables and zero heat.
I always need a sweet treat at the end of a meal, but my dedication to keeping my oven off limits my options in the summer. Cheesecakes, puddings, and ice cream sundae bars are the name of the game instead!