20 No-Heat Summer Potluck Dishes for Everyone

Feta cheese isn’t typically the kind of cheese that can transport you to a deep palatal place, but there’s something terribly effective about the simple combination of that vegetal, green quality of zucchini and such creamy, briny cheese.

The most important element for guacamole is ripe avocados. They should give easily when squeezed (gently!). Underripe avocados make for bland, chewy guacamole. On the other hand, you shouldn’t feel any air pockets beneath the skin; this usually indicates the avocados are overripe.

Admittedly, these summer fruit spring rolls are more work than the traditional bite-by-bite way of eating fruit down to its seeds or core, but they’re also way more fun. Along with that, these rolls make it way easier to dip into the sweet and savory sauce.

Seasoning fruit with chile peppers and salt is common in places like Southeast Asia and Mexico. If you haven’t tried it before, you’re in for a treat! The heat and salt brings out the juicy sweetness of the watermelon, and I also like adding lime zest and juice for extra punch. If you have the misfortune of a lackluster watermelon, this is a great way to give it some life.

There was an even more simple affair with delicate multi-colored tomato slices with really good salt and pepper and a touch of oil. And of course there was a panzanella: hunks of crusty bread and tomato with cucumber and capers and all the rest.

This cucumber salad bridges the cultural divide between Eastern Europe and India: both cultures have creamy, cooling salads with dairy and cucumbers. Here’s my easy fusion version.

In the summer I’m always planning meals around what produce is in season at the farmers market. Gone are the days of cheesy casseroles and braised meats or stews — summer’s all about celebrating fresh, colorful produce. And this salad does just that.

There are hundreds of variations of this recipe floating around the internet, but this is the recipe I have whittled down to my fit my preferences. Feel free to experiment with quantities and flavors to your own liking — this recipe is very forgiving. My only real caveat: make double!

It’s their crunchy-meets-creamy texture and the big, bright flavors of carrots, nori, and lemon juice. Another bonus: they are super filling. It’s the kind of midday meal that prevents snacking. And while there is undeniably something health-food-hippie about them, even my husband eats them up.

The contrasting textures are what makes this salad so fun to eat. The zucchini is shredded, salted and left to sit while the rest of the salad is prepped. During that time, it becomes a little softer and less watery as the salt draws the moisture out, leaving zucchini strands that are a little crunchy and a lot more flavorful.

Blueberry or otherwise, sauce or no-sauce, the fruit topping is best added just before serving so you get the contrast of that soft and juicy fruit with the cold and creamy ice cream.

Evaporated cane juice would work just fine, too, as would maple syrup, although I’m not so sure I’d love the darker flavor of the latter in this particular flavor. Let me know if you use something else that you love!

The creamy layers come by their coconut richness without it, and the top is sprinkled with toasted flakes, which have more in common with nuts than hay. And then there’s the mango — lots and lots of mango.

This is a no-cook pudding with only fruit jam to sweeten it and lime to brighten. It was airy and creamy, tangy and sweet.