Salads of Summer

Summer has been and always will be the best time of year. It's when the sun sits the longest on its throne in the sky championing all the joys of outdoor fun. It's when golden-hour actually lasts an hour instead of a few minutes or so here in the North; and it is the magic time of day when everyone (from the young frolicking and screaming as they run through sprinklers to the elderly who sit on weathered porch swings to chat with their neighbors) wants to be outside to enjoy the lingering light of a warm, glorious summer day.

But it's not just sun and the heat that makes summers one of the most memorable times of the year; it's the get-togethers for potlucks and bbqs showcasing the most iconic summer food of all that really makes this season shine: the summer salad.

Now the summer salad is not just any one salad. No, it comes in many forms, textures, and flavors. When someone says, "bring a salad!" you know the options of what kind of salad to bring are endless: fruit, green, pasta, dessert! And there are a multitude of varieties on just these few categories alone! How many times as a child did I wonder about the food we would have as we would drive to my grandma's house or to any other gathering? It wasn't about the hotdogs, hamburgers, or grilled steaks. Those were always the same. I always wanted to know what salads would be there. Would Grandma make her famous pistachio pudding salad with bits of pistachio that would crunch with each bite? Would her friend bring her delicious Asian pasta salad with rich, nutty, toasted sesame oil? Would my uncle bring his homemade rotini pasta dripping in tangy dressing with chunks of fat, juicy tomato and refreshing cucumber? My aunt usually brought a berry and melon salad drenched in sweet juices and heavy cream; surely she would bring it tonight? And the crisp green salad dressed with veggies and sweet peppers was always a welcome addition. What kind of veggies would be in the green salad tonight? These were very important questions!

And once all friends and family would be gathered together, the sprinklers, the outdoor toys, and porch swings would all be abandoned as we hurried to get in line for first dibs of the delicious spread. Making our way down the serving table, we would always heap great spoonful's of whatever salad took our fancy the most. Usually, there wasn't enough room on my plate for every type of salad, and I would have to go back for at least seconds!

How often then would the conversation turn to salad recipes? I would listen to my elders discuss this serious topic as I quietly stuffed my face with food. ("What did you do differently?" "I added lemon juice." "And what was that dessert salad you made? I need the recipe!" "Oh! It's so easy! It's only like 6 ingredients.")

Now that I'm an adult, I find myself sharing and asking about summer salad recipes. I'm always on the hunt for the next delectable salad. Sometimes people share openly, and other times people guard their "family secret" like their life depends upon it. ("You can have it when I'm dead!")

Things have changed a bit since I was a kid, (I actually have to make food, not just eat it!) but one thing will always stay the same:

Summer has been and always will be the best time of year. And just as I was a child, now my children's eyes grow wide at the large bowls overflowing with fruit, veggies, pasta, and dessert. And just like their mama, their little hands take large serving spoons and plop spoonful's of happy memories onto their plates.