I don't like to heat up the oven in the summer, so most of our vegetables are steamed in the microwave or blanched on the stovetop. I pretty much use the same vegetables year-round like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas, green peas, and asparagus. I also make orzo or quinoa with various seasonings and steamed or raw vegetables mixed in as a side.

I don't have a problem with heating up the kitchen, AC and all; but I do like to use our patio and to cook as often as possible outside for the 5 - 6 months of spring/summer and into the fall. We enjoy using our Dutch ovens for long slow cooking. Anything you can cook in the oven or on top of the stove can be cooked in a Dutch oven. That with fresh vegetables and fruits of the season is what we like to do. I pretty much cook the same year round, just in different places, indoors/outdoors. Of course when wild caught seafood is in -- that's what we do on the grill, along with whole chicken and potatoes and vegetables.

In summer, I try to make best use of tomatoes as that's the only time of year they're worth eating...caprese salad, grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches or just cut up raw with dressing maybe mixed with chunked cuke...yummy.

What is this summer you're speaking of? Here in the PNW we still need to light the wood stove! haha.

In the heat of summer I like to make anti-pasta or just have fruit & cheese for dinner. We also grill on occasion, but since it's still light out until nearly 10pm, we eat late and very light.

We don't eat that different in the summer other than taking advantage of all the fresh produce. I'm another who doesn't mind using my oven in the summer. We grill year round, but more-so this time of year and have more out-door type get-togethers with family or friends. As sides to a grilled meat, we eat alot of fresh green beans, okra, corn, TOMATOES, squash, zucchini, etc. Tons of melon. I absolutely love cantaloupe. We do seem to eat more cold meals such as some type salad - tuna, grilled chicken salad, taco salad, etc. I also love a fresh salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, purple onion with a bit of moz cheese and dressing. We forgo meat a good bit. A favorite is a variety of fresh veggies and "fried" cornbread (which is really a thinned down cornbread batter cooked like a pancake).

tina